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really liked it
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Review to come
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not set
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| 9780140433395
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| 3.98
| 20,008
| 1871
| Nov 27, 2003
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it was amazing
| The Birth of Tragedy is by far the better written and useful of the three works by Friedrich Nietzsche that I have so far read. Thus proving that when The Birth of Tragedy is by far the better written and useful of the three works by Friedrich Nietzsche that I have so far read. Thus proving that when he is not angrily ranting about religion and morality, that Nietzsche does have important points to make about humanity. That is not to say that Nietzsche does not have his own pointed comments about religion in this narrative argument that he creates, more that these comments are superseded by the other arguments created by Nietzsche. In the foreword to this edition, Nietzsche himself claims that he looks back with an academic disgust at his writing in this book. He claims that it is the sickly, sweet and confident work of a much younger man, as if that is a clear problem with the work itself. I myself (perhaps because I am a younger man) do not see this as an issue altogether and see the older Nietzsche as falling into the trap of becoming increasingly bitter, sceptical and closed-minded. Ironically everything that he accuses religion of fostering. Personally, reading The Birth of Tragedy I note that it appears as if Nietzsche was headed down a path that hinted at accepting a kind of Christian, or other religious, spirituality and his older persona would not allow him to accept the direction of his conclusions. Sad to say, Nietzsche 'throws the baby out with the bathwater' when it comes to anything connected to religion. Speaking about this, it becomes clear that even from a younger age Nietzsche had this stumbling block when it came to religion. In his introductory notes, Nietzsche states that he created this work on the basis that, more or less, he wished to find a force that denoted that which was 'Anti-Christ'. Or, according to him, denied a sense of Christian morality, that was amoral as life is amoral, and was also artistic. The prompting of such words amounting to a blatant suggestion that Christianity or modern religion could not be artistic. Which personally is an insulting suggestion and one which again causes me to wonder why Nietzsche hates the Christian ethic so very much. Certainly, the modern day Christian artist may work within a box (hence my ultimate respect for those people who attempt to break ground and boxes - like Switchfoot or Skillet), but that is not enough to say that art cannot be made by Christians or by religious individuals. It is, in fact, a denial of history to state as much. That aside, the argument made across the entirety of this volume is what I am really here to discuss. And the argument that Nietzsche makes is that art focuses around two different forces. He argues that life similarly focuses around two forces, like good or evil, order and chaos. For art these two dichotomous forces are named by Nietzsche as the Appolonian and the Dionysian - named after the two Greek gods of art. Nietzsche classifies the Appolonian as representative of order and structure within art. For instance he represents this as linked to sculpture. The Dionysian is linked to the chaotic forces of art - to music for example - and the case is made that art flows from and between these two forces. As it is also explained, the Appolonian is like dreaming and the Dionysian is like intoxication. These are two states of consciousness that are linked together and yet are separate entities. In many ways this work is about the history of art and tragedy in particular as seen from the perspective of a history of the Greeks. He discusses how tragedy and comedy are part of these Dionysian and Appolonian forces and that particularly the chaotic Dionysian is part of life and art itself. However, Nietzsche also discusses a period of time in which tragedy became usurped by Socratic thinking. In other words tragedy dies in an age of questions being asked and answered to provide rational solutions to that which may be irrational. However, Nietzsche concludes by stating that we may enter a period whereby we see a 'rebirth of tragedy' as an art form and as is accepted in life. As stated, there is plenty of literary value to be taken from this book. I have an issue with Nietzsche's constant need to belittle religion, yet he'd probably also have an issue with the fact that I bring up my views and beliefs due to their links to 'religion'. That said if there is one Nietzsche book I recommend it would be this. ...more |
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Apr 08, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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| 0672602237
| 9780672602238
| 0672602237
| 3.94
| 11,556
| 1788
| Jan 01, 1978
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really liked it
| Immanuel Kant is what I suppose one would call a 'practical philosopher' in that he is not primarily concerned with the more abstract thoughts of phil Immanuel Kant is what I suppose one would call a 'practical philosopher' in that he is not primarily concerned with the more abstract thoughts of philosophy. Rather his philosophy, as expressed in this book, is one about how practical philosophy, or practical reason, works. He makes a distinction at the beginning of his book between the subjective and the objective, suggesting that practical reason is about making the subjective objective. This book begins with a section about defining practical reason and its applications. In other words, this is a work which does discuss the abstract concepts of philosophy, such as good and evil or morality. But it is not a work which broadly or ambiguously leaves questions to the reader as much as it is a work which seeks to define those questions in more concrete manners. One particular thought that Kant reaches is that morality and the existence of morality is theoretical proof for the existence of God (or at least of some higher power). I cannot explain his reasoning, though it read as sound and logical, however I do recommend that, if that vein of argument interests you, you read Kant's work here. It is an interesting way of looking at morality and something I've often questioned - without God or some kind of higher power does morality become more or less meaningless? Others may challenge that it becomes up to us then, as individuals, to be moral for the sake of being moral but that's never made a lot of sense to me. What is the purpose of morality? Either way this is another strong philosophical text and one worth reading in order to understand more modern Western Philosophy. If philosophy interests you I would go looking for this book. ...more |
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Apr 07, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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| 0521631599
| 9780521631594
| 0521631599
| 4.26
| 19,416
| Apr 01, 1882
| Sep 17, 2001
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really liked it
| So far in my philosophical venture into the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, I have read both this work and his Beyond Good and Evil. However, while I ga So far in my philosophical venture into the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, I have read both this work and his Beyond Good and Evil. However, while I gave Beyond Good and Evil 3 stars, I feel that this is a better work academically and so give it the higher 4 star rating. In this The Gay Science, many of Nietzsche's key ideas come together in a much clearer manner, and it is easier to understand his views on concepts I feel he lacks more ignorance (religions for instance). The title of this work stems from the more traditional meaning of 'gay' - that is for it to purely mean 'happy'. In other words this is Nietzsche's examination at times of how science and rationality has come to be considered an ultimately grave and serious task when he believes it should be a happy task or something to delight in understanding. One thing that I have discovered through reading Nietzsche is that he seems to be someone who has been misinterpreted at times. His statement that 'God is dead', for instance, is a reflection on the fact that in the past Europe had a universal belief in God and now in the current age many people no longer believe in God. His 'will to power' quote was more about the concept of self-determination rather than a concept of war and conquering: the concept that 'what a man can be a man should be.' And further it has often been said that Nietzsche was a nihilist, an Anti-Semitic and a misogynist. The first two can be disproved relatively easily in that in his writings Nietzsche opposes nihilism and writes about humanity as a whole (abhorring racism). His writings on females are...less clear, but on the whole he shows that he respects women at the least. Part of this misinterpretation is to do with the fact that his Nazi sympathising sister re-wrote his articles and notes after his death to side with Anti-Semitic views and potentially more misogynistic views. The other part, I believe, is due to the fact that Nietzsche does write at times in blindly contradictory ways. For instance his theory of 'perspectivism' is one which states that there are multiple