18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 35

[cahn]

In the previous post Charles II found AITA:

Look, I, m, believe in live and let live. (And in not going on my travels again. Had enough of that to last a life time.) Why can't everyone else around me be more chill? Instead, my wife refuses to employ my girlfriend, my girlfriend won't budge and accept another office, my brother is set on a course to piss off everyone (he WILL go on his travels again), and my oldest kid shows signs of wanting my job which is just not on, sorry to say. And don't get me started about Mom (thank God she's living abroad). What am I doing wrong? AITA?

Comments

Re: Backlog Reading - Wilhelmine and Fredersdorf

[cahn]

I read the Memoirs in German, yes, and I'm wondering if the random (or even not-so-random) cutting of passages in the English version might make it less readable in the end, because it impacts context and flow?

It certainly meant the Christmas 1732 bit made rather less sense, because the sentence where SD was complaining about EC's fistulas got cut and so Mildred and I were both wondering why Wilhelmine was all gasp! can't believe you said this where the servants might hear!! about SD saying "She only says yes or no to everyone!" (Mildred, I think you read that bit in English when betaing, right?) So I would totally buy that it might have messed with flow and interest. I mean, if they cut all the gossipy sensationalism, you can see why I quit

where Fahlenkamp says that Katte was executed on the 5th of August.

Wow, even I know that's not at all right! Though to be fair, not until I wrote a fic on it.

Re: Backlog Reading - Wilhelmine and Fredersdorf

[mildred_of_midgard]

Yes, I was thinking of this! It was indeed very confusing!

Mildred, I think you read that bit in English when betaing, right?

Exactly! It was part of the reason I elected to read it in German, since I couldn't find an unabridged English copy.

So I would totally buy that it might have messed with flow and interest. I mean, if they cut all the gossipy sensationalism, you can see why I quit

Haha, true! But selenak and I both *also* read this in German, and aside from the fistulas and German comedians and general popcorn when she's in Berlin (and Selena's Franconian perspective on Wilhelmine's opinions of her new homeland :) ), we also didn't find it that engrossing even with the complete text. I think the outlier here is felis, whom I applaud for having a high tolerance for Bayreuth hijinks in any language!

Wow, even I know that's not at all right! Though to be fair, not until I wrote a fic on it.

Clearly Fahlenkamp needs to write a fic! (I mean, he kind of did write a dark!AU about Fredersdorf. :P Not THAT fic, Fahlenkamp!)