Comments for Evex's Weblog http://evex.wordpress.com Just another WordPress.com weblog Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:16:03 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Blindness – José Saramago by FirecrackerX http://evex.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/blindness-jose-saramago/#comment-103 FirecrackerX Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:16:03 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=156#comment-103 Hello, around a year ago I posted over here, when you were reading 'Nights at the circus'. Since then I've seen some of your posts and I really love the way you discuss about literature. May I get in touch with you via e-mail? You have my address right here. I'd be really thankful if you could drop me a word so I can write to you and ask you a couple of things. Thanks in any case! Hello, around a year ago I posted over here, when you were reading ‘Nights at the circus’. Since then I’ve seen some of your posts and I really love the way you discuss about literature. May I get in touch with you via e-mail? You have my address right here. I’d be really thankful if you could drop me a word so I can write to you and ask you a couple of things. Thanks in any case!

]]> Comment on The Road – Cormac McCarthy by Blindness – José Saramago « Evex’s Weblog http://evex.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/the-road-cormac-mccarthy/#comment-92 Blindness – José Saramago « Evex’s Weblog Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:48:21 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/the-road-cormac-mccarthy/#comment-92 [...] but thought provoking book that reminded her of Day of the Triffids. Paddy compared it to The Road, in that although they are excellent books, they can provoke a feeling of desolation in the reader! [...] [...] but thought provoking book that reminded her of Day of the Triffids. Paddy compared it to The Road, in that although they are excellent books, they can provoke a feeling of desolation in the reader! [...]

]]> Comment on Borderliners – Peter Hoeg by Ann http://evex.wordpress.com/2009/05/24/borderliners-peter-hoeg/#comment-90 Ann Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:49:04 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=121#comment-90 I think the whole book has disturbing implications for my teaching practice Eve!! I was really curious about what everyone said about the end of the book and was determined to finish it. Wierdly enough, I loved the last part!! I understand (I think) why most of us thought it felt a bit tagged on, and a departure from the style of the preceding narrative, but for me it made the position of the narrator explicit. We learn about his own emotional breakdown and how he coped as an adult, by analysing his own relationship with time. Time as we know it IS a modern invention; in order to operate "productively" in an industrial society we must learn how to normalise our lives to a uniform rhythm. The narrator is highly sensitive; he knows he is being "worked on" and "normalised" and treats it with suspicion. He has an analytical mind and he wants to know what is going on and why. However, most people tend towards conservatism and conformism, and like the teachers, believe the best thing they can do is perpetuate the norm, without questioning it or thinking too much about it. I think that's why the whole system reacts so violently against Peter. He ends up being institutionalised because he won't conform unquestioningly and because "they" can't understand his logic, they accuse him of deviance. It's a very clever book a very thought provoking. Hmmmmm...! Another far too long comment from me. I have actually finished our next book already so I won't need to add a giant postscript next month!!! Ann ;o) I think the whole book has disturbing implications for my teaching practice Eve!!

I was really curious about what everyone said about the end of the book and was determined to finish it. Wierdly enough, I loved the last part!! I understand (I think) why most of us thought it felt a bit tagged on, and a departure from the style of the preceding narrative, but for me it made the position of the narrator explicit. We learn about his own emotional breakdown and how he coped as an adult, by analysing his own relationship with time. Time as we know it IS a modern invention; in order to operate “productively” in an industrial society we must learn how to normalise our lives to a uniform rhythm. The narrator is highly sensitive; he knows he is being “worked on” and “normalised” and treats it with suspicion. He has an analytical mind and he wants to know what is going on and why. However, most people tend towards conservatism and conformism, and like the teachers, believe the best thing they can do is perpetuate the norm, without questioning it or thinking too much about it. I think that’s why the whole system reacts so violently against Peter. He ends up being institutionalised because he won’t conform unquestioningly and because “they” can’t understand his logic, they accuse him of deviance. It’s a very clever book a very thought provoking. Hmmmmm…! Another far too long comment from me. I have actually finished our next book already so I won’t need to add a giant postscript next month!!!

Ann ;o)

]]> Comment on Out Stealing Horses – Per Petterson by mythshifter http://evex.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/out-stealing-horses-per-petterson/#comment-86 mythshifter Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:56:24 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=107#comment-86 Hi, I'm really disappointed that I missed this meeting, because I really loved this book. I haven't engaged with a book in this way for a while - it made me feel like I was on holiday every time I picked it up! I think the simple, unromantic, unsentimental descriptions of the natural environment really drew me in. I identified with it and re-created it in my imagination rather than being bashed over the head with Very Clever Language... the male relationships were very important, and it was interesting to read a bit about what the book club lads thought on this score. Certainly they struck a chord with me. I don't agree that female relationships were less important though, I think they were central. The men are either pulled helplessly towards their women (Jon's mother, the dairy maid) or running away from them (Trond's mother and sister, Trond's divorces, Trond's daughters). The author doesn't give into the temptation of analysing their actions and motivations because this would be totally out of character for his narrator. However, when he describes how he deliberately chose his father over his mother, then says he probably made the wrong choice, he reverses the premise of the entire book. Anyway, I could rattle on about this for ages, it was very short as novels go but very thought-provoking. Thanks for picking it, Martin! And I agree, Eve, definite recommendation. Ann ;o) Hi, I’m really disappointed that I missed this meeting, because I really loved this book. I haven’t engaged with a book in this way for a while – it made me feel like I was on holiday every time I picked it up! I think the simple, unromantic, unsentimental descriptions of the natural environment really drew me in. I identified with it and re-created it in my imagination rather than being bashed over the head with Very Clever Language… the male relationships were very important, and it was interesting to read a bit about what the book club lads thought on this score. Certainly they struck a chord with me. I don’t agree that female relationships were less important though, I think they were central. The men are either pulled helplessly towards their women (Jon’s mother, the dairy maid) or running away from them (Trond’s mother and sister, Trond’s divorces, Trond’s daughters). The author doesn’t give into the temptation of analysing their actions and motivations because this would be totally out of character for his narrator. However, when he describes how he deliberately chose his father over his mother, then says he probably made the wrong choice, he reverses the premise of the entire book. Anyway, I could rattle on about this for ages, it was very short as novels go but very thought-provoking. Thanks for picking it, Martin! And I agree, Eve, definite recommendation.
Ann ;o)

