Baswood's books, music, films etc. Part 5
Dit is een voortzetting van het onderwerp Baswood's books, music, films etc. Part 4.
DiscussieClub Read 2013
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Dit onderwerp is gemarkeerd als "slapend"—het laatste bericht is van meer dan 90 dagen geleden. Je kan het activeren door een een bericht toe te voegen.
1baswood
Probably the last part for this year: so many books to read by the end of the year
Welcome everybody
Welcome everybody
2baswood
Books on my reading shelf
15th and 16th century
H G Wells
Science Fiction
Albert Camus
Other Books
15th and 16th century
H G Wells
Science Fiction
Albert Camus
Other Books
3razzamajazz
baswood:
Congratulations to You, Your blog or thread," Baswood's Books, Music & Films and etc..." is fantastic. informative and entertaining, your thread is "The Best Of All Best Threads ".
Enjoyed your posts and all the responses from your ardent followers.
In the near future, I would like to participate in your thread. Thanks
Indeed, a creative style of blogging.
Your scanned book covers, images/pictures are "captivating" & book reviews from your library are "great delights" to read.
Congratulations to You, Your blog or thread," Baswood's Books, Music & Films and etc..." is fantastic. informative and entertaining, your thread is "The Best Of All Best Threads ".
Enjoyed your posts and all the responses from your ardent followers.
In the near future, I would like to participate in your thread. Thanks
Indeed, a creative style of blogging.
Your scanned book covers, images/pictures are "captivating" & book reviews from your library are "great delights" to read.
4baswood
John Skelton: Priest as Poet by Arthur F Kinney
Searching for an introduction to the poetry of John Skelton (1460-1529) I came across this critical appraisal by Arthur Kinney, which provides an in depth commentary to some of his most well known poems, however Kinney has his own perspective on the poetry and launches almost straight away into his appreciation of "The Bowge of Courte" one of Skelton's longer and I soon found myself getting lost.
When approaching a new-to-me poet or author I invariably hesitate between either launching into the novels/poems, or starting with a biography or critical appreciation. Skelton is a well anthologised poet and I have read snippets of his poems from time to time, but Kinney's book initially appeared fairly daunting, however I persevered and after finishing his book I feel I am better prepared to read some of Skelton's longer poems. Skelton is of great interest to lovers of English poetry because he is the first major poet in the canon after Chaucer and Gower and fills a gap until the Elizabethan poetry of Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard Earl of Surrey. Some critics have said that this is his only claim to fame and at first glance this could appear to be the case. Robert Graves imitated his style in providing a summary of his work that many would agree with:
But angrily, wittily,
Tenderly, prettily
Laughingly, learnedly,
Sadly, madly,
Helter-skelter John
Rhymes serenely on,
As English poets should.
Old John, you do me good.
(Robert Graves)
This rather light hearted approach to the poems is challenged by Kinney who says that to appreciate the poetry one must understand that Skelton was first and foremost a priest and a conservative, catholic one at that. His poems contained messages in a code that the courtiers and clerics surrounding Henry VIII would immediately comprehend, but would be lost to the modern reader. Kinney says that in his major poems Skelton incorporates scraps of Church liturgy, a liturgy that was as familiar to him as it would be to many others at the Tudor court, he wrote them as a priest and they were intended to instruct in the catholic religion. Knowing this the modern reader can understand a little of what Skelton was doing, but an in depth appreciation of the many references that Kinney points up is probably beyond most of us who are not scholars of the period.
Skelton was also a political poet at a time when Henry VIII was launching the reformation. He had been tutor to the young Henry but when he became heir to the throne Skelton was dismissed from his post and appointed as rector of Diss, which was a thriving commercial town in East Anglia (England) and not too far from the court at Westminster. Around 1513 he was back in favour and again at court where he became the self styled poet-laureate. He was soon at loggerheads with Cardinal Wolsey and much of his latter poems castigated the Cardinals style of living and his lack of attention to the church liturgy and his bad influence on the King. All of these details can be gleaned from Kinney's book which does in the end provide a good context for the poems.
Arthur Kinney's book does in the end serve both as a critical appraisal of the poetry and provides some background to the life and times of Skelton, it does however, have a nuanced approach to his subject, which some readers might find difficult to grasp. I am glad I read it and am looking forward to getting to grips with some of Skelton's poems. A three star read.
Searching for an introduction to the poetry of John Skelton (1460-1529) I came across this critical appraisal by Arthur Kinney, which provides an in depth commentary to some of his most well known poems, however Kinney has his own perspective on the poetry and launches almost straight away into his appreciation of "The Bowge of Courte" one of Skelton's longer and I soon found myself getting lost.
When approaching a new-to-me poet or author I invariably hesitate between either launching into the novels/poems, or starting with a biography or critical appreciation. Skelton is a well anthologised poet and I have read snippets of his poems from time to time, but Kinney's book initially appeared fairly daunting, however I persevered and after finishing his book I feel I am better prepared to read some of Skelton's longer poems. Skelton is of great interest to lovers of English poetry because he is the first major poet in the canon after Chaucer and Gower and fills a gap until the Elizabethan poetry of Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard Earl of Surrey. Some critics have said that this is his only claim to fame and at first glance this could appear to be the case. Robert Graves imitated his style in providing a summary of his work that many would agree with:
But angrily, wittily,
Tenderly, prettily
Laughingly, learnedly,
Sadly, madly,
Helter-skelter John
Rhymes serenely on,
As English poets should.
Old John, you do me good.
(Robert Graves)
This rather light hearted approach to the poems is challenged by Kinney who says that to appreciate the poetry one must understand that Skelton was first and foremost a priest and a conservative, catholic one at that. His poems contained messages in a code that the courtiers and clerics surrounding Henry VIII would immediately comprehend, but would be lost to the modern reader. Kinney says that in his major poems Skelton incorporates scraps of Church liturgy, a liturgy that was as familiar to him as it would be to many others at the Tudor court, he wrote them as a priest and they were intended to instruct in the catholic religion. Knowing this the modern reader can understand a little of what Skelton was doing, but an in depth appreciation of the many references that Kinney points up is probably beyond most of us who are not scholars of the period.
Skelton was also a political poet at a time when Henry VIII was launching the reformation. He had been tutor to the young Henry but when he became heir to the throne Skelton was dismissed from his post and appointed as rector of Diss, which was a thriving commercial town in East Anglia (England) and not too far from the court at Westminster. Around 1513 he was back in favour and again at court where he became the self styled poet-laureate. He was soon at loggerheads with Cardinal Wolsey and much of his latter poems castigated the Cardinals style of living and his lack of attention to the church liturgy and his bad influence on the King. All of these details can be gleaned from Kinney's book which does in the end provide a good context for the poems.
Arthur Kinney's book does in the end serve both as a critical appraisal of the poetry and provides some background to the life and times of Skelton, it does however, have a nuanced approach to his subject, which some readers might find difficult to grasp. I am glad I read it and am looking forward to getting to grips with some of Skelton's poems. A three star read.
6edwinbcn
Great review of John Skelton: Priest as Poet, Barry. In my student days, I was fond of reading Robert Henryson and William Dunbar (I have their poems here on my shelf in Beijing), but haven't read their poetry for ages. John Skelton was the third poet, however always eloped me. I guess I just never came across an edition of his work.
I recently bought the complete poems of Thomas Wyatt, which perhaps I should have a look at, soon.
I recently bought the complete poems of Thomas Wyatt, which perhaps I should have a look at, soon.
7razzamajazz
baswood:
Do you have any good recomendation of book titles touching on the introduction of Classical
Studies emcompassing the many aspects of this type of literary studies with short essays/lectures on how to approach and appreciate them ? Thanks
Do you have any good recomendation of book titles touching on the introduction of Classical
Studies emcompassing the many aspects of this type of literary studies with short essays/lectures on how to approach and appreciate them ? Thanks
8baswood
razzamajazz, I don't have any recommendations for an introduction to classical studies. That is an area of literature that I have very little knowledge of.
9razzamajazz
Thanks.
