Clever little book.
Set in the first day or two after the death of Lincoln's son, during a difficult time in the Civil War. The story takes place in the cemetery where the boy's body in placed. Except for Lincoln and a watchman, all the characters are essentially dead. They live in the confined world of the cemetery, which is portrayed as a kind of afterlife zone between life and death. The characters are a mix of historical times and social classes. The snippets of their lives explore many things - social realities of other times, the racism of American society, American history of the time, cruelty and kindness, strange ways to die. All of the characters are essentially lingering in a nether world, unable to let go of some part of their former life - children, trauma, unfulfilled desire, love, social prestige, past sins. Though the stories are not heroic, the characters take on a poignant reality.
The migration to the true afterlife (ie. heaven or hell) is very creatively portrayed.
Whenever Lincoln or a historical event appears, it is described by a selection of quotations from letters and journals written by people of the time. Clever touch.
Friday 29 December 2017
The New Russia - MIkhail Gorbachev
I originally was interested in this book as a possible account of what happened in Russia over the past 20/30 years to lead us to Putin. You can get this out of the book but you have to do a lot of gleaning through Gorbachev's self-defence and accounts of his opinions and statements at various points in the narrative. You do get a sense of the mechanisms of political and economic corruption that developed under Yeltsin, and how so much of the State wealth was grabbed by the first generation of Oligarchs. It is more difficult to get a sense of how Putin's game unfolded. It seems Putin said all the right things with regard to ending the chaos and respecting democracy, while at the same time pursuing an ever more authoritarian governing style and building a new set of cronies. Fairly prosaic. Gorbachev does create, however, a good picture of the chaos and dire circumstances that created what could be called a necessity for Putin and his approach.
Still looking for a really good book on this topic.
Still looking for a really good book on this topic.
Blazing World - Siri Hustvedt
A along, rambling novel told from several points of view, also interweaving journal entries by the main character. Complex tangle of themes - the art world, where inside people does art come from, dealing with the traumas and memories of childhood, human relations, a delicate balancing of different views of life (including some out there ones....), traditional roles and stereotypes of women, how we die. It includes some wonderful descriptions of works of art by the main character that you wish you could actually see.
Hustvedt is obviously well-read in philosophy, theories of perception, and modern psychology/neural research. She brings this into the work through the main character's journals which are quoted in the work. The overall structure of the book is built around research notes by an academic for a book about the life of the main character/artist.
There is a substantial part of the book concerned with the flakey, trendy nature of modern art. While the point is well-taken, I found this theme got too much time and began to drag.
Well-written but still a slowish read because of the complexity of themes and ideas.
To find:
The Blindfold
Hustvedt is obviously well-read in philosophy, theories of perception, and modern psychology/neural research. She brings this into the work through the main character's journals which are quoted in the work. The overall structure of the book is built around research notes by an academic for a book about the life of the main character/artist.
There is a substantial part of the book concerned with the flakey, trendy nature of modern art. While the point is well-taken, I found this theme got too much time and began to drag.
Well-written but still a slowish read because of the complexity of themes and ideas.
To find:
The Blindfold
Drinking and Driving in Chechnya - Peter Gonda
A novel set during the 1990s collapse of the USSR and the war in Chechnya. Some good description of life during that rough time. The portrait of corruption and how it works seems fairly accurate. There are also some accurate details regarding Russian mafia gang culture. The section where the main character ends up living in a black slum outside Washington D.C. is humorous at times. Some of the story elements, though, seem a bit stereotypical in their portrayals.
Quicksand - Henning Menkell
A set of short pieces from this Swedish author, written between his cancer diagnosis and his death. A mix of reminiscences about childhood, growing up and his time in Africa; thinking about what really matters in life; looking at his path; stories that come to mind and why; life lessons to pass on.
Saturday 23 December 2017
How to be Both - Ali Smith
A story centred around a fresco in Italy by Francesco del Cossa. The book is in two parts. One part is the story of the painter's life and work - the painter is actually a woman but passes herself as a man for her entire working life (dies early of the plague). The second part is the story of a girl named George (shortened full name) who visits the fresco with her mother shortly before her mother's sudden death.
Like all of Smith's books, hard to say what it is really about. There is certainly a very sensitive appreciation of the actual fresco work at the centre of the book - makes you want to go see it. Themes of sex roles, of same sex relationships. A sensitive appreciation of some of the feelings and thoughts around grief and loss. An unusual take on the true hurt or crime of pornography.
The characters are complex, so many themes and issues are touched on.
How to be both - in the first part, maybe how to be both a man and a woman. In the second part, perhaps how to be both a child and an adult (George is in some stage of early adolescence I think)
Like all of Smith's books, hard to say what it is really about. There is certainly a very sensitive appreciation of the actual fresco work at the centre of the book - makes you want to go see it. Themes of sex roles, of same sex relationships. A sensitive appreciation of some of the feelings and thoughts around grief and loss. An unusual take on the true hurt or crime of pornography.
The characters are complex, so many themes and issues are touched on.
How to be both - in the first part, maybe how to be both a man and a woman. In the second part, perhaps how to be both a child and an adult (George is in some stage of early adolescence I think)
The Shadow Girls - Henning Mankell
Another novel by Mankell from outside his detective series. This one explores the issue of illegal immigrants in Sweden. Three characters - one from Africa, one from Russia and one from Pakistan. An attempt to both tell their stories and get inside their heads. Looks at issue of culture clashes, incompatibility of values, the tensions in being the child of an immigrant with different family cultural values.
No conclusions, no easy solutions offered - a look at what is. Also, an implied critique of the liberal, intellectual, self-congratulatory class with its head stuck up its ass. The most sympathetic Swedish character in the book is an older man who runs a boxing studio in a poor immigrant area.
No conclusions, no easy solutions offered - a look at what is. Also, an implied critique of the liberal, intellectual, self-congratulatory class with its head stuck up its ass. The most sympathetic Swedish character in the book is an older man who runs a boxing studio in a poor immigrant area.
A Legacy of Spies - John Le Carre
A clever reprise of the characters, plots and themes of his first two big successes - A Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. In essence, a criticism of revisionist history as practiced by politicians in search of cheap moral points. The modern mania of judging all of history in the light of our current values and obsessions. Cheap idealism vs. pragmatism in international relations.
There is an acceptance of human imperfection in his work that is also set against the strident moral certainties of those in pursuit of power and influence.
Must go back and reread those two earlier works.
There is an acceptance of human imperfection in his work that is also set against the strident moral certainties of those in pursuit of power and influence.
Must go back and reread those two earlier works.
Tuesday 12 December 2017
Putin Country - Anne Garrels
An in-depth look at the rise of Putin and his era. The book focuses on a small town near the border of Kazakstan. It looks how systemic collapse, corruption and right-wing ideology affects people's lives. Also, looks at the corrosive effects on communism and Stalin on society and social realations, and how this continues to affect social structures (or lack thereof) in modern Russia. Very gritty. The city which is the focus of the book also happens to be one the nuclear hotspots of post-Communist Russia, which gives the author a chance to look at how opaque both the Soviet and current governments can be for their citizens.
The Library and Other Stories - Ali Smith
A collection of quirky short stories, all centred on libraries and books. Interspersed with the stories are interviews with people about the importance of libraries in their lives. Worth rereading.
The Ways of Strangers - Graeme Wood
This book is purportedly a look into the kind of people that support and sign up for ISIS. In fact, it ends up being a bunch of interviews with armchair jihadis who sit at home in the West and write rabid material for ISIS websites. Each one has a valid (?) excuse for why they can't actually go and join the jihad in Syria... Intellectual wankers who run no risk of getting their hands dirty. The proposed topic would have been much more interesting...
Italian Shoes - Henning Mankell
Mankell is a Swedish writer who mostly wrote detective fiction. While this work incorporates some elements of mystery and detective fiction - murders, crimes - its main focus is brilliantly exploring the complex and contradictory nature of humans, especially those a bit outside the norm. Or in this case, perhaps simply older? Lovely evocation of the Swedish Island archipelago and how much the modern word has changed in a couple of generations.
Friday 24 November 2017
Journey Into the Whirlwind - Eugenia Ginzburg
A book referenced in Masha Gessen's "The Future is History".
An account by a woman who lived through Stalin's Great Terror. She begins as a staunch and well-respected member of the Communist party, working in academia. She recounts her personal experience with the quota arrest system that led to her spending two years in solitary confinement and then sixteen years in the work camps around Kolyma. She explores the insanity, the double-think, the sadism of Stalin's system. (Though she never really gets to thinking about the underlying point of it all.) She describes the mind-wrenching logic of the justice system and trial, the types of torture used to get confessions, the daily details of life in the sub-human conditions of both the prisons and the work camps. She describes people who sell out dozens of others in a useless attempt to save themselves from the Terror. The sadistic interrogators who themselves later turn up as goners in the camps.
Strangely, when you read about her on Wikipedia, she never seems to have given up on Lenin and Communism in general, seeing the whole Stalin period as a "Cult of Personality" problem...
The book gives a good sense of the difficulty of trying to understand such an experience when reason, logic, social values and politics don't explain it. What was the point of all that suffering and death? This is what is so hard to get your mind around.
Also, makes it even more frightening or disturbing when you see how Stalin is again becoming a hero, a model, in Russia....
An account by a woman who lived through Stalin's Great Terror. She begins as a staunch and well-respected member of the Communist party, working in academia. She recounts her personal experience with the quota arrest system that led to her spending two years in solitary confinement and then sixteen years in the work camps around Kolyma. She explores the insanity, the double-think, the sadism of Stalin's system. (Though she never really gets to thinking about the underlying point of it all.) She describes the mind-wrenching logic of the justice system and trial, the types of torture used to get confessions, the daily details of life in the sub-human conditions of both the prisons and the work camps. She describes people who sell out dozens of others in a useless attempt to save themselves from the Terror. The sadistic interrogators who themselves later turn up as goners in the camps.
Strangely, when you read about her on Wikipedia, she never seems to have given up on Lenin and Communism in general, seeing the whole Stalin period as a "Cult of Personality" problem...
The book gives a good sense of the difficulty of trying to understand such an experience when reason, logic, social values and politics don't explain it. What was the point of all that suffering and death? This is what is so hard to get your mind around.
Also, makes it even more frightening or disturbing when you see how Stalin is again becoming a hero, a model, in Russia....
The Future is History - Masha Gessen
Gessen is basically chronicling the rise of Putin and his mafia don status in Russia. She narrates the main events and steps leading up to the current situation, starting with the fall of the Soviet Union, and makes the links to economic, political and geopolitical events, and how they affected the development of the current system.
She also includes summaries and discussions of other interesting elements that she sees leading to the rise of Putin.
One interesting sub-theme revolves around the first Russian sociologist to actually conduct surveys to get a sense of the public's view and attitudes, and to chronicle the changes from the 90s on. (She also discusses the impossibility of sociology as a discipline during Soviet times.)
She also references a number of academics and articles which attempt to define the current Russian system of governance - totalitarian? fascist? dictatorship? Unfortunately none of the source material seems to be available in English. The one she seems to lean most strongly towards is a mafia system - I tend to agree. Ideology is irrelevant. The goal of "governanace" is to increase and control both wealth and power. The system is run by a Don (Putin) who distributes wealth, power, positions as he sees fit. (And also takes them away when he sees fit.) Ideology serves as a pacifying or distracting element - new Orthodox religion, family values, anti-immigrant and anti-gay policies.
She also chronicles a return to the Soviet system of almost random intimidation and punishment - the use of gay concept, the ever useful tax evasion charge - as a way of intimidating society to follow the leader and not challenge power.
