"ghastly good taste"

????

And the point is; that you are saying something impressive Herb?
Never once have you impressed us with some "gardening writing" (sic) that may be exemplary. You have pointed to the bad and the pretentious so you yourself must be above this. Can we see some so as to attain a useful perspective?

I'm not trying to impress anybody. The point, Inky, is that pretentiousness is absurd. It often causes cause mirth, which in this case I was attempting to share.

I don't see why it would be necessary to cite exemplary writing, since I should have thought that most people would be already aware of many examples. However, since you ask, I cite Paul Johnson. He has written about most topics, including from time to time as I recall, gardening. This piece by Paul Johnson that I invite you to read however, is not about gardening. Instead it is example of an exceptionally good writer, writing about a writer who is an exceptionally pretentious humbug.

Click for Paul Johnson's recent piece in the Spectator

I actually meant something that you had written yourself Herb, this is, afterall a writers forum and not a readers forum.

My intended reply ended up, through my lack of computer savvy, as a new thread. Instead of continuing the confusion, I suggest we treat this one as closed.