10JDHomrighausen
What a fascinating book! I am looking forward to the rest of your reviews, especially the Renaissance lit pile.
11baswood
Edwin, Thomas Wyatt is interesting. he had many of his poems published in 1557 in a book called Tottel's Miscellany along with poems by Henry Howard Earl of Surrey and others. It has been published in the penguin classic series and I hope to get to them next year.
12StevenTX
I'll be interested to see what you think of Skelton's poems themselves. I took a peek at a few short ones online; they are quite prettily written and musically formed, but I would need a footnoted edition to understand many of the terms and references.
14avidmom
I love the Grave poems in the middle of your review. I looked up Skelton poems online ....
15janeajones
Interesting review of the Skelton -- he's always been someone I've overlooked and neglected, I'm afraid.
17baswood
Melmoth the Wanderer Robert Charles Maturin
It is said that a football match is a game of two halves and as I ploughed on through Melmoth the Wanderer I had a similar impression of this book, although Maturin was not playing any games when this was published in 1820. The first half of this book is little more than a long winded rant against Catholicism, The Jesuits, Jews, Spaniards and anything else that wasn't Anglican. The reverend Charles Robert Maturin was a curate of St Peter's in Dublin and was involved in preaching the ascendency of the protestant religion in a land where the majority of people were catholics and so the first part of his book reads like a sermon. It is overwrought, overbearing, overwritten and overlong.
The story is said to be steeped in the traditions of gothic fiction; Melmoth has sold his soul to the devil in return for certain abnormal powers and for a longer lifespan and as part of the bargain he has to persuade others to sell their souls in similar fashion. All the props are here. ruined abbeys, monasteries, evil monks, dungeons, ghosts and supernatural powers, however Maturin is so heavy handed and repetitive in trying to creating a feeling of dread and claustrophobia that this readers patience had very nearly reached it's limit. The device of Melmoth the wanderers attempts to lure victims to their doom is used to link together a nest of stories within stories and the novel starts with John Melmoth an innocent and poor descendent of the family attending at the death of his rich uncle in the County of Wicklow in Ireland in 1816. He discovers a hidden manuscript that starts off the story telling with the traveller Stanton who soon after the Restoration in Europe finds himself in Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. (Oh No I thought not the Spanish Inquisition, but indeed the interminable Inquisition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt0Y39eMvpI)
In the first series of stories there is no humour or lightness of touch to contrast with Maturin's sermonising as he tells of the horrors of life in a monastery in Spain, where the unfortunate Alonso is held captive. Things do not get any better until just over half way through the book when the story of the Indians is told. Immalee a beautiful female castaway on an Island within the sight of the Indian coast is tempted by the mysterious Melmoth. The book here seems to breathe a sigh of relief at having escaped from the claustrophobia of Spain and Maturin eases off a little with his sermonising to tell an atmospheric tale of temptation. Another story unfolds when the repatriated Immalee is somehow back in Spain and the lost daughter of one of the leading catholic families. Two more imbedded tales follow "The tale of the Guzman family" is a strong story heaped in both mystery and misery and "The Lovers Tale" is a delightful story set in England shortly after the Civil War.
The problem for me in reading this book was far too much verbiage, it was a struggle to make my way through much of it and the unrelenting tone almost induced in me a reading slump. This is not great literature and although the book might have it's moments they are buried deep in much dross. The structure is unwieldy and ultimately does not work; the anti hero of the whole thing the mysterious Melmoth is almost forgotten while the reverend Maturin tub thumps at us from his pulpit. This one was not to my liking and so two stars.
It is said that a football match is a game of two halves and as I ploughed on through Melmoth the Wanderer I had a similar impression of this book, although Maturin was not playing any games when this was published in 1820. The first half of this book is little more than a long winded rant against Catholicism, The Jesuits, Jews, Spaniards and anything else that wasn't Anglican. The reverend Charles Robert Maturin was a curate of St Peter's in Dublin and was involved in preaching the ascendency of the protestant religion in a land where the majority of people were catholics and so the first part of his book reads like a sermon. It is overwrought, overbearing, overwritten and overlong.
The story is said to be steeped in the traditions of gothic fiction; Melmoth has sold his soul to the devil in return for certain abnormal powers and for a longer lifespan and as part of the bargain he has to persuade others to sell their souls in similar fashion. All the props are here. ruined abbeys, monasteries, evil monks, dungeons, ghosts and supernatural powers, however Maturin is so heavy handed and repetitive in trying to creating a feeling of dread and claustrophobia that this readers patience had very nearly reached it's limit. The device of Melmoth the wanderers attempts to lure victims to their doom is used to link together a nest of stories within stories and the novel starts with John Melmoth an innocent and poor descendent of the family attending at the death of his rich uncle in the County of Wicklow in Ireland in 1816. He discovers a hidden manuscript that starts off the story telling with the traveller Stanton who soon after the Restoration in Europe finds himself in Spain at the time of the Spanish Inquisition. (Oh No I thought not the Spanish Inquisition, but indeed the interminable Inquisition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt0Y39eMvpI)
In the first series of stories there is no humour or lightness of touch to contrast with Maturin's sermonising as he tells of the horrors of life in a monastery in Spain, where the unfortunate Alonso is held captive. Things do not get any better until just over half way through the book when the story of the Indians is told. Immalee a beautiful female castaway on an Island within the sight of the Indian coast is tempted by the mysterious Melmoth. The book here seems to breathe a sigh of relief at having escaped from the claustrophobia of Spain and Maturin eases off a little with his sermonising to tell an atmospheric tale of temptation. Another story unfolds when the repatriated Immalee is somehow back in Spain and the lost daughter of one of the leading catholic families. Two more imbedded tales follow "The tale of the Guzman family" is a strong story heaped in both mystery and misery and "The Lovers Tale" is a delightful story set in England shortly after the Civil War.
The problem for me in reading this book was far too much verbiage, it was a struggle to make my way through much of it and the unrelenting tone almost induced in me a reading slump. This is not great literature and although the book might have it's moments they are buried deep in much dross. The structure is unwieldy and ultimately does not work; the anti hero of the whole thing the mysterious Melmoth is almost forgotten while the reverend Maturin tub thumps at us from his pulpit. This one was not to my liking and so two stars.
19rebeccanyc
Better you than me, Barry!
20RidgewayGirl
That's a book that has sat on my imaginary "I really should read that someday" shelf. Glad to remove it!
21SassyLassy
I'm currently reading Melmoth and loving it, so I will come back to your review once I've finished, rather than reading it now.
I was expecting Four Morality Plays from pictures, but the one on the right certainly has Melmoth overtones, somewhat like the cover on my edition of The Monk.
I was expecting Four Morality Plays from pictures, but the one on the right certainly has Melmoth overtones, somewhat like the cover on my edition of The Monk.
22edwinbcn
I have a copy of Melmoth, which I will eventually read. Melmoth the Wanderer is included in Penguin's series of classics, so it must have some merit. To be considered a classic means among others that such books throughout the ages attract large numbers of readers. Still, there is no denying that individual readers may dislike the book.
When reading less well-known classics, I also always try to see how such a work fits the development of the genre. For example, if Melmoth the Wanderer is considered an early novel in the genre of Gothic fiction, I might compare it with other early Gothic fiction, such as The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, which I did not particularly enjoy, or The Italian by Ann Radcliffe, which Steven is currently reading.
When reading less well-known classics, I also always try to see how such a work fits the development of the genre. For example, if Melmoth the Wanderer is considered an early novel in the genre of Gothic fiction, I might compare it with other early Gothic fiction, such as The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, which I did not particularly enjoy, or The Italian by Ann Radcliffe, which Steven is currently reading.
23janeajones
I think I'll skip this one.
24avidmom
Enjoyed your pictures & your review of Melmoth the Wanderer. Sorry you didn't like it. I do get a bit of a kick out of overwrought stuff; I think it's funny when people take themselves and their ideas way too darn seriously. Loved the Monty Python sketch too :)
25baswood
Edwin, interesting point about reading the classics as it would seem that Melmoth the Wanderer did impact on 19th century literature. As with much of my reading I do try to place myself as far as possible within the context of the book I am reading, but I found it difficult in this case. The book has many supporters.