perspectives which can be seen to be correct and that multiple perspectives should be examined on any issue - therefore creating a sense of how existentialism works for Nietzsche. However, Nietzsche outright makes a contradictory exception to this, claiming that the 'herd instinct' connected to already established views, is one to be avoided. He uses this to discredit established ways of thinking according to religions, apparently unaccepting of that fact that man could potentially set out to find the Christian God for him or herself, or that there could be a level of spirituality which supersedes established orders. Further, if we were to take Nietzsche to his absolute conclusion, then it would seem that anarchy should reign... There is another reason why Nietzsche is so misunderstood, aside from his convoluted and intricate manner of writing. This is due to the fact that his 'theories' are made in the form of truth claims. Nietzsche comes across as extremely arrogant in his writing, though at times humility does seep back in, with his writing conveyed as fact, rather than thoughts and reflections upon different topics. This makes it hard for the critical reader to truly accept or fully respect Nietzsche, though he has many potent ideas to discuss. Even from my own Christian perspective I accept that Nietzsche was partly right when talking about such ideas as 'God is dead' or the avoidance of following the 'herd instinct' in morality. Yet as I have said before, Nietzsche misses that Christianity could be about more than mere morality or power structures because he only sees the physical abuses of such systems and therefore rejects them entirely. I do believe that God has, sadly, come to appear as dead for much of humanity - though in particular areas his resurrection has become evident - yet I also believe that what Nietzsche cannot comprehend is the spiritual aspect of humanity and that is why religion to him must be entirely rejected. ...more |
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| 014044923X
| 9780140449235
| 014044923X
| 4.03
| 106,784
| 1886
| Apr 29, 2003
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Friedrich Nietzsche seems to be a philosophical writer, who to me, has become a bigger legend than his own writing demands. Having read his work I fou
Friedrich Nietzsche seems to be a philosophical writer, who to me, has become a bigger legend than his own writing demands. Having read his work I found that I was surprised by both the wordiness and the repetitive nature of his actual writing. In fact to put it flippantly, most of his arguments in this book come down to: 'everything is meaningless and everything is subjective'. Of course that's a gross exaggeration but it is how Nietzsche reads to me. I challenge anyone else to explain to me what it is that I am missing about his writing in the comments below. Discussion on this would interest me. The entire conceit of this book, a book that meanders from one idea to the next, is that morality itself should be 'beyond good and evil'. It is hard to understand exactly what Nietzsche means at times because of this meandering but it seems to be that he suggests that as 'existentially' everything is meaningless - in terms of Nietzsche not believing in a heaven, hell or any kind of God - that morality and reality become subjective. In other words Nietzsche seems to suggest that there are some kind of natural or scientific laws which govern a kind of internal morality and lead us to do the things that we do, that 'good and evil' are concepts of a morality imposed by religion and therefore are a veneer over how humanity really acts. It should come as no surprise to anyone that Friedrich Nietzsche was incredibly anti-Christian, and anti-religious in general. Which is odd because it appears that one of his key concepts (according to my classes) was 'perspectivism' - that there are a range of various perspectives which should be looked at in regards to any issue. Of course Nietzsche throws this idea out the window in regards to Christianity and seems to close his mind to the concept that any intelligent thoughts can have such a backing. In other words this 'perspectivism' is just a title created by Nietzsche to appeal to those with a variety of perspectives and is not necessarily as embraced by himself as it would seem. Correct me if I am wrong in judging this issue, this is my first full Nietzsche text. The one thing I do agree with Nietzsche on in regards to religion however is the concept that we do not need God for morality or for happiness. Some might question how I can believe this, and I will state that I do not believe the purpose of my faith is to just provide me with morality - to make me a good person or make me happy. All I would have to do for that is to follow the government's laws, read books, have a good career, love my family and any number of things that I could do without needing to be involved with anything Christian. The thing that Nietzsche cannot understand is that my faith revolves around a personal connection to a God, not about trying to just become a better moral person and that connection truly is something 'beyond good and evil'. However some of his ideas are just plain contradictory (others such as his 'will to power' or 'God is dead' are misunderstood but they appear in other locations). I speak of the idea that he seems to think a variety of ideas should be considered for any concept but rejects outright some. He believes that the concept of anything being able to create itself is absurd - so how did everything come to exist in the first place? You must have some kind of starting point which requires creation from nothing - or from a being who simply defies understanding and has always existed (say an all powerful God?). ...more |
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Mar 15, 2014
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| 0679720227
| 9780679720225
| 0679720227
| 4.04
| 123,500
| May 16, 1956
| May 07, 1991
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it was amazing
| “Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.� The Fall is one of those books which is less of a novel than an exploration “Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement.� The Fall is one of those books which is less of a novel than an exploration of some kind of spiritual or philosophical narrative or truth. The narrator is a self appointed judge who spares no details about the fact that he does in fact love himself in a highly narcissistic manner. It is this manner which lends him to feeling free as to judge humanity, while ironically also judging himself and yet seemingly feeling free from the burden of being judged. For he is a man who has fallen into a state that means he seems to no longer care about the depravity of depravity and that is in essence what The Fall as a novel discusses. Of course, the finer details of the novel are seen in the little quotes contained within the narrative itself. Which is an interesting aspect of this novel as it stands. The narrative is in its way almost a fourth-wall-breaking stream of consciousness as it seems like the narrator is spilling out all his thoughts in a turbulent stream. It is only the fact that he interjects with directions to the reader that enable you to see that in fact, this is a stream of writing directed at the individual in a kind of accusation. 'You lead me into this depravity', the judge penitent seems to accuse the reader directly, 'You led me into the fall, for all humanity is fallen.' Oh yes, it perhaps is important to mention that uniquely, The Fall is written in the Second Person - an aspect of writing rarely used for any kind of fiction. It has further been noted to me that the concept of 'the fall' comes from a particular bridge scene which I had skimmed over as somewhat less important. It is a scene hidden in all the rambling as the main character moves from being likeable to completely arrogant and back again. This scene is one in which a woman jumps from a bridge into a river and our 'judge penitent' does not rescue her from the water. This is despite many claims by our narrator about how heroic he could be - therefore showing his contradictory nature. Further this highlights what we all can be: contradictions who say one thing but do another - hypocrites. As a work of entertaining fiction I would not recommend Albert Camus' work here. It's fragmented and messy, not at all easy to read. Yet as a work of philosophical and spiritual discussion I highly recommend it. Camus has the profound ability to get to the reader and cause them to question their realities and ask how they have fallen into a state of mistruth and misdirection wherever it may be possible. ...more |
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Feb 27, 2014
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Feb 28, 2014
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Feb 27, 2014
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| 0099588110
| 9780099588115
| B0093FZMJW
| 3.91
| 62,185
| May 24, 1979
| Jul 13, 2006
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really liked it
