It’s up—for your viewing pleasure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrOuTUFzFyE
If you don’t like it, just tell me you like it anyway.
April 6, 2025
Novels
Readers have had some great responses to my various book reviews, which I’ve been doing as of late. I have trashed some beloved novels, and folks took it pretty well—and agreed in many instances.
So, I thought I would provide a list of novels I think are good reads. Here’s twelve. All dudes. Sorry. I just think these are good novels that people might enjoy. Not a definitive list by any means:
• Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man – I just started reading this, and it is fantastic.
• David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest – I’m not trying to be obnoxious by including this. It’s just seriously an astounding artistic achievement.
• Joseph Heller, Catch-22 – A great WWII satire. Discover what a catch-22 really is.
• Aldous Huxley, Brave New World – One of the great dystopian novels; rewards multiple readings.
• John le Carré, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – Le Carré basically created the spy thriller. This is as good as it can be.
• Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain – Meet Han Castorp as he spends years in a sanatorium up in the Swiss Alps for tuberculosis. A rich novel.
• Bram Stoker, Dracula – Put “Frankenstein” aside. This is what gothic horror/romance is all about.
• Jack Schaefer, Shane – I read this in high school. Wonderful.
• JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings – An absolute masterpiece and one of the great works of English literature.
• Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina – Tolstoy at his best.
• Richard Wright, Native Son – One of those novels that widens your gaze and gets you to meditate on racism—and your involvement in it.
• Yevgeny Zamyatin, We – The novel that launched a genre. See where Huxley and Orwell did their shopping. Not a light read.
April 4, 2025
I shouldn’t even be posting this. I attempted to reread Catcher in the Rye and failed. I didn’t even make it 100 pages. It is, to use a friend’s imagery, like watching “dry paint.”
Reading Catcher in the Rye is to read the vapid thoughts of a sixteen-year-old dullard named Holden Caufield. Holden is lackluster, has lackluster conversations with his fellow teenagers, and doesn’t seem to like anybody or anything. The only time he shows any kind of enthusiasm is when some girl named Jane mentions him to his roommate. Naturally. But visiting an elderly teacher? This basically disgusts Holden, and you should be read how he describes the old man. I’m kidding, you really shouldn’t.If anyone feels I really missed something by closing this novel well in advance of its 275 pages, please share your thoughts.
I have been rereading novels that folks tend to ooh and aah over. Frankenstein is a dud. The Great Gatsby is pointless. Lord of the Flies is okay, but is poorly received and (I suspect) poorly taught. And ol’ Catcher in the Rye I couldn’t even finish it’s so stupid.
Back to Orwell, Herodotus, and Virgil.
Should I read To Kill a Mockingbird? Anybody?
https://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Rye-J-D-Salinger/dp/0316769177/
March 29, 2025
The Inquiry—update
Well, we have recorded two episodes: an intro and an episode on Stoicism. Things are going well. Much editing to do, but we'll be posting soon.
March 26, 2025
The Inquiry
We're basically open for business. (Basically?) Episodes forthcoming. But, y'know, the website's up! And we got a logo and everything!
March 24, 2025
Lord of the Flies
I thought I would take a break from Herodotus and give Lord of the Flies a re-read. For some reason it’s been coming to mind, and I decided to scratch said itch. It’s been twenty-plus years.
Unlike Frankenstein and The Great Gatsby, I enjoyed Lord of the Flies. That’s not to say there aren’t things about it that I didn’t particularly love. I don’t love the writing. I find William Golding’s descriptions and prose trying. But the story as a whole kept my attention; I guess I found it gripping—compelling!
One thing I don’t agree with is how the novel is generally received. The edition I read (Penguin, 2016) features an afterword by novelist Lois Lowry (The Giver) and a suggested reading list. Both emphasize the novel’s purported glimpse into the dark side of humanity. The suggested reading list includes books on serial killers and police brutality. Lowry assumes the orthodox tone.
Is this what the novel is about? It was certainly Golding’s intention to produce such a view of humanity—“the darkness of man’s heart.” But I ceased caring what artists think many years ago. It’s up to me as to what the text is “about.” When we hear the title Lord of the Flies, we picture chaos and violence. Young boys with their faces painted and total social breakdown. This is not what happens.
Yes, there is violence and painted faces. But things remain relatively well-ordered for 140 pages—of a 200-page book. There is a basic democratic arrangement and a rough division of labor for 70 percent of the book. On page 71, Piggy gets punched in the stomach for running his mouth, and on page 91 Jack delivers the judgment: “Bollocks to the rules.”
That said, it takes 140 pages for the situation on the island to go off the rails. And it does—partly. The problem is the character Jack, who is power hungry, craves status, and fancies himself manly. He then gets a few young boys to fall in with him, because he dangles fun and feasts for their temptation; they (very young boys) get to call themselves hunters, paint their faces, and kill pigs. Is this a glimpse into humanity’s dark side?
Indeed, humans can fall under the spell of awful people. Last November, 77 million Americans made that abundantly clear. But, history is replete with humans supporting the wrong person. Does Jack represent humanity? A prepubescent psychopath?—um … no. And the even younger boys who follow him? Do they represent humanity? Young boys are not exactly known for their critical thinking skills; they are representative of nothing but themselves.
