Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
gone electric
English answer:
the music was electrifying
Added to glossary by
Amani Lazar
Sep 4, 2017 09:19
6 yrs ago
English term
gone electric
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
مقال
"And yet hasn’t the little shell in which he and Volkheimer sit gone electric?"
I couldn't catch the meaning here, can you help please?
I couldn't catch the meaning here, can you help please?
Responses
4 +1 | the music was electrifying |
Tony M
![]() |
Responses
+1
1 hr
Selected
the music was electrifying
Yes, with that extra context, all become clear — the subject was excited by the fantastic music, which (for him) was creating an 'electric' atmosphere in the vehicle — only no-one else seemed to be noticing!
Nice contrast between him, excited by the music, and the others, asleep or indifferent...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 heures (2017-09-04 11:21:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
So yes, to him, the atmosphere has become electric; perhaps the particular music being played is what takes him back to his youth and listening to (the same?) music on his crystal set.
There's nothing wrong with the writing, it's just a particular (US) style that isn't always easy to unravel, especially when out of context.
Nice contrast between him, excited by the music, and the others, asleep or indifferent...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 heures (2017-09-04 11:21:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
So yes, to him, the atmosphere has become electric; perhaps the particular music being played is what takes him back to his youth and listening to (the same?) music on his crystal set.
There's nothing wrong with the writing, it's just a particular (US) style that isn't always easy to unravel, especially when out of context.
Note from asker:
Yes, exactly. Werner, as a child, was listening to the same music :-) Thank you very much Tony. It is so beautiful novel, a half of its events is taking place in saint- Malo, France |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Discussion
I don't know what "gone electric" means, but Werner is on military service dreaming about his childhood home.
background, a crystal radio in his lap'. His? Rewrite needed!
"Just behind Werner, Volkheimer’s eyelids remain closed. Through
the separator between the shell and cab, he can see the motionless
shoulders of the Neumanns. Werner covers the meter with his hand.
The song unspools, grows louder, and he waits for Bernd to key his
microphone, to say he has heard.
But nothing comes. Everyone is asleep. And yet hasn’t the little shell
in which he and Volkheimer sit gone electric?
Now the piano makes a long, familiar run, the pianist playing different
scales with each hand—what sounds like three hands, four—the
harmonies like steadily thickening pearls on a strand, and Werner sees
six-year-old Jutta lean toward him, Frau Elena kneading bread in the
background, a crystal radio in his lap, the cords of his soul not yet
severed."