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Can anybody tell me what this means? Nighthawk Send a noteboard - 30/05/2014 05:02:58 PM

I'm giving The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant another shot, as I hate having half-read books in my collection. But I find Stephen Donaldson's style to be quite pompous, especially with sections like this:

"Beggars and fanatics, holy men, prophets of the apocalypse didn't belong on that street in that sunlight; the frowning, belittling eyes of the stone columns held no tolerance for such preterite exaltation."

Does anybody know what "preterite exaltation" means in this instance?

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Can anybody tell me what this means? - 30/05/2014 05:02:58 PM 897 Views
Their overt religiousness is irritating and passé? *NM* - 30/05/2014 06:36:16 PM 297 Views
That it was old-fashioned or antiquated to display their belief/religion in that way. *NM* - 01/06/2014 01:33:53 AM 492 Views
I thought that's what I said *NM* - 01/06/2014 07:41:10 PM 301 Views
It means he likes to use obscure words in ways that aren't quite proper - 12/06/2014 07:00:29 PM 580 Views
Its like he writes with a Thesaurus by his side *NM* - 14/06/2014 03:05:42 AM 258 Views
I think preterite can also mean "saved" in a religious sense. - 14/06/2014 12:54:02 PM 600 Views
It looks like it's the opposite - 15/06/2014 12:40:14 AM 548 Views
Re: It looks like it's the opposite - 15/06/2014 08:28:45 AM 577 Views
He might even call you Preterite... - 15/06/2014 06:10:52 PM 576 Views
I've never really been able to get into his stuff... - 14/06/2014 12:21:32 PM 658 Views

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