“Repetition helps it stick,” said every teacher ever.
During my read of the epistolary novel Dracula, I couldn’t help but feel bothered. Why is this? Because in all the nooks and crannies of this book, I discovered a familiar term for a scenic view: picturesque. It’s harmless on its own, sure, but not in every sentence. And if you believe Dracula is safe from this despair, think again. I read its predecessor, Carmilla, which served as inspiration for many vampire tales we adore nowadays. “‘Picturesque,’ thinks the girl.” It’s haunting me, even through The Picture of Dorian Gray.
There are many other words I dislike in this world (for no particular reason), but sometimes an author or an era repeats these words too often to the point of hatred. So, without further ado, here are books that repeat one certain word an ungodly amount of times.
- Animal farm
“Comrades” this, “Comrades” that. Don’t get me wrong: this book is one of the most
entertaining to me, as well as creative. It was interesting to see a fictional spin on the Russian Revolution this way. BUT, it is not just Squealer the pig who repeats this word. It is everybody. Hearing this during each speech took away from my joyous wonder of reading, even with tea or a good light beside me. However, it is not the worst by far. Just very… noticeable.
- Catcher in the Rye
“Phony” this, “Phony” that. So, this book has a lot of complications for me. I was not a fan of how Holden Caulfield was represented, but I can’t blame the character. I must blame the 32 year old wealthy man who chose to write about a teenager. Besides the plot and the awkward writing, I could survive through it. However, I’m not sure the repetition of “phony,” “and all,” and “hell” are accurate terms. Of course they’re normal words; I just mean that it’s irking to include them in each phrase. It unfortunately projects as whining and makes it harder to sympathize with the main character, which actually means the author kind of did a good job at showcasing angst. Props, I guess.
- A Clockwork Orange
“Oh, my brothers” this, “Oh, my brothers” that. Now, I’ll give this unique piece of literature the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, most of the repeated words are mixed in the hybrid slang Nadsat, but I’m definitely not involving any of them. Consequently, it’s kind of impressive how I managed to learn most of the meanings of these words after only 200 pages… that is to say, I have the exact same problem with this one as the previous. Former vs. latter, I 100% prefer the latter, but although the protagonist Alex is trying to manipulate the audience with his condescending 4th wall breaks, the stylistic device is way too overused. I would say the author employs “droogies” and other terms, but barely!