Tuesday 2 June 2015

A List Description

Having frequently quoted and commended Poul Anderson's colorful and comprehensive list descriptions (scroll down) of busy street scenes, I have now found such a description in Rudyard Kipling's Kim (London, 2010) as could have been written by Anderson.

Kim and the lama enter the Kashmir Serai, a "...huge open square...surrounded with arched cloisters where the camel and horse-caravans put up on their return from Central Asia." (p. 17)

In the Serai, "...all manner of Northern folk..." (ibid.):

tend ponies and camels;
load and unload bales and bundles;
draw water;
pile grass for stallions;
cuff caravan dogs;
pay camel drivers;
engage grooms;
swear, shout, argue and chaffer.

In addition to the sounds of human voices, the well-windlasses creak and the stallions shriek. The four descriptions of conversations, "...swear..." etc, are particularly Andersonian, especially the chaffering. However, Anderson would also have listed:

the kinds of Northern folk;
more noises from animals and other sources;
the various, intermingling smells!

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I found myself nodding in agreement with what you said about how both Kipling and Anderson made lists of the persons, animals, and sounds they their chracters heard. In fact, given that PA was an enthusiastic fan of Kipling, he may have taken this idea of making lists from Kipling. I also agree with you on how Anderson made longer and more varied lists than Kipling thought necessary.

Sean