# Do you hate it when authors write out dialects? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188 "2012-12-06T15:30:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/41 "2012-12-06T20:45:35Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > Twain, Ambrose Bierce, or Bret Hartt actually were pretty popular in their time because of their ability to depict accents or dialects in their stories and books. It doesn’t wash today, Perhaps it says quite a bit about their time. People don’t like Bierce or Twain these days? 😕 Far as I know, both are still considered greats, and still read (by some at least) with pleasure. Twain especially. Though “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “The Devil’s Dictionary” are commonly cited. Not familiar with Bret Hartt. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/42 "2012-12-06T21:15:06Z")
I just named my parent’s new cat “Finn”. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/43 "2012-12-06T21:30:43Z")
In Richard Adams’ _The Plague Dogs_, there is a fox who has a thick Geordie accent. Each time he spoke, it slowed the story to a crawl for me as I tried to puzzle out what was being said. Later I found out that my US version had the “lightened” accent for us American readers and the UK publication was even worse. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/44 "2012-12-06T22:16:39Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > You want Scottish dialect? Robert Louis Stevenson wrote stories in it, and I’ve read works by more recent authors copying him. Utterly unitelligible (if you’re not Scottish) without a glossary. > Don’t believe me? Try reading _Thrawn Janet_: > > [The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables/Thrawn Janet - Wikisource, the free online library](http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Thrawn_Janet) Heh. Just goes to show. I followed your link and read the whole thing and loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/45 "2012-12-06T22:31:19Z")
> [@](#): > > In Richard Adams’ The Plague Dogs, there is a fox who has a thick Geordie accent. Each time he spoke, it slowed the story to a crawl for me as I tried to puzzle out what was being said. The edition I had had footnotes explaining the dialect, and I definitely needed them. In general, I think that writing out dialects can be a great tool, if used well, but that most authors can’t use it well, and it comes out horrible. Off the top of my head, I liked it in Twain’s works and in _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_, but I can’t think of any other examples. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/46 "2012-12-06T22:51:00Z")
Richard Adams also did a bit of dialect in _ **Watership Down** _, some good, some bad. Kehaar’s accent never bothered me, and the one or two lines that Blackavar spoke with an Efrafan accent were very mild. On the other hand, the human farmer(s) who shoot Hazel? “'e old woild rabbit!” _shudder_ I have to force myself through that section every time I read the book. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/47 "2012-12-06T23:44:45Z")
The first thing that sprung to mind for me is Steven King’s cringe-inducing dialects, especially black dialects. They physically hurt me to read them. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/48 "2012-12-07T01:52:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > You want Scottish dialect? Robert Louis Stevenson wrote stories in it, and I’ve read works by more recent authors copying him. Utterly unitelligible (if you’re not Scottish) without a glossary. > Don’t believe me? Try reading _Thrawn Janet_: > > [The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables/Thrawn Janet - Wikisource, the free online library](http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Thrawn_Janet) Just woke up, getting ready to go to work, but I’ll attempt this one when I get out of work… (or on lunch break if no one takes lunch with me). I’ll find out just how much Scots I can stand, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/49 "2012-12-07T02:27:44Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > The first thing that sprung to mind for me is Steven King’s cringe-inducing dialects, especially black dialects. They physically hurt me to read them. It’s Stephen. Anyway, I could not get through Delores Claiborne. Heavy backwoods Maine dialect made even worse because it was written first person as a monologue. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/50 "2012-12-07T02:33:44Z")
It just depends on what the accent is and how well it’s done. Huckleberry Finn wasn’t a problem. I’ve read some books where this technique was laborious. It’s probably overused, but not inherently a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/51 "2012-12-07T03:11:05Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s Stephen. > > Anyway, I could not get through Delores Claiborne. Heavy backwoods Maine dialect made even worse because it was written first person as a monologue. Ayuh. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/52 "2012-12-07T03:27:04Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Have you tried listening to an audio version? Great idea! I never considered that - I have some long commutes and I’ll check out the library tomorrow to see what they have. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/53 "2012-12-07T03:33:18Z")
I like [Girl Genius](http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php), but when the Jägers’s speak, I just skip to the next speech bubble. “Verra nize! Und vot hyu vants ve do next?” ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/54 "2012-12-07T03:43:27Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > And all those apostrophes just make me shudder. Would it not be sufficient to write “Old Georgie’s path and mine crossed more times than I’m comfy remembering”? Why keep the contraction “I’m”? Why keep the colloquial “comfy,” instead of “comfortable”? Because _those_ elements are in _your_ dialect? ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/55 "2012-12-07T04:08:54Z")
It depends. I couldn’t finish _Huckleberry Finn_ when I tried it, but I don’t even remember _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ having lots of dialect, even though people are using it as an example. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/56 "2012-12-07T08:17:58Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > That said, though, I did quite like Chuck Palahniuk’s _Pygmy_, which was written entirely in very strange English. Not sure if you’d call it “dialect” per se, but it definitely took some getting used to. It was the English of a young Asian exchange-student who doesn’t speak much English in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/57 "2012-12-07T09:07:37Z")
I don’t like it (that is, I find it hard on the eyes), but in many cases, it’s just unavoidable. Some dialects are sufficiently removed from standard English (whatever that is) that they would almost need translation to render them that way - I’m thinking of Yorkshire or Scottish Highlands - where not only is there an accent, there’s also different grammar and vocab. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/58 "2012-12-07T09:11:51Z")
Right. Author-invented phonetic renderings of _accents_ are obnoxious, unnecessary, and hard to read. But transcriptions of the _dialect_, the actual words and structure of someone’s speech–well, that’s sometimes hard to read, too, but it’s much more fundamental to the description of the character and scene. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/59 "2012-12-07T09:15:38Z")
Qualification to the above: phonetic rendering of an accent may be necessary and effective in cases where characters are themselves having trouble understanding each other for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188/60 "2012-12-07T13:06:26Z")
I recall Asimov saying once that he had no ear for writing dialects, which is why all his characters may sound alike. He will say that a character “had a heavy Cormellian accent” but never tried to render it phonetically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-hate-it-when-authors-write-out-dialects/643188.md?page=4)