| The Bloody Chamber is a collection of short story fiction that challenges the concept of the supernatural themes of fairytales as much as it challenge The Bloody Chamber is a collection of short story fiction that challenges the concept of the supernatural themes of fairytales as much as it challenges the ideologies and values of its era. And, for that matter, into the modern age. Angela Carter has a prose voice which is similar to that of modern authors such as Neil Gaiman or even perhaps Susanna Clarke and yet is remarkably her own. It is a voice which relies upon the sensual and superficial as much as it relies upon the transient and metaphorical. In other words the stories can be read as you would read any fantasy. One thing that must, must, must be emphasised about this collection is that it is not a rewriting of old fairytales, though it may seem as such at times. It is, instead, a reworking of old fairytales. It is this distinction which is important (if only semantically) in that readers should understand that each of the short stories are unique works by Carter as they stand but are still inspired by the concepts of pre-existing 'fairytale narratives'. The titular work itself is clearly drawn from the tale of Bluebeard and his new wife for instance, although Carter grants her female character a greater sense of agency and voice than in the original inspirational work. It is this quality which has lead to calling Carter's work 'feminist re-working' and yet it is a mistake for anyone to think of the extremes of feminism - the false 'no men allowed' sides that have sadly been created at times - as being present in this anthology. It is far better, if you are to give this any sort of title, to think of it as 'equalistic reworking' (to dispel the false concepts of uneasy history) in which female and male characters are each granted agency in various ways. However, one can note throughout the book that the stories chosen do reflect at times the concept of men as 'beasts' and villains (though some noble male characters, tortured by curses and other various ailments) do exist. As an overarching way of looking at men from a female perspective it seems to me to be an unfair one, but I do agree that we men do often act according to more violent 'beastly' natures. And, curiously, I found her two tales spinning off from the idea of 'Beauty and the Beast' to be two of the better tales. Carter's work here is subtle and also sensuous and evocative in the writing. I felt while reading each story that there was a superficial sense of the tone being flirtatious and salacious in its own way, reminding me of the ways in which supernatural literature has come to be re-constructed in more modern eras. There is something about the concept of the forbidden and the fae that Carter seems to indicate is appealing to the adult world. Does it hint to a twist on the ability of us all as children to touch into the subconscious and into imagination more easily? Or is it more a play on primal instinct and desire - a yearning for what we know we should not possess and yet want? These questions are always prompted through each story. On the whole it is a collection to read if you enjoy more modern works such as Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders. I cannot help but believe that Gaiman was influenced in part by Carter, particularly in some of his fairytale re-constructions, and yet Carter has her own way of detailing surfaces and environments that is beautiful, seductive and charming. There is a touch of the Gothic Horror as much as their is a touch of the strange fairytale and that serves to create works which are as unique as they are familiar. ...more |
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Mar 12, 2014
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| 1841150355
| 9781841150352
| B0082ORN9M
| 3.95
| 145,771
| Jul 31, 1998
| 1999
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really liked it
| The Hours curiously begins with an ending. Yet, before that ending, one the first leaflet one can note a quote from Jorge Luis Borges poem 'The Other The Hours curiously begins with an ending. Yet, before that ending, one the first leaflet one can note a quote from Jorge Luis Borges poem 'The Other Tiger.' It is fascinating that Michael Cunningham chose to use such a quote, considering Borges' fascination with labyrinths and metalanguage. For Cunningham has, in essence, created a convoluted labyrinth purely out of metalanguage. A labyrinth that ends precisely where it begins as it weaves a path through history. Yet this labyrinth is also in some degrees a maze in how it darts back and forth across time. In many regards all authors, or at least all great authors, write as a response to one or more issues in particular. For some this may be a conscious issue, for others an aspect of their subconsciousness. For instance, the horror work of EA Poe or HP Lovecraft could be seen as a subconscious response to the dark desires of the human psyche. Whereas, Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea is a more conscious response regarding Jane Eyre. So to, is The Hours a response to the famed novel of Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway. 'The Hours' was, in fact, the original suggested title of Woolf's work, addressing the manner in which her novel was to be set across the course of one day. Cunningham's use of the title reflects upon this and changes it. His work is a novel chiefly concerned with time and human perception, as is Mrs Dalloway, yet his novel spreads itself across several chronological points, connecting three female lives across time, each life connected by the strand of literature and socially oppressive claustrophobia. And yet, like Mrs Dalloway the novel essentially revolves around the premise of an important party, shifting the tone and ideologies slightly to adjust for modern settings. As a reader, one can generalise as an honest assessment that most male authors fail to fully grasp that any character is constricted by varying levels of social expectations and imposed norms of culture or language and so on. And as such, female characters tend to be written rather poorly, as males with different bodies (men who can undergo childbirth) or follow the old sensitive, damsel in distress archetype. Yet, interestingly, Michael Cunningham seems to succeed at creating organic female characters, purely because across the entire novel there is a strong recollection that all characters suffer in varying degrees. And to this purpose it is the common threads, not the differences, which are his uniting factor in creating human interfaces for his novel's themes. (view spoiler)[Interestingly, one could note how he reflects and twists the suicide of Virginia Woolf for his later characters. Clarissa becomes the partner who must care for a spouse who no longer wishes to live, thus giving her a greater sense of agency as a character. (hide spoiler)] The Hours is a book of great subtlety, handled deftly. There is almost a touch of Atonement about the entire work in its tone and handling of shifting perspectives across time. One of the key issues brought up by such modern and post-modern works as this is the idea of the extent to which human lives are narratives with differing faces. The public narrative of Jonathan Terrington is not necessarily the narrative which I truly believe exists as my narrative (an idea echoed in Borges' parable Borges and I). What The Hours serves to do on this front, as a pastiche of the modern and postmodern, is to reflect upon the idea of the legacy of narratives, and the ways in which such narratives can be taken up and adopted by others in future eras. Addition: While some might like to analyse the gender roles (non of which are traditional) or find them offensive I overlooked such ideas in favour of the more metafictional ones. Such ideas were discussed in our university tutorial on this novel, connected to the ideas we had been discussing around the idea of how texts define identity and whether perceived identity is separate to the self. A concept observed nicely by Borges in his essay . ...more |
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| 057109712X
| 9780571097128
| 057109712X
| 4.22
| 72,104
| Jan 01, 1922
| 1972
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it was amazing
| My ode to T.S. Eliot My ode to T.S. Eliot There is a simplicity to the greatest poetry. And at once there is a complexity. There is a simplicity, in that the greatest works of poetry don't contain wordiness or explicitly state their intentions. They strip back language to allow for a nice flow and rhythm to what they are doing. But at the same time there is a complexity generated by a presumed sense of intent and knowledge. The poet assumes that you will get, from the scarcity of language used, what they are aiming to convey. And that is part of the beauty of language, that because the poet strips everything down, there is so much which you can read into and draw as your own understanding of what the poem is about. And that is what I sensed in The Wasteland and the other poems. The Wasteland is universally accepted as one of the most important pieces of modernism - regardless of all the arguments about it being a plagiarised piece of fiction. For an interesting breakdown on that idea of plagiarism and literature read . And no matter how you read Eliot's work: as a reinvention of older myths and narratives; as a depiction of a destroyed post-war landscape and the people affected by that world; or as a beautiful piece of art; there is so much to gain from reading this work. It really all proves that simply because older ideas are drawn upon and referenced that it doesn't have to be stealing. Upon further reading and analysis it has come to my attention that what Eliot does in this masterpiece is to both play off the worlds of the common peasants and bourgeoise with those who would be considered academic royalty. He sets up a comparison of white collar and blue collar workers, essentially creating a poem that works like a giant chessgame. In some ways a game of oneupmanship in which Eliot tells the reader that he is better than them but still sympathetic to them. This can be seen in the classical references to high forms of literary art that Eliot draws upon. But there are also elements in which Eliot shows that he is not supercilious and in fact appears to both sympathise and empathise with the proletariat working class (the second section for instance and in lines such as "consider Phlebas" particularly seem to suggest this). Regardless of how you want to read it I challenge you to go and read one of the great works of literature. It is a notoriously difficult poem to understand and I know I got very little of it, but it was powerful and moving. And I am now looking forward to further discussion and dissection of this in upcoming classes. Isn't the greatest power of literature apparent in how it lives on after we have read it? ...more |
