Jump to content

Goodkind XXXVIII: The Great Tomato Showdown


Myshkin

Recommended Posts

[quote name='Foreverlad' post='1448630' date='Jul 21 2008, 03.53']It's been a few years since I did any reading up on the matter, but I would guess that (outside of philosophics and magic) Goodkind rates at a much lower level on the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch-Kincaid_Readability_Test"]Flesch-Kimcaid readibility scale[/url].[/quote]
A lower reading level means (in general) that more people can more easily understand what's written.

There's a limitation to the system, however. It awards run-on sentences. It also doesn't work well for things that contain conversations, since they tend to use shorter sentences, which skews the results. (This post is currently at a 7.6 Grade level.)

If I were to add a small conversation, though, it will change. For example:
“This will lower the level.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s now a 5.7”
“Wow.”
“5.3”
“Damn.”
“5.0”
“Stop it!”
“4.7”
“Alright already!”
“4.8”
"Henceforth I shall utilize numerous multisyllabic utterances of varying composition."
"6.3"

:D
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Kheldar' post='1449322' date='Jul 21 2008, 14.07']A lower reading level means (in general) that more people can more easily understand what's written.

There's a limitation to the system, however. It awards run-on sentences. It also doesn't work well for things that contain conversations, since they tend to use shorter sentences, which skews the results. (This post is currently at a 7.6 Grade level.)[/quote]

Thanks Khel, didn't know how run-ons work out on the scale. Yeah, I wasn't criticizing GK when I said he'd likely have a lower score. I think the SoT series having the score it does helps explain how accessible the books are to those who don't read/read much. It might also explain some reason why other authors don't attract some of those fans mentioned earlier.

Of course, if it's just Goodkind's message, F.K. doesn't mean a thing at all.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Foreverlad' post='1449408' date='Jul 21 2008, 15.07']Thanks Khel, didn't know how run-ons work out on the scale. Yeah, I wasn't criticizing GK when I said he'd likely have a lower score. I think the SoT series having the score it does helps explain how accessible the books are to those who don't read/read much. It might also explain some reason why other authors don't attract some of those fans mentioned earlier.

Of course, if it's just Goodkind's message, F.K. doesn't mean a thing at all.[/quote]
It'd be interesting to mess around with books and check how certain chapters rate. Some of Richard's monologues, for example, probably come out at a grade 15 (he's a bit long-winded), while other sections of the books are at a grade 3. That actually hurts TG's attempts to get his message across, since many peoples' eyes will start to glaze over after Richard's first 3 paragraphs (out of 60 or so ;))

My son's primer starts with 3-word monosyllabic sentences and sentence fragments. ("See the dog." 0 on the F-K scale ;)) By the end, it's got full sentences with several two-syllable words. The primer probably has a 0.5 grade level, but the last lesson should be around a 1.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Kheldar' post='1449453' date='Jul 21 2008, 15.37']It'd be interesting to mess around with books and check how certain chapters rate. Some of Richard's monologues, for example, probably come out at a grade 15 (he's a bit long-winded), while other sections of the books are at a grade 3. That actually hurts TG's attempts to get his message across, since many peoples' eyes will start to glaze over after Richard's first 3 paragraphs (out of 60 or so ;))

My son's primer starts with 3-word monosyllabic sentences and sentence fragments. ("See the dog." 0 on the F-K scale ;)) By the end, it's got full sentences with several two-syllable words. The primer probably has a 0.5 grade level, but the last lesson should be around a 1.[/quote]

Hmmm... not really sure. While the Lord Rahl does get extremely long winded, he only occasionally tosses out words like "zeitgeist", most of the time (from what I can remember) he's still pretty simple speaking without too many polysyllabic words, but the sentences can carry on. Just the same, yeah, thinking to Richard's War Wizard symbology rant at the beginning of Confessor, that could definitely throw off the score lol.

the wikipedia article mentioned Green Eggs and Ham with a score of -1.3.

I might actually type up a page or two from Bakker, I'm interested to see how he scores.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Foreverlad' post='1448630' date='Jul 21 2008, 03.53']You could test a hypothesis for us Wyatt. Read the series of books while the 9mm is still firmly implanted in your brain and give us your opinion.[/quote]

I managed the first chapter of the second book, and my opinion is that Ayn Rand is the best selling author still alive today. And that the colors that float around, they hover in an ecliptic. Such marvelous colors. In shades of happiness and bloom. What is that gushing sound?

On a serious note, I am darkly fascinated by these books. They're not even a guilty pleasure, because I don't really enjoy them. But I can't stop reading. I want to know how much worse it gets, and the depths to which it plunges the characters. I stopped empathizing with Richard the second that the VINE WAS REALLY WEIRD AND I'M SO PISSED I FORGOT MY KNIFE but I never knew from at the start how much of a thorough douchebag he ends up becoming.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[font="Book Antiqua"][size=3]It was an odd vine; and something appears to be quite wrong here, with the recent slew of truthless posts and discriminatory outrages of behalf of many of you, whom I would have thought stable enough to abstain.

I am displeased; this is probably due to the fellow going by the name of Pita. [/size][/font]
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='The Shining Enigma' post='1449698' date='Jul 21 2008, 17.34'][font="Book Antiqua"][size=3]

I am displeased; this is probably due to the fellow going by the name of Pita. [/size][/font][/quote]


Nah, we don't blame you.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Dylanfanatic' post='1449924' date='Jul 22 2008, 08.49']I believe it's still Crowley.[/quote]
Hm. I thought it was Muammar al-Gaddafi. :/

[quote name='Jaxom 1974' post='1449927' date='Jul 22 2008, 08.56']Someone who truly is sad because they're not Tairy.[/quote]
:lol:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[url="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_Lj-79GoRlOs/RggOm2AjrmI/AAAAAAAAFZs/JH6ljFUfysc/crowley_pentagram.gif.jpg"]Yep, I was right.[/url]

I think Tairy needs a hat like that to cover up the liver spots.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No problem. As for Tairy, what he needs is for someone to almost rape his skull with moisturizers. Make him into a true metrosexual. And have him pose with a pimp cane. That way he can avoid ALL comparisons with fantasy writers ;)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Kheldar' post='1449322' date='Jul 21 2008, 20.07']A lower reading level means (in general) that more people can more easily understand what's written.

There's a limitation to the system, however. It awards run-on sentences. It also doesn't work well for things that contain conversations, since they tend to use shorter sentences, which skews the results. (This post is currently at a 7.6 Grade level.)

If I were to add a small conversation, though, it will change. For example:
“This will lower the level.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s now a 5.7”
“Wow.”
“5.3”
“Damn.”
“5.0”
“Stop it!”
[b]“4.7”
“Alright already!”
“4.8”[/b]
"Henceforth I shall utilize numerous multisyllabic utterances of varying composition."
"6.3"

:D[/quote]

"Alright already!" increased the reading level by 0.1? :P
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Damnit guys!

I wish you all would have told me Bakker and Tairy were doing a [url="http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/4538/bookcovercopyxo5.jpg"]collaboration[/url] together.

Sigh...

while chickens are still a hot topic, only fair I toss [url="http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1351/syntheseoftruthlk9.jpg"]this[/url] in too.


(Mr. Bakker, please please please forgive me.)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...