American mannerism

Authors can try to use quotes for their titles, but unless they are very good at what they do the quote will seem out of place. You really have to nail your subject for people to hear the phrase and think about your book. For example:
Thou Shall Not Kill is the title of a book by James Augustus. Thou Shalt Not Kill is the title of a book by Mary S. Ryzuk. Thou Shalt Not Kill Unless Otherwise is the title of a book by Mike Sharpe.

But when someone hears Thou Shalt Not Kill, odds are they aren't thinking about any of those novels.

Compare that with "A Brave New World". You come across that phrase and you think Huxley, not Shakespeare. Why? Because Huxley nailed that book.

Goodgulf

One of his students tries to get him to spank her. I thought she had succeeded but it may have been wishful thinking on my part!!

More likely senility on your part


Oh and for those wondering... Miss Thrashbottom's first name is... Get your bare bottom over my lap NOW...

Honest

I am not senile!! I think if anyone is going over anyone's lap you will going over mine!! After all it's about time someone taught you to respect your elders and...... betters young lady!!

blimp
Awww such a tempting offer

Good point, Goodgulf, though I suspect John Donne will outlast Hemingway. It's possible anyway to be aware of the Hemingway title and the Donne sermon (even if you don't know the quote is from a sermon).

Actually, the Shakespeare quote was "O, brave new world" and I think Huxley's book was "Brave New World". That leads me to an interesting point: "Brave New World" works as a title because it's a bit unusual (even to Shakespeare and "The Tempest" fans). "New World" would have been an awful title.

I remember reading that Hemingway left lines undone so he could start in the middle. John Donne (undone) was years before his time

Long ago I had a principal (a former English teacher) who greeted us at the begining of a school year with John Donne's poem "For whom the bell tolls".
He had lost his wife weeks ago but all my colleagues were flabbergasted...except those who taught English and who recognised the poem.
A disquieting start for the new school year! All my colleagues still remember this years afte!

OH OH.... Quickly gets on my referee outfit.

.... calling in the cheerleaders....