Trolls Existed Before The Internet

Posted on October 7th, 2009 in Literature by Lucas Dié

If you were of the opinion that trolls were an invention of the internet, a recent book publication will disabuse you of that preconception. The truly vicious comments were written by writers about other writers. The book is a must read for any aspiring troll; it’s a necessary guide on how to be truly insulting with style.

“English has one million words; why confine yourself to six?” This vicious comment was directed by Virginia Woolf at D.H. Lawrence but could stand up to any trollish comment I read on the internet so far. But I hope you appreciate the style in crabbiness. With a book presenting a collection of crabby, cutting, stylish, and well directed insults directed by writers at fellow writers, even Trolls could attain literacy by applying the rules of the well honed insult.

Gary Dexter signs as editor to Poisoned Pens: Literary Invective from Amis to Zola published by Frances Lincoln Limited. It covers just about anything from ancient classical authors to modern time cat fights and is organised in chapters which don’t necessarily need to be read in the presented order. If you have a preference for venomous Victorians, feel free to start there. It also illuminates the reasons just why contemporary writers loath each other’s writing.

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But to the aspiring troll, it gives invaluable examples like Oscar Wilde about Meredith: “As a writer he has mastered everything except language: as a novelist he can do everything except tell a story: as an artist he is everything except articulate.” That is what I call a well honed insult. Or Thackery on Swift: “Some of this audience mayn’t have read the last part of Gulliver, and to such I would recall the advice of the venerable Mr. Punch to persons about to marry, and day. Don’t.“

Take Jane Austen, one of the most revered and enduring English authors. Mark Twain, the American writer, was so irritated by Austen that he wrote in one letter: “Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin bone.” You might attribute this to cultural differences, but I for my part am able to enter into his feelings, I would like to do the same.

Maybe you prefer to stay with the more refined poets. Byron described Keats’s work as “neither poetry nor anything else but a Bedlam vision produced by raw pork and opium” and offered his publisher to skin him alive. Shelley on the other hand described Byron’s work as “mischievous insanity” brought on by Byron’s taste for “bigoted and disgusting Italian women”.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover, and it reminded me of my own time at boarding school, when I described the Roman writer Curtius Rufus thus: “His writing has the depth, the scope, the view, and the style of the Sun or the Star.” The writer was subsequently struck off the curriculum of first our boarding school and later all schools.

I recommend this book especially to all new Triond writers to deal with their trolls. If a comment is not as well written as the one by Oscar Wilde, ignore it, if it is, take it as a compliment.

13 Responses to “Trolls Existed Before The Internet”

raman13
October 7th, 2009 at 3:32 am

excellent
Chris Marlowe II
October 7th, 2009 at 3:53 am

Yes, they existed already some 400 years before, as was the case of:

Yours Truly,
the One & Only
Troll of Triond
athena goodlight
October 7th, 2009 at 7:32 am

Oftentimes, in Triond’s case, I enjoy reading troll comments and reactions to the troll comments. It makes the article more exciting (and entertaining as well).
martie
October 7th, 2009 at 7:38 am

good article. You have to wonder though how many of these insults actually results in an article becoming more populart than it would have ordinarily. I would think many of them are actually enriched by such comments.
emmahaynes
October 7th, 2009 at 7:52 am

I hate trolls, with a passion! I don’t rise to them though because then you’re giving them exactly what they want. Why else would they write such stuff if not to cause a reaction?

Good article!
BeatsMe
October 7th, 2009 at 10:08 am

Liked the article. How well you’ve researched what some writers wrote about others. Those trolls were really nasty. Why did they have to insult others when they’re writers themselves.
Eric Goode
October 7th, 2009 at 11:09 am

Everyone has right to their opinion. Great article!
Taryn Storm
October 7th, 2009 at 11:50 am

There are some really scary trolls out there. On one channel where I write, one in particular has made threats to some of my friends there! Creepy. We should be able to agree to disagree without throwing insults or threats.

Good job!
gringoperry
October 7th, 2009 at 2:55 pm

I have actually read the book; and I must agree, it is a must for any aspiring troll.
LilRoastBeef
October 7th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

In some cases the Trolls make the feedback of an article more interesting and spurs more debate…but at the end of the day…no one likes a troll…
Stephen J. Ardent
October 8th, 2009 at 2:04 am

Love it!
dawngordon
October 8th, 2009 at 3:56 pm

love this one too, I have dealt with trolls on associated content then left, one of your trolls though I sent her one back with a link to your news article, saying MORALITY??? it is because she writes about law, then you wrote one about law, some writers can not accept that many write about the same topic, move on from the troll
self storage ashton under lyne
October 30th, 2009 at 2:11 am

Nice post, keep up the excellent work:）

Trolls Existed Before The Internet

13 Responses to “Trolls Existed Before The Internet”

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