There is also a psycho-analytical sub-theme, which explores the idea of trauma and how it affects a society, interpersonal relations, etc. The trauma in this case is, of course, the 18 odd years of terror under Stalin.
I find this particularly interesting, as she is exploring a governance model that is gaining prevalence in many countries currently. What lies behind the strong man phenomenon.
A complex book with lots of threads and ideas. Worth rereading, probably several times.
She also includes summaries and discussions of other interesting elements that she sees leading to the rise of Putin.
One interesting sub-theme revolves around the first Russian sociologist to actually conduct surveys to get a sense of the public's view and attitudes, and to chronicle the changes from the 90s on. (She also discusses the impossibility of sociology as a discipline during Soviet times.)
She also references a number of academics and articles which attempt to define the current Russian system of governance - totalitarian? fascist? dictatorship? Unfortunately none of the source material seems to be available in English. The one she seems to lean most strongly towards is a mafia system - I tend to agree. Ideology is irrelevant. The goal of "governanace" is to increase and control both wealth and power. The system is run by a Don (Putin) who distributes wealth, power, positions as he sees fit. (And also takes them away when he sees fit.) Ideology serves as a pacifying or distracting element - new Orthodox religion, family values, anti-immigrant and anti-gay policies.
She also chronicles a return to the Soviet system of almost random intimidation and punishment - the use of gay concept, the ever useful tax evasion charge - as a way of intimidating society to follow the leader and not challenge power.
There is also a psycho-analytical sub-theme, which explores the idea of trauma and how it affects a society, interpersonal relations, etc. The trauma in this case is, of course, the 18 odd years of terror under Stalin.
I find this particularly interesting, as she is exploring a governance model that is gaining prevalence in many countries currently. What lies behind the strong man phenomenon.
A complex book with lots of threads and ideas. Worth rereading, probably several times.
Friday 17 November 2017
We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night - Joel Thomas Hynes
Canadian author from down east. In the tradition of David Adams Richards, in that he is giving voice to the underbelly, the marginal, the self-destructive in our society - without quite the same Shakespearean depth of Richards, though. Not a bad read.
Autumn - Ali Smith
A quirky novel by a Scottish novelist. A novel of echoes and hidden themes. Kind of the novel equivalent of Lee Friedlander's photos. Something there, but half-glimpsed, hidden. Worth rereading to study the central character, Daniel, in more detail.
Monday 6 November 2017
The Red-haired Woman - Orhan Pamuk
A novel split in two parts. The first is an exploration of the concept of father/father figure, which is an important figure in many countries, especially in today's more fascistic political climate. This is obviously tied to contemporary social and political issues in Turkey, as well as a certain social analysis.
The second part of the book brings in many issues current is Turkey, especially Istanbul. The main character becomes a property developer, and many of the shady, insider "trading" elements of behind the scenes Istanbul politics appear in the novel. Pamuk also continues to chronicle the destruction of beautiful Istanbul - the same property development, the choking traffic. There is also an exploration of loss of values - egocentrism, luxury consumerism, money obsession, an obsession with the West (or some idealized vision thereof). He also continues his blending of West and East culturally, with specific artwork from both traditions playing a role in the book.
Interesting and complex. Worth the read. Unfortunately, the first half seemed a better read to me than the second half - the second half tends to be a bit too didactic at times, a bit too artificially a novel of ideas.
The second part of the book brings in many issues current is Turkey, especially Istanbul. The main character becomes a property developer, and many of the shady, insider "trading" elements of behind the scenes Istanbul politics appear in the novel. Pamuk also continues to chronicle the destruction of beautiful Istanbul - the same property development, the choking traffic. There is also an exploration of loss of values - egocentrism, luxury consumerism, money obsession, an obsession with the West (or some idealized vision thereof). He also continues his blending of West and East culturally, with specific artwork from both traditions playing a role in the book.
Interesting and complex. Worth the read. Unfortunately, the first half seemed a better read to me than the second half - the second half tends to be a bit too didactic at times, a bit too artificially a novel of ideas.
Exit West - Mohsin Hamid
Hamid is a brilliant writer and profound thinker. The book is littered with exquisite short, quotable passages.
Loosely based on the current Syrian refugee crisis, he examines the issues around this from many perspectives - who leaves, who goes, the chaos of where they come from, how life in a state of social siege reduces itself and becomes narrower, the different reactions to the need to integrate into your new society. How some people move forward to greater liberty, how some move back into a more blinkered state, tied to values of their old world even more tightly than when they lived there.
He has a beautiful image of emigration as locating secret doors and passing through them to a new life.
Mohsin chronicles a lot of this through a delicately outlined love story - and eventual separation - between the two main characters, Nadia and Saeed.
Worth a reread, just to catch and note all the quotable passages.
Friday 3 November 2017
Fox 8 - George Saunders
Another unusual book by this American author. Actually, more an extended short story. Told from the perspective of a fox confronting America's endless urban sprawl. He renders the voice well. Also looks at modern american society's relationship to the wild, to nature.
Il riposo della polpetta e altre storie intorno al cibo - Massimo Montanari
Divertente collezione di piccoli articoli sul cibo et la cucina. Racconta la storia di certi cibi, parla di cibi storici et dimeticati, tradizioni della tavola, etc.
Vale la pena di leggerne alcuni.
Vale la pena di leggerne alcuni.
Border - Kapka Kassabova
Part travelogue, part self-reflective inner journey. I am not sure about this using of place almost as a metaphor for some internal landscape of self-exploration, and self-expression, examination of inner conflict and emotions.
What make this book interesting is the setting - the border area between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. This is an area with a very charged history, from Ottoman times, through the Balkan Wars, and into the 20th C Cold War period. Kassabova does explore some interesting places in the Rhodopes in both Greece and Bulgaria. She also explores some interesting sounding areas in the Strandzha area of Bulgaria, and also just on the other side of the border in Turkey. All places I would like to visit.
A very topical book, with all the current issues around migration, border crossing, etc. Much of it currently set in the very area she explores in the book.
What make this book interesting is the setting - the border area between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. This is an area with a very charged history, from Ottoman times, through the Balkan Wars, and into the 20th C Cold War period. Kassabova does explore some interesting places in the Rhodopes in both Greece and Bulgaria. She also explores some interesting sounding areas in the Strandzha area of Bulgaria, and also just on the other side of the border in Turkey. All places I would like to visit.
A very topical book, with all the current issues around migration, border crossing, etc. Much of it currently set in the very area she explores in the book.
La mémoire courte/Short Memory - Eduardo De Gregorio
Un film des années 70 de la France. Tout l'atmosphère des films de la Nouvelle Vague. Une intrigue qui développe lentement, beaucoup de prise de vue artistiques (surtout les prises de la voiture qui roule en ville la nuit) et lieux intrigants. Bande sonore de jazz. Il faut avoir le goût de ce genre, mais si tu l'as, pas mal comme film.
Thursday 12 October 2017
Mermaids and Ikons - Gwendolyn MacEwen
A short poetic memory of her time in Greece. She evokes some nice images and some playful ideas. You can here the 60s speaking in their search to break out of Anglo constraints. You can also hear the long gone Greek coffee shops with music on the old Danforth Avenue in Toronto. A forgotten world.
White Boy Shuffle - Paul Beatty
Another darkly humorous look at stereotypes of both black and white contemporary culture. This time Beatty's focus is largely on black ghetto cultural stereotypes - gangs, robberies, basketball, sex.
Tuesday 10 October 2017
The Fire Next Time - James Baldwin
Essay on his experience as a black man in America. Baldwin was way ahead of his time. In this book he is discussing ideas that are currently creating a stir in the news. His underlying point is how can you see yourself as part of a country when the country wants to exclude you, deny you, kill you.
The Sellout - Paul Beatty
Black American current novelist. I found the book a bit hard to get into but eventually it carried me along. Beatty is basically looking at modern black America and critiquing self-created stereotypes, self-assigned social roles, and dropping his characters into roles that are not usually seen as "black". He gets his humour out of mixing up and poking fun at these stereotypes, self-created or otherwise.
His main focus here is black social intellectuals, with a very funny side on bringing back slavery...
His main focus here is black social intellectuals, with a very funny side on bringing back slavery...
Our Kind of Traitor - John Le Carré
Another brilliant book by Le Carré. The story unfolds in a creative structure. Current time, debrief time moving back into the past, current time.
Central premise is the links between Russian criminal gangs and government.
Great characters.
Central premise is the links between Russian criminal gangs and government.
Great characters.
Putin Country - Anne Garrels
An interesting look at a middle-sized city in central Russia, near the border with Kazakstan. Garrels visited the city over several years for extended periods of time, made friends, got inside the society a bit. It is an interesting look at the lives, attitudes and perspectives of different kinds of people living in the city.
You get a sense of how life can be harsh there - the role of corruption, the power of money, the indifference of the State, families alone in a sea of opportunistic individualism. She gives you a sense of the blind spots, the places where ideas and reality don't match, where rhetoric wanders off from basic realities. It is interesting to see where nations' mythologies diverge from historical and actual reality - there is something tragic in the Greek sense lurking in these dark spots.
The city was one of the Soviet's centres of nuclear technology, and there are endless stories about pollution and contamination ignored, denied, hidden. It is still a very toxic environment.
The book reminds me of another social idea (wish I could remember the book). When a society experiences a prolonged period of oppression, exploitation and fundamentally dishonest leadership, social and moral bonds eventually break down, leaving everyone operating as an isolated agent. The example sighted in the source book is southern Italy and Sicily. This type of social structure is very persistent and rebuilding social trust and social morals seems to be next to impossible. Modern Russia as the result of a century of Soviet Communism and Putin's kleptocracy.
You get a sense of how life can be harsh there - the role of corruption, the power of money, the indifference of the State, families alone in a sea of opportunistic individualism. She gives you a sense of the blind spots, the places where ideas and reality don't match, where rhetoric wanders off from basic realities. It is interesting to see where nations' mythologies diverge from historical and actual reality - there is something tragic in the Greek sense lurking in these dark spots.
The city was one of the Soviet's centres of nuclear technology, and there are endless stories about pollution and contamination ignored, denied, hidden. It is still a very toxic environment.
The book reminds me of another social idea (wish I could remember the book). When a society experiences a prolonged period of oppression, exploitation and fundamentally dishonest leadership, social and moral bonds eventually break down, leaving everyone operating as an isolated agent. The example sighted in the source book is southern Italy and Sicily. This type of social structure is very persistent and rebuilding social trust and social morals seems to be next to impossible. Modern Russia as the result of a century of Soviet Communism and Putin's kleptocracy.
The Global Minotaur - Yanis Varoufakis
An interesting look at the crash of 2009 and the post WW2 economic order in the west. Varoufakis writes well on what could otherwise be a boring or obscure (or both) topic.
His central idea is the idea of profit recycling. There will always be nations that accumulate more wealth, that will be more developed - what keeps the system in balance is some mechanism (often an investment mechanism, either private or government) that cycles some of the surplus wealth back into the poorer or less developed areas. A classic example of this is the US Marshall Plan after WW2, and their heavy investment in Japan after the war. U.S. excess wealth was recycled in the form of low-interest government and business loans.
In the 60s, as the U.S. become a debtor nation instead of a surplus nation, a more complex system was developed, where profits of U.S. surplus trading partners came back into the U.S. either as government bond purchases or as investment in Wall Street. This money was used to provide loans to government, companies and individuals to support development projects but especially high levels of consumption through debt - which in turn benefited trading partners... An ingenious system. However, when the banks got greedy and started high risk lending practices, the house of cards collapsed when consumer liquidity collapsed. With the collapse of the U.S., this leaves the whole system without the necessary recycling mechanism, which explains the very slow recovery of the world economy to date.
