The long and short of English sentences

By Jose A. Carillo

Jul 13, 2023 12:11 am

English Plain and Simple (2168th of a series)

ARE there any hard-and-fast rules on the length of English-language sentences?

Herman Melville begins his classic whaling novel 'Moby Dick' with only three words: 'Call me Ishmael.' Vladimir Nabokov, my favorite English-language stylist, starts 'Lolita,' his landmark novel of sexual obsession, not even with a sentence but with three short bursts: 'Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins.' Later in their stories, both writers at times go on long-sentence binges but nevertheless remain clear and expressive.

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English Plain and Simple (2168th of a series)

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