I can sum up my feelings about the book by adding a subtitle: Women in Love, wherein the author over-analyzes every thought and feeling of his hysterical, neurotic, jaded, obnoxiously-opinionated characters.
I've never read a book where the characters had more internal dialogue, most of it second and third guessing of their previously held, but possibly never spoken opinions. I've never read a book where the characters feelings toward a subject changed so violently and quickly: back and forth, back and forth. The first edition of the book had 536 pages. Stripped of the (in my opinion) wild over-analysis of the characters' internal states, I'd bet it would have come in at 300.
On the plus side, the prose is pleasure on the tongue and ear. And some of the descriptions of feelings were exactly, 100%, resonant.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Kim - Lynn's Take
Kim, by Rudyard Kipling, is one of the most enjoyable reads so far of the 100 best modern novels. Set in colonial India, it is the coming-of-age tale of Kimball O'Hare, orphaned son of an Irish soldier and his wife.
Kim has been raised for most of his life by native Indians, and unless someone looks very closely, he himself appears to be a native. When, at 13, he meets a holy man and becomes his disciple, his adventures across the whole, colorful, cacophonous, sometimes dangerous sub-continent of India begin.
Along the way, Kim is discovered by the English and, because of his expert knowledge of his country, his cleverness, and his ability to blend in, he is drafted to become an English spy. His mentors, of all ethnicities and trades, shape him into one of the finest young spies that England has ever seen. When we leave Kim, he has just past the brink of manhood and a future even more wondrous than his past awaits.
Despite some dated and unflattering stereotypes about native Indians, Rudyard Kipling's novel is worth reading for its vivid and detailed portrayal of life in India under British Rule in the late 1800's.
Kim has been raised for most of his life by native Indians, and unless someone looks very closely, he himself appears to be a native. When, at 13, he meets a holy man and becomes his disciple, his adventures across the whole, colorful, cacophonous, sometimes dangerous sub-continent of India begin.
Along the way, Kim is discovered by the English and, because of his expert knowledge of his country, his cleverness, and his ability to blend in, he is drafted to become an English spy. His mentors, of all ethnicities and trades, shape him into one of the finest young spies that England has ever seen. When we leave Kim, he has just past the brink of manhood and a future even more wondrous than his past awaits.
Despite some dated and unflattering stereotypes about native Indians, Rudyard Kipling's novel is worth reading for its vivid and detailed portrayal of life in India under British Rule in the late 1800's.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Brave New World - Lynn's Take
First, a confession: I realized I was on a path to be 90 before I was done reading Radcliffe's top 100 modern novels, so I allowed myself an accommodation. It is now OK for me to "read" the books by listening to an unabridged audio book version. This has added two hours of "reading" time to my day, as I can listen during my commutes to and from work.
The first book I applied my new rule to is "Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1932, the novel is set in the year A.F. 632 (referred to as 2540 AD to you and me). The world government in this future world controls every aspect of peoples' lives, from artificially reproducing new citizens, to determining each person's caste, from government-sponsored conditioning of children and adults, to censoring all arts and culture. The only places in the world where the government does not have this control are the savage reservations, which 'civilized' people can visit on vacation. One such vacation results in an ongoing clash of cultures between the savage John and and the 'civilized' people who brought him from the reservation to their world (London, as it happens). I won't give away the ending, but let it be known that in, "Brave New World,"savages don't flourish in civilization.
Brave New World is intended as a pointed criticism of Big Government, and many of the things the government imposes are, indeed, undesirable. However, many of the devices intended to shock the reader no longer have that power. In "Brave New World," there is no religion; no Christianity. Maybe this was shocking in 1932, but in 2015 a lot of the developed world is trending that way by choice. In "Brave New World," free love is not only accepted, it is the norm. The 60's did away with any shock that might arouse. In "Brave New World," people discard ripped clothing instead of mending them. Today, we have a consumer clothing segment called "throw away fashion." In "Brave New World," people take a pill to feel better anytime they are anxious or unhappy. Xanax, anyone?
The author does paint a compelling picture of a future world. And yes, it's recognizable as a dystopia. But the "dys" has faded and the "topia" doesn't seem unbearable. I'll choose the dystopia of "Brave New World" over that of "1984" or "Clockwork Orange" every single time.
The first book I applied my new rule to is "Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1932, the novel is set in the year A.F. 632 (referred to as 2540 AD to you and me). The world government in this future world controls every aspect of peoples' lives, from artificially reproducing new citizens, to determining each person's caste, from government-sponsored conditioning of children and adults, to censoring all arts and culture. The only places in the world where the government does not have this control are the savage reservations, which 'civilized' people can visit on vacation. One such vacation results in an ongoing clash of cultures between the savage John and and the 'civilized' people who brought him from the reservation to their world (London, as it happens). I won't give away the ending, but let it be known that in, "Brave New World,"savages don't flourish in civilization.
Brave New World is intended as a pointed criticism of Big Government, and many of the things the government imposes are, indeed, undesirable. However, many of the devices intended to shock the reader no longer have that power. In "Brave New World," there is no religion; no Christianity. Maybe this was shocking in 1932, but in 2015 a lot of the developed world is trending that way by choice. In "Brave New World," free love is not only accepted, it is the norm. The 60's did away with any shock that might arouse. In "Brave New World," people discard ripped clothing instead of mending them. Today, we have a consumer clothing segment called "throw away fashion." In "Brave New World," people take a pill to feel better anytime they are anxious or unhappy. Xanax, anyone?
The author does paint a compelling picture of a future world. And yes, it's recognizable as a dystopia. But the "dys" has faded and the "topia" doesn't seem unbearable. I'll choose the dystopia of "Brave New World" over that of "1984" or "Clockwork Orange" every single time.
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