Varoufakis maintains that that the biggest weakness in the E.U is that there is no similar recycling mechanism for distributing excess wealth from Germany in particular. This leads to inevitable collapse as the less developed nations become poorer and poorer. German and French banks also indulged in risky lending practices similar to American banks.
Varoufakis is not a popular guy. I suspect his ideas are too challenging for the status quo economists and politicians...
His central idea is the idea of profit recycling. There will always be nations that accumulate more wealth, that will be more developed - what keeps the system in balance is some mechanism (often an investment mechanism, either private or government) that cycles some of the surplus wealth back into the poorer or less developed areas. A classic example of this is the US Marshall Plan after WW2, and their heavy investment in Japan after the war. U.S. excess wealth was recycled in the form of low-interest government and business loans.
In the 60s, as the U.S. become a debtor nation instead of a surplus nation, a more complex system was developed, where profits of U.S. surplus trading partners came back into the U.S. either as government bond purchases or as investment in Wall Street. This money was used to provide loans to government, companies and individuals to support development projects but especially high levels of consumption through debt - which in turn benefited trading partners... An ingenious system. However, when the banks got greedy and started high risk lending practices, the house of cards collapsed when consumer liquidity collapsed. With the collapse of the U.S., this leaves the whole system without the necessary recycling mechanism, which explains the very slow recovery of the world economy to date.
Varoufakis maintains that that the biggest weakness in the E.U is that there is no similar recycling mechanism for distributing excess wealth from Germany in particular. This leads to inevitable collapse as the less developed nations become poorer and poorer. German and French banks also indulged in risky lending practices similar to American banks.
Varoufakis is not a popular guy. I suspect his ideas are too challenging for the status quo economists and politicians...
Sunday 24 September 2017
The End of Europe - James Kirchick
Subtitiled "Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age" Published in 2017
Kirchick looks at a number of European issues through the lens of specific countries and their problems. Some of the problems he discusses include neutrality as a stance and how it encourages Russian aggression and meddling, the rise of antisemitism and the failure to integrate Muslim immigrants into the European system of values (also seen as a failure to manage immigration as an issue in general), the desire for European wealth without European values and fiscal discipline, the failure to stand firm on state borders and state protection (again in the face of Russian aggression), the pursuit of self-interested economic gains at the expense of other EU states. Basically the failure to act as a mutually supportive group, and to blame others for the problems of one's own political culture and economy.
For me, the most troubling tendency is the rise of apologists for Russian aggression and interference. This shows a singular stupidity in relation to even recent history, especially when you see such tendencies in former East Bloc countries. True, the US has looked after its interests in helping develop the European project, but the net effect has been mutual benefit (unlike some other places where the US has been active...). People have also forgotten that Europeans have twice in the past century called on the US to help them clean up a mess of their own making, at the price of many American lives. This gives them the right to participation. The Russia project, on the other hand, has never been about mutual benefit for the larger population of other countries, something the corrupt elites in many European countries seem to have grasped. Their Russian apologist stance is based on narrow self-interest or crony interest. The Russian project has no ideological cover now - oligarchy, corruption, power.
Also the ability to suppress core social values when face with cultural relativism.
Two things that bothered me at first are the usual problems with many US political thinkers. First, they are blind to the US' use of many practices that they criticize in relation to Russia. Second, they are blindly pro-Israel and pro-Zionist, and are blind to the many machinations that Israel and Zionist groups in other countries use to stifle criticism and discussion.
While these issues are technically outside the focus of this book, they need to be acknowledged to give the criticisms levies some legitimacy. Especially true considering the current (as of publication) US president embodies many of the same issues and uses many of the same disinformation techniques discussed in the book.
Worth reading, especially alongside the recently read discussion of major US failings, Time to Start Thinking, by Edward Luce.
Kirchick looks at a number of European issues through the lens of specific countries and their problems. Some of the problems he discusses include neutrality as a stance and how it encourages Russian aggression and meddling, the rise of antisemitism and the failure to integrate Muslim immigrants into the European system of values (also seen as a failure to manage immigration as an issue in general), the desire for European wealth without European values and fiscal discipline, the failure to stand firm on state borders and state protection (again in the face of Russian aggression), the pursuit of self-interested economic gains at the expense of other EU states. Basically the failure to act as a mutually supportive group, and to blame others for the problems of one's own political culture and economy.
For me, the most troubling tendency is the rise of apologists for Russian aggression and interference. This shows a singular stupidity in relation to even recent history, especially when you see such tendencies in former East Bloc countries. True, the US has looked after its interests in helping develop the European project, but the net effect has been mutual benefit (unlike some other places where the US has been active...). People have also forgotten that Europeans have twice in the past century called on the US to help them clean up a mess of their own making, at the price of many American lives. This gives them the right to participation. The Russia project, on the other hand, has never been about mutual benefit for the larger population of other countries, something the corrupt elites in many European countries seem to have grasped. Their Russian apologist stance is based on narrow self-interest or crony interest. The Russian project has no ideological cover now - oligarchy, corruption, power.
Also the ability to suppress core social values when face with cultural relativism.
Two things that bothered me at first are the usual problems with many US political thinkers. First, they are blind to the US' use of many practices that they criticize in relation to Russia. Second, they are blindly pro-Israel and pro-Zionist, and are blind to the many machinations that Israel and Zionist groups in other countries use to stifle criticism and discussion.
While these issues are technically outside the focus of this book, they need to be acknowledged to give the criticisms levies some legitimacy. Especially true considering the current (as of publication) US president embodies many of the same issues and uses many of the same disinformation techniques discussed in the book.
Worth reading, especially alongside the recently read discussion of major US failings, Time to Start Thinking, by Edward Luce.
Andrew Wyeth In Retrospect - P. Junker, A. Lewis
An interesting collection of essays about Wyeth's work and ways in which it ties into his life. Through this you get a sense of some of the themes or concerns that lie behind his paintings. The book also has a fabulous set of reproductions of some of his work that you don't see as often.
Wenjack - Joseph Boyden
A small short story fictionalizing the death of a real boy who ran away from a residential school and died alone at the side of a railway through the north woods on his way home. The boy was nine years old.
I like how Boyden weaves in native culture and views of the realtionship between humans and other living beings. Animal spirits are there with him and we hear bits of the story from their points of view. This relationship is actually the centre of the story itself.
A short afterword discusses the actual case of Charlie Wenjack, the boy in the story.
I like how Boyden weaves in native culture and views of the realtionship between humans and other living beings. Animal spirits are there with him and we hear bits of the story from their points of view. This relationship is actually the centre of the story itself.
A short afterword discusses the actual case of Charlie Wenjack, the boy in the story.
Corvus - Harold Johnson
Johnson is a Cree living in northern Saskatchewan. This book takes place in the future when global warming has pushed most people out of southern latitudes, and when agricultural systems are collapsing due to genetic modification and pesticide use.
It is a bit of a preachy book, a book of ideas more than of characters, but Johnson explores and contrasts different world views in an effective way. The main groups/views within the book are: corporate consumer culture; an isolated native band living a traditional way of life; a self-contained community outside the main town living communally. Issues discussed include wealth disparity, climate disaster, justice system, sustainable agriculture, native spirituality and culture, consumerism as madness.
A very interesting section at the end has a former radical protestor discussing the uselessness of protest. Some good quotes:
"Protesting against war is like standing in front of a mental hospital with a sign that says, "Stop being insane" p. 273
"What about the environment? Don't you think that is something worth protesting for?
..."If we cannot raise our level of sanity to the point that we care about other humans, about our own species, we will never learn to care about all the other species we share the planet with." p. 274
An author with some provocative ideas.
It is a bit of a preachy book, a book of ideas more than of characters, but Johnson explores and contrasts different world views in an effective way. The main groups/views within the book are: corporate consumer culture; an isolated native band living a traditional way of life; a self-contained community outside the main town living communally. Issues discussed include wealth disparity, climate disaster, justice system, sustainable agriculture, native spirituality and culture, consumerism as madness.
A very interesting section at the end has a former radical protestor discussing the uselessness of protest. Some good quotes:
"Protesting against war is like standing in front of a mental hospital with a sign that says, "Stop being insane" p. 273
"What about the environment? Don't you think that is something worth protesting for?
..."If we cannot raise our level of sanity to the point that we care about other humans, about our own species, we will never learn to care about all the other species we share the planet with." p. 274
An author with some provocative ideas.
The Walnut Manison - Miljenko Jergovic
A sprawling story centred loosely around the life of an old woman who has gone crazy. Starts at the end point, and then moves backwards in time through her life. The implication seems to be that she went crazy because of the disordered nature of all the lives that intersect hers. I finished it, but it wasn't exactly a gripping read. I found his other book a better read.
Tuesday 5 September 2017
Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (and Yours) Harold R. Johnson
A tough book. Johnson pulls no punches. He looks clearly at the problem of alcohol and its consequences in native communities in Canada. Some of his ideas and points can spin off into Canadian society in general. He shows a good understanding of the subtleties of this issue, and the many hot buttons that surround it, which make it so hard to discuss and explore solutions. He collects interesting, sometimes surprising, statistics on the role of alcohol in a variety of crimes and injuries, where you see alcohol behind so much of the accidental deaths and legal charges in society - even though this is never discussed openly as a problem. He explores the difference between addiction and alcohol abuse. He looks at the economic effects of alcohol abuse in the North - they are not all negative. So many justice system, health system and social work jobs depend on the continued abuse of alcohol and all the problems it creates.
His most interesting idea is that everything is stories. The story you tell yourself about alcohol, the image you create of it, the role you assign it in your life, is at the root of the problem. To change the situation, you, your community, your society, need a different story. This, of course, can be applied to many other aspects of your life.
He also looks at what he refers to as the victim story, which justifies or explains so many of the issues native communities face. He points out how the victim story leaves you powerless to effect a change to your own situation, as the victim story is one of powerlessness and submission.
Underneath it all, his main stress is personal responsibility and choice.
Insightful analysis of a difficult situation. Some hard ideas and thoughts. Personal and from the inside.
There are implications in this book RE the nanny state issue. Native people in Canada have been living in a nanny state for far longer than the rest of us because of the Indian Act. Many issues that are beginning to be discussed around guaranteed income and giving people "in need" personal choice and control in redirecting their lives.
His most interesting idea is that everything is stories. The story you tell yourself about alcohol, the image you create of it, the role you assign it in your life, is at the root of the problem. To change the situation, you, your community, your society, need a different story. This, of course, can be applied to many other aspects of your life.
He also looks at what he refers to as the victim story, which justifies or explains so many of the issues native communities face. He points out how the victim story leaves you powerless to effect a change to your own situation, as the victim story is one of powerlessness and submission.
Underneath it all, his main stress is personal responsibility and choice.
Insightful analysis of a difficult situation. Some hard ideas and thoughts. Personal and from the inside.
There are implications in this book RE the nanny state issue. Native people in Canada have been living in a nanny state for far longer than the rest of us because of the Indian Act. Many issues that are beginning to be discussed around guaranteed income and giving people "in need" personal choice and control in redirecting their lives.
We Will Not Be Silenced - Robinson & Griffin
Subtitled: The Academic Repression of Israel's Critics
While I did not read this whole book, I took in parts of it. It examines the stories of academics who have been blacklisted or had problems because of their academic work which was critical of Israel. Each victim has submitted an essay on their experience, which can be interesting reading. What I found more interesting though, were the brief accounts at the beginning of each case, that gives the basic outline of the offending work, and the methods of repression and exclusion used by the concerned organizations and institutions.
Interestingly, most, if not all, of the cases take place in the U.S.