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| 0141182504
| 9780141182506
| 0141182504
| 4.03
| 1,274,230
| May 19, 1942
| Jan 01, 2006
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it was amazing
| This review will more or less be an attempt to summarise the notes I took in my seminar today in a way that relate specifically to Albert Camus' The O This review will more or less be an attempt to summarise the notes I took in my seminar today in a way that relate specifically to Albert Camus' The Outsider. Firstly, this will help potential readers understand what the core theme of this classic work is and secondly this will help me be able to summarise the very concepts of existentialism and absurdity as they relate to my studies. Firstly, it was recommended that The Outsider can be broken into three parts. The first representing the absurd: a theme that continues on throughout the book. The second part represents how the rules, laws and government of others affect the individual and regards how they are imposed. The final part is the part of 'tragic consciousness'. I'll break these points down as I go along! The 5 Aspects of the Absurd The main character of The Outsider, Meursault, displays all these characteristics in regards to the absurd. He is an isolated character, in other words, he is cut off from the people around him. When at the beginning of the novel he is informed of his mother's passing, he cannot - cannot - grieve over this. He is cut off from her or others as an individual. He is also alienated from himself, at times in retrospect recognising that he hardly understands who or what he is. There is further a clear combination of time passing and 'mechanical repetition' throughout the novel. And finally all these elements culminate in a decisive recognising that though, rationally, none of the problems of life in the novel can be solved, rationality is the tool by which these problems are attempted to be solved. The second part of The Outsider, regarding how laws and their implementation affect the individual, springs from this understanding of absurdity and existentialism. Existentialism as a philosophical concept seems to work inwardly rather than externally, regarding life entire as meaningless rather than full of any profound purpose. Therefore, laws imposed upon our protagonist seem meaningless to him (though they may lead to death) because he does not recognise the meaning in such laws. That is until the final part of the novel, in which the moment of 'tragic consciousness' arrives. It is a moment of clarity within the conflict of a work of fiction, the moment at which a character can look back and recognise how they have continued to be stuck in a routine or daily grind and then tragically, the next minute fall back into that same routine. For Meursault, this 'tragic consciousness' moment seems to involve a realisation or recognition of how he has always been happy and can always be happy - even in the face of death. (view spoiler)[And therein the tragedy is that he comes to wish that the crowds greeting a potential execution are full of anger towards him. (hide spoiler)] Thoughts From The Afterword "In our society any man who doesn't cry at his mother's funeral is liable to be condemned to death" Therein lies the summary of the novel in one paradoxical quote. It is a quote that remarks upon modernity as much as it remarks about existence. The point seems to be served that humanity as a whole is far too quick to judge individuals based on the outward appearance - that to not cry over the death of a loved one (as has happened ) means the accused must surely be guilty because they must lack humanity. Yet the only crime being committed may be a crime against the established orders and conventions of the times as much as anything. "I also once said, and again paradoxically, that I tried to make my character represent the only Christ that we deserve." Finally, allow me to end with this point. Camus' book is one which deals with many metaphysical issues, among them religion. I have argued elsewhere that I believe all men carry a kind of religion - a series of rituals which they hold to on a level of idolatrous worship - and so will not reiterate such an argument here in regards to this book or quote. I do want to say however that I do not believe Camus means such a statement in any way to be blasphemous (he does suggest as such), but rather that he hopes he has created a character of fiction who represents the way every man has felt at some point - that life is meaningless. And that further he has created a character who represents the same kind of role of Christ (a saviour) in terms of providing a moral lesson that reality and the rules of others are no guideline to live our own lives. Perhaps it could be even better said that the focus of the quote should be on the final section 'that we deserve'. Camus, in creating a martyr figure, symbolically suggests that we as people are all guilty of the crime of killing the innocent and those who dare to be different to our views and systems, that we as guilty individuals do not deserve a saviour who saves eternally, but one who saves us only from the rigour and ritual of repetition and unhappiness. It is, if anything, a simpler way to look at reality and is dependant upon the day to day in my opinion but it is a fascinating concept to conclude a fascinating work of true literary genius. ...more |
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Paperback
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| 0486277887
| 9780486277882
| 0486277887
| 4.14
| 1,990
| 1952
| Dec 23, 1993
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it was amazing
| Again, as a disclaimer I have not read this particular edition of John Donne's poetry. I have however read many of the poems found in this edition and Again, as a disclaimer I have not read this particular edition of John Donne's poetry. I have however read many of the poems found in this edition and therefore find it a particularly reasonable version to use to talk about the poems I read as stand alone works. John Donne was a fascinating character, with a most interesting mixture of personality types. He was, I think, the type of character that true Christianity was and is meant to attract: he was a religious rebel. Earlier in his life he was a party animal from all accounts, the type of man who loved women and who found no reason why they should not love him back. His earliest poetry, such as the famous (or infamous) The Flea is a symbol of this early rebellion:
The argument being here that, since the flea has taken blood from both of us already we have already intermingled in some way. In other words Donne was a smooth talker trying to convince a woman that going to bed was fine since they'd already had blood mixed by a third party. Romantic and smooth...or not. But even when Donne became drawn into 'religion' becoming a man of great importance in the Anglican Church he was a rebel. Which I find fascinating because in many respects Christ himself was a rebel of his times, not caring about convention or even about contention but more about conversion and salvation. The message of Christ is one which naturally broke and breaks cultural barriers and set rigid structures and is not meant to be one of pomp and celebration. And in many ways Donne's later poetry reflects this. His poetry retains that earthy sensuality of his youth but shows a sense of adult maturity and a sense that Donne has become captured by the wonder of a personal God. I particularly like these three of his Holy Sonnets:
There is this fascinating sense to how Donne writes his poetry here. It's almost Shakespearian but he has his own flavour with how he opens the poetry with an eye catching line like: batter my heart. The alliteration of 'break, blow, burn' reinforces the sense of violence as connected to the holy love this poetry is about. And therefore in many ways it all makes for an interesting final line, which shows how Donne ends much of his poetry, with two connected and yet contradictory ideas. There is the sense that Donne will never be virginal unless God ravishes him, yet it makes little sense for one to be both virgin and have been ravished as the poem suggests. Has perhaps Donne captured something as to the nature of God, that the things God does cannot be understood as we understand them - much as ideas exist in the Bible as in Matthew 16:25 'For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.'
This was the first Donne poem I was ever introduced to. It still retains that sense of rhythm, power and awe when I read it again. It has a strong opening few lines and a strong closing line or two with that same contradictory element: sleep to wake.
