So yesterday I downloaded some bookd from google books

[nadinbrzezinski]

and there is something that became very clear very fast. Folks I downloaded a book written in 1925 or so about how to write a short story. The level of English in this HS text would be in the graduate level in college. This is a High School, first year of college textbook.

I went OH MY.

No this is not about things were better in the past. We have lots more info to convey to people in HS or college than even back then. But things like what we consider correct and proper English construction have been dumbed down, severely dumbed down. It is actually sad to see.

I also downloaded some history that I know it has been severely superseded in its knowledge, but those will be good for the novel I'm writing. Some of those conclusions on ancient history are just damn perfect for what I want to do. Yet I also noticed that. These books, written for a literate audience of their age in a very specialist area of knowledge... are written in English that you do not see today in journals.

So yes, something has happened to us, and it is easy to notice in choice of words. I'd say these people used more words than we do. Just a guess... and if any of you is curious... google up Citizen Kane, as in the screen play. Then download any modern screen play. You will notice that there is less writing in it.

So we do have to wonder if this is a good thing.

Oh and my book reader is now loaded wiht a bunch of stuff that I'd have to go to very specialized libraries to find.