SassyLassy - I will be very interested in any comments you have when you finish the book. Glad you are enjoying it.
Colleen - I very rarely abandon a book, so I have to choose carefully.
SassyLassy - I will be very interested in any comments you have when you finish the book. Glad you are enjoying it.
Colleen - I very rarely abandon a book, so I have to choose carefully.
26lyzard
Melmoth The Wanderer could be considered the ne plus ultra of the Gothic genre: it collects all the tropes of such novels of the preceding thirty years (and the true Gothic lasted no longer) and brings them together as a last word on the subject. I think it's a work best appreciated in light of what came before it.
28razzamajazz
Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.
29StevenTX
Too bad you didn't care for Melmoth. I certainly agree that it is too wordy; Maturin often seems to have been more concerned in showing off his erudition than telling a good story. But I had previously read several of the other Gothic classics, and what others have said here is true that it's more interesting when taken in context.
#22 - Edwin, just to clarify, I'm not currently reading The Italian. It's number 3 in that particular queue. I'm actually not reading anything in my SF&F category at the moment. I guess I need to make the "Reading Shelf" more self-explanatory.
#22 - Edwin, just to clarify, I'm not currently reading The Italian. It's number 3 in that particular queue. I'm actually not reading anything in my SF&F category at the moment. I guess I need to make the "Reading Shelf" more self-explanatory.
31baswood
Albert Camus: Lyrical and Critical Essays
There are two sides of Camus on show here in this wonderful collection of essays; the Lyrical essays mostly dwell on his love for his native Algeria and his celebration of Mediterranean culture, while the critical essays are largely book reviews or thoughts on the writers who he saw as significant. Whichever side of Camus is on show, the writing lives and breaths with a sincerity and a passion that is a highlight of mid twentieth century European culture.
The Lyrical essays start with some of Camus earliest writing taken from his collection "The wrong side and the right side" published in Algeria in 1936. As a young man of 23 it is surprising that much of his subject matter is loneliness and death, it is not so surprising to find him reflecting also on his childhood and family, but there is slight feeling of melancholia if not sadness in some of this writing. We witness a man who is already well on the road to thinking seriously about what he values in life and what he can expect from the world and he is trying not to sink into despair. The sun and the land of his native Algeria are what he clings to as a fillip from a feeling of powerlessness. The next year 1937 saw the publication of Noces and there are four brilliant essays from this collection everyone of which is a gem. Camus is now looking at the world as an absurd phenomenon, but in Algeria he also sees so much life that he is exalted by it and it pours out of him in these truly lyrical essays. In "Summer in Algeria" he seems to be at a crossroads in his thoughts:
Everything that exalts life at the same time increases its absurdity. In the Algerian summer I learn that only one thing is more tragic than suffering, and that is the life of a happy man. But this can also be the path to a greater life, since it can teach us not to cheat..........For hope contrary to popular belief, is tantamount to resignation. And to live is not to be resigned.
My favourite essay here is "The wind at Djemilla" Camus describes how he journeys to and arrives at the ruins at Djemilla a place isolated on the coast and where he is battered by winds:
The violent bath of sun and wind drained me of all strength. I scarcely felt the quivering of wings inside me, life's complaint, the weak rebellion of the mind. Soon scattered to the four corners of the earth, self-forgetful and self-forgotten, I am the wind and within it, the columns and the archway, the flagstones warm to the touch, the pale mountains round the deserted city. And never have I felt so deeply and at one and the same time so detached from myself and so present in the world...... Then I think of flowers, smiles, the desire for women, and realize that my whole horror of death lies in my anxiety to live
Nuptials at Tipasa describes a young mans love for life on a perfect day and "the Desert" has a theme of living in the present and Camus runs with this idea to think about life and perhaps obtains a little wisdom. Other Lyrical essays follow but by the time he writes "Enigma" in 1950 he is becoming, battered by life rather than just the wind. His thoughts now lead him to explain himself to his critics, something he had not needed to do before. He emphasises the fact that his thoughts are developing, he is changing, he does not want to be pinned down. In 1953 he writes an essay titled "Return to Tipasa" where he seeks to rediscover the feelings he had before the second world war. Despite having to climb over barbed wire he is able to recapture moments as a younger man, but now must return to the troubles of Europe. All of these lyrical essays contain moments of beauty, but they all lead Camus to reflect on life and as we move through them we can feel his thoughts developing.
The Critical essays tend to be shorter and take the form of reviews which were published in various magazines or newspapers. They have been selected not only for Camus critique of other writers, but also for what they reveal about Camus himself. All of them are interesting, for example reviews of two books by John-Paul Sartre, before they became friends and then competitors. There are short essays on Herman Melville and William Faulkner; American authors that Camus admired. Other reviews lead him to talk about his views on language and religion and on the writers that influenced him as a young man. There are a couple of essays on French authors that are no longer in print, especially Roger Martin Du Gard, who is much admired by Camus, but who has no voice today, but there is still much to admire in how they are written.
There is a smaller third part to the book which collects a few essays where Camus writes or talks about his own work. Interesting snippets on reading L'Etranger and The Plague and a heartfelt letter to a colleague explaining why Camus has no time to meet him; Camus does not make excuses but tells him straight that his busy life precludes him from doing everything that others wish him to do.
These essays are Camus in bite sized chunks, they all have a ring of sincerity and as usual we feel we are on a journey with a man seeking truth and justice. Some of the Lyrical essays demand to be re-read again and again and although the Critical essays do not hold such a fascination they are nevertheless worth reading. The book ends with three short transcripts of interviews with Camus and his humanity shines through; they are a perfect coda to his essays. A Five star read
There are two sides of Camus on show here in this wonderful collection of essays; the Lyrical essays mostly dwell on his love for his native Algeria and his celebration of Mediterranean culture, while the critical essays are largely book reviews or thoughts on the writers who he saw as significant. Whichever side of Camus is on show, the writing lives and breaths with a sincerity and a passion that is a highlight of mid twentieth century European culture.
The Lyrical essays start with some of Camus earliest writing taken from his collection "The wrong side and the right side" published in Algeria in 1936. As a young man of 23 it is surprising that much of his subject matter is loneliness and death, it is not so surprising to find him reflecting also on his childhood and family, but there is slight feeling of melancholia if not sadness in some of this writing. We witness a man who is already well on the road to thinking seriously about what he values in life and what he can expect from the world and he is trying not to sink into despair. The sun and the land of his native Algeria are what he clings to as a fillip from a feeling of powerlessness. The next year 1937 saw the publication of Noces and there are four brilliant essays from this collection everyone of which is a gem. Camus is now looking at the world as an absurd phenomenon, but in Algeria he also sees so much life that he is exalted by it and it pours out of him in these truly lyrical essays. In "Summer in Algeria" he seems to be at a crossroads in his thoughts:
Everything that exalts life at the same time increases its absurdity. In the Algerian summer I learn that only one thing is more tragic than suffering, and that is the life of a happy man. But this can also be the path to a greater life, since it can teach us not to cheat..........For hope contrary to popular belief, is tantamount to resignation. And to live is not to be resigned.
My favourite essay here is "The wind at Djemilla" Camus describes how he journeys to and arrives at the ruins at Djemilla a place isolated on the coast and where he is battered by winds:
The violent bath of sun and wind drained me of all strength. I scarcely felt the quivering of wings inside me, life's complaint, the weak rebellion of the mind. Soon scattered to the four corners of the earth, self-forgetful and self-forgotten, I am the wind and within it, the columns and the archway, the flagstones warm to the touch, the pale mountains round the deserted city. And never have I felt so deeply and at one and the same time so detached from myself and so present in the world...... Then I think of flowers, smiles, the desire for women, and realize that my whole horror of death lies in my anxiety to live
Nuptials at Tipasa describes a young mans love for life on a perfect day and "the Desert" has a theme of living in the present and Camus runs with this idea to think about life and perhaps obtains a little wisdom. Other Lyrical essays follow but by the time he writes "Enigma" in 1950 he is becoming, battered by life rather than just the wind. His thoughts now lead him to explain himself to his critics, something he had not needed to do before. He emphasises the fact that his thoughts are developing, he is changing, he does not want to be pinned down. In 1953 he writes an essay titled "Return to Tipasa" where he seeks to rediscover the feelings he had before the second world war. Despite having to climb over barbed wire he is able to recapture moments as a younger man, but now must return to the troubles of Europe. All of these lyrical essays contain moments of beauty, but they all lead Camus to reflect on life and as we move through them we can feel his thoughts developing.