Finally I conclude with this poem. I find it fascinatingly bold again and the contradictory element here is of how God became weak to be able to suffer woe. These seem the hallmarks of John Donne's poems: strong and conflict centred openings and strong semantically contradictory conclusions. If you appreciate these aspects and the wild preacher poet behind them then I recommend checking out more of John Donne's work further. He really was an honest individual in many ways... ...more |
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it was amazing
| Alongside Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, Alfred Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott stands as one of the more fascinating works of poetry from the 1800s. Aes Alongside Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, Alfred Tennyson's The Lady of Shalott stands as one of the more fascinating works of poetry from the 1800s. Aesthetically it is a work of great and simply beauty, therefore providing evidence that language in a poetic simplicity can provide some of the greatest and most beautiful ideas and images. After all, in the Bible, the splendour of light was released with 'Let there be light.' The poem appears simple on the outside, with a nice flowing rhythm, reinforced by the repetitious aaaabcccb structure and the use of the word Shalott to close almost each stanza. Yet the poem is far more complex than its language may suggest. There are hints of various critiques and subversions of traditional love narratives buried in Tennyson's work and as such The Lady of Shalott becomes another fantasy tale that reflects on reality. The narrative, essentially describing how one Lady of Shalott, trapped in a tower, is forced to view the world of Camelot through a mirror, lest she succumb to a curse. Eventually she does turn from the mirror to look down at the glittering, gem covered Lancelot, the poem's ultimate symbol of masculinity (and virility). As a result her mirror and artistry break, signs that her curse has fallen upon her. As a result, she leaves her tower in a boat and floats down to Camelot, only to arrive dead and drained of blood. Where only Lancelot is considerate enough to look upon her and comment that: "She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, The Lady of Shalott." Many critics have suggested that The Lady of the poem is the perfect symbol for how Victorian women were expected to behave, therefore making of this poem a feminist critique. The sense pervades the poem that when the Lady looks down at her possible lover, the beautified Lancelot, it is because she is a woman and therefore supposedly given into the irrational. The very idea that this woman has to be kept hidden in a tower, concealed away from society (and perhaps from exploring her sexuality) is in itself a unique critique. Therefore, it is possible that Tennyson intended the poem to criticise the idea that women were meant to be seen and not heard; objects of beauty but not of necessarily logical capacity. The fact that Tennyson was Poet Laureate for the Queen leads one to consider the strong indications that this poem was intended to be political in nature. Another angle to observe this poem from is the perspective of the poem as a subversion of the classic fairytale knight quest. Considering the way in which Tennyson uses Arthurian myth and legend in the poem this again seems like another way in which Tennyson perhaps criticises romantic love in relation to male and female dynamics. There is the sense that Tennyson condemns the romantic idea of the gallant chivalrous knight rescuing the damsel in distress, for in his narrative the knights do not come to rescue the damsel and instead the damsel must leave her tower for the knight, resulting in her death. This could be seen as an indication that Tennyson believes that there are no happy ever afters and that chivalry is a naive idea of the past (particular when one connects the poem to the reality of the industrialised age Tennyson lived in). Or, one could read it as a condemnation of women being forced to become independent and rely upon their own strength, that essentially without a knight to rescue them a woman will die from a curse. One of the motifs in the poem is the use of ethereal, dreamlike constructs. Mirrors and shadows in particular feature heavily in the poem, from the mirror the Lady is forced to observe the world through. A mirror which could be seen as a symbol for the social constraints obscuring that which can be truly seen. Then again, how the Lady weaves what she sees in the mirror into a web of tapestry could be viewed as a criticism of how the artist performs their work. A particularly poignant idea when connected to the nature of Tennyson being Poet Laureate. "'I am half sick of shadows,' said The Lady of Shalott." Whatever way you choose to read this poem it is a fascinating work (as is most of Tennyson's work). And in some senses it is a danger to read too much into the poem for fear of ignoring the sheer aesthetic beauty of it. Indeed Tennyson is a poet who understands how to capture musicality with words and as such his work should be read by anyone interested in literature. ...more |
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| Jun 14, 2004
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it was amazing
| Dreaming up America History is a fascinating area of study, although it is often too much divorced from the literature and established media created in Dreaming up America History is a fascinating area of study, although it is often too much divorced from the literature and established media created in its specific sectors. The most fascinating aspect to history to my mind is how history reflects upon the here and now - that like quality literature it reflects upon humanity. There are some who would argue that history is water under the bridge - to use an idiomatic phrase - and yet why is it that in our modern times we so often find ourselves repeating, insanely, the mistakes of the past? What Jim Cullen aims to do in this work of historical narrative - popular history - is to record how the concept of the American Dream has shaped American history in particular. For a short book, in terms of page count, Cullen packs plenty of detail, description and thought into his argument. Some might find it too personal to call it a true historical account but I would counter this thought with the fact that history is nothing if not a creation of multiple personal accounts. What Cullen simply does is write his own personal thesis in regards to that and as such creates a work of scholarly debate that most individuals could read. In the opening to this work Cullen quotes from John Adams, a historian - popular many decades ago - who wrote of “that American dream of a better, richer and happier life for all our citizens of every rank, which is the greatest contribution we have made to the thought and welfare of the world.� Cullen notes that prior to Adams' use of the term in the 1930s there seems to have been no use of the phrase 'American Dream' in popular culture and yet since there has been a major blossoming and use of the phrase. It was prior to this, Cullen argues, a subconscious dream - one understood and culturally centred but not visibly named. "One of the greatest ironies - perhaps the greatest - of the American Dream is that its foundations were laid by people who specifically rejected a belief that they did have control over their destinies." Jim Cullen begins his narrative with a look at the Puritans. His argument could be seen as repetitive and wordy (as throughout) but his writing has a personable touch to it and draws in the reader, regardless of length. That aside, his style is also quite elegant, though he admits openly that he is unabashedly a supporter of the Puritans - not in line with popular veins of thought. The reason for this he states is found in the American Dream. Essentially, Cullen's argument boils down to the sense that the American Dream is made of multiple dreams and the Puritans themselves had a dream for freedom which defined America - that from the beginning freedom helped create this new country. Likewise, when Cullen moves toward the Declaration of Independence and the American Civil War he also notes the dreams involved in regards to freedom. There were individuals who clearly believed they had freedom already and had to learn that they did not in order to dream for freedom and there were others - slaves - who had no freedom and therefore dreamed of it. Equality, however, is different to freedom. This is one of the best points I have heard raised around this topic and the American Dream when Cullen talks about the Dream, slavery and also references the hardships of women. Martin Luther King Jnr. reappears, as is inevitable when talking about dreams and American creeds. Cullen makes the point that reaction to Martin Luther King Jnr. has been mixed throughout history (and not simply for racial reasons) - pointing out his reported character flaws. That said, Cullen stands firm in indicating how for all his faults Martin Luther King Jnr. had a dream and he tried his hardest to live by it and for that deserves respect. One of the final dreams Cullen touches on is the dream of house ownership and the capitalist success associated with this. He notes how it has long been a dream for individuals to make their mark on a land area or site and to somehow gain something from that. Legacy seems to be a huge thing in regards to humans since we live such short lives compared to our world itself. So to make our mark seems in many regards to be the perfect act of defiance. There is the darker side in regards to capitalism and commercial success that Cullen touches upon however. “One of the principal attractions of the American Dream, and its major moral underpinning, is that everyone is eligible.� It has long been noted by historians as to the existence of what are called 'Robber Barons'. Those wealthy entrepreneurs and men who cheated the system. Those content to stay rich and in their luxury while the world burned around them. The American Dream, Cullen points out, helped to contribute to this. With everyone being eligible for the Dream it can be argued that everyone can in theory become equal and rise to the same success as anyone. Of course we understand, Cullen notes, that in practicality people want supremacy: not equality. In the end, Cullen's argument seems to boil down to an interesting mix. On one hand he notes that there is much good in regards the overall picture of the American Dream. At the same time he notes that the American Dream can so easily become the American Nightmare when believed in to the point of excluding others in life. It can be so easy, it is suggested, for the Dream to become a simple form of reification - or a complex one if need be. Cullen's suggestion, therefore, is that individuals should learn that the Dream in its modern form allows for humans - particularly Americans - to ask the difficult moral questions, with the Dream existing (or should exist) as a moral framing device. My experience of the American Dream Each nation across the world has its own particular symbolic aspects to history I have noted. Aspects that they hold onto currently. Australia also has her own particular history, a history connected to the legend of the ANZACS and the firm belief in mateship and community. These historical mythologies have turned Australia into what she is now and affect all her citizens unconsciously. I know of these ideas and yet I could not say how much they have shaped me, save to say that the particular Aussie brand of laconic good nature and humour have long been part of my world as have particular perspectives in life. So, when I made the trip to the United States three weeks ago, for the purpose of studying about the American Dream I