Of all places, I found the following in a collection of Gothic short stories. It's from "The Lady of the House of Love", a very strange little tale by Angela Carter:
... He has chosen the most rational mode of transport in the world for his trip round the Carpathians. To ride a bicycle is in itself some protection against superstitious fears, since the bicycle is the product of pure reason applied to motion. Geometry in the service of man! Give me two spheres and a straight line and I will show you how far I can take them. Voltaire himself might have invented the bicycle, since it contributes so much to man's welfare and nothing to his bane. Beneficial to the health, it emits no harmful fumes and permits only the most decorous speeds. How can a bicycle ever be an implement of harm?
I love that line about "give me two spheres and a straight line...".
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08-19-2006, 06:57 PM #1
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Great bike reference in Gothic Literature...
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08-20-2006, 10:53 AM #2
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Thats really well written Kalli
What time was the story set in?
Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
"I will try again tomorrow".
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08-20-2006, 01:10 PM #3
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TFS, Kali! I love Angela Carter but had never run across that particular story. What's the title of the collection?
Bad JuJu: Team TE Bianchista
"The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress." -Roth
Read my blog: Works in Progress
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08-20-2006, 04:32 PM #4
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The collection is The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales, edited by Chris Bal****. The Angela Carter story was written in 1979, but there's no reference to the time period in which it takes place. I'm guessing early 1900's.
Edit: This forum goes a little far in censoring sometimes. The editor's name is Bal-diminutive-for-Richard.
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08-23-2006, 11:44 AM #5
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LOL--yes the censoring does get a little out-of-hand. Thanks for the info!
Originally Posted by Kalidurga
Bad JuJu: Team TE Bianchista
"The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress." -Roth
Read my blog: Works in Progress
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08-23-2006, 08:37 PM #6
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Sorry cracking up here... Originally Posted by Kalidurga
So next time I want to tell my mate shes being silly I'll yell at her...
Hey! Stop being such a diminutive-for-Richard-head!!!
Too funny
Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
"I will try again tomorrow".
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08-24-2006, 04:51 AM #7
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That is a fabulous description of cycling. Is the rest of the story as entertaining?
“Hey, clearly failure doesn’t deter me!”
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08-21-2006, 07:07 AM #8
Did you see THAT??
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I'll tell you when a bicycle can be an implement of harm-when it won't let go of your cycling shoes!! Originally Posted by Kalidurga
Life is like riding a bicycle. To stay balanced, one must keep moving. - Albert Einstein
In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured. -Gordon B. Hinckley
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