Language

I've been reading Frankenstein lately. Yes, in English...but it's the last of the English books I brought with me and once I'm done (which I almost am) I'm finishing Le Petit Prince and then moving on to La Premiere Nuit. So I will be reading in French soon!

Anywho, as I was saying, I've been reading Frankenstein, and it turns out Frankenstein's monster learned French in less than a year simply by observing a poor family of three and reading a few books. Absolutely impossible, BUT pretty cool all the same. In the story there is a lovely section of the monster's monologue to Frankenstein, during which he's telling the Dr. about his life up to that point and talks about how he felt about his discovery of language. I'd like to share it with you guys, because I think it's really beautiful and really captures at least how I, personally, feel about the beauty of language.

"By degrees I made a discovery of still greater moment. I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and the countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it[...]. Their pronunciation was quick; and the words they uttered, not having any apparent connection with visible objects[...]. By great application, however, and after having remained during the space of several revolutions of the moon in my hovel, I discovered the names that were give to some of the most familiar objects of discourse[...]. I cannot describe the delight I felt when I learned the ideas appropriated to each of these sounds, and was able to pronounce them."

Good Stuff :)