101 Books to Read Before You Die discussion
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Dracula
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Dracula - Chapter 1
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Kristyn
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Oct 14, 2012 07:15PM
I can't just add an empty topic thread so I guess when someone gets to a new chapter and has something to say they can just add a new topic with that chapter number.
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Ok so I have only read a couple of pages so far and he is describing the people at the train stations. He says the women look pretty until you get close to them and also says they look clumsy about the waist. What does clumsy about the waist mean?
I was wondering that too Kristyn. For some reason the one thing that came to my mind is that they are thick waisted.
I was thinking that too. I tried googling it with no luck.
Hi Kristyn,This link contains some interesting information the history of corsets and the importance of the waist to the female figure during the nineteenth century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corset_c...
A twenty-five inch waist was considered shameful and "clumsy" by nineteenth century standards. Oh my.
Without reading the link yet I am going to say maybe him coming from England and seeing these women he said they were clumsy at the waist meaning they didn't wear corsets? Now I'm going to go read the link.
I was thinking that too. I thought that I would go back and re-read that passage. It did stick out in my head because I had never heard that expression before.
I couldn't imagine wearing a corset! I'd rather be clumsy at the waist. Haha. I remember watching a show (maybe CSI) where they did an autopsy of a man whose internal organs were rearranged and not where they were supposed to be. They mentioned the only other time they has seen something like that was in a pregnant woman. Did not know your organs are not in their normal place when pregnant but it makes sense when you think about it. Anyway the guy also had all kinds of stuff wrong with his back too. Turns out he wore a corset all the time and it caused all of that. Don't know how accurate it was but the corset talk made me think about that.
I was thinking the same thing. Of course I had the added recent insight of reading Gone with the Wind and hearing Scarlet bitching about her waist going up to 20 inches after her 2nd? maybe 3rd kid, and if she wasn't 18.5 she wouldn't fit in any of her dresses. I also did some looking and right around the time this was written was when women were first appearing in public with out corsets so it does make sense.
Clumsy in the waist. :-) I like the term. We don't have interesting terms like this anymore. I do have to say, the descriptions, and warnings of everyone leading up to him getting to the castle is fun. :) Not my normal vamps in the real world... haha. I like the unknown, and I am excited to hear his descriptions of the castle and the Count! (I kept thinking about COunt Chocula when I read the Count.)
hahaha I keep thinking Sesame Street, Ah one, ah two,
Amanda wrote: "hahaha I keep thinking Sesame Street, Ah one, ah two,"LOL. That's the best.
There is an animated movie called Hotel Transylvania playing at theatres.http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieD...
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There is a lot of truth to it, yes. I forget where I learned a lot of it, but corsets did a number on a woman's internal structure. Caused all kinds of health problems. It's funny though, how we think society dictates our imagine now.... it was worse back then!