While I did not read this whole book, I took in parts of it. It examines the stories of academics who have been blacklisted or had problems because of their academic work which was critical of Israel. Each victim has submitted an essay on their experience, which can be interesting reading. What I found more interesting though, were the brief accounts at the beginning of each case, that gives the basic outline of the offending work, and the methods of repression and exclusion used by the concerned organizations and institutions.
Interestingly, most, if not all, of the cases take place in the U.S.
Paris Vagabond - Jean-Paul Clébert
Another book similar to "The Other Paris" but told from the point of view of someone who lived deliberately as a clochard for a couple of years in Paris. It gives an intimate picture of the life, but it is definitely not a romantic picture. I am still left wondering how people choose this life (some do, though many don't; they just end up there) as it is a very hard life. Yes, you have a certain freedom, but on the other hand you are under the full weight of demands for minimal survival, which rear up again and again on a daily basis. It turns such everyday needs as eating, sleeping and cleaning into demanding problems.
This book was written post-war, and you can already sense the author's awareness of living in a disappearing world. Both this and the other book are so reminiscent of Henry Miller's books on his life in Paris - already by the 40s, this life had become a stereotype of itself, and image to be aspired after.
Most of the people in this life are troubled souls - the artists that emerged out of this milieu were lucky in that they were very good at something, which in the end allows them to escape the poverty and grind.
This book was written post-war, and you can already sense the author's awareness of living in a disappearing world. Both this and the other book are so reminiscent of Henry Miller's books on his life in Paris - already by the 40s, this life had become a stereotype of itself, and image to be aspired after.
Most of the people in this life are troubled souls - the artists that emerged out of this milieu were lucky in that they were very good at something, which in the end allows them to escape the poverty and grind.
Wednesday 23 August 2017
The Other Paris - Luc Sante
A history of Paris over the past few hundred years, though mostly focused on the 19th and early 20th centuries, because this period has much richer information sources. The book looks at various aspects of the city (Ghosts, Zone, Canaille, Le Business) in each chapter, with an historical view of that aspect. Very much a history of the people - which for most of this period implies poor people. What I see underlined in this book is the fact that so much of what we consider picturesque or essential to our view of "Paris" is based on poverty and misery. The idealized street life is in part a life of poor people with no other place to be, except a miserable hole to sleep in. Or trying to cobble together some kind of sustenance scrambling after opportunities in the street. There is some kind of dissonance between this idealized view of free, wide open Paris (or New York) and the poverty and misery that underlies it. Free and wide open because so many of the inhabitants have nothing to lose and nothing to look forward to? No future?
On the other hand, you can see how buckled down, narrow and safe life has become as western societies have become wealthier across the board, and have accumulated more things that can be lost. There has been some kind of taming of humanity, a hollowing out in some way, a domestication. In a sense we have become farm animals - safe, secure but oh so dull. Trade it for uncertainty, instability but ever so much excitement and stimulation? Hmmm. No society has made this reverse choice yet. This is what is happening in Istanbul right now actually. As the middle class grows, the society becomes more enclosed and more homogeneous.
Hard choices.
This book also underlines how Vanishing New York by J. Moss is a bit naive in its complaint. There is still a whiff of the white middle class tourist on a slumming run (though a small whiff, as the author has his reasons for searching out the freedom and openness of New York City).
I suppose, in a sense, there are two types of people in this swirling mass of humanity that gave New York and Paris their character and flavour. One, the people who are genuinely different somehow, who don't fit in - for them, the jumble and mishmash of the city represents some kind of freedom to be. The other type are the poor and miserable for whatever reason - drugs, lack of education, generational poverty, psychological problems. They live on the margins, not by choice, but by necessity, or through inevitability. These are the people who are ignored when you romanticize this older time period.
The one thing that is radically different though, is the way rich and poor mixed in Paris - at the theatre, in the street, in cafes and bals. This does not happen in Toronto (or New York any more) by the sound of things. Probably not in Paris either, as lower income people are pushed further and further out from the centre.
This book also touches on art and its role in gentrification. This may have actually started in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. Before then, artists were in the orbit of the rich and the wealthy (theory) but when art moved away from representation and tradition, (and buyers) artists ended up in the poorer areas like Montmartre. As the artists get discovered (and also establish centres in cafes and restaurants), their milieu gets discovered, and seems so much more exciting than the run-of-the-mill. This draws money, draws moneyed people, and we go on from there.
On the other hand, you can see how buckled down, narrow and safe life has become as western societies have become wealthier across the board, and have accumulated more things that can be lost. There has been some kind of taming of humanity, a hollowing out in some way, a domestication. In a sense we have become farm animals - safe, secure but oh so dull. Trade it for uncertainty, instability but ever so much excitement and stimulation? Hmmm. No society has made this reverse choice yet. This is what is happening in Istanbul right now actually. As the middle class grows, the society becomes more enclosed and more homogeneous.
Hard choices.
This book also underlines how Vanishing New York by J. Moss is a bit naive in its complaint. There is still a whiff of the white middle class tourist on a slumming run (though a small whiff, as the author has his reasons for searching out the freedom and openness of New York City).
I suppose, in a sense, there are two types of people in this swirling mass of humanity that gave New York and Paris their character and flavour. One, the people who are genuinely different somehow, who don't fit in - for them, the jumble and mishmash of the city represents some kind of freedom to be. The other type are the poor and miserable for whatever reason - drugs, lack of education, generational poverty, psychological problems. They live on the margins, not by choice, but by necessity, or through inevitability. These are the people who are ignored when you romanticize this older time period.
The one thing that is radically different though, is the way rich and poor mixed in Paris - at the theatre, in the street, in cafes and bals. This does not happen in Toronto (or New York any more) by the sound of things. Probably not in Paris either, as lower income people are pushed further and further out from the centre.
This book also touches on art and its role in gentrification. This may have actually started in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. Before then, artists were in the orbit of the rich and the wealthy (theory) but when art moved away from representation and tradition, (and buyers) artists ended up in the poorer areas like Montmartre. As the artists get discovered (and also establish centres in cafes and restaurants), their milieu gets discovered, and seems so much more exciting than the run-of-the-mill. This draws money, draws moneyed people, and we go on from there.
Monday 14 August 2017
Vanishing New York: How a Great City Lost Its Soul - Jeremiah Moss
Brilliant look at gentrification - causes, specifics, effects. Told through the changes that have happened in different New York neighbourhoods. He looks at specific longtime businesses, at the politics and policy behind changes, at the effects on lower income families, at the disaster that sometimes follows high rent gentrification. He also adds comments and analysis from the literature on gentrification and its effects - these are good sources for followup. There is also some discussion of the social changes that are behind this gentrification and suburbanization of the city.
I like his view of the historical role and importance of cities - essentially an environment of freedom and tolerance.
Reading this book brings back a lot of memories from my trips to New York in the late 70s. Also, early days in Toronto. The process of urban change has been similar in Toronto, though not so extreme or so rapid. But the result, the "same-ification", the whitewashing, the commodification has been the same.
Interesting to read someone writing about the same questions and complaints I have had about Toronto over the past few years. A subject to pursue.
The real question though, is what next? If the city has lost its place and role as a home for diversity and difference, where do you go? Scattered and down your own rabbit hole?
I like his view of the historical role and importance of cities - essentially an environment of freedom and tolerance.
Reading this book brings back a lot of memories from my trips to New York in the late 70s. Also, early days in Toronto. The process of urban change has been similar in Toronto, though not so extreme or so rapid. But the result, the "same-ification", the whitewashing, the commodification has been the same.
Interesting to read someone writing about the same questions and complaints I have had about Toronto over the past few years. A subject to pursue.
The real question though, is what next? If the city has lost its place and role as a home for diversity and difference, where do you go? Scattered and down your own rabbit hole?
All That is Man - David Szalay
Collection of short stories about men at different points in time in their life. Different men in each story. I think he does a good job of capturing at least the general or typical themes at each age in different situations - dreams gone bad, loss of soul, success, failure. Of course, I found the ones about older men the most interesting, and I can say he definitely hits some of the states and preoccupations right on.
Well-written. Expresses the undercurrents without hitting you over the head.
Well-written. Expresses the undercurrents without hitting you over the head.
Wednesday 9 August 2017
The Barbarians - Peter Bogucki
A history of Europeans from the late Stone Age through to the end of the Roman period. In the Roman stage, the "barbarians" refers largely to the Germanic and Celtic speaking groups outside the Roman Empire. This book is essentially a reworking of the image of "the barbarian" as inherited from roman authors of antiquity.
The Barbarians were farming peoples living in small villages or settlements. Farmers, not warriors really. They operated complex trade networks with goods of all types moving great distances, both luxury goods and goods for manufacturing and metal work. People also moved great distances, especially during the Bronze age, when there seems to have been a fair bit of cultural and linguistic unity across Europe, at least for some groups.
Bogucki also offers a more nuanced account of the relationship between Rome and the groups beyond its borders. Thought there was some raiding and mayhem, the relationship by and large was one of trade and economic advantage to both sides. The borders were porous both for traders and Germanic speaking mercenaries seeking employment.
The book also calls into question the movement of large groups of people (like the Visigoths) immediately after the fall of the Roman Empire in the west. Apparently there is no archaeological evidence for a period of mayhem and cultural/artifact shift. Maybe it was bands of warriors moving about looking for good places to set up as small independent kingdoms - opportunities for "protection rackets" ie. You feed me, house me, provide me with booze, and I'll protect you from others (and myself).
This lack of big shifts could also explain what I have read elsewhere ie. that the Dark Age wasn't really so dark. It marked a continuation of Barbarian Iron Age culture, with small villages and towns, complex trade networks and a farming economy. (Just the Roman thing disappeared: certain luxury goods, and large towns - which Germanic tribes has never really been interested in.)
Overall, an interesting different take on an interesting, creative ( though illiterate) culture in an interesting era of change.
The Barbarians were farming peoples living in small villages or settlements. Farmers, not warriors really. They operated complex trade networks with goods of all types moving great distances, both luxury goods and goods for manufacturing and metal work. People also moved great distances, especially during the Bronze age, when there seems to have been a fair bit of cultural and linguistic unity across Europe, at least for some groups.
Bogucki also offers a more nuanced account of the relationship between Rome and the groups beyond its borders. Thought there was some raiding and mayhem, the relationship by and large was one of trade and economic advantage to both sides. The borders were porous both for traders and Germanic speaking mercenaries seeking employment.
The book also calls into question the movement of large groups of people (like the Visigoths) immediately after the fall of the Roman Empire in the west. Apparently there is no archaeological evidence for a period of mayhem and cultural/artifact shift. Maybe it was bands of warriors moving about looking for good places to set up as small independent kingdoms - opportunities for "protection rackets" ie. You feed me, house me, provide me with booze, and I'll protect you from others (and myself).
This lack of big shifts could also explain what I have read elsewhere ie. that the Dark Age wasn't really so dark. It marked a continuation of Barbarian Iron Age culture, with small villages and towns, complex trade networks and a farming economy. (Just the Roman thing disappeared: certain luxury goods, and large towns - which Germanic tribes has never really been interested in.)
Overall, an interesting different take on an interesting, creative ( though illiterate) culture in an interesting era of change.
Friday 4 August 2017
My European Family: the first 54,000 years - Karin Bojs
Set as a personal genealogy explored through a DNA history of Europe from the Neolithic period. (The personal setting doesn't sit so well with the scientific basis, in my mind anyway. Would have been better as a straight out popular science book.)
Brings up a number of interesting points about European history and also about archaeology as a discipline.
First, DNA evidence seems to indicate that farming was carried into the whole of Europe by immigrants from modern day Syria and Turkey ie. the place where farming seems to have originated. Early farmers have radically different DNA from the local hunters and gatherers in the period where farming first moved into areas in Europe. Later, the groups seem to have mixed as the hunters moved into the farming communities.