]]> Comment on The Stepmother’s Diary – Fay Weldon by evex http://evex.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/the-stepmothers-diary-fay-weldon/#comment-85 evex Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:01:12 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-85 I'm not sure about the new theme myself but will give it a chance to win me over! I think I was a teenager when I last read any of her books - might be interesting to revisit them and see if they were actually as good as I remember! I’m not sure about the new theme myself but will give it a chance to win me over! I think I was a teenager when I last read any of her books – might be interesting to revisit them and see if they were actually as good as I remember!

]]> Comment on The Stepmother’s Diary – Fay Weldon by mythshifter http://evex.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/the-stepmothers-diary-fay-weldon/#comment-84 mythshifter Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:08:13 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-84 Excellent summary Eve - and very chocolatey new theme! Hmmm kind of Flake and Galaxy rolled into one. I read a critique of Weldon which described her characters as puppets that she moves around the stage - she being the (heavily) interventionist god-like author. Maybe if she made herself, as the narrator, a proper character, this would be easier to get around. This style has worked well for me in other books of hers, but this lot did seem more two dimensional than the others. Maybe she's just getting tired... Excellent summary Eve – and very chocolatey new theme! Hmmm kind of Flake and Galaxy rolled into one. I read a critique of Weldon which described her characters as puppets that she moves around the stage – she being the (heavily) interventionist god-like author. Maybe if she made herself, as the narrator, a proper character, this would be easier to get around. This style has worked well for me in other books of hers, but this lot did seem more two dimensional than the others. Maybe she’s just getting tired…

]]> Comment on The Jungle – Upton Sinclair by Survival Christmas http://evex.wordpress.com/2008/12/28/the-jungle-upton-sinclair/#comment-82 Survival Christmas Fri, 02 Jan 2009 08:00:49 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=76#comment-82 Sinclair protested against the ban on Boston Common wearing a fig leaf sandwich board, and hoped to fight the ban in an obscenity trial. <a href="http://giftideas.postedpost.com/survival-christmas-christmas-presents-spending-gifts-christmas/" rel="nofollow">Survival Christmas</a> Sinclair protested against the ban on Boston Common wearing a fig leaf sandwich board, and hoped to fight the ban in an obscenity trial. Survival Christmas

]]> Comment on Veniss Underground – Jeff Vandermeer by Ciara http://evex.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/veniss-underground-jeff-vandermeer/#comment-81 Ciara Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:24:26 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=51#comment-81 So it has to be Azimov for seminal SciFi!!!! So it has to be Azimov for seminal SciFi!!!!

]]> Comment on Veniss Underground – Jeff Vandermeer by Paddy http://evex.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/veniss-underground-jeff-vandermeer/#comment-80 Paddy Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:10:36 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=51#comment-80 Hey all. Here is a link to a web archive of a discusion thread that MJ Harisson started, discussing the new weird and its uses ( or lack of them) http://web.archive.org/web/20030608134737/http://www.ttapress.com/discus/messages/30/764.html?1052820049 Parts of this discussion are also printed in the New Weird anthology, that ann mentions. I particularly like Steph 's post (tenth one from the top - I am assuming this is Steph Swainston, but not sure). Anyway, great summary of the meeting, Eve, and cheers ,Jeff, for commenting:) Back to marking essays :( Hey all.
Here is a link to a web archive of a discusion thread that MJ Harisson started, discussing the new weird and its uses ( or lack of them)

http://web.archive.org/web/20030608134737/http://www.ttapress.com/discus/messages/30/764.html?1052820049

Parts of this discussion are also printed in the New Weird anthology, that ann mentions. I particularly like Steph ’s post (tenth one from the top – I am assuming this is Steph Swainston, but not sure).

Anyway, great summary of the meeting, Eve, and cheers ,Jeff, for commenting:)

Back to marking essays :(

]]> Comment on Girl Meets Boy – Ali Smith by evex http://evex.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/girl-meets-boy-ali-smith/#comment-79 evex Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:55:57 +0000 http://evex.wordpress.com/?p=33#comment-79 Thanks Nicky, always on the lookout for Eve based fiction! Thanks Nicky, always on the lookout for Eve based fiction!

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