The Critical essays tend to be shorter and take the form of reviews which were published in various magazines or newspapers. They have been selected not only for Camus critique of other writers, but also for what they reveal about Camus himself. All of them are interesting, for example reviews of two books by John-Paul Sartre, before they became friends and then competitors. There are short essays on Herman Melville and William Faulkner; American authors that Camus admired. Other reviews lead him to talk about his views on language and religion and on the writers that influenced him as a young man. There are a couple of essays on French authors that are no longer in print, especially Roger Martin Du Gard, who is much admired by Camus, but who has no voice today, but there is still much to admire in how they are written.
There is a smaller third part to the book which collects a few essays where Camus writes or talks about his own work. Interesting snippets on reading L'Etranger and The Plague and a heartfelt letter to a colleague explaining why Camus has no time to meet him; Camus does not make excuses but tells him straight that his busy life precludes him from doing everything that others wish him to do.
These essays are Camus in bite sized chunks, they all have a ring of sincerity and as usual we feel we are on a journey with a man seeking truth and justice. Some of the Lyrical essays demand to be re-read again and again and although the Critical essays do not hold such a fascination they are nevertheless worth reading. The book ends with three short transcripts of interviews with Camus and his humanity shines through; they are a perfect coda to his essays. A Five star read
32edwinbcn
It seems I might be more interested in the lyrical essays in Lyrical and Critical Essays, and this collection above other collections you have reviewed. I suppose I was already quite lucky that the essays that I read in Summer belong to the lyrical essays.
I am a little bit surprised you read so much of Camus non-fiction. Is it perhaps because you read most of his fiction many years ago?
I will shortly post my review of La chute.
I am a little bit surprised you read so much of Camus non-fiction. Is it perhaps because you read most of his fiction many years ago?
I will shortly post my review of La chute.
33baswood
Edwin, so far this year I have read the following books by Albert Camus:
L'Etranger
The Myth of Sisyphus
La Peste
L'Homme revolte
Between hell and Reason: Essays from the resistance newspaper Combat
Resistance Rebellion and Death: Essays
Lyrical and Critical Essays
Caligula
I plan to read The Fall and Exile and the Kingdom before the end of next January.
L'Etranger
The Myth of Sisyphus
La Peste
L'Homme revolte
Between hell and Reason: Essays from the resistance newspaper Combat
Resistance Rebellion and Death: Essays
Lyrical and Critical Essays
Caligula
I plan to read The Fall and Exile and the Kingdom before the end of next January.
34baswood
Club med boy dreaming
Absinthe love among ruins
Sun, sea video
Bleak northern cities
Cold lonely death in the soul
Actor change your scene
When did mother die?
killed by Arab terrorists
Nausea, not mine
I speak for no one
Trouble speaking for myself
Where am I headed
Hark! student heckler
Podium stand or retreat
seen it all before
Did I Fuck Simone
The big issue between friends
Homeless in Paris.
(from Albert Camus absurd haikus)
Absinthe love among ruins
Sun, sea video
Bleak northern cities
Cold lonely death in the soul
Actor change your scene
When did mother die?
killed by Arab terrorists
Nausea, not mine
I speak for no one
Trouble speaking for myself
Where am I headed
Hark! student heckler
Podium stand or retreat
seen it all before
Did I Fuck Simone
The big issue between friends
Homeless in Paris.
(from Albert Camus absurd haikus)
35dchaikin
Terrific review of these Camus essays. I have the same impression as Edwin from your reviews, that these essays and this collection seem more appealing than anything else you have reviewed. I think I'm attracted to the honesty and intense struggles you describe. Anyway, well done. And glad you posted the Haiku.
36mkboylan
I am NOT planning my 2014 reading. I still feel like a five yr old, five years after retiring: I want to read what I want when I want! But.....if I DID do any planning, it would include Camus in 2014.
38rebeccanyc
The haikus are great! Who wrote them? If Camus did, how did they end up as haikus in English? Or am I being dense and missing something?
39StevenTX
I didn't manage to do as much reading of Camus this year as I had planned, but the next best thing has been following his career through your reviews.
41rebeccanyc
Oh, I felt mystified, not misled, Barry. Glad you had fun doing it.
43baswood
Poems Clarendon Medieval and Tudor Series, John Skelton
John Skelton was an English poet (1460-1529) and was active in the Tudor courts of kings Henry VII and Henry VIII. In fact we first hear of him as a tutor to the young Prince Henry before he was heir to the English throne. He was a forceful personality and made a lasting impression on his generation and subsequently has taken his place in the canon of English poetry. There has been much debate as to whether that place is deserved, with some critics saying it is more his place in history that has warranted his fame rather than the poetry that he wrote. There is no doubt that since the time of Chaucer in the late 14th century and up to the time of the Elizabethan poets and Spenser in the late 16th century Skelton holds a unique place because of the amount of his poetry that has survived.
So what about the poetry. Well first impressions are that it is different, wildly uneven, vitriolic and although the later poems have a unique style of their own they did not provide any sort of blueprint that would inspire subsequent poets. In many ways the poems appear as anachronisms rather like Skelton himself. The poems certainly hark back to medieval times with the first of the longer poems "The Bowge of Court" (the mouth of the Tudor Court) being a dream allegory of a nobleman beset by the deadly sins that Skelton perceived that were rife in the court. It is written in iambic pentameters with an ababccdd rhyming scheme. The satire is evident throughout although it is of a more general nature and does concern itself with man's salvation. It does not make for easy reading today and there are many biblical and liturgical references that require detailed notes to gain a more in depth understanding of what is going on here.
The next significant poem is "Phyllyp Sparowe" and suddenly the poet is writing in a wholly new and different style and one that has come to be known as Skeltonics. His lines are contracted into six, five or even four syllables, they are light and airy with rhymes that go on and on and seem sometimes to be taken to their limit. These new short lines have a pungency all of their own and give Skelton added scope for word play, they seem to be flung out onto the page, but to me they also have the feel of rhyming songs, they almost chime out to be sung in a way that Bob Dylan might sing "Its alright ma I'm only bleeding" This is an example from Skelton's Colin Clout:
But now my mynde ye understande,
For they must take in hande
To preche, and withstande
All manner of abjections;
For bysshoppes have protections
They say, to do corrections
But they have no affections
To take sadde dyrections
In such maner of cases
Men say, they bere no faces
To occupye suche places
To sowe the sede of graces.
Back to Phyllipe Sparowe which is an early example of Skeltonics and tells from the mouth of a certain Jane Scroupe her lamentations for the loss of her pet sparrow that was killed by her cat Gib. Many of her thoughts are concerned with the afterlife of the sparrow which she sees flying in heaven. The poem also contains an imagined requiem mass for Phyllipe Sparrow in which a whole host of birds take part, all of them named and some described; it is like something that could have come from Chaucer's "Parliament of Fowles". However, it would not be a Skelton poem without something else that sets it out of the normal run of things. Suddenly the goodly maid Jane from the nunnery near Norwich takes on an added persona, she becomes almost a sexual object in lines like:
It had a velvet cap
And wold syt upon my lap,
And seke after small wormes,
And sometime white bread crommes;
And many times and ofte
Between my breasts softe
It wolde lye and rest
It was proper and prest
...........
And when I sayd 'Phyp Phyp'
Than he would lepe and skyp
And take me by the lyp
Alas, it wyll me slo,
That Phillyp is gone me fro!
It has been suggested that Skelton was thinking of the Virgin Mary with these lines, but we will never know and it is left to our own interpretation.