thought about American culture through this kind of lens. I thought about how it could be that the American Dream shapes American society to a similar degree as my history. To an extent I believe I was right, but to another extent I believe I was wrong. American culture has its own particular flavour. It is a much older nation than my own and the locations and cities exude that sense of having been lived in - of having been 'civilised' for longer. Australia has a sense of history, but it is to be found in the natural wilderness and in the sacred artwork of its Indigenous communities, not in the cities and towns. Yet I feel I can state that the American Dream has defined and shaped America to a large extent. Mentioning the phrase to many individuals, we found that the answer as to what the American Dream was, returned similar results: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was obviously Jefferson's way of putting it and it has resonated through the ages. Now people might say it as 'the opportunity to be whatever you want' but they mean more or less the same thing. And though they may believe it is a symbolic idea, the American Dream to me is as alive as Jim Cullen references. Though he did not touch on the baseball or on broadway I believe through my visits to both events it is visibly active there. I believe you can see it when you walk into a fast food store or cinema. I believe you can see it in people walking down the street. One massive group of people living in a city and several dreams all connected to the one American Dream - to have a better life. After all, dissatisfaction is one thing that all humans - I believe - have in common. Why else are superhero or rags to riches stories so popular: dissatisfaction. I admit that while we were over in the states we met Jim Cullen personally. I had read part of his work already and he struck me exactly as his writing came across: affable, friendly, academic but not in a distant sense. He was undoubtedly an intellectual type, but one who was more concerned with connecting modern ideas such as media and social enterprises etc. with history. In fact one of his books is all about how actors are historians in a sense. We did get to hear from him in regards to the American Dream and a reading from a work he was currently writing. He also signed my book. But of most importance was what I particularly took away from that session. Though the American Dream has a specific American flavour, it still affects me. We have our own national dreams and beliefs. We have our own ways of living life. But we still draw from American authors and television shows. We still buy into American advertising - which uses the language of the dream. Because essentially there is something so human about dreaming and I think that through our shared sense of dreaming the American Dream becomes part of the Global Dream. ...more |
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| 9780811218702
| 0811218708
| 4.37
| 3,841
| Apr 01, 2010
| Apr 01, 2010
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it was amazing
| If, possibly, one could describe what Nox is as a work of abstract poetry it could possibly be considered a kind of meta-elegy. Because, in many diffe If, possibly, one could describe what Nox is as a work of abstract poetry it could possibly be considered a kind of meta-elegy. Because, in many different ways Nox is a haunting work that talks about the elegiac mode while existing as an elegy in and of itself. The title itself appears to be from the Latin for different variations of 'night' or 'nightfall' therefore reflecting the age-old idea of death being like sleeping or passing into shadow. The book itself is structured like a journal with the interesting gimmick of accordion folded pages set inside a box, rather than a true hardcover. There are scraps and fragments of Latin dictionary definitions alongside handwritten and typed notes. At the same time a poetic commentary from Anne Carson herself exists intermittently and in many regards this fragmented, fractured prose poetry seems to show a sense of grief and loss to a far greater extent than any structured eloquent piece of work could. That is not to say that Carson lacks eloquence, indeed, she is very well versed in how to utilise language, it is simply that her work possesses a raw emotionally jaggedness that comes across to the reader. The fact that Nox does not even appear like a true book is the most obvious statement made by Anne Carson to the reader. Though there is a sense of the gimmick as noted above there is also the sense that Carson attempts to school the reader that grief destroys all sense of form and the known. That, when night falls upon a soul, there is a sense of total destruction of normality or formality, at least initially. Anne Carson herself describes the book as being "'based on a poem of Catullus...whose brother died in Troy when Catullus was living in Italy...In my book I printed out the text of the poem, and then took it apart...I dismantled the Catullus poem, one word per page, and I put the Latin word and its lexical definition on the left-hand side, and then on the right-hand side a fragment of a memory of my brother's life that related to the left-hand side of the page. Where the lexical entry didn't relate, 1 changed it. So I smuggled in stuff that is somewhat inauthentic. But it makes the left and the right cohere, so that the whole thing tells the story of the translation of the poem, and also dismantles my memory of my brother's life'(sourced )." In retrospect it is apparent as to how Carson has used form and her sensibility to convey this other poem in respect to her own experience. Isn't that how all readers must take literature? In connection to their own experience? Other reviews have the form of Nox transforms the book into more than a book. It becomes a document or an artefact, a work of memory and a monument to a lost life. All of which is in general the aim of the elegy. Yet the fact that Carson can talk about other elegies and about mourning as an act makes this work a kind of meta-elegy as already noted. So this book becomes more than merely a work of non-fiction where Carson describes her reactions to hearing that her almost unknown brother (who hurt her mother) has died. It becomes a work of non-fiction for all those who have lost someone in their lives. And therefore it becomes a work for all those who read literature because it is concerned with both life and death. "The very essence of literature is the war between emotion and intellect, between life and death. When literature becomes too intellectual - when it begins to ignore the passions, the emotions - it becomes sterile, silly, and actually without substance." - Isaac Bashevis Singer ...more |
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| 3.79
| 332,478
| May 14, 1925
| Apr 05, 2012
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it was amazing
| Mrs. Dalloway is a work like Ulysses. Perhaps it may seem like prestigious name dropping to mention the two together, yet the comparison is the only o Mrs. Dalloway is a work like Ulysses. Perhaps it may seem like prestigious name dropping to mention the two together, yet the comparison is the only one I can make. I should add, however that it is more like the child of Ulysses and Jane Eyre. It possesses the social sensibilities of Jane Eyre while adopting the difficulties and intellectual stimulation of Ulysses. The story of Mrs. Dalloway is far less interesting than the plot itself and the linguistic deliberations of the work. The story, told outright follows Clarissa Dalloway as she plans for a prestigious party across the course of one day and interacts with different individuals. The real interest is in how the story is told (the plot). Virginia Woolf uses a distanced and yet close writing style, one that feels both to be an omniscient third person perspective and also tied to the stream of consciousness narration. Her language on the whole is beautiful, yet clearly this serves as a fine example of the fact that great authors (as with Joyce) can break boundaries and rules of language. She utilises far too many semi-colons (and uses them grammatically correctly), uses uniquely positioned prepositional phrases and repeats herself - oddly succinctly to drive the plot home. For all that she is a melodic and poetic author who clearly must be read and analysed by all interested in language and writing. "She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife through everything; at the same time was outside, looking on." Essentially in following Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus, Woolf is able to hint at very modern themes. She highlights how the modern world encloses and captures the individual, becoming a highly claustrophobic place for anyone. And it is the effectiveness of transferring this sense to the reader that makes Mrs. Dalloway such a complex and tough book to read. It is uncomfortable but also beautiful and in that degree it is alien and it reveals how discomforting modern society can be. This is a wonderful book that should be read by all interested, as noted, in language and literature. It has a unique quality, a dreamy modernity, that causes one to feel the emotion, the language and the power of its moral intensity. In other words, it is a brilliant piece of literary fiction. ...more |
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| 9780143566342
| 0143566342
| 4.44
| 32,970
| 1962
| 2011
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really liked it
| Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges not only possessed one mouthful of a name but a great literary talent. There is much that could be criticised in h Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges not only possessed one mouthful of a name but a great literary talent. There is much that could be criticised in his manner and style, in many of his pieces his 'fictions' come across as formulaic, mathematical and structured, which at times fails to allow emotion to be properly conveyed. Yet Borges was a conscious and thinking author, despite appearing to err on the logical side of the writing spectrum, addressing his fictional work as a means to explore deep philosophical or metaphysical ideas and concepts. What is further fascinating is that Borges also created some fictional book titles, referenced in an academic way to add to There are some who have said that Borges mainly wrote such very short and compact fictions (I consciously refer to these as 'fictions' because they lack the same narrative structure as a typical short story) because he possessed a degree of 'laziness' as a writer. Not that Borges did not possess a work ethic, after all he wrote many deeply thought out stories, but more that Borges did not have the patience and desire to write longer and to go through the paces of working out If one looks at the period in which Borges was alive - 1899 to 1986 - one can notice pretty quickly the significance. Borges was alive through both World Wars and the Cold War. In that sense, Borges is the quintessential 20th Century author. He, more than anyone, shows in his writing how the events of his era defined his ideologies and shows off aspects of modernity and pre-post-modernity. Borges is an author who not only thinks deeply but experiments. Each of his fictions play on different genres, crafting parodies of detective fiction, theological debate, fantasy (or magical realism), horror and so on. Borges sometimes moves into creating a pastiche, but more commonly his parody is actively pushing against genre boundaries. He will start the reader on a particular path, only to pause at a set point and reveal to the reader how and what he is doing in regards to genre. There are a selection of different themes that Borges regularly repeats. The word 'labyrinth' or some variation often makes its way into his lexicon along with mirrors, libraries, novels, theology, tigers (or jaguars) and knives. Each of these words helps provide a particular intertextual and metalinguistic function, linking Borges entire oeuvre together. Indeed, it is fascinating that the title of his work here is 'Labyrinths' considering the regularity in which the phrase appears. It is also interesting that considering the title, the piece I found most appealing in this work was 'The House of Asterion'. In this, Borges takes a look at the tale of Asterion (view spoiler)[The Minotaur (hide spoiler)] from a new, modern perspective. Many know the story of the labyrinth and Daedalus (interestingly Borges himself becomes a kind of Daedalus of fiction) but Borges takes that story and breathes new life into it, though the story itself is only two and a half pages long. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has only one set path with no choices and one exit that serves to be the same as the entrance. Borges himself constructs labyrinths out of text, questioning as Plato did, whether there is one real version of everything that is corporeal. A real version existing elsewhere, beyond reality. This does not mean that Borges finishes where he began, necessarily, however his work does lead the reader on a set path before causing them to look back and recognise that the way back is the very same way they have come. The work of Jorge Luis Borges is a must read for any individual with a deep love for important literature classics. His work, for its sheer influence on modernist authors and postmodern authors and on to the current era, should be recognised as tremendously influential and remains important today. Though Borges, I have come to see, is more of an acquired taste, his work sparkles from time to time with truly appealing thought and wisdom. ...more |
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| 9781784871888
| B00GX2P4YQ
| 4.11
| 91,657
| Nov 03, 1972
| Oct 02, 1997
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really liked it
| By disembodying his conquests to reduce them to the essential, Kublai had arrived at the extreme operation: the definitive conquest, of which By disembodying his conquests to reduce them to the essential, Kublai had arrived at the extreme operation: the definitive conquest, of which the empire's multiform treasures were only illusory envelopes. It was reduced to a square of planed wood: nothingness... If this quote alone does not highlight that Invisible Cities is a work of existentialist literature I doubt that nothing else will. In a similar vein of writing to If On a Winter's Night a Traveller Italo Calvino creates another beautifully written exploration of a metaphysical concept. This concept revolves around the relationship between cities and humanity and further, deeper, into the core of how appearance, memory and desire shape the reality of the world around us. To quote from The Truman Show: "We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented." And yet there is always someone who refuses to accept an all encompassing viewpoint or value as truth. This is what this novel is about. As mentioned, Calvino's writing is incredibly elegant and each short snippet of description, detailing a city, is poignantly lyrical. It is clear from the start that this work really has no true beginning or end but rather is about the expansion of horizons and the central point of our reality. It is the story of Kublai Khan as he gazes over his empire with imperial dignity, ruling over the near-providential increase of his empire. Yet it is also the story of Marco Polo, explorer of strange lands and the man who tells stories of these strange lands - strange cities - to Kublai Khan. It is the stories of Marco Polo which lead to Kublai Khan desiring to add these mystical locations to his domain, and herein claim them as his, yet as the stories continue, it becomes clear that the point is not for the Khan to own these cities, but for him to appreciate the lessons they have to share. "You can resume your flight whenever you like," they said to me, "but you will arrive at another Trude, absolutely the same, detail by detail. The world is covered by a sole Trude which does not begin and does not end. Only the name of the airport changes."" There are several categories to each city written about by Calvino, as spoken by Marco Polo. There are cities of desire, cities of memory, thin cities, hidden cities, trading cities, cities and names, cities and the dead, cities and eyes, cities and signs, cities and the sky... Each category repeated at least once as it to make the point that the most important thing about each city is that it follows a categorical point, that there is nothing new under the sun no matter how obscure each city feels. In this Calvino's pondering and questioning about language, literature and reality are present if not quite visible... All this mentioned, Invisible Cities is not a book I could recommend to every reader. It is a book that I would recommend to help with your ability to think or write and even read, but it is not a book of leisure. You need to think as you read this book, to be thoughtfully processing and devouring each idea and city as you go in order not to merely 'like' the aesthetic but to understand the message. So, this warning aside, I would very much encourage the philosophical reader to investigate this work. ...more |
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| 0224079832
| 9780224079839
| 0224079832
| 3.99
| 7,852
| Feb 07, 2008
| Jan 01, 2008
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really liked it
| How Fiction Works is a fascinating theoretical book that should be read by anyone interesting in literature, linguistics and the foundations underlyin How Fiction Works is a fascinating theoretical book that should be read by anyone interesting in literature, linguistics and the foundations underlying creative writing itself. James Wood draws references from many different books and breaks everything down to varying levels of analysis to have a look at what makes fiction fiction. Wood's most interesting aspect of his book is how he breaks everything down into different levels and aspects. What I mean by this is that he has chapters on each important thing that is unique to fiction or plays a highly important part. Narration, narrative, detail, characters, consciousness, language and even realism are all woven into a kind of patchwork. There is no real conclusion to his book it's more a kind of theoretical analysis of what goes on in books. And it's all incredibly fascinating. There are some sections which are cruder than others, by which I mean rougher and less polished, but on the whole it's very well written. I found the whole aspect of Wood's writing about free indirect style, author's choices in novels and how language can take on a life of its own fascinating. I fully recommend this book for a look at the theory of fiction and to provide readers a way of looking at writer's choices in a different light. ...more |
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| 0415280621
| 3.50
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really liked it
| A solid theoretical view of the idea of genre and generic classing systems is offered here by John Frow. For those reading this who have no idea who J A solid theoretical view of the idea of genre and generic classing systems is offered here by John Frow. For those reading this who have no idea who John Frow is he is a professor at Melbourne University (which I do not attend by the way but could have if I'd wished). Either way this book is an insightful look into the theory of genre. Frow's overall argument is that genre is not limited to merely looking at entertainment forms such as books, films or music items. He argues that genres and generic structures are interlinked with our various cultures and that as such different genres take on meaning in different contexts. But he also questions whether genres are set in concrete or whether they are fluid. He uses the example of a newspaper headline: "RAPE CASE JUDGE IN NEW STORM" When looked at this headline requires understanding of the context and therefore additional texts to understand. For instance you may need to understand that the judge referred to gave an earlier lenient sentence to a tried rapist. You may also need to understand the connotations of various words such as the fact that storm here is not referring to a literal storm but a metaphor for the outrage at the idea that the same judge is giving more lenient sentences. There are also various suppositions imposed about the genre this headline belongs to. As part of an article it is therefore supposed that it is a factual and real-life story being explored rather than a novel with a fictitious judge. Although however in the context of a narrative this headline may become fictional and therefore will need to be understood differently. Again Frow points out that were he to write: "SCAPEGRACE RAPE CASE JUDGE IN NEW STORM" and that this was to appear "in an anthology of poetry" it would be called a poem. He therefore indicates that the genre which anything belongs to relies heavily on already known knowledge and context. That when similar ideas are placed in different contexts the genre they belong to may change. He also discusses genres as taxonomical structures. He refers to them as a frame for understanding the world, that they provide a "horizon of expectations." He uses the example of shops as different genres. That when I go to a supermarket I expect to be able to buy different produce than at a delicatessen or a pharmacy. In the same way when I pick up a romance I have different expectations to a science fiction or fantasy novel and understand that novel within the context of its genre. All in all Frow makes a convincing argument that genre is connected to culture, context and requires knowledge external to the genre itself to understand. In this way all texts are not bound to one genre but belong to one main genre, under which they may be part of a sub-genre (for example Dracula belongs to the horror genre and in particular the Gothic sub-genre). His idea that genres provide a "horizon of expectations" helps the reader to observe that generic structures are not limited to the artistic field but are culturally bound. It is also interesting to think of how context alters the way we perceive genre. In this way it is possible to see that the iconography of a text helps us to perceive which genre it belongs to. Fantasy novels have particular lands and characters that are different to sci-fi but perhaps if we were to add technology into The Lord of the Rings it may appear more as a sci-fi. This is a very worthwhile discussion on genre if you are interested in analysing it and a convincing argument. John Frow certainly knows his area of expertise and makes many valid points about genre and most importantly allows the reader to think for themselves about the nature of genres. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Jul 15, 2012
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Jul 21, 2012
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Jul 15, 2012
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Hardcover
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| 0684838281
| 9780684838281
| 0684838281
| 3.88
| 3,493
| 1938
| Nov 01, 2007
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really liked it