Many people carry a small amount of Neanderthal DNA, so Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon people mated in some way. The fact that so many carry a small part of this DNA would indicate that the early mixed individuals had a better survival rate than those without the Neanderthal DNA. Perhaps some adaptation to cold climates, as the Neanderthals had been living in this kind of environment for millennia.
Every living human being's mitochondrial DNA comes from a single female way back in history! Apparently, at some point we almost died out as a species?
There were several waves of immigration into Europe from Africa, but only two waves seemed to have been able to survive in the long run, the Neanderthal and the Cro-Magnon.
Europe's population was formed by essentially three waves of immigration - two from Africa, and a last one from Central Asia during the Iron Age.
DNA analysis has upset a lot of theories about social development and migration that have been developed over the years. Many older archaeologists couldn't accept the validity of DNA-based information as it blew their pet theories and their careers out of the water. So much for disinterested science. Some also seem to have objected to the DNA-based conclusions on essentially racist grounds. (There is no such thing as 'disinterested' thinking....)
Worth reading for the nice summary of current DNA research in archaeology.
Brings up a number of interesting points about European history and also about archaeology as a discipline.
First, DNA evidence seems to indicate that farming was carried into the whole of Europe by immigrants from modern day Syria and Turkey ie. the place where farming seems to have originated. Early farmers have radically different DNA from the local hunters and gatherers in the period where farming first moved into areas in Europe. Later, the groups seem to have mixed as the hunters moved into the farming communities.
Many people carry a small amount of Neanderthal DNA, so Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon people mated in some way. The fact that so many carry a small part of this DNA would indicate that the early mixed individuals had a better survival rate than those without the Neanderthal DNA. Perhaps some adaptation to cold climates, as the Neanderthals had been living in this kind of environment for millennia.
Every living human being's mitochondrial DNA comes from a single female way back in history! Apparently, at some point we almost died out as a species?
There were several waves of immigration into Europe from Africa, but only two waves seemed to have been able to survive in the long run, the Neanderthal and the Cro-Magnon.
Europe's population was formed by essentially three waves of immigration - two from Africa, and a last one from Central Asia during the Iron Age.
DNA analysis has upset a lot of theories about social development and migration that have been developed over the years. Many older archaeologists couldn't accept the validity of DNA-based information as it blew their pet theories and their careers out of the water. So much for disinterested science. Some also seem to have objected to the DNA-based conclusions on essentially racist grounds. (There is no such thing as 'disinterested' thinking....)
Worth reading for the nice summary of current DNA research in archaeology.
The High Mountains of Portugal - Yann Martel
A novel built around three linked stories and characters, with each story unfolding in a different time. The first and the last sections I found interesting to read, but the middle one dragged a bit as it was mostly reported conversation until the last bit.
Martel seems to see animals as representing some form of state of grace or innocence from which we have fallen. He seems to circle around the biblical notion of animals and people as somehow qualitatively different, with people superior. There are hints of seeing technology and the modern complex, bureaucratic society also as responsible for leading us from this state of grace. He refers repeatedly to a quote along the lines of, "We are not fallen angels, we have come up from the apes."
The last section, where the main character lives with a chimpanzee in a remote Portuguese village, exploring the countryside, is quite beautiful.
Martel seems to see animals as representing some form of state of grace or innocence from which we have fallen. He seems to circle around the biblical notion of animals and people as somehow qualitatively different, with people superior. There are hints of seeing technology and the modern complex, bureaucratic society also as responsible for leading us from this state of grace. He refers repeatedly to a quote along the lines of, "We are not fallen angels, we have come up from the apes."
The last section, where the main character lives with a chimpanzee in a remote Portuguese village, exploring the countryside, is quite beautiful.
Mama Leone - Miljenko Jergovic
Another collection of short stories by Jergovic - kind of a series of collections within a collection. Most of the stories are about his childhood and the twisted relations and strange random events around him. Near the end, some of the stories deal with the period just before the war became really serious. I didn't find the stories about childhood so interesting - somehow they all seemed a bit too much the same. The emotions and relations explored are different, but the background against which this happens doesn't vary as much.
Thursday 27 July 2017
Les femmes et la guerre - Madeleine Gagnon
L'auteur visite plusieurs pays de conflit ou de sociétés oppressives (Macédoine, Bosnie, Israel-Palestine, Pakistan, etc) et fait des entrevues avec surtout des femmes qui racontent leurs vies et leurs difficultés quotidiennes. Gagnon ajoute aussi ses aperçus, ses commentaires et ses observations. Sujet intéressant où elle explore des idées difficile telles le rôle des femmes dans ces conflits ethniques, le rôle du silence et de l'interdiction sociale de discussions ouvertes dans toutes formes de violence, soit domestique soit inter-ethnique. En Bosnie, elles parlent de la violence inhérente dans la structure d'une société, et comment cela peut déborder dans un conflit tel qu'ils ont connu en Bosnie.
Malheureusement, encore une fois, son style pose des difficultés pour moi. C'est un peu trop flou, trop monologue intérieur, poétique ou il faut clarté et lumière nette.
Malheureusement, encore une fois, son style pose des difficultés pour moi. C'est un peu trop flou, trop monologue intérieur, poétique ou il faut clarté et lumière nette.
There's A Mystery There: The Primal Vision of Maurice Sendak - Jonathan Cott
An interesting, if a bit scattered, look at some of the deep psychodramas or psychoanalytical themes running through Sendak's books. He really does seem to write from some very deep grasp of the traumas and conflicts of childhood, and the struggle to become a separate, adult being and accept the fact. Rage, abandonment, realizing you are not the centre of the family (or the world), having to be self-reliant, all of these themes run through his book.
An interesting look at a very deep artist. But it also underlines how many writers and artists spend their whole life writing the same story, circling around the same trauma or issue. Deep, but a bit narrow in the end. Something you do if you have to, I guess.
An interesting look at a very deep artist. But it also underlines how many writers and artists spend their whole life writing the same story, circling around the same trauma or issue. Deep, but a bit narrow in the end. Something you do if you have to, I guess.
Thursday 20 July 2017
Sarajevo Marlboro - Miljenko Jergovic
A collection of short stories by a Croat writer from Sarajevo. The short stories all deal with bits of life during the siege, exploring chiefly the state of mind of people living under the siege, but in a round-about, reflected kind of way. A subtle exploration of the craziness that come with living this experience. Very low key, almost ironic. An examination of the normalization of extremes of experience.
Wednesday 19 July 2017
A Concise History of Bosnia - Cathie Carmichael
A well-written over view of Bosnian history from the Middle Ages through to the current situation. The book has an excellent introduction, with an overview of geography and how the people lived - kind of a sociological overview.
The section on the conflict in the 90s provided (for me) just the right amount of detail about key figures and key events. The book makes it very clear that the Serbs in Bosnia and their territorial ambitions really fuelled the whole conflict. Carmichael details how the majority of deaths and the majority of displaced people were Muslim. The majority of atrocities were also committed by the Serbs.
There is also some space devoted to the ridiculous and completely inadequate response of both the UN and the big international players throughout this whole conflict. Historical stereotypes and myths about the Balkans played a large role in their inaction which allowed the slaughter to go on for so long.
She also explores near the end of the book the dissonance this conflict created, especially for the younger, educated urban people, who socialized in mixed religious groups and who saw themselves primarily as Yugoslav. She also makes it clear how quickly the peaceful situation in villages and towns shifted, friendly neighbours suddenly on opposite sides, slitting each others throats, burning each others houses and raping each others families.
Carmichael and others are surprised at how current Bosnia still manages to function on a day to day basis when the brutal realities of the 90s still sit just beneath the surface.
The section on the conflict in the 90s provided (for me) just the right amount of detail about key figures and key events. The book makes it very clear that the Serbs in Bosnia and their territorial ambitions really fuelled the whole conflict. Carmichael details how the majority of deaths and the majority of displaced people were Muslim. The majority of atrocities were also committed by the Serbs.
There is also some space devoted to the ridiculous and completely inadequate response of both the UN and the big international players throughout this whole conflict. Historical stereotypes and myths about the Balkans played a large role in their inaction which allowed the slaughter to go on for so long.
She also explores near the end of the book the dissonance this conflict created, especially for the younger, educated urban people, who socialized in mixed religious groups and who saw themselves primarily as Yugoslav. She also makes it clear how quickly the peaceful situation in villages and towns shifted, friendly neighbours suddenly on opposite sides, slitting each others throats, burning each others houses and raping each others families.
Carmichael and others are surprised at how current Bosnia still manages to function on a day to day basis when the brutal realities of the 90s still sit just beneath the surface.
Monday 17 July 2017
Ten Myths about Israel - Ilan Pappé
Another brilliant book by this critic of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians.
The book is divided into three sections: myths about the past and the genesis of the state; myths about current situations and myths about the two state solution.
In the first section, there are some rather shocking bits of information that I was unaware of:
- Zionism began essentially as a European Christian powers projects and initially received little support from Jewish leaders - it was seen as a back door colonialist policy for dealing with the Middle East (which it in fact is)
- in the 30s, the Zionists tried to form an alliance with the Nazis to help them fight the British in the Mandate territories!
In the second section, he clearly outlines how and why the Israeli state is a colonial power and essentially a project of ethnic cleansing, by looking at patterns of land confiscation, abrogation of basic rights, persistent harassment and use of military and extrajudicial punishments.
In the section on Gaza, he also outlines his reasons for seeing the Israeli actions as a form of genocide, based mostly on the number of deaths and the overwhelmingly civilian nature of those deaths.
Throughout the book, Pappé also underlines how elimination of the Palestinian population has always been the goal, and how Israeli governments have never entered into peace negotiations in good faith.
A well-written book - direct and to the point.
The book is divided into three sections: myths about the past and the genesis of the state; myths about current situations and myths about the two state solution.
In the first section, there are some rather shocking bits of information that I was unaware of:
- Zionism began essentially as a European Christian powers projects and initially received little support from Jewish leaders - it was seen as a back door colonialist policy for dealing with the Middle East (which it in fact is)
- in the 30s, the Zionists tried to form an alliance with the Nazis to help them fight the British in the Mandate territories!
In the second section, he clearly outlines how and why the Israeli state is a colonial power and essentially a project of ethnic cleansing, by looking at patterns of land confiscation, abrogation of basic rights, persistent harassment and use of military and extrajudicial punishments.
In the section on Gaza, he also outlines his reasons for seeing the Israeli actions as a form of genocide, based mostly on the number of deaths and the overwhelmingly civilian nature of those deaths.
Throughout the book, Pappé also underlines how elimination of the Palestinian population has always been the goal, and how Israeli governments have never entered into peace negotiations in good faith.
A well-written book - direct and to the point.
Monday 10 July 2017
And the Weak Suffer What They Must? Yanis Varoufakis
An excellent look at the current crisis situation in the EU. Varoufakis discusses some complex economic models but he explains them clearly, so it is possible to learn quite a bit about macroeconomics. The goes over the Bretton Woods agreement, then the financialization structure that took its place after the Nixon Shock (when the US stopped backing European currencies at a fixed rate convertible to gold). He also traces the history of the EU idea from its earliest stages as a heavy industry cartel centred in France and Germany. He sees this origin as a corporate cartel as a major shadow hanging over the further development of the EU as primarily a regulatory economic block for large corporate interests - rules based, technocratic and essentially apolitical, asocial and antidemocratic.
He also looks at some of the shady practices of the EU bank in Frankfort leading up to the collapse of Greece and several other smaller EU countries in 2009. Predatory loan practices similar to the subprime mortgage crisis in the US. Banks pushing loans to high risk businesses and countries that could never pay them back, and then cutting the loans up to make derivatives of "shared risk" that were then sold to other EU national banks - who of course threatened to collapse when the true value of the derivatives emerged in the 2009 crisis.
