How do I read British and Scottish books?

[tree]

The problem is having to do that constantly to get through a few pages. It takes me out of the experience.

Maybe it's not time for you to be reading those particular books.

Or maybe it's exactly the time, as it will expand your vocabulary.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Read old sea shanties like "Moby Dick" and "Treasure Island", those are really fun reads.

And if you want to know what Middle English was like, after the Anglo Saxons, but before the Thee's and Thou's, read "The Canterbury Tales".

 

[Aeolienne]

Er, Scottish books are British books!

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Er, Scottish books are British books!

Scottish people are their own ethnic group and culture.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Scottish people are their own ethnic group and culture.

Doesn't change the fact that, as part of Great Britain, Scots are British.

 

[Aeolienne]

Doesn't change the fact that, as part of Great Britain, Scots are British.

And I'm told that Shetlanders (and possibly Orcadians too) consider themselves to be more British than Scottish, as the two archipelagos were under Scandinavian rule until c.1470.

 

[Alexej]

Doesn't change the fact that, as part of Great Britain, Scots are British.

Agreed - when we are looking at things purely formally.
However, what is their self identification, I feel a lot of Scots identify themselves as Scots since a lot of their attitudes and approaches to life are different from that current in Britain.

Scotland was an independent country till 1606ish when the Scots king was invited to be king of England as well (James the first and sixth). The Parliaments merged in about 1707. There is a growing sense of national identity growing in Scotland and the Scots language and dialects are quite distinct from the vernacular used in England.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I fail to see how any of that is relevant to the phrase "British and Scottish books", intended to mean (presumably) English and Scottish books.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

And I'm told that Shetlanders (and possibly Orcadians too) consider themselves to be more British than Scottish, as the two archipelagos were under Scandinavian rule until c.1470.

Well, my father's family will correct you if you call them English or British.

 

[Aitch]

Hi

I think some copies of trainspotting have a glossary of words in the back so that should help.

Having looked at some Terry Pratchett I get the impression that either he used a thesaurus when he wrote his books or he knew some really obscure words. I guess like someone suggested you can use a dictionary even if it slows you down try to think of it as part of the fun of reading.