Skelton was a master of the political satire and three of his longer poems focused on his arch enemy, Cardinal Wolsey. Speke Parrott is perhaps Skeltons most difficult poem. it reads like an early 'Wasteland' with its sounds, its frequent references in other languages and its obscure references. However amongst some invectives against the state that England has fallen into, there are frequent references to Cardinal Wolsey. If this satire did not hit its mark then Skelton followed up with Collyn Clout. Here a hard working man from peasant stock rails against the state of the nation and the state of the catholic church and it is Skelton taking us back to the world of Langland's "Piers Plowman" He is at pains to make his language plane, but also comments with a large tongue in his cheek on his own style of poetry:
For though my ryme be ragged,
Tattered and jagged,
Rudely rayne-beaten,
Rusty and mothe-eaten,
yf ye take well therwith
It hath in it some pyth
Skelton made Wolsey the subject of a further satire in "Ye come ye nat to Courte" not included in this collection. In this poem Skelton gets more personal still, saying that the country was being run from Wolsey's grand home at Hampton Court rather from the Kings court at Westminster. Wolsey was all powerful at this time and so Skelton was taking something of a risk, and he may or may not have been locked up in the tower of London for his pains. Shortly after the publication of this poem Skelton found his way back into favour with Wolsey as the two clerics found themselves on the same side when it came to fighting against heretics to the Catholic Faith. Skelton was a conservative and some have argued a priest first and foremost.
Perhaps Skelton's most famous poem is "The Tunnying of Elynour Rummyng" This finds Skelton at his most bawdy and it is a wonderfully irreverent piece of social satire as he describes Elynours ale-house and the customers that frequent it. It is Rabelaisian in the extreme and it goes some way to account for Skelton's reputation as a bawdy sort of court jester. The publication a few decades after his death called The "Merie Tales of Skelton" also did not help his reputation. It is a series of sometimes bawdy and always cheeky stories of his exploits when he was a prelate at Diss, none of which have any evidence from other sources, but all point to the larger than life character of John Skelton, self proclaimed poet Laureate.
Skelton was a political, and satirical poet, he was a lampoonist, he wrote religious poetry, meditations, prayers and panegyrics. Not all are included in these selections, but some of the longer poems contain all these elements. Anyone wishing to delve a little deeper into John Skeltons poems would be well advised to pick up this little book. It contains most of the important longer poems (although there are a few cuts made in some), the notes are excellent and essential for a further understanding and it also has an excellent glossary of words. When Skelton gets into his stride with his Skeltonic lines they cry out to be read aloud and I thoroughly enjoyed myself doing so. His language is easier than Chaucers, but his use of Latin and other languages sometimes makes for problems, but he is a word smith and an early English one at that and there are plenty of passages that I found a delight to read. I would rate this book at 4.5 stars, losing half a star for some of the cuts to the longer poems.
John Skelton was an English poet (1460-1529) and was active in the Tudor courts of kings Henry VII and Henry VIII. In fact we first hear of him as a tutor to the young Prince Henry before he was heir to the English throne. He was a forceful personality and made a lasting impression on his generation and subsequently has taken his place in the canon of English poetry. There has been much debate as to whether that place is deserved, with some critics saying it is more his place in history that has warranted his fame rather than the poetry that he wrote. There is no doubt that since the time of Chaucer in the late 14th century and up to the time of the Elizabethan poets and Spenser in the late 16th century Skelton holds a unique place because of the amount of his poetry that has survived.
So what about the poetry. Well first impressions are that it is different, wildly uneven, vitriolic and although the later poems have a unique style of their own they did not provide any sort of blueprint that would inspire subsequent poets. In many ways the poems appear as anachronisms rather like Skelton himself. The poems certainly hark back to medieval times with the first of the longer poems "The Bowge of Court" (the mouth of the Tudor Court) being a dream allegory of a nobleman beset by the deadly sins that Skelton perceived that were rife in the court. It is written in iambic pentameters with an ababccdd rhyming scheme. The satire is evident throughout although it is of a more general nature and does concern itself with man's salvation. It does not make for easy reading today and there are many biblical and liturgical references that require detailed notes to gain a more in depth understanding of what is going on here.
The next significant poem is "Phyllyp Sparowe" and suddenly the poet is writing in a wholly new and different style and one that has come to be known as Skeltonics. His lines are contracted into six, five or even four syllables, they are light and airy with rhymes that go on and on and seem sometimes to be taken to their limit. These new short lines have a pungency all of their own and give Skelton added scope for word play, they seem to be flung out onto the page, but to me they also have the feel of rhyming songs, they almost chime out to be sung in a way that Bob Dylan might sing "Its alright ma I'm only bleeding" This is an example from Skelton's Colin Clout:
But now my mynde ye understande,
For they must take in hande
To preche, and withstande
All manner of abjections;
For bysshoppes have protections
They say, to do corrections
But they have no affections
To take sadde dyrections
In such maner of cases
Men say, they bere no faces
To occupye suche places
To sowe the sede of graces.
Back to Phyllipe Sparowe which is an early example of Skeltonics and tells from the mouth of a certain Jane Scroupe her lamentations for the loss of her pet sparrow that was killed by her cat Gib. Many of her thoughts are concerned with the afterlife of the sparrow which she sees flying in heaven. The poem also contains an imagined requiem mass for Phyllipe Sparrow in which a whole host of birds take part, all of them named and some described; it is like something that could have come from Chaucer's "Parliament of Fowles". However, it would not be a Skelton poem without something else that sets it out of the normal run of things. Suddenly the goodly maid Jane from the nunnery near Norwich takes on an added persona, she becomes almost a sexual object in lines like:
It had a velvet cap
And wold syt upon my lap,
And seke after small wormes,
And sometime white bread crommes;
And many times and ofte
Between my breasts softe
It wolde lye and rest
It was proper and prest
...........
And when I sayd 'Phyp Phyp'
Than he would lepe and skyp
And take me by the lyp
Alas, it wyll me slo,
That Phillyp is gone me fro!
It has been suggested that Skelton was thinking of the Virgin Mary with these lines, but we will never know and it is left to our own interpretation.
Skelton was a master of the political satire and three of his longer poems focused on his arch enemy, Cardinal Wolsey. Speke Parrott is perhaps Skeltons most difficult poem. it reads like an early 'Wasteland' with its sounds, its frequent references in other languages and its obscure references. However amongst some invectives against the state that England has fallen into, there are frequent references to Cardinal Wolsey. If this satire did not hit its mark then Skelton followed up with Collyn Clout. Here a hard working man from peasant stock rails against the state of the nation and the state of the catholic church and it is Skelton taking us back to the world of Langland's "Piers Plowman" He is at pains to make his language plane, but also comments with a large tongue in his cheek on his own style of poetry:
For though my ryme be ragged,
Tattered and jagged,
Rudely rayne-beaten,
Rusty and mothe-eaten,
yf ye take well therwith
It hath in it some pyth
Skelton made Wolsey the subject of a further satire in "Ye come ye nat to Courte" not included in this collection. In this poem Skelton gets more personal still, saying that the country was being run from Wolsey's grand home at Hampton Court rather from the Kings court at Westminster. Wolsey was all powerful at this time and so Skelton was taking something of a risk, and he may or may not have been locked up in the tower of London for his pains. Shortly after the publication of this poem Skelton found his way back into favour with Wolsey as the two clerics found themselves on the same side when it came to fighting against heretics to the Catholic Faith. Skelton was a conservative and some have argued a priest first and foremost.
Perhaps Skelton's most famous poem is "The Tunnying of Elynour Rummyng" This finds Skelton at his most bawdy and it is a wonderfully irreverent piece of social satire as he describes Elynours ale-house and the customers that frequent it. It is Rabelaisian in the extreme and it goes some way to account for Skelton's reputation as a bawdy sort of court jester. The publication a few decades after his death called The "Merie Tales of Skelton" also did not help his reputation. It is a series of sometimes bawdy and always cheeky stories of his exploits when he was a prelate at Diss, none of which have any evidence from other sources, but all point to the larger than life character of John Skelton, self proclaimed poet Laureate.
