Active Users:181 Time:17/05/2024 10:58:19 AM
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?

Reply to message
Can anybody tell me what this means? - 30/05/2014 05:02:58 PM 901 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 496 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 583 Views
Its like he writes with a Thesaurus by his side *NM* - 14/06/2014 03:05:42 AM 259 Views
I think preterite can also mean "saved" in a religious sense. - 14/06/2014 12:54:02 PM 603 Views
It looks like it's the opposite - 15/06/2014 12:40:14 AM 550 Views
Re: It looks like it's the opposite - 15/06/2014 08:28:45 AM 579 Views
He might even call you Preterite... - 15/06/2014 06:10:52 PM 579 Views
I've never really been able to get into his stuff... - 14/06/2014 12:21:32 PM 663 Views

Reply to Message