The King's Legacy →

Paul Devin reviews Robert Alter’s book Pen of Iron, which posits that the King James Bible had a profound effect on the style of written English, particularly in the United States. One of the Authorized Version’s greatest contributions to the English language is “parataxis,” a method of constructing long sentences out of many parallel parts connected by “and.” Cormac McCarthy or Hemingway practically wouldn’t exist without it.

(Of course, the KJV still reigns. I’m reminded of a billboard I’ve seen out in rural Kentucky. In big tall letters it says, “Let’s study Bible only — no manuals, creeds, or special translations.” There in the middle of the billboard is a painting of a black-covered Bible. Needless to say, “KJV” is stamped on its bottom-right corner.)