He sees the EU technocrats and governing bodies as suffering from dogmatism which keeps them from seeing both the real nature of the economic problems and also the possible solutions which could be enacted (except that they come from outside accepted dogmatic thinking).
The German political and banking elite comes off quite badly in his analysis.
A complex book, worth rereading.
He also looks at some of the shady practices of the EU bank in Frankfort leading up to the collapse of Greece and several other smaller EU countries in 2009. Predatory loan practices similar to the subprime mortgage crisis in the US. Banks pushing loans to high risk businesses and countries that could never pay them back, and then cutting the loans up to make derivatives of "shared risk" that were then sold to other EU national banks - who of course threatened to collapse when the true value of the derivatives emerged in the 2009 crisis.
He sees the EU technocrats and governing bodies as suffering from dogmatism which keeps them from seeing both the real nature of the economic problems and also the possible solutions which could be enacted (except that they come from outside accepted dogmatic thinking).
The German political and banking elite comes off quite badly in his analysis.
A complex book, worth rereading.
Wednesday 5 July 2017
Goodbye Sarajevo - Atka Reid
A very personal story of the siege of Sarajevo and its effect on a family. Told from two perspectives. First, the story of the parents, children, and grandparents that remain trapped in Sarajevo for a good part of the siege. Second, the story of the three girls who manage to leave, and their life as young refugees in Croatia. The three girls are all under 20; the youngest is 13 at the beginning. The story of how they all end up reunited in New Zealand is very touching. A good personal account - puts a human face on all of this, though through luck, they manage to avoid most of the death and tragedies that touched most families in Sarajevo at that time.
Friday 30 June 2017
An Indigenous People's History of North America - Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A brilliant overview of United States colonial history with all the parts that are normally left out. Like the fact that the first settlers survived because they stole the food of Native villages, and forced them to hunt and grow food to supply the white settlement. It all starts right at the beginning of the history. The whole american dream built on theft and exploitation right from the start.
For me, her main accomplishment is how she places the whole process in the context of colonialism and colonialist structures as carried out by Europe in Africa and the Far East, and also the U.S. in more recent history in relation to South and Central America as well as smaller Pacific Islands. (Reading Varoufakis at the same time - I wonder if the whole post Bretton-Woods economic structure could be interpreted as a form of global colonialism?)
The usual american narrative avoids this colonial perspective by refusing to see the Native groups as nations with distinct and valid political structures and culture. Yet at the same time, the U.S. treaty history refers to Native groups as nations or political powers.
The book also raises the issue of how this extremely exploitative colonialism enriched the U.S. so lavishly that it created the base of wealth for them to be able to project their power and economic colonialism globally in the following decades and century.
At the beginning there is also a reference to colonial exploitation as a result of the nature of capitalism itself. I would like to read more about this idea to grasp it more fully. You can see a similar structure at work in England during the late 17th century is the early stages of capitalism - the Enclosures period, when small farmers and landholders were chased off their traditional land and traditional commons land was seized by the moneyed aristocracy to practice an early form of industrial farming. It is interesting to contrast this view of capitalism with the facts presented at the beginning of the recent book, Utopia for Realists, which highlights the rapid improvement in living conditions in the modern era due to the efficiency of capitalism as a system. Is it a questions of some advancing so far so fast at the expense of exploited others? How do you rebalance all this? If it is possible?
The book is a long litany of lies, broken promises, cruelty and absolute disregard for human life.
When you place this murderous colonial exploitation alongside the institution of slavery, you are left wondering how Americans can possibly see their country as the greatest nation on earth, and a beacon of civilization, progress and freedom. Tells you how deeply white privilege and superiority run in their culture...
For me, her main accomplishment is how she places the whole process in the context of colonialism and colonialist structures as carried out by Europe in Africa and the Far East, and also the U.S. in more recent history in relation to South and Central America as well as smaller Pacific Islands. (Reading Varoufakis at the same time - I wonder if the whole post Bretton-Woods economic structure could be interpreted as a form of global colonialism?)
The usual american narrative avoids this colonial perspective by refusing to see the Native groups as nations with distinct and valid political structures and culture. Yet at the same time, the U.S. treaty history refers to Native groups as nations or political powers.
The book also raises the issue of how this extremely exploitative colonialism enriched the U.S. so lavishly that it created the base of wealth for them to be able to project their power and economic colonialism globally in the following decades and century.
At the beginning there is also a reference to colonial exploitation as a result of the nature of capitalism itself. I would like to read more about this idea to grasp it more fully. You can see a similar structure at work in England during the late 17th century is the early stages of capitalism - the Enclosures period, when small farmers and landholders were chased off their traditional land and traditional commons land was seized by the moneyed aristocracy to practice an early form of industrial farming. It is interesting to contrast this view of capitalism with the facts presented at the beginning of the recent book, Utopia for Realists, which highlights the rapid improvement in living conditions in the modern era due to the efficiency of capitalism as a system. Is it a questions of some advancing so far so fast at the expense of exploited others? How do you rebalance all this? If it is possible?
The book is a long litany of lies, broken promises, cruelty and absolute disregard for human life.
When you place this murderous colonial exploitation alongside the institution of slavery, you are left wondering how Americans can possibly see their country as the greatest nation on earth, and a beacon of civilization, progress and freedom. Tells you how deeply white privilege and superiority run in their culture...
Wednesday 28 June 2017
Bosnian Chronicle - Ivo Andric
A novel set in Travnik during the late revolution Napoleonic period. It chronicles the life of the French Consul in a small town in Bosnia during the time period when the Ottomans were allied with the French and attempting to modernize their antiquated army and administrative structure.
It basically looks at the enormous gulf in world views between the locals and the Western European mentality as represented by the Austrian Consuls and French Consul. There is even a huge gulf between the Ottoman administrators and the local population, including the very conservative Muslims.
Some insights that he offers:
- the folding back into your religious community as a form of resistance and cultural survival strategy
- backwardness, self-imposed isolation and conservatism as a form of passive resistance to occupation
- the fragmented identities divided by religion as the main challenge to building a modern Bosnia as a country, even then; the need for a Bosnian identity that transcends religious identity or tribe - here he even predicts the violence and conflict that in fact arose after the "super identity" of Yugoslavia collapsed
For me, a bit of a slow read. Too much internal dissection and monologue of the characters' thoughts and feelings. Very 19th C in style.
It basically looks at the enormous gulf in world views between the locals and the Western European mentality as represented by the Austrian Consuls and French Consul. There is even a huge gulf between the Ottoman administrators and the local population, including the very conservative Muslims.
Some insights that he offers:
- the folding back into your religious community as a form of resistance and cultural survival strategy
- backwardness, self-imposed isolation and conservatism as a form of passive resistance to occupation
- the fragmented identities divided by religion as the main challenge to building a modern Bosnia as a country, even then; the need for a Bosnian identity that transcends religious identity or tribe - here he even predicts the violence and conflict that in fact arose after the "super identity" of Yugoslavia collapsed
For me, a bit of a slow read. Too much internal dissection and monologue of the characters' thoughts and feelings. Very 19th C in style.
Saturday 24 June 2017
Time to Start Thinking - Edward Luce
A very clear, sharp analysis of the many challenges America is facing as it slowly slips into decline. A chapter on each of several issues - middle class decline, poor education system, dubious value of free trade, outdated ideologies, rise of other dynamic and innovative economic centres, bureaucracy, political dishonesty, entrenched special interest groups.
Luce is only moderately optimistic that the situation can be turned around.
Very well-done. Doesn't seem too biased in any particular direction.
Luce is only moderately optimistic that the situation can be turned around.
Very well-done. Doesn't seem too biased in any particular direction.
Le Pont sur la Drina - Ivo Andric
Un classique d'un auteur de la Bosnie-Herzégovine. Il raconte l'histoire de Visegrad, une ville sur la Drina, à travers les siècles de l'occupation Ottomane jusqu'au début de la première guerre, tout centré sur ce pont qui semble indestructible. La première partie est très intéressante parce qu'il donne un aperçu, un goût de la vie de l'époque. Quand il arrive à l'époque moderne, c'est moins intéressant parce qu'il se perd dans les discussions idéologiques autour de l'indépendance et la politique.
Le livre se termine avec la destruction d'une partie du pont au debut de la guerre.
Il aurait été horrifié par les événements sur ce pont au cours de la chute de l'ex-Yougoslavie...
Le livre se termine avec la destruction d'une partie du pont au debut de la guerre.
Il aurait été horrifié par les événements sur ce pont au cours de la chute de l'ex-Yougoslavie...
Tuesday 13 June 2017
Bosnia-Herzegovina in Pictures - Mary Englar
A brief book about Bosnia-Herzegovina - really a book intended for high school use. Because of this brevity, though, you get a good overview of history and culture without getting bogged down in the more contentious aspects of the history and politics. Good starting point, with some references.
I Wouldn't Start from Here - Andrew Mueller
A collection of pieces by a former rock journalist who travels to conflict and disaster areas to report on them. The pieces are short; you can dip in and out.
His approach is a common-sense approach. Sometimes it can be refreshingly candid and highlight the absurdity or plain human stupidity of certain social and armed conflicts (ie. the societies themselves inflict their own wounds but can't see their way to change...) At other times, the lack of an historical perspective leaves his commentary seeming naive at best, willfully ignorant and western-centric at best.
Worth exploring.
His approach is a common-sense approach. Sometimes it can be refreshingly candid and highlight the absurdity or plain human stupidity of certain social and armed conflicts (ie. the societies themselves inflict their own wounds but can't see their way to change...) At other times, the lack of an historical perspective leaves his commentary seeming naive at best, willfully ignorant and western-centric at best.
Worth exploring.
The Fixer - Joe Sacco
A graphic novel by Joe Sacco that looks at the Sarajevo siege. Mostly made up of narrated bits from the siege as told by Joe's "fixer". It is mostly a look at how the "militias" slowly slide towards a kind of mafia operating in the areas they were holding. The relationship between these kinds of wars and criminals, gangs and psychotic individuals within the society. They are useful, but in the end, they do more damage than "good".
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Cirkus Columbia - Danis Tanovic
A film set in Bosnia just before the war between Serbs, Bosnians and Croats. Essentially a (somewhat stereotypical) love story set against the background of looming conflict. It touches on themes of the return of the immigrant, the cultural difference between developed Europe and the Balkans, the subculture of violence and machismo, the various self-interested forces that work towards creating this sort of disastrous conflict. Not as much depth and thematic consistency as Esma's Secret.
Esma's Secret - Jasmila Zbanic
A film set in Sarajevo several years after the war in Bosnia, focusing on a single mother and her daughter. The story is very well-told with a rich subtext touching on a number of issues - the effects of war on women and families, the culture of brutality and machismo that lingers, the lasting pervasive influence of violence and intimidation on social relations at all levels in all age groups. It also highlights the different approaches between men and women - men continue the culture of violence, women work towards some kind of collective support and healing.
Friday 26 May 2017
Earthly Remains - Donna Leon
Mystery/detective novel by a new author who sets her stories in Venice. Well-written, enjoyable evocation of the outers islands of Venice and the lives of the people there. The mystery builds slowly. Like Rankin, it is built on a real current issue or problem - the pollution and illegally dumped toxins that are killing the Laguna and surrounding waters, as well as some of the low lying lands. Must try some more by her - very prolific.
Istanbul - Thomas F. Madden
A history of Istanbul. Well-written. Unlike some of the other histories I have read, this one spends quite a bit of time on the period from the earliest establishment of the settlement by the Greeks through the Byzantine period. He also gives some background about the Roman Empire and its relationship to Constantinople. Madden also take it up to the period of Erdogan as mayor. Some of the early history gives you a different perspective on neighbourhoods in the city, the main streets, and also some of the historical monuments and buildings.