Skelton was a political, and satirical poet, he was a lampoonist, he wrote religious poetry, meditations, prayers and panegyrics. Not all are included in these selections, but some of the longer poems contain all these elements. Anyone wishing to delve a little deeper into John Skeltons poems would be well advised to pick up this little book. It contains most of the important longer poems (although there are a few cuts made in some), the notes are excellent and essential for a further understanding and it also has an excellent glossary of words. When Skelton gets into his stride with his Skeltonic lines they cry out to be read aloud and I thoroughly enjoyed myself doing so. His language is easier than Chaucers, but his use of Latin and other languages sometimes makes for problems, but he is a word smith and an early English one at that and there are plenty of passages that I found a delight to read. I would rate this book at 4.5 stars, losing half a star for some of the cuts to the longer poems.
44baswood
John Skelton: Poet to Poet
A selection and introduction by Anthony Thwaite of Skeltons poems. This contains an eleven page essay on Skelton and his poetics and is lively and entertaining. It contains some of the famous longer poems "Philip Sparrow" "Speak Parrot" and the Tunning of Elinour Rumming" . There are lengthy excerpts from "Colin Clout" and The Bouge of Court" There are none of the shorter poems, but there are short excerpts from "A Replication" and "The Garland of Laurel"
Skelton's spellings have been modernised and where Latin phrases or lines have been included then there are translations to the more obscure of these. There are no notes or glossary. There is enough here to get an idea and feel for the poetry but it is by no means the whole story. A nice thin volume that is relatively easy to read and so a 3.5 star read.
A selection and introduction by Anthony Thwaite of Skeltons poems. This contains an eleven page essay on Skelton and his poetics and is lively and entertaining. It contains some of the famous longer poems "Philip Sparrow" "Speak Parrot" and the Tunning of Elinour Rumming" . There are lengthy excerpts from "Colin Clout" and The Bouge of Court" There are none of the shorter poems, but there are short excerpts from "A Replication" and "The Garland of Laurel"
Skelton's spellings have been modernised and where Latin phrases or lines have been included then there are translations to the more obscure of these. There are no notes or glossary. There is enough here to get an idea and feel for the poetry but it is by no means the whole story. A nice thin volume that is relatively easy to read and so a 3.5 star read.
45baswood
John Skelton Eman poet lib #29
Edited by Greg Walker this slim volume contains many of the important longer poems by Skelton, but there are cuts to some of them. There is a good short introduction and a chronology of Skeltons life and times. There are a few notes at the back which translate some of the more difficult words. Skelton's spelling has been modernised.
I liked this selection which includes a few of the shorter poems and also an extract from Come ye not to Court. This is at a bargain price in the Everyman series and is a good introduction to the poet. A 3.5 read
Edited by Greg Walker this slim volume contains many of the important longer poems by Skelton, but there are cuts to some of them. There is a good short introduction and a chronology of Skeltons life and times. There are a few notes at the back which translate some of the more difficult words. Skelton's spelling has been modernised.
I liked this selection which includes a few of the shorter poems and also an extract from Come ye not to Court. This is at a bargain price in the Everyman series and is a good introduction to the poet. A 3.5 read
46rebeccanyc
Fascinating. I feel like I'm getting an education when I visit your thread.
47Linda92007
Excellent reviews of the John Skelton collections, Barry, and ditto what Rebecca said.
48StevenTX
Neat stuff on Skelton. Reading his Skeltonics aloud, especially the first example you quoted, tends to sound like Rap.
49baswood
Yes Steven it does. John Skelton the first rap lyricist; I bet those academics never thought of that angle.
50baswood
More rap from John (badpriest) Skelton
Then thither came drunken Alice
And she was full of tales
Of tidings in Wales
And of the Portingales
With Lo gossip I wis
Thus and thus it is
There had been a great war
Between Temple Bar
And the Cross in Cheap
And there came a heap
Of millstones in a route
She speaketh thus in her snout
Snivelling in her nose
Lo, here is an old tippet
And ye will give me a snippet
Of your stale ale
God send you good sale
And as she was drinking
She fell in a winking
With a barleyhood
She pissed where she stood
Then began she to weep
And forthwith fell on sleep
(from Elynour Rummyng)
Then thither came drunken Alice
And she was full of tales
Of tidings in Wales
And of the Portingales
With Lo gossip I wis
Thus and thus it is
There had been a great war
Between Temple Bar
And the Cross in Cheap
And there came a heap
Of millstones in a route
She speaketh thus in her snout
Snivelling in her nose
Lo, here is an old tippet
And ye will give me a snippet
Of your stale ale
God send you good sale
And as she was drinking
She fell in a winking
With a barleyhood
She pissed where she stood
Then began she to weep
And forthwith fell on sleep
(from Elynour Rummyng)
51baswood
Money for masses
Spent among wanton lasses
Could the Turk do more.
Man would have pity
To see how she is gumbed
Fingered and thumbed
Words leap out their lips
Just like sawdust and dry chips
Speak not know of all
Sir! among them all
There was a prick-me-denty
though she would faynty
River wet her feet
After cold she caught a hete
Rowting in his bed
Dreaming drunken pate
Lust and lyking is now gone
Thou blynkerd blowboll
Beware of that wench
Perlous to dig in the trench
Oh, kills with a clench
Play fair-play madam
look to play clean, or great shame
your game will be seen
Womanly of porte
transcending pleasure, dysporte
with favour with grace.
Saphire of sadness
thoughtful hearts plunged in distress
April showers reign
I have gravyd her
within the secret wall. True
heart loves best of all
(Haikus that John Skelton might have written
Spent among wanton lasses
Could the Turk do more.
Man would have pity
To see how she is gumbed
Fingered and thumbed
Words leap out their lips
Just like sawdust and dry chips
Speak not know of all
Sir! among them all
There was a prick-me-denty
though she would faynty
River wet her feet
After cold she caught a hete
Rowting in his bed
Dreaming drunken pate
Lust and lyking is now gone
Thou blynkerd blowboll
Beware of that wench
Perlous to dig in the trench
Oh, kills with a clench
Play fair-play madam
look to play clean, or great shame
your game will be seen
Womanly of porte
transcending pleasure, dysporte
with favour with grace.
Saphire of sadness
thoughtful hearts plunged in distress
April showers reign
I have gravyd her
within the secret wall. True
heart loves best of all
(Haikus that John Skelton might have written
53rebeccanyc
Enjoying haikus
So clever, witty, and fun
Admiring Baswood
So clever, witty, and fun
Admiring Baswood
55dchaikin
Magnificent stuff on Skelton, and brave to follow up those samples with your own poetry (to much approval, I might add). From the samples, I think I would like Skelton quite a bit.
56baswood
Hi Steven, Rebecca, Paul, Dan and everybody else that looks at this thread - Hope you have a good Christmas and the new year dawns peacefully and bright and puts you all in the mood to enjoy another great year of reading.
59janeajones
Ah -- I've never seemed to be able to get much into or out of Skelton -- but you certainly make me think he deserves another look, Barry. Hope your Christmas was merry and joy to the New Year!
60baswood
Mankind in the Making H G Wells
Well's book reads more like a political manifesto and a long winded one at that. He looks on it as an essay in presentation and what he is presenting here is a guide to a better future. It is naïve, faintly Utopian and yet contains so much good common sense that you wonder why others can't see the world in the way Wells saw it when he published these "papers" in book form in 1903. It is like a statement for the birth of a new political Party which Wells calls New Republicans and no doubt when he was writing, he had hopes that something like that may come of it.
Wells tackles three major issues, infant mortality including eugenics, education and the importance of literature. He sees education and the acquisition of knowledge as key issues in shaping a better world and I cannot fault him on this. He destroys the arguments being put forward at the time in favour of selective breeding, but leaves the door on this issue ajar by saying that we need much more scientific knowledge before any decisions can be made. He castigates England's record on infant mortality pointing out that it is the terrible conditions that many poor families are forced to endure that is a major cause of deaths For the modern reader the social aspects of Wells investigations are not without interest; in three Counties in Northern England 233 out of 1000 infant deaths were caused by overlaying (Infants being "accidentally" suffocated by sleeping in the same bed as their parents). The whole tenor of his arguments are "come on we can do better than this". He takes the same approach when he discusses education in some detail in the longest section of the book.
