The Art and Joy of Similes: A Collector's Obsession
By
wyndham
A second-rack bagel that's nearly first-rack. Tasty stuff.
Summary
A playful and erudite essay about similes — the author's obsession with collecting them, their literary power, and the difference between good and bad similes. The piece explores examples from writers like Raymond Chandler, P.G. Wodehouse, and Kingsley Amis, celebrating the craft of figurative language while poking fun at clunky or absurd comparisons.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledHis smile was as stiff as a frozen fish — Raymond Chandler
He vanished abruptly, like an eel going into the mud — P. G. Wodehouse
I have similes the way other houses have ants.
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