Je m'appelle Bosnia - Madeleine Gagnon
Un roman qui trace la vie d'une jeune femme à Sarajevo durant la guerre, et qui ensuite suit son exile en France et finalement au Québec. Je l'ai lu en vitesse comme il me semblait un peu long et divaguant. Une histoire à la fois racontée trop de surface et trop intériorisée. Les pensées et monologues intérieures de la jeune femme me semblaient un peu trop stéréotypées, comme les moments dramatiques de l'histoire.
C'est un style que je reconnais d'autres romans québécois, comme celui que raconte la guerre à Kigali, et aussi celui qui se déroule à Asbestos et à Val d'Or - mais ils sont plus réussis, du moins à mon goût.
C'est un style que je reconnais d'autres romans québécois, comme celui que raconte la guerre à Kigali, et aussi celui qui se déroule à Asbestos et à Val d'Or - mais ils sont plus réussis, du moins à mon goût.
The Nest - Kenneth Oppel
A children's novel by a well-known author. In some ways a typical children's novel with uplifting, affirmative theme - disability positive, accept your imperfections. The interesting thing in the book is the relationship the author builds between the main character and the queen of a wasp nest. The communication is cleverly handled, as well as the initial establishment of contact. The image of a nest of wasps slowly building a replacement baby for the family is quite bizarre. That little mix of horror/ Hitchcockian nightmare is what makes the book interesting.
Saturday 6 May 2017
Utopia for Realists - Rutger Bregman
This book opens with a set of surprising statistics that make you realize how much the world has changed in a positive way since 1900 - deaths from all causes are way down, wars are less common, major infectious diseases are disappearing, extreme poverty is down, hunger is down, literacy is up. Such a contrast to the picture you get reading the daily news media.
His central argument is how we need to rethink our relationship to work and income in this age of plenty, especially as machines become a progressively more productive part of our economy. One idea is that the time has come for a guaranteed minimum income for everyone - this includes a look at two surprising experiments with this idea back in the 60s in the US (associated with Nixon!) and Canada. The other idea is that we need to look beyond work to give meaning and purpose to our lives - the kind of socially positive activities that can be engaged in when work doesn't eat up all your time.
There are lots of other threads attached to this central idea - it is a rather dense book. Worth a reread.
His central argument is how we need to rethink our relationship to work and income in this age of plenty, especially as machines become a progressively more productive part of our economy. One idea is that the time has come for a guaranteed minimum income for everyone - this includes a look at two surprising experiments with this idea back in the 60s in the US (associated with Nixon!) and Canada. The other idea is that we need to look beyond work to give meaning and purpose to our lives - the kind of socially positive activities that can be engaged in when work doesn't eat up all your time.
There are lots of other threads attached to this central idea - it is a rather dense book. Worth a reread.
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
A strange book that you shouldn't want to bother reading, but somehow it keeps pulling you along. A man's wife disappears and he thinks about how to find her again. His mind and his life wander through a variety of strange ideas and situations - mysterious houses, bottoms of wells, psychic women that come and go inexplicably, threatening men lurking in the background, bizarre locations. In the end the story doesn't really resolve itself.
Somehow it is all woven together in a way that keeps you chasing after what will happen next.
Somehow it is all woven together in a way that keeps you chasing after what will happen next.
1177 B.C. - The Year Civilization Collapsed - Eric H. Cline
An interesting overview of the late Bronze age and the mysterious collapse of most of the powerful Bronze Age civilizations/states over a relatively short period of time - Cyprus, Minoans, Mycenae, Hittites, Mitanni. Egypt struggled, but managed to hang on. This book is essentially an overview of what is known about the last stages and final collapse of each of these civilizations. At the time, they created a tightly woven set of interdependent centres, trading food and other essentials (especially tin and other metals used for the creation of weapons) as well as luxury goods for the elites. They all used some form of writing for record-keeping, for letters and other communication both for government and for business - in fact, Akkadian was the Latin or English of the day.Within a hundred year period though, all of them collapsed, followed by a 300 to 400 year period of reorganization and renewal or establishment of new centres and cultures.
Cline also provides an overview of the various causes that have been considered by various academics. His conclusion is that the collapse was caused by the interaction of several factors over time. Earthquakes - the whole area was shaken by numerous earthquakes over a period of several decades, and "earthquake storm", which destroyed several key cities. Climate change - around 1177 B.C. the whole Mediterranean basin seems to have entered a drier period, which would have lowered ground water and affected agriculture. Internal revolts - in some places, the elites and power centres within cities seem to have been destroyed. This may have been related to famine and economic hardship. Economic disruption - as these centres had developed a highly interdependent economic trade system, disruptions in one part could have serious economic effects on other centres, especially the centres that relied largely on trade for their economy - leading to rebellions also. Warfare - there is some sign of invasion and destruction of some major centres by marauding bands, perhaps pushed to migrate by drought or economic failure. These sites are usually not resettled after the destruction.
After this period of collapse, writing systems seem to have fallen out of use, states became much smaller, and economic activity more local and more limited. As the author points out, this is a pattern that repeats itself in history in every part of the world where large empires come and go. Interesting to think of ourselves in this cycle...
Cline also provides an overview of the various causes that have been considered by various academics. His conclusion is that the collapse was caused by the interaction of several factors over time. Earthquakes - the whole area was shaken by numerous earthquakes over a period of several decades, and "earthquake storm", which destroyed several key cities. Climate change - around 1177 B.C. the whole Mediterranean basin seems to have entered a drier period, which would have lowered ground water and affected agriculture. Internal revolts - in some places, the elites and power centres within cities seem to have been destroyed. This may have been related to famine and economic hardship. Economic disruption - as these centres had developed a highly interdependent economic trade system, disruptions in one part could have serious economic effects on other centres, especially the centres that relied largely on trade for their economy - leading to rebellions also. Warfare - there is some sign of invasion and destruction of some major centres by marauding bands, perhaps pushed to migrate by drought or economic failure. These sites are usually not resettled after the destruction.
After this period of collapse, writing systems seem to have fallen out of use, states became much smaller, and economic activity more local and more limited. As the author points out, this is a pattern that repeats itself in history in every part of the world where large empires come and go. Interesting to think of ourselves in this cycle...
Monday 24 April 2017
Whores for Gloria - William T. Vollmann
A book built from Vollmann's time exploring Skid Row interviewing hookers, addicts and alcoholics. Seems to be an attempt to see and write from the mind of a character from that milieu. An exploration of the human relations and the fantasies or stories told in this world. No sense of judgement, blame, sociological analysis.
Strange man - if he is in fact setting out to deeply explore the worlds of those outside the middle class ficiton, I have great respect for that.
Strange man - if he is in fact setting out to deeply explore the worlds of those outside the middle class ficiton, I have great respect for that.
Arabian Nights - Robert Louis Stevenson
A collection of interrelated stories narrating the adventures of a main character. Clever. Centred on crime. A light read.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Famous story. The idea is better than the book itself. Maybe a theme more suited to today's more gory horror style.
The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson
A well-told story set during the period of the Wars of the Roses. Very evocative of the time, with those wonderful illustrations by N. C Wyeth.
Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson
Another great story by Stevenson. The plot is slower moving than Treasure Island, but there is a wonderful long section of wanderings around the Highlands as the two main characters hide from the police and army. The description of the settings is wonderful, and you meet a host of interesting characters. It gives you a glimpse of occupied Scotland in the 1700s and the political forces and conflicts of the time. There is also a section set in Edinburgh of the time, a swirl of crowds and narrow, twisting streets.
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
A very entertaining read due to Stevenson's incredible skill as a writer. The characters are wonderfully drawn, you can almost see and hear the settings. The plot line moves along and has some nice twists.
Stevenson produced some outstanding work. Seems he is much admired by a whole host of famous novelists.
Stevenson produced some outstanding work. Seems he is much admired by a whole host of famous novelists.
The Three Musketeers - Alexendre Dumas
The beginning of this book is O.K. - a bit slow but readable. As it progresses, however, especially as you near the end, I found it impossibly boring, repetetive and uninteresting. An historical novel for t19th C audiences. A certain idea of "swashbuckling" I suppose. The only way it could be interesting would be in the context of sociological study of the 19th C bourgeoisie and what this book could tell you about their imagined lives....
Never did manage to finish it.
Never did manage to finish it.
Rather Be the Devil - Ian Rankin
Another good one. This time the underlying issue is the Russian mafia and money laundering in England.
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow - Yuval Noah Harari
A very interesting look at some of the possible important trends emerging as a result of technological change largely. A look at how human potential is shifting as technology changes.
Some main themes:
- human immortality; the possibility of drastically increasing the human life span
- the slow, step-by-step ceding of control of decisions to technology (smartphones), big data and AI; what happens if (when?) AI begins to set its own priorities
- a brutal look at how humans have manipulated biology to produce the modern meat factory; the possibility that intelligent computers could come to treat humans in a similar fashion
- the importance of the stories we tell in the evolution of humans and society
- threats to liberalism as humans become less necessary as a work force
- the concept of living beings as algorithms; problems and issues with this idea
A brief summary. A very dense book. Worth rereading.
Some main themes:
- human immortality; the possibility of drastically increasing the human life span
- the slow, step-by-step ceding of control of decisions to technology (smartphones), big data and AI; what happens if (when?) AI begins to set its own priorities
- a brutal look at how humans have manipulated biology to produce the modern meat factory; the possibility that intelligent computers could come to treat humans in a similar fashion
- the importance of the stories we tell in the evolution of humans and society
- threats to liberalism as humans become less necessary as a work force
- the concept of living beings as algorithms; problems and issues with this idea
A brief summary. A very dense book. Worth rereading.
Saturday 25 March 2017
The Romani Gypsies - Yaron Matras
A book by a professor who has spent his career researching Roma language, culture and issues. A well-written overview with chapters looking at history, common cultural aspects shared by the diverse communities, language and dialect, historical and contemporary challenges to survival both as a people and as a culture.
He brings up many of the difficulties around these issues:
- the diversity of communities from country to country and the difficulty of creating an inclusive identity
- the challenges of survival while at the same time avoiding integration and culture loss
- the myth of gypsies within the dominant societies and how this is both exploited by Rom and also how it works against them
- the ambivalence about school with its needed skills to be learned, but at the same time being apart from the strong family culture that both ensures identity and cultural continuity
He brings up many of the difficulties around these issues:
- the diversity of communities from country to country and the difficulty of creating an inclusive identity
- the challenges of survival while at the same time avoiding integration and culture loss
- the myth of gypsies within the dominant societies and how this is both exploited by Rom and also how it works against them
- the ambivalence about school with its needed skills to be learned, but at the same time being apart from the strong family culture that both ensures identity and cultural continuity
Monday 13 March 2017
The Death of Mr Lazarescu
A film from Romania. Slow, gritty but somehow you get caught in the flow. It simply recounts an Lazarescu's illness and the subsequent saga of the ambulance team's attempt to get Lazarescu into a hospital to get treatment (150 minutes!). Perhaps a parable of the indifference and egocentrism of Romanian disctatorship? Perhaps a parable of how this dictator experience destroyed Romanian social fabric?
Bury Me Standing - Isabel Fonseca
A personal documentary piece of writing about Roma in the various eastern European countries. Fonseca lives with some families, does extensive interviews with others, and gets herself onto the inside of the lives the Roma lead. Organized by country, which lets her examine subtle differences in how Roma are treated in different countries. Mostly focused on current situations, as well as aspects of earlier 20th C history and how it has affected the various communities.
