Talk:To Say Nothing of the Dog

Title
Should this page include the possibility that the title is a reference to this book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_in_a_Boat and its subtitle "To Say Nothing of the Dog?" Just a suggestion.

Ben

Actually, it is a reference to the book, and the book is referenced.

Anon

Film
Is it rumoured that this will be made into a film at any point in time? 66.82.9.58 (talk) 19:07, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Other works
How many timetravel books does Connie Willis have? (I've read the Doomsday Book, and this one and I'm wondering if there are more.)66.82.9.62 (talk) 02:50, 12 March 2008 (UTC)
 * I think it's just those two and he short story/novella "Fire Watch", alas. That one also centres around Coventry Cathedral, so I'd recommend it. It's in the colloection of her short stories also called "Fire Watch".  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.206.76.209 (talk) 20:17, 27 August 2008 (UTC)
 * It's actually St. Paul's in London that's in Fire Watch, but that story's main character makes an "appearance" in Say Nothing 72.196.208.118 (talk) 21:39, 19 April 2014 (UTC)

There is/are now also Blackout/All Clear -- Beardo (talk) 02:06, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

aggravating style
the word dragooned seems silly and unnecessary, but it appears several times in this article. also, the article ends with a question and the plot summary seems more like a teaser. encyclopedic articles should be complete, not promotional. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.181.77.83 (talk) 15:43, 4 April 2010 (UTC)

Names
Jane/Colleen: I thought Mrs. Mering called the maid Jane because "Colleen" was too Irish, not because she had a previous maid named Jane?

Yes - I think you are right. Was Baine given that name at his previous emplyers ? -- Beardo (talk) 02:00, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

Historical accuracy
Is there anywhere that has commented on whether the book is historically accurate or not ? -- Beardo (talk) 02:03, 24 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Depends what you mean by "historically accurate." Its depictions of the Victorian age, everything from Tossie and her clothes and her personality to spiritualism and way the "help" were treated to the mindless daily activities of the middle class is pretty accurate.  However, I was shocked to discover recently that there were two separate Coventry Cathedrals (now three).  During the critical scenes, when Ned finds himself trapped in the bell tower in 13th century Coventry, he was in a building that was about a block north of where St Michael's-that-became-Coventry-Cathedral was.  There's a map here: http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/covmaps/allmaps.php).  So the idea that the pickup was in the bell tower and was just temporally displaced is impossible.  Granted, others were landing in 1939 but in other locations, e.g., the "field of marrows," but Willis did make it sound like it was the same building.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by TychaBrahe (talk • contribs) 16:34, 28 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Most of this answer is not historically accurate. Old St. Michael's was built in the 14th century and early 15th century  and the book specifically states that Ned travelled to the tower in 1395, not in the 13th century. Although St. Mary's was the Cathedral at that time, Old St. Michael's was an active parish church and while the rest of the church is now in ruins, the Historic England website shows that the tower is still standing at the West end of the church, just as it is described in the book. Also, the book describes the failed attempts to reach the date of the raid as delivering Ned and Carruthers into different periods of 1940, there is no mention of them arriving in 1939. Bill321 (talk) 20:22, 15 June 2024 (UTC)

Original research
Most of the interpretation of the book's plot and themes appears to be original research. Before I start removing any of these sections, though, I thought I'd give any of the editors involved fair warning in case they can provide proper sourcing. Mr. Darcy talk 17:46, 30 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Proper sourcing? You mean, like referring to the content of the book itself?  I think that is covered, unless you want direct quotes and page numbers.  Original research tends to involve unjustified extrapolation, which you are free to debate about here of course, but which I don't think you will find in the article.  What is there has stood for quite a long time.  Plenty of people have tacitly passed on it.  Proceed with caution.  Djdaedalus (talk) 19:55, 30 December 2014 (UTC)
 * I'm referring to the interpretations, which aren't found in the content of the book itself. (Not that direct quotes or page numbers would be unwelcome.) The Themes section includes five themes, with zero references or sources. These are clearly the interpretations of individual editors, which qualifies as "ideas—for which no reliable, published sources exist". Without sourcing, the entire Themes section has to come out, tacit approval or not. Mr. Darcy talk 16:36, 6 January 2015 (UTC)

Plot introduction and Plot Summary
This article has both a "Plot introduction" and a "Plot Summary." They should be merged into one section under the heading "Plot Summary." Rissa, Guild of Copy Editors (talk) 23:47, 25 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Three years later... having just read the book I took the time to reconcile these two sections. SchmuckyTheCat (talk) 05:26, 27 August 2018 (UTC)