Which Book Are You Reading Now? Volume XII
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I didn't notice that when I read it, but I can see it now you've pointed it out. I don't think its satire. Bernie Gunther remains a tough guy with a smartarse remark for every situation but its not as pronounced in the other books in the series. March Violets was the first so maybe its just the author finding his style.
EgonSpengler
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Yes, could be. Sometimes an author's first published novel is their best, and sometimes they develop over time. Even if it was deliberate, I imagine that would be tough to maintain.
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
Me neither, because I dont think such a thing exists.I dont classify it as high literature, at any rate
SS-18 ICBM
Oscillator
Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche (Penguin Classics English translation by R.J. Hollingdale) concerns the adventures and teachings of the titular character, who is with a little inspection a self-insert of the author. The introduction by the translator provides the background of the book with events in Nietzsche's life and connections to previous works of his, along with a short outline of the whole work. Zarathustra teaches about the Superman, the strong-willed successor to ordinary humans. The Superman's embrace of the will to power to create new values (consider the double meaning of the English phrase "I will") puts him in opposition to the "good and just" who defend old values fiercely. While hard and unyielding, the Superman does not appear to impose his values on others ("I am a law only for my own"). The ability of will to affirm life and redeem the past leads to Nietzsche's idea of eternal recurrence, stressing the need for new values to constantly arise when old values also constantly impose their stagnant ascendancy (explaining the disdain for pity and equality). Said idea is summarized in one of Zarathustra's poems:
All in all, a very well-written book. Much of the playfulness and passion of the writing survives the translation, with the exception of some German-language wordplay. The idea of eternal recurrence is even manifested in the structure of the book itself, with later chapters calling upon the teachings and events of earlier ones. There are interesting teachings in Zarathustra's discourses, such as how conflict between different virtues can lead to evil, or how vengeance should not be the form justice takes. Of note is common ground with socialists and anarchists in the condemnation of the state and the call for revolutionary values that overthrow traditional power structures. Of course, there are some questionable things in the book. Things like outright saying women have shallow natures and talking about "yellow men or black men" being "preachers of death". There are also the issues of elitist disdain for the masses and the overuse of aphorisms without further analysis and justification of arguments.
All in all, a very well-written book. Much of the playfulness and passion of the writing survives the translation, with the exception of some German-language wordplay. The idea of eternal recurrence is even manifested in the structure of the book itself, with later chapters calling upon the teachings and events of earlier ones. There are interesting teachings in Zarathustra's discourses, such as how conflict between different virtues can lead to evil, or how vengeance should not be the form justice takes. Of note is common ground with socialists and anarchists in the condemnation of the state and the call for revolutionary values that overthrow traditional power structures. Of course, there are some questionable things in the book. Things like outright saying women have shallow natures and talking about "yellow men or black men" being "preachers of death". There are also the issues of elitist disdain for the masses and the overuse of aphorisms without further analysis and justification of arguments.
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You don't? I'm interested in knowing why.
GoodSarmatian
Jokerfied Western Male
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I don't classify anything that can hold my attention for more than half an hour as high literature beause high literature is pretentious and boring.
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
I just really have no idea what high literature is beyond 'high' literature, which is talentless people writing verbose drivel.
Broken_Erika
Play with me.
Obviously you have not read the ultimate pinnacle of high literature!
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
Well I mean, Captain Underpants sits on a shelf of its own. I am missing some of the books but I used to read them a lot. They were good fun.
By "high literature" do you mean literary fiction?
Because literary fiction is the worst. It is a gigantic, growing, steaming, fetid, burning pile of fermented rat droppings. This is true in every language, but hardest to escape in English because of the so-called MFA Problem.
Because literary fiction is the worst. It is a gigantic, growing, steaming, fetid, burning pile of fermented rat droppings. This is true in every language, but hardest to escape in English because of the so-called MFA Problem.
The degree of Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Many of those degree holders go on to write literary fiction.
Criticisms of the - patently obvious to an observer with even the meanest intelligence - godawful state of American literary fiction in the last several decades often connect it to the explosion in awards of MFAs over that time period. The critics argue that the way these people are taught glorifies a form of writing that is not popular among anybody except 1) the people who produce it and 2) critics of literary fiction. It is rarely taught in schools or absorbed into the popular consciousness. This is not because it is too good for plebes, but because it is terrible.
There are many stereotypes of modern literary fiction and I frankly would be wading into far deeper waters than I'm comfortable with if I were to pass them along. Many of those stereotypes, though, have real provenances and can be traced back to creative writing professors.
The Dooku chapter was one of my favorite points, yes. Still waiting on Thrawn to get better, though.
I did only say Path of Destruction. That book works well because morality doesn't even seem present (except maybe for his brief hesitation in finishing off Sirak). It's just a philosophical battle between two forms of evil.
And this is something any modern person would pick up on, or just PC brouhaha?
Then it seems like we just look for different things (which is a good reason not to castigate someone else for liking them, as you did). Darth Plagueis isn't great because it has deep and emotional characters; it's just two unapologetic villains weaving plots in a sci-fi political setting. Any attempt to introduce 'moral nuance' would have ruined the book, for me.
Leifmk
Deity
I'm too old to have been in the target demographic for these; but my kids love them and I can easily see why. They're also good enough to not be boring for parents (quite a few little jokes that will go over the heads of most kids, too).
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
That is partly because Scottish writers are legally obliged to write at least one story about somebody who went away, and has now returned, at least once every three years. Applies to prose, television and theatre. Can't be helped.
JohannaK
Heroically Clueless
The question deep beneath this legislation is "why would anyone in their right mind return to such a godforsaken wasteland?" But then again, they're Scots, so probably scarred from the outset.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
The place they're returning from is very often London, which puts the question of godforsaken wastelands into a somewhat different perspective.
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