Well's views on improvements in education are far reaching and sensible, however they would be guaranteed to upset almost everyone in the profession, because of his approach. He does not shy away from telling people how to do their jobs and his ideas on state intervention in the education process smacks of big socialism. The final section deals with literature and the importance of access to books. He wants to see well run and organized libraries in all schools and places of higher education, which is commendable, but then he strays into lecturing academics on how they should write and prepare text books and this is typical of his approach - too much interference. He also cheekily suggests that authors should be paid an annual salary as he rams home the point that knowledge is contained in the books people read and so the profession should be given all due importance.
Wells has interesting ideas on the use of the jury system, which he would like to see being extended to choosing government appointments and political candidates and he tackles the class system, seeing the pyramid topped by the monarchy as being one of the major stumbling blocks to progress. He is as scathing about American corruption as he is about England's procrastination and I love this quote:
"One gets the impression that the sort of mind that is passively stupid in England is often actively silly in America"
Well's ideas are progressive and mostly attuned to the way that I think about things, but I still found his approach misconceived. He has obviously done much research into this project and much of the writing comes from the heart, but at times he has let his pen run away with him. It is too long winded, and at times a little condescending and I am not too sure how much interest it would have for the modern reader. I will in future avoid any more of H G's political ramblings. A three star read.
New Republicans
If H G Wells ruled the world
Welcome Martians.
Well's book reads more like a political manifesto and a long winded one at that. He looks on it as an essay in presentation and what he is presenting here is a guide to a better future. It is naïve, faintly Utopian and yet contains so much good common sense that you wonder why others can't see the world in the way Wells saw it when he published these "papers" in book form in 1903. It is like a statement for the birth of a new political Party which Wells calls New Republicans and no doubt when he was writing, he had hopes that something like that may come of it.
Wells tackles three major issues, infant mortality including eugenics, education and the importance of literature. He sees education and the acquisition of knowledge as key issues in shaping a better world and I cannot fault him on this. He destroys the arguments being put forward at the time in favour of selective breeding, but leaves the door on this issue ajar by saying that we need much more scientific knowledge before any decisions can be made. He castigates England's record on infant mortality pointing out that it is the terrible conditions that many poor families are forced to endure that is a major cause of deaths For the modern reader the social aspects of Wells investigations are not without interest; in three Counties in Northern England 233 out of 1000 infant deaths were caused by overlaying (Infants being "accidentally" suffocated by sleeping in the same bed as their parents). The whole tenor of his arguments are "come on we can do better than this". He takes the same approach when he discusses education in some detail in the longest section of the book.
Well's views on improvements in education are far reaching and sensible, however they would be guaranteed to upset almost everyone in the profession, because of his approach. He does not shy away from telling people how to do their jobs and his ideas on state intervention in the education process smacks of big socialism. The final section deals with literature and the importance of access to books. He wants to see well run and organized libraries in all schools and places of higher education, which is commendable, but then he strays into lecturing academics on how they should write and prepare text books and this is typical of his approach - too much interference. He also cheekily suggests that authors should be paid an annual salary as he rams home the point that knowledge is contained in the books people read and so the profession should be given all due importance.
Wells has interesting ideas on the use of the jury system, which he would like to see being extended to choosing government appointments and political candidates and he tackles the class system, seeing the pyramid topped by the monarchy as being one of the major stumbling blocks to progress. He is as scathing about American corruption as he is about England's procrastination and I love this quote:
"One gets the impression that the sort of mind that is passively stupid in England is often actively silly in America"
Well's ideas are progressive and mostly attuned to the way that I think about things, but I still found his approach misconceived. He has obviously done much research into this project and much of the writing comes from the heart, but at times he has let his pen run away with him. It is too long winded, and at times a little condescending and I am not too sure how much interest it would have for the modern reader. I will in future avoid any more of H G's political ramblings. A three star read.
New Republicans
If H G Wells ruled the world
Welcome Martians.
61Polaris-
"One gets the impression that the sort of mind that is passively stupid in England is often actively silly in America"
Love that quote as well! Thanks for the interesting review.
Love that quote as well! Thanks for the interesting review.
62StevenTX
Ditto to what Paul said.
It would probably be a worthwhile exercise for any of us to codify our beliefs, values and ideas about society the way Wells did here, even if it was of no interest to anyone else. I know mine would be full of contradictions and uncertainties.
It would probably be a worthwhile exercise for any of us to codify our beliefs, values and ideas about society the way Wells did here, even if it was of no interest to anyone else. I know mine would be full of contradictions and uncertainties.
64baswood
New Atlantis by Francis Bacon
Published in 1627 a year after Bacon's death, this slight book tells a story of a lost continent (island) which lay in uncharted waters in the South Pacific. It was discovered by a sailing ship that had been blown off course. The crew had eaten all their provisions and were preparing themselves for death when they discovered land. The inhabitants of the land welcomed the crew only when it was established that they were Christians and when they finally got ashore they found a civilization that was in many respects more advanced than their own. Following a brief description of the town and the lodging house that had been set aside for "strangers" the major part of the book tells about meetings with various officials who tell the crews representative, of the glories of The New Atlantis. The book ends suddenly (we know it was unfinished) following a description of the knowledge that had been gained by the New Atlantian's and how they had acquired it.
One suspects that the reason for the sudden ending was that the book had served it's purpose. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism and spent much of his life attempting to codify scientific and mechanical discoveries, which in his opinion would help to show a way forward. The final section of the book takes place in the House of Salomon and the ship's representative is told that:
"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of courses and secret motions of things and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire to the effecting of all things possible
I get the feeling from this book that Bacon is describing his idea of Utopia, but he is also careful to ensure that what he describes will cause little offence to 17th century Tudor England. Christianity is a vital aspect of the society described, but it is a society that tolerates other religions. There is no attempt to shock us with progressive social views, as the New Atlantian's value chastity and honesty and a well ordered society, however there is no King or aristocracy in evidence which might not have been quite so welcome at the Tudor English court.
My first impressions from the story were that Bacon was attempting to describe his idea of heaven. When the crew sight the island they are dying from starvation and it may all be an hallucination. The crews representative says that "We are but between death and life, for we are both beyond the old world and the new," subsequently there is not too much to reinforce this idea, but it does demonstrate what a puzzling little book this is. I would go along with the idea that Bacon's main purpose was to use it as a propaganda vehicle to arouse interest in his ideas for collecting together all scientific and mechanical knowledge.
The book is an early example of an Utopia and also falls under the genre of proto-science fiction and so would be of interest for readers in these fields, It may also be of interest for its descriptions of future mechanical and scientific discoveries that were envisaged by a man that was possibly in advance of his times. An easy and quick read for those that might be interested; 3 stars
Published in 1627 a year after Bacon's death, this slight book tells a story of a lost continent (island) which lay in uncharted waters in the South Pacific. It was discovered by a sailing ship that had been blown off course. The crew had eaten all their provisions and were preparing themselves for death when they discovered land. The inhabitants of the land welcomed the crew only when it was established that they were Christians and when they finally got ashore they found a civilization that was in many respects more advanced than their own. Following a brief description of the town and the lodging house that had been set aside for "strangers" the major part of the book tells about meetings with various officials who tell the crews representative, of the glories of The New Atlantis. The book ends suddenly (we know it was unfinished) following a description of the knowledge that had been gained by the New Atlantian's and how they had acquired it.