In the second chapter of Rutger Bregman’s excellent book Humankind, he discusses what happened when real boys became stranded on an island in 1965. Referred to as the “real Lord of the Flies,” the boys cooperated, largely got along, and conducted themselves with civility. It crushes the “Lord of the Flies” myth that people in what philosophers call the “state of nature” will tear each other apart.
So, despite the common treatment and the author’s intentions, “Lord of the Flies is a decent read. I especially like the character Simon. His mental interaction with the pig’s head (the Lord of the Flies) is among my favorite scenes in literature.
Friend Michael and I are giving Virgil a break and reading George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia. Can’t wait.
www.amazon.com/Lord-Flies-William-Golding/dp/0399501487/
Unlike Frankenstein and The Great Gatsby, I enjoyed Lord of the Flies. That’s not to say there aren’t things about it that I didn’t particularly love. I don’t love the writing. I find William Golding’s descriptions and prose trying. But the story as a whole kept my attention; I guess I found it gripping—compelling!
One thing I don’t agree with is how the novel is generally received. The edition I read (Penguin, 2016) features an afterword by novelist Lois Lowry (The Giver) and a suggested reading list. Both emphasize the novel’s purported glimpse into the dark side of humanity. The suggested reading list includes books on serial killers and police brutality. Lowry assumes the orthodox tone.
Is this what the novel is about? It was certainly Golding’s intention to produce such a view of humanity—“the darkness of man’s heart.” But I ceased caring what artists think many years ago. It’s up to me as to what the text is “about.” When we hear the title Lord of the Flies, we picture chaos and violence. Young boys with their faces painted and total social breakdown. This is not what happens.
Yes, there is violence and painted faces. But things remain relatively well-ordered for 140 pages—of a 200-page book. There is a basic democratic arrangement and a rough division of labor for 70 percent of the book. On page 71, Piggy gets punched in the stomach for running his mouth, and on page 91 Jack delivers the judgment: “Bollocks to the rules.”
That said, it takes 140 pages for the situation on the island to go off the rails. And it does—partly. The problem is the character Jack, who is power hungry, craves status, and fancies himself manly. He then gets a few young boys to fall in with him, because he dangles fun and feasts for their temptation; they (very young boys) get to call themselves hunters, paint their faces, and kill pigs. Is this a glimpse into humanity’s dark side?
Indeed, humans can fall under the spell of awful people. Last November, 77 million Americans made that abundantly clear. But, history is replete with humans supporting the wrong person. Does Jack represent humanity? A prepubescent psychopath?—um … no. And the even younger boys who follow him? Do they represent humanity? Young boys are not exactly known for their critical thinking skills; they are representative of nothing but themselves.
In the second chapter of Rutger Bregman’s excellent book Humankind, he discusses what happened when real boys became stranded on an island in 1965. Referred to as the “real Lord of the Flies,” the boys cooperated, largely got along, and conducted themselves with civility. It crushes the “Lord of the Flies” myth that people in what philosophers call the “state of nature” will tear each other apart.
So, despite the common treatment and the author’s intentions, “Lord of the Flies is a decent read. I especially like the character Simon. His mental interaction with the pig’s head (the Lord of the Flies) is among my favorite scenes in literature.
Friend Michael and I are giving Virgil a break and reading George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia. Can’t wait.
www.amazon.com/Lord-Flies-William-Golding/dp/0399501487/
March 21, 2025
Brian Eno
I got Brian Eno’s new book, What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
For those who aren’t familiar, Eno was in the rock band Roxy Music, went solo, became a producer—of Bowie, the Talking Heads, U2, you name it—and along the way invented ambient music. I recommend any of his interviews or essays floating around in cyberspace. (Oh, and his music. LOL!)
Well, he’s mentioned for years he’s been working on a book, so this must be it. It’s quite short, heavily illustrated, features playful typography, and seems to be loosely modeled on a couple books by Marshall McLuhan that were reissued in the mid-1990s: The Medium is the Message and War and Peace in the Global Village. If you haven’t seen those, I recommend them.
Eno and coauthor Bette A. do a nice job exploring the concept of art, opening it up, and expanding its boundaries. If you’re interested in these things, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t enjoy this book.
For those who aren’t familiar, Eno was in the rock band Roxy Music, went solo, became a producer—of Bowie, the Talking Heads, U2, you name it—and along the way invented ambient music. I recommend any of his interviews or essays floating around in cyberspace. (Oh, and his music. LOL!)
Well, he’s mentioned for years he’s been working on a book, so this must be it. It’s quite short, heavily illustrated, features playful typography, and seems to be loosely modeled on a couple books by Marshall McLuhan that were reissued in the mid-1990s: The Medium is the Message and War and Peace in the Global Village. If you haven’t seen those, I recommend them.
Eno and coauthor Bette A. do a nice job exploring the concept of art, opening it up, and expanding its boundaries. If you’re interested in these things, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t enjoy this book.
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