“People who have repeated a slander either get ashamed or forget it, if they're let alone. Challenge them, and in self-defense they believe everything they've said; they'd rather believe you a sinner than believe themselves liars, naturally. Submit to gossip and you kill it; fight it and you make it strong. People will forget almost any slander except one that's been fought.”
*****
"Your mother's good name!" Amberson cut him off impatiently. "Nobody has a good name in a bad mouth. Nobody has a good name in a silly mouth, either. Well, your mother's name was in some silly mouths, and all you've done was to go and have a scene with the worst old woman gossip in the town—a scene that's going to make her into a partisan against your mother, whereas she was a mere prattler before. Don't you suppose she'll be all over town with this tomorrow?”
The Magnificent Ambersons is one of the most beautifully written novels I've read in a long time. Tarkington was a master of language and observation, and Georgie Amberson Minafer has become one of my favorite literary characters, despite his tragic flaws. I had to share two teasers from the same scene, because I just loved the way Tarkington describes the nature of gossip, and because this is a pivotal moment in the story, where Georgie realizes he may have done more harm than good when attempting to prevent gossip about his mother from damaging the family name. This is where that first seed of insecurity takes root and starts to chip away at Georgie's indomitable ego, and where he truly considers the consequences of his actions for the first time in his spoiled, self-centered life. It's part of a truly fantastic character arc.
The Magnificent Ambersons is one of the most beautifully written novels I've read in a long time. Tarkington was a master of language and observation, and Georgie Amberson Minafer has become one of my favorite literary characters, despite his tragic flaws. I had to share two teasers from the same scene, because I just loved the way Tarkington describes the nature of gossip, and because this is a pivotal moment in the story, where Georgie realizes he may have done more harm than good when attempting to prevent gossip about his mother from damaging the family name. This is where that first seed of insecurity takes root and starts to chip away at Georgie's indomitable ego, and where he truly considers the consequences of his actions for the first time in his spoiled, self-centered life. It's part of a truly fantastic character arc.
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Got a teaser? Please leave a link so I can visit!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!
Well, you've succeeded in making me want to read this one - I can't wait to see how the gossip turns out. Nice teaser!
ReplyDeleteIf you’d like, you can check out mine here.
Wow, this does sound really good. I like the writing style evidenced by these teasers. Thanks for sharing. My teaser is here.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow, this one sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing....
ReplyDeleteHere's MY TUESDAY MEMES POST
I like the writing style of this teaser. Good choice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for Stopping by! I love the title of your blog. Creative!
Just put that on my goodreads list :)
ReplyDeleteMy teaser is from Eric Flint's alternate-history novel The Dance of Time:
e-Volving Books
Sounds captivating and interesting.
ReplyDeletehttp://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/04/teaser-tuesday_10.html
Sounds like a vintage book I really should read.
ReplyDeleteI like the teaser. Thank you for posting it.
ReplyDeletehttp://polliwogblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/teaser-tuesday_10.html
Gosh, it's been years since I read this. Guess it's time for a reread. Thanks for posting a teaser to remind me of this classic book.
ReplyDeleteHere's my teaser: Sandy's Teaser
You caught my attention on this one, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAh! I like what I see!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Here's mine:
http://www.bookmarkyourthoughts.com/2012/04/teaser-tuesday-april-10th-2012.html