Bookaholic Anonymous discussion

This discussion will contain spoilers from the first book of Across the Universe. See yourselves warned

Across the Universe is one very popular book, which I'm sure a few of you have already read.

So, I think it should have a place in the group, as well.

This discussion is for the first book only. There should be no spoilers from the second book/third (when it comes out) here.

Well guys, I'm currently reading this book and I wondered if anyone else was bothered by the usage of words such as Frex, Frexing and Chutz in the story. I've no idea what those words mean (those I get the general idea and think I understand frex/frexing at least).
It might be just me (who does not come from an English speaking country) that is not familiar with these terms, but when I looked them online I found nothing...

So, where you bothered by it? Noticed it? Is it just some silly thing I'm not familiar with?

It is quite common in SFF to make up words, same as we use words that were not used in the past.
Can you give a few examples of those words in context? I'm guessing they're de

I've had this discussion on a status of mine (so I'd rather not have it again... LOL) and we all established what those words probably mean...
The frex and frexing was pretty obvious, but Chutz kept coming up in different context and each time seems to have a different meaning...

Anyway, authors can make up slang all they like - just make sure it's possible for the reader to understand!

Truth be told, it took me 80% of the book to get into it. I didn't connect to it, at all :/

Nitzan wrote: "I've had this discussion on a status of mine (so I'd rather not have it again... LOL) and we all established what those words probably mean...
The frex and frexing was pretty obvious, but Chutz kep..."

I actually liked that the author created her own slang for the book. It makes sense that there would be new words since they technically have created their own culture after being isolated for so many generations. I actually feel it would have taken away from the book if the author had the people speak exactly the same as we do now without ever acknowledging the changes that society goes through over the years, including their language.

And it didn't bother me that I wasn't able to understand the meaning of all the words. It just made it feel more realistic and that I was probably feeling exactly the same as Amy, suddenly put into this new world where not everything makes sense.

I have no problem with creating slang, but I would like for it to make sense. Having one word with about 6 different meanings that have nothing to do with one another, though, did bother me.
And it wasn't new "slang". There were maybe three new words there; that's all.
I wouldn't have minded so much if she created a whole new slang, and if instead of giving one word hundred meanings, give it two three tops that connect and invent a new word for the other.
But that's just me; you're free to feel differently.

Nitzan wrote: "I have no problem with creating slang, but I would like for it to make sense. Having one word with about 6 different meanings that have nothing to do with one another, though, did bother me.
And i..."

I get that. Actually, now that you talked about creating "a whole new slang," that probably would bother me more than just having a few words. I'm okay not knowing what some words mean, but it would be so frustrating not being able to follow the whole language, even if I could admire the attempt. That's why I was never able to get through A Clockwork Orange :)

I think I had found a place where Revis tells her readers what some of the words mean, but I can't remember. Maybe you could try finding it at her author page, under FAQ possibly? I'm sure it's somewhere. I bet many people have asked her that question enough that she'd have made a post about it for us :)

Haha, we're very different in this aspect :)
I never had too much problem understanding what the words are supposed to mean, I just got so frustrated that they had so many different meanings.