Some interesting ideas emerge:
1) It would seem Roma don't want to be integrated into European society generally. They have a strong culture and set of values that have been maintained for centuries (many of the roots trace back to Indian society and caste structures) and want to keep them. What they want is space to earn a living in a way suitable to them and a safe place to live without harassment and prejudice.
2) The industrial period has been very bad for them. The various tribal groups seem to have had skills that were valued - such as metal work, basketwork, horse trading, various traditional skills - and which they used to make a living as they traveled from one town to the next. Industrial production and modernization has essentially eliminated the need for these skills, and seems to have left many Roma with no way to earn a living. It seems to me that there is a certain inability to adapt here as the world changes around you. Traditional roles and values, a lack of understanding (perhaps) of the importance of education in today's working world, seem to work against resolving this problem of how to live.
3) This idea of standing apart, of being a social group that only integrates so far - mostly for economic reasons - that keeps to itself apart socially and in marriage. It would seem to be a threatening stance to majority social groups within a country. Something similar could be said about aspects of Jewish society in Europe as well. It creates group cohesion but it also puts you in a vulnerable position. In a way, same could be said about Palestinians in Israel.
4) Traditional Rom have a strong sense of contamination/purity and contact with certain thing can make you impure. It seems to focus on what you put inside your body, or inside your house. Some Rom won't eat outside the home for fear of ritual contamination.
Some interesting ideas emerge:
1) It would seem Roma don't want to be integrated into European society generally. They have a strong culture and set of values that have been maintained for centuries (many of the roots trace back to Indian society and caste structures) and want to keep them. What they want is space to earn a living in a way suitable to them and a safe place to live without harassment and prejudice.
2) The industrial period has been very bad for them. The various tribal groups seem to have had skills that were valued - such as metal work, basketwork, horse trading, various traditional skills - and which they used to make a living as they traveled from one town to the next. Industrial production and modernization has essentially eliminated the need for these skills, and seems to have left many Roma with no way to earn a living. It seems to me that there is a certain inability to adapt here as the world changes around you. Traditional roles and values, a lack of understanding (perhaps) of the importance of education in today's working world, seem to work against resolving this problem of how to live.
3) This idea of standing apart, of being a social group that only integrates so far - mostly for economic reasons - that keeps to itself apart socially and in marriage. It would seem to be a threatening stance to majority social groups within a country. Something similar could be said about aspects of Jewish society in Europe as well. It creates group cohesion but it also puts you in a vulnerable position. In a way, same could be said about Palestinians in Israel.
4) Traditional Rom have a strong sense of contamination/purity and contact with certain thing can make you impure. It seems to focus on what you put inside your body, or inside your house. Some Rom won't eat outside the home for fear of ritual contamination.
A People Uncounted
A film about the Roma in Europe - some historical overview, but mostly focused on "The Great Devouring", as they call the Holocaust experience during the Nazi period. Interviews with survivors of camps, of the Moldavian exile and starvation of Romanian Roma. Lots of great interview footage with Roma activists and historians also. An excellent film - moving, personal, yet includes some excellent critical examination and commentary.
A Canadian-made film.
A Canadian-made film.
Sunday 5 March 2017
Death's End - Cixin Liu
A long science fiction novel. Not a bad read, but it is the fantastic technology and futuristic science that keeps the book going. The character development is rather flat. Lots of interesting ideas around future worlds and the nature of the universe.
Fleshmarket Close - Ian Rankin
Another good read by Rankin. The issues explored in this book include immigration, exploitation of illegal immigrants, deportation and deportation centres/prisons; social and legal attitudes around rape and rape culture; corrupt business and ladder climbing in both corporate and public institutions. Rebus is, in fact, an incarnation of what it means to be human - the contradictions and conflicts in choices around good and evil, helping and not helping, acting in the personal sphere as opposed to the statistical sphere.
Saturday 25 February 2017
The Undivided Self - Selected Stories by Will Self
A chronicler of bizarre undercurrents in human relations. Some I find interesting. Some I find disturbing. Some I find drag on. Read a selection of them.
Sunday 19 February 2017
King Leopold's Ghost - Adam Hochschild
A brilliant piece of historical writing on a very charged and disturbing period in history.It is an interesting read and not because of the horrific abuse - the author does discuss this, but it is not the main focus of the book. He spends most of his time looking how this all came about, with background on the great European colonial period in Africa, on the situation and character of Leopold himself, and on the mechanics of organizing and carrying out such a horror. Hochschild also chronicles in detail the slow rise of international pressure to end this cruel exploitation.
I think this may actually be the most horrific massacre of the 20th century. Certainly the numbers justify this. But one other thing: this massacre was not undertaken for some bizarre ideological reason (Hitler, Pol Pot) or grandiose economic plan (Stalin) In the Congo it went of for 25 years purely as an act of individual greed on the part of King Leopold. This was not Belgium's colony - Belgian politicians wanted nothing to do with colonies. It was his personal cash cow - the only justification for the deaths and abuse was his desire for an endless supply of money.
The political manoeuvring around this exploitation is also interesting. The abuse was on the world radar for many years, but Leopold was a master at all the techniques that have become standard fare in the 20th C - buying off the press, starting your own publishing companies to pump out positive articles and studies (fake news), bribing politicians with money and shares, spreading disinformation, character assassination, framing the story in favourable ways, bringing business on board through special deals, offering show tours to journalists and investigators, starting your own human rights organization, buying off opponents. The only thing added by Hitler, Stalin, the U.S. et all seems to be political assassination... I wonder if he invented all this?
Oh, and of course, Leopold had one perversion - sex with underage girls....
Hochschild has also included an afterword touching on several related points. First, he points out that the nature of most colonialism is in fact slave labour. Funny I've never seen this stated so explicitly before - unfair taxation, theft of resources, oppression, exploitation, yes, but never the actual statement "slave labour".
He also discusses the curious fact that Leopold's scheme became such a focus when other countries - France, England, Germany - were exploiting their African colonies in exactly the same way. Why him, and not them? Also, irony in this as far as England is concerned, with their reputation of being a great anti-slavery nation.
Lastly, he touches on the continued sorry state of the Congo today. As if the colonial period was the model for civil society and "government" and the model has continued up to today, but with different players at the top - mining corporations and corrupt local strongmen.
A Great Reckoning - Louise Penny
Penny just keeps getting better. This book brings in many threads and characters from past books. This time the focus is on corruption and coercion in the police training system. She uses some great "out there" characters in this book.
A Question of Blood - Ian Rankin
Another good Ian Rankin read. Focus on post-traumatic stress in the military, and social nihilism in the young.
Tuesday 31 January 2017
Princes Amongst Men: Journeys with Gypsy Musicians - Garth Cartwright
A good source for bands, artists and recordings from all the Balkan Rom communities. It seems, though, as if the book (and accompanying CD) are biased towards music within the genre that has been heavily influenced by Western rock and pop styles. (Though, to be fair, this seems to be the music largely in demand now even within the gypsy community itself, at least according to the book.)
As with Armitage's book, for me there is also too much of the author in the book - his hangovers, his world music and blues references, his reactions rather than more description.
Still useful as a source book though.
As with Armitage's book, for me there is also too much of the author in the book - his hangovers, his world music and blues references, his reactions rather than more description.
Still useful as a source book though.
Walking Home - Simon Armitage
A poet's account of walking the length of the Pennine Way in England while surviving on people's generosity and hat collections at poetry readings. Some interesting information about the trail, the walk and the weather but a lot of the book was about the author himself and also quirky English ways seen from the inside. Not as interesting as some of the other walking accounts I have read, such as "The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot" by Macfarlane.
1956 The World in Revolt
An interesting idea. Looking at the seeds of many of the social revolutions that manifested themselves later in the century: Civil Rights Movement, South Africa, revolts in Eastern Bloc countries, new music and film in the West, shake-ups in the Soviet Union.
While worth a look, I found it a bit long. Chapters tend to circle back to the same themes without really adding a lot more to the discussion.
The interesting idea is seeing the roots of change that were to play out later in the century.
While worth a look, I found it a bit long. Chapters tend to circle back to the same themes without really adding a lot more to the discussion.
The interesting idea is seeing the roots of change that were to play out later in the century.
Brassai: Paris Nocturne
Beautiful reproductions. Some nice night work, especially the cityscapes. There are also some good ones of people, but many of them lack something - turns out many of his night shots with people portraying aspects of Paris "nightlife" were actually posed and paid for. Ara Güler's Istanbul street work is grittier and more authentic.
Wednesday 18 January 2017
The Gardens of Consolation - Parisa Reza
A novel chronicling the life of a family in a remote area of Iran from the early 20th century to the overthrow of Mossadegh. I think she creates a rick picture of the changing mentality and world-view as the generations move from the remote village, isolated and hemmed in by mountains, through a generations of migrants to the orbits of the larger cities, to integration of the brightest of the peasant-rooted generation into the universities and political struggles of Tehran at the time of Mossadegh. Reza has a way with the inner voices and echoes of the characters, from the illiterate mother married at age twelve and her shepherd husband to their university educated son.
A personal tale of various confrontations with the modernization and shifts in Iranian society. There is longing and respect for each character's inner world, whether that of peasant or educated elite.
An enlightening, thoughtful read.
A personal tale of various confrontations with the modernization and shifts in Iranian society. There is longing and respect for each character's inner world, whether that of peasant or educated elite.
An enlightening, thoughtful read.
Friday 6 January 2017
Nightwalking: A Nocturnal History of London - Matthew Beaumont
An exploration of night in the city of London through literary portraits from Chaucer to Dickens.
The book offers a great picture of the life of the street in pre-modern times, with all the sights, smells and sounds that are so often forgotten.
It is also a social history of the grind of poverty and the attempt to survive in periods when being poor and destitute was essentially criminalized. At the same time it is a history of the elite's exercise of control and authority in the urban environment, and the sense of threat that the street presented them. You get a sense of the authoritarian oppressiveness of the ruling class in English history.
There are several sections that explore nightwalking as an antiestablishment artistic/social phenomenon, which is interesting. Links to Wordsworth and other Romantic poets.
Dickens was also a great nightwalker, mainly due to insomnia - this walking is given credit for his understanding of the street and the many inhabitants of it, both low and high.
Well-written.
The book offers a great picture of the life of the street in pre-modern times, with all the sights, smells and sounds that are so often forgotten.
It is also a social history of the grind of poverty and the attempt to survive in periods when being poor and destitute was essentially criminalized. At the same time it is a history of the elite's exercise of control and authority in the urban environment, and the sense of threat that the street presented them. You get a sense of the authoritarian oppressiveness of the ruling class in English history.
There are several sections that explore nightwalking as an antiestablishment artistic/social phenomenon, which is interesting. Links to Wordsworth and other Romantic poets.
Dickens was also a great nightwalker, mainly due to insomnia - this walking is given credit for his understanding of the street and the many inhabitants of it, both low and high.
Well-written.
Thursday 5 January 2017
The Art of the Qu'ran - Massumeh Farhad
A catalogue of an exhibition from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
A large, high-quality catalogue with large reproductions and closeups of details. Many stunning illuminations. Some of the illuminations look like carpets on the page with the words in the centre surrounded by several layers of decorative borders. Also, a catalogue of the many styles and beauty of the written word in arabic script. Fabulous book.
A large, high-quality catalogue with large reproductions and closeups of details. Many stunning illuminations. Some of the illuminations look like carpets on the page with the words in the centre surrounded by several layers of decorative borders. Also, a catalogue of the many styles and beauty of the written word in arabic script. Fabulous book.
The Carpet and the Connoisseur - Saint Louis Museum
A fabulous collection of carpets, some over 400 years old. Excellent colour reproductions with closeups of details and information on origin, etc. for each carpet.
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