Last Book That You Read- Fiction

It is, indeed, a doubleplusgood read.

A few years back I imagine the most prescient aspect of 1984 was the increased capacity of the surveillance state to spy on citizens but now, in addition to that, we also have government departments and taxpayer-subsidised universities embarking on campaigns to erase gendered language and other manner of speech policing.

Exactly. And I fully expect publishers--both Internet and academic--to begin korrekting the classics and ceasing publication of pre-korrekt editions. Thus, we would all be wise to hang onto our books in hard copy, and if we find materials online we consider especially important, to print and save them, too. Less than a century from now, those materials will likely be unavailable for purchase or checkout from libraries.

Another related phenomenon is, of course, the tech giants' war against so-called "hate speech." This is well documented, so I will just point out that these goodthinkers are effectively narrowing the scope of permissible speech, and in doing so, crafting a narrative that accords with the wishes of Big Brother. We are, thankfully, far from Orwell's dystopia, but you'd have to be blind to think we're not headed that direction. We either fight back or run the risk of becoming Winston Smiths.

There has been a long-standing campaign to ban certain Tintin titles from bookstores. Mostly "Tintin in the Congo" and "Tintin in America".

Which is a mistake, imho. If for no other reason that it deprives people of the trajectory that Hergé went through in the creation of his albums. A mutual friend decided to introduce Hergé to Zhang Chongren, a sculptor then residing in Brussels, so that Hergé had a chance at creating a more honest and less western-centric perception of people in China for "The Blue Lotus".

Regardless, art, in all its forms, cannot thrive if constrained within parameters that are too tight. Art thrives on multiplicity--although there is certainly room for formal structural types, such as sonata, amphibrachic tetrameter and realism--and to the extent that our minders outlaw certain modes of expression, they eliminate variety, warts and all, and substitute a cardboard and uniform depiction of the world that will be a terribly poor reflection of human existence.

b9

I've read the first two, Gorky & Polar Star -mean to catch up with the series at some point.

Nevil Shute's On the Beach.

Utterly gripping book in its way, drawing you in from the start into this post-nuclear war world and right to the end it keeps you in and at that end, you look outside to make sure the world is still there.

Equinox by Samuel R. Delany

a very strange novel made all the stranger as it was recommended to me by a 71 year old man
rather liked it though

Shantaram.

Soon to be an Apple TV series. Was once in production with Johnny Depp producing the film adaptation but the Mumbai attacks in 08 put the project in turnaround.

The cover says it's one of the top 100 reads according to Australians. It really is an engrossing adventure, with rich characterisation and even richer perceptions of the psyche.

Diamonds Are Forever by a chap called Fleming. If you haven't already, you should give it a whirl...

Kant- A Critique of Pure Reason


I tapped out on page three which might just be a new record for me

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Diamonds Are Forever by a chap called Fleming. If you haven't already, you should give it a whirl...

I have all his books here I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I have the Valis trilogy open at different parts as well as Flow My Tears. There is so much of it that is dark and frankly depressing watching a man break down like this. Much of it is obviously fiction and drug delusion and burn out yet I can't help feel it's very much real esp the Gnostic experiences and I believe him that he wasn't aware of these things before hand. Flow My Tears and the Book of Acts connection and the endless coincidences are just too much. but at the same time the deeper I get into this I keep thinking of 1 Corinthians 14:33 ...it's all quite a head trip

Ray Bradbury The Lake

Sarai wrote:

Kant- A Critique of Pure Reason


I tapped out on page three which might just be a new record for me  

Ha. Seriously? You're a real pipperoo.

I'm presently reading Richard Weaver's Ideas Have Consequences. It's a pretty heavy slog, but I'm beavering my way through it.

Sarai wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Diamonds Are Forever by a chap called Fleming. If you haven't already, you should give it a whirl...

I have all his books here I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Well, what you waitin' on, girl!? Get up and shake a leg.

Yes, dad.


I'm surprised I didn't get called out for sneaking a short story in there instead of a novel.

The Metamorphosis-Kafka....I think this guy has some issues man, I really do.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Sarai wrote:

Kant- A Critique of Pure Reason


I tapped out on page three which might just be a new record for me  

Ha. Seriously? You're a real pipperoo.

I'm presently reading Richard Weaver's Ideas Have Consequences. It's a pretty heavy slog, but I'm beavering my way through it.

I have all these books here, like 1000's of them that my dad gave me years ago thinking I would read them so I randomly pick one up the odd time. The problem is people see all these classics, works of religion,philosophy and assume I have read them and am some kind of intellectual which clearly isn't the case.

I am attempting to read 'The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake" and it's just making me feel like a complete moron because I am not understanding any of it.

The only things I know about Blake is that the Doctor Who episode 'In The Forest Of The Night' took its title from the second line of 'Tyger Tyger Burning Bright' and the last 2 U2 albums (Songs Of Innocence, Songs Of Experience) also took their titles from him.

The Twentieth Man (by Tony Jones)

A gross rewriting of Australian history to service far left-leaning readers. Had the author (a proficient Australian journalist) done the proper research instead of pursuing an angle, this could have amounted to so much more.

Having had more than a fair dose of Tony Jones back when I bothered watching Q&A, I can't say I'll be putting it on the To Read list.

What's the lefty spin in the book?

The protagonist is an anti-Lib journalist, daughter of a prominent communist and they are mostly painted as victims of the oppressive, scandalous, sexist centre/right. Jones interweaves the Murphy Raids into his work of fiction, vilifying ASIO purely on the basis of paranoias of conspiracy to withhold information and protecting the Ustaste. As we know, the Murphy raids were a huge embarrassment to Labor because nothing was found, but even if they were withholding information, there was good reason to-- that Labor was by and large penetrated by commies and Soviet spies, but this is never mentioned in the novel at all. Just that the libs were backing right wing terrorists, when in actual fact many Croatians were under surveillance.

And it's getting developed for TV... Perfect climate for this propaganda to thrive.

Ah. Nothing like a leftist Boomer who's spent 45 years gushing over Whitlam and crying over his dismissal. No doubt the TV adaptation will air on the ABC, with a healthy involuntary contribution by taxpayers, for the benefit of inner-city turtleneck-wearing old folks sipping pinot noir.

Reminds me of how the other day Keating called Menzies a "vacuous pansy."* This is over 50 years after Menzies let office and over 40 years after he died. Can you imagine, say, Howard giving a speech to heap shit on a long-departed Labor leader? I'd suspect not, but card-carrying Laborites seem to wallow in perpetual discontent and bitterness about ancient history.

* Would've been called homophobic if anyone on the Right had used the term. Also a bit rich coming from a bloke known for polishing clocks. Also how's your daughter holding up after her mate Jeff Epstein, err, topped himself?