One suspects that the reason for the sudden ending was that the book had served it's purpose. Bacon has been called the father of empiricism and spent much of his life attempting to codify scientific and mechanical discoveries, which in his opinion would help to show a way forward. The final section of the book takes place in the House of Salomon and the ship's representative is told that:
"The end of our foundation is the knowledge of courses and secret motions of things and the enlarging of the bounds of human empire to the effecting of all things possible
I get the feeling from this book that Bacon is describing his idea of Utopia, but he is also careful to ensure that what he describes will cause little offence to 17th century Tudor England. Christianity is a vital aspect of the society described, but it is a society that tolerates other religions. There is no attempt to shock us with progressive social views, as the New Atlantian's value chastity and honesty and a well ordered society, however there is no King or aristocracy in evidence which might not have been quite so welcome at the Tudor English court.
My first impressions from the story were that Bacon was attempting to describe his idea of heaven. When the crew sight the island they are dying from starvation and it may all be an hallucination. The crews representative says that "We are but between death and life, for we are both beyond the old world and the new," subsequently there is not too much to reinforce this idea, but it does demonstrate what a puzzling little book this is. I would go along with the idea that Bacon's main purpose was to use it as a propaganda vehicle to arouse interest in his ideas for collecting together all scientific and mechanical knowledge.
The book is an early example of an Utopia and also falls under the genre of proto-science fiction and so would be of interest for readers in these fields, It may also be of interest for its descriptions of future mechanical and scientific discoveries that were envisaged by a man that was possibly in advance of his times. An easy and quick read for those that might be interested; 3 stars
65NanaCC
Nice review of New Atlantis, Barry.
67StevenTX
That's an intriguing perspective on New Atlantis as propaganda. Of all the utopian literature I've read from that period it is probably the most conservative socially and politically. Bacon may essentially have been saying to the churchmen of his day, "See, science is no threat to you. Here's a country which pursues science freely, and with wondrous results, yet they are even more pious than we are."
68timjones
Just a quick note to say that I have been catching up with your reviews - impressed by both their quality, and the quality of your poetry!
69dchaikin
I'm trying to remember what I think i know about New Atlantis. Apparently before New Atlantis Bacon did not have a wide following. It was New Atlantis, his first fictional attempt with his ideas, that finally began to spread his ideas.
IIRC Bacon was obsessed with the idea of doing experiments and valuing the data. The problem was this meant not valuing what various authoritative books say. So he is pushing for a break from the past, a big break. But how do that without pissing off King and church? Bacon also had some quirky ideas and didn't actually do science, as far as I know, he just preached it.
IIRC Bacon was obsessed with the idea of doing experiments and valuing the data. The problem was this meant not valuing what various authoritative books say. So he is pushing for a break from the past, a big break. But how do that without pissing off King and church? Bacon also had some quirky ideas and didn't actually do science, as far as I know, he just preached it.
70avidmom
"One gets the impression that the sort of mind that is passively stupid in England is often actively silly in America"
Yep, we have no shortage of actively silly minds here. They're annoying but they make for great entertainment too. :)
Yep, we have no shortage of actively silly minds here. They're annoying but they make for great entertainment too. :)
71baswood
Albert Camus Notebooks 1942-1951
Camus through most of his adult life kept notebooks in which he would jot down thoughts and ideas that were important to him and which would serve as an aide-memoire. He was in the habit of making typed copies from his original manuscript and it is these that were published with some corrections after his death. They could be described as intellectual notes, because there is no gossip, no jokes, or anything much that feels like diary entries.
The subject matter of the notes are:
Quotes from Camus' own reading and sometimes his thoughts that develop from them.
Sketches or ideas for his own books
Dialogue from plays that he might wish to use
Occasional things to do lists and attempts to shape his work
Descriptions of landscape when he was away from Paris, which feel like they are rehearsals for pages from a novel
His own thoughts and reflections as he struggles to grasp some meaning to his existence and which form the basis of his philosophy
Some clever and thoughtful one liners
His health issues and how he fights against depression.
Some pert and witty comments on love and the whole damn thing.
They are divided into three chronological sections, which serves to highlight Camus developing thoughts, within the context of his life and times. The first section January 1942 to September 1945 finds him for much of the time dealing with issues of isolation. He settled in the mountains near Chambon-sur-lignon in mainland France, now cut off from his wife in Algeria. He was there for health reasons and stayed until November 1943 when he moved to Paris and shortly took over the editorship of the underground resistance newspaper Combat. Paris was occupied by the Germans at this time and Camus was busy writing his second novel The Plague where his feelings of isolation formed themselves into a major theme of his new novel and in the notebooks there are ideas, some character sketches, scraps of dialogue and structural plans. As one would expect his work in the resistance colours some of his notes:
Novel on Justice. A rebel who performs an act knowing it will cause the death of innocent hostages........ Then he agrees to sign the pardon of a writer he despises.
Section 2 takes us from September 1945 to April 1948 and his thoughts on liberty and justice dominate much of his notes from this period. There is little optimism and one gets the feeling that Camus is fighting hard against despair.
I lived my whole youth with the idea of innocence, in other words with no idea at all. Today.............................
The final section April 1948 - March 1951 finds him emerging from the negativity of the war years; he can write about love again, he can review his work and make plans for the future. The witty one liners are more in evidence and the feeling is of a man who is able to draw breath again.
The notebooks allow the reader to follow the development of Camus thoughts and his philosophy, not in any detailed way, but with flashes here and there of insight. This is essential Camus only for those who are interested in him as a man and as a thinker, there is not much here that doesn't appear in his essays and novels and of course these notes have been well picked over by his biographers. I enjoyed reading his notes, which felt like a primary source, but would not be of interest to the more general reader. A 3.5 star read.
Camus through most of his adult life kept notebooks in which he would jot down thoughts and ideas that were important to him and which would serve as an aide-memoire. He was in the habit of making typed copies from his original manuscript and it is these that were published with some corrections after his death. They could be described as intellectual notes, because there is no gossip, no jokes, or anything much that feels like diary entries.
The subject matter of the notes are:
Quotes from Camus' own reading and sometimes his thoughts that develop from them.
Sketches or ideas for his own books
Dialogue from plays that he might wish to use
Occasional things to do lists and attempts to shape his work
Descriptions of landscape when he was away from Paris, which feel like they are rehearsals for pages from a novel
His own thoughts and reflections as he struggles to grasp some meaning to his existence and which form the basis of his philosophy
Some clever and thoughtful one liners
His health issues and how he fights against depression.
Some pert and witty comments on love and the whole damn thing.
They are divided into three chronological sections, which serves to highlight Camus developing thoughts, within the context of his life and times. The first section January 1942 to September 1945 finds him for much of the time dealing with issues of isolation. He settled in the mountains near Chambon-sur-lignon in mainland France, now cut off from his wife in Algeria. He was there for health reasons and stayed until November 1943 when he moved to Paris and shortly took over the editorship of the underground resistance newspaper Combat. Paris was occupied by the Germans at this time and Camus was busy writing his second novel The Plague where his feelings of isolation formed themselves into a major theme of his new novel and in the notebooks there are ideas, some character sketches, scraps of dialogue and structural plans. As one would expect his work in the resistance colours some of his notes:
Novel on Justice. A rebel who performs an act knowing it will cause the death of innocent hostages........ Then he agrees to sign the pardon of a writer he despises.
Section 2 takes us from September 1945 to April 1948 and his thoughts on liberty and justice dominate much of his notes from this period. There is little optimism and one gets the feeling that Camus is fighting hard against despair.
I lived my whole youth with the idea of innocence, in other words with no idea at all. Today.............................
The final section April 1948 - March 1951 finds him emerging from the negativity of the war years; he can write about love again, he can review his work and make plans for the future. The witty one liners are more in evidence and the feeling is of a man who is able to draw breath again.
The notebooks allow the reader to follow the development of Camus thoughts and his philosophy, not in any detailed way, but with flashes here and there of insight. This is essential Camus only for those who are interested in him as a man and as a thinker, there is not much here that doesn't appear in his essays and novels and of course these notes have been well picked over by his biographers. I enjoyed reading his notes, which felt like a primary source, but would not be of interest to the more general reader. A 3.5 star read.
72Linda92007
I picked up Albert Camus Notebooks 1935-1951 somewhere along the line, but based on your review, I think I will read/reread some of his major works first.