| It is highly curious that outside the arena of teaching the process of education itself remains very much misunderstood. In fact until you actually en It is highly curious that outside the arena of teaching the process of education itself remains very much misunderstood. In fact until you actually enter into the process of teaching - education seems very much like an act of guiding others with your bountiful knowledge. Of course very few realise that teaching is as much about learning as it is about passing knowledge. And that education also extends far beyond merely providing knowledge. It is however highly important that educators properly understand their work as they are dealing in and with a moral profession. They are working not with instruments of stone like builders but with flesh and blood people. John Dewey's work here is therefore a valuable insight into education from a theoretical viewpoint (which helps contribute to a practical stance on education). Although writing in a different era it appears that many of his points are still valid today as our education system (particularly in Australia) has not developed much past the traditional ideas. Chapter 1 In chapter one Dewey raises the idea of progressive vs traditional education. He makes the solid points that traditional education is stagnant and static. It believes that what it teaches is the finished product. And from a philosophical and personal view I believe that much education is still dealt with in this way. I note that today many theories are taught as fact, something I very much disagree with. I think of that type of teaching as more indoctrinating. If we properly were to accept that perhaps these theories are not the finished product (and many of them may be flawed) we would encourage greater individual thought. And I believe personally at this point that education should serve the purpose of encouraging the individual to be an individual and to think for themselves, having their own opinion on issues. Chapter 2 In his second chapter Dewey explains the need for a theory of experience. While I am still trying to grasp the full idea I see some of what Dewey is explaining. He very much explains how experience contributes to learning and how a conditioning method of education does not do much to allow for learning of practical skills and abilities. Many teachers will be challenged by students asking questions like: when will we use the quadratic formula in 'real life'? And that is what Dewey is explaining. That students experience school and they often view some things they learn as unnecessary experiences or perhaps even negative experiences. The question should become one of relevance then rather than curriculum. The quadratic formula should be seen in the understanding of aiding logical thinking (much like how Christopher sees maths in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) and the relevance of the experience of learning should be able to be understood. But too often it is not. As a (hopefully) future Literature/English/History teacher I hope to be able to show and educate the relevance of studying fictional novels and past events. That they do affect our modern experiences. "Just as no man lives or dies to himself, so no experience lives and dies to itself. Wholly independent of desire or intent, every experience lives on in future experiences." Chapter 3 Chapter 3 explores the criteria of experience. Dewey uses this chapter to look in detail at the idea of negative and positive experience. He refers to the idea of someone gaining experience as a burglar in particular and uses that to show what experience should be for in education. There is a lot of depth and detail in this chapter but ultimately Dewey's argument boils down to discussing why we do things the way we do. For instance we have democratic systems he argues because we see through experience that they are better for human life. He also looks at how experiences outside of a classroom contribute to experiences inside a classroom and that teachers need to be aware of the intersection of the social community and the classroom. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 examines society and education. In particular the idea of social control and education. Dewey points out that some level of social control is needed in education. He uses the metaphor of how a children's game must have rules in order to provide mediation and allow for smoother running and enjoyment. In the same way education needs a level of social control but not to the point where it impedes on the ability of students to have a relevant experience and to mature. The question then becomes where to draw the line so that education is not about homogenising students and creating an end product of citizens for some supposedly glorious democracy which is no democratic idea at all. Chapter 5 Dewey then communicates what he believes the role of freedom is within the classroom. I found the ideas about freedom itself interesting from a philosophical point of view. The idea that was hinted at in particular about that perhaps to be free we have to fulfil a purpose and role. This in particular tied into the next topic Dewey raised. Chapter 6 Dewey looks at the meaning of purpose in Chapter 6. In many ways this chapter is designed to look at the questions students ask such as 'why do we need to learn this?' And in many other ways it is designed to look at the purpose of teachers, teaching and experience in regards to teaching. One idea I particularly noted was the idea of how purpose defines individuals. (Think about it we all identify ourselves more often by what we do than who we are - I'm a writer, reader and teacher for instance) Chapter 7 This penultimate chapter observes the idea of subject-matter and education. Dewey looking at how experience and subjects like English, Math and History come together. This is a lengthy chapter and ties together much of Dewey's overall argument to show how his philosophy of experience is linked to education. Chapter 8 In this final chapter Dewey summarises his argument, noting that education must move either backwards or forwards. He concludes that he has included the points that must be addressed for the later to occur in 'Experience and Education'. That being that educators must have a sound philosophy of experience so that education does not become pseudo-education. Whether you agree with John Dewey's philosophy or not this is an important and informative text to analyse and read in regards to education. Because Teaching is linked to experience and the community in many ways and part of becoming a teacher is learning to adopt a professional outlook and manner. There is a lot of information in this relatively short text and I certainly have not retained it all. I do however think that personally there was a lot of useful pedagogical ideas in there and I do recommend it to anyone wanting to look at education and philosophy. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Jul 11, 2012
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Jul 13, 2012
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Paperback
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| 4.03
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really liked it
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Jul 07, 2018
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Jul 07, 2018
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| 3.98
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it was amazing
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Apr 08, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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| 3.94
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really liked it
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Apr 08, 2014
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Apr 08, 2014
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| 4.26
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really liked it
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Mar 26, 2014
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Mar 26, 2014
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| 4.03
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Mar 15, 2014
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Mar 11, 2014
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| 4.04
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it was amazing
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Feb 28, 2014
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Feb 27, 2014
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| 3.91
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really liked it
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Mar 12, 2014
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Feb 10, 2014
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| 3.95
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really liked it
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Sep 19, 2013
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Sep 19, 2013
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| 4.22
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it was amazing
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Jul 19, 2013
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Jul 18, 2013
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| 4.03
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it was amazing
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Mar 12, 2014
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Jun 10, 2013
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| 4.14
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it was amazing
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not set
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May 07, 2013
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| 4.19
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it was amazing
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not set
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Apr 12, 2013
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| 3.50
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it was amazing
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Aug 21, 2013
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Apr 05, 2013
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| 4.37
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it was amazing
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May 27, 2013
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Mar 07, 2013
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| 3.79
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it was amazing
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Jun 30, 2013
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Feb 01, 2013
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| 4.44
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really liked it
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Sep 18, 2013
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Nov 10, 2012
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| 4.11
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really liked it
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Mar 14, 2014
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Sep 30, 2012
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| 3.99
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really liked it
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Sep 04, 2012
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Sep 04, 2012
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| 3.50
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really liked it
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Jul 21, 2012
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Jul 15, 2012
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| 3.88
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really liked it
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Jul 13, 2012
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Jul 11, 2012
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