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defrog
Reading the books, writing the book reports, and etc and so on. JUST FINISHED
A Renegade History Of The United States by Thaddeus Russell
The subtitle says it all: “How Drunks, Delinquents and Other Outcasts Made America”. It’s an interesting idea for an American history book, and one that gets to the heart of an underplayed fact of American society – its ideals of liberty and freedom have always been at odds with the Powers That Be who didn’t believe that should include drinking, swearing, fighting, screwing and otherwise having a good time and enjoying yrself. From an idealistic POV, the Founding Fathers believed that a govt run by the people for the people would fail if the people were too busy drinking, swearing, fighting, screwing, etc., and the solution was to instill the American ethic that it’s a virtue to do nothing but work hard yr entire life instead of having fun. That context is key to understanding some of Russell’s more outrageous claims – i.e. slaves had it better than freemen, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X did their share of repressing black culture, the New Deal was fascism without the genocide, and gay marriage is a copout. I don’t agree with some of his conclusions, but I highly recommend the book, if only to challenge yr preconceptions and start an argument.
JUST STARTED
Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell
I’ve been on a bit of an Orwell kick recently, and this memoir of his time living in poverty, and what it’s really like to be poor, seemed like a good thing to read now, given the current meme in American politics that the poor have only themselves to blame for being that way because they spend all their cash on booze, iPhones and air conditioners. So why not?
RECENT TITLES
To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis
Technically my second time reading Willis, but the last time was back in the 80s, so it arguably doesn’t count. Anyway, this is essentially a very long tribute to Jerome K Jerome, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers in the form of a comedy of manners/mystery about time travelers who accidentally cause an incongruity that could change the outcome of WW2, and must stay in Victorian England to figure out how to fix it. Willis has a tendency to go into a little too much detail, and time travel and Chaos Theory being what they are (to say nothing of Victorian England), the story gets really convoluted by the end, but Willis injects plenty of Brit-style humor into the whole affair, and I like the idea of a time travel facility being hijacked for restoration projects (after governments and businesses learn that it can’t be used to change history or yr stock price). All up, it’s an exhausting but pretty enjoyable read, though it might be awhile before I try Willis again.
The Infernal Desire Machines Of Doctor Hoffman by Angela Carter
Early 70s surrealism from Angela Carter, another female writer I’ve been told I should read. The basic story centers around Desiderio, an agent who is trying to track down and kill the mysterious Dr Hoffman, who has invented machines that completely distort the perception of reality for most people and driving them insane (except Desiderio, who is immune because he bores easily). As he moves from one situation to another, things get nastier and nastier as he endures one atrocity after another. Rape, underage sex, cannibalism: it’s all here. It’s inventive, but Carter’s dense writing style put me off enough that I don’t think I’ll be trying her again.
The Cat Inside by William S Burroughs
I believe this is the last book by Burroughs I hadn’t read yet, and … well, as a meditation on the nature of cats and how he learned to appreciate them, it’s all right, and gives a little more insight into Burroughs the man. But I wouldn’t say it’s essential, either – especially for people who also like dogs, whom Burroughs had much less regard for.
Of Men And Monsters by William Tenn
Classic SF satire and the only novel by William Tenn, who mainly wrote short stories. The premise: centuries after Earth is colonized by giant aliens, humanity has been reduced to tribes living like rats in the walls of the aliens’ houses. The story follows Eric The Only, whose manhood initiation mission goes wrong, forcing him on a journey that expands his limited worldview in a major way. The writing style is a bit dry and clunky, but well-paced. The satirical angle is not exactly subtle, but Tenn does have some serious points to make about the nature of religion, herd-like mentalities, human treachery and Man’s general disregard for Nature. It’s probably not for everyone, but it's a good premise.
They might be giants,
This is dF
