Did not finish. I stopped at page 133. The format of this . . . novel? is disconcerting. I dislike the repellent subject, and the style is flat and deDid not finish. I stopped at page 133. The format of this . . . novel? is disconcerting. I dislike the repellent subject, and the style is flat and descriptive which is informative but seems casually light chat for such a heavy subject. I may come back to it in future, as this book does cover some good topics to think about. For instance, if Hitler had passed his art diploma the 20th Century history would've been very different. Likewise if Heydrich hadn't been expelled from the Navy. Another point the author makes on page 107 on "the vile Chamberlain, a man whose spinelessness is equalled only by his blindness."...more
I started reading Going Rogue in conjunction with Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels. Exploring Americana.
Going Rogue was a free discard copy from the loI started reading Going Rogue in conjunction with Jack Kerouac's Desolation Angels. Exploring Americana.
Going Rogue was a free discard copy from the local Library - as-new hardback, I guess probably nobody borrowed it. I thought I'd take it as I wanted to try and get an understanding of the far-right neo-con Republican viewpoint. I had already started reading Kerouac's Desolation Angels when I started reading the first few pages of Going Rogue just to see what it is like. Initially intrigued me as it was surprisingly similar in content i.e. - wilderness, and the style of flat writing focusing on the everyday, people, places, and daily routine. Although the worlds diverged as I progressed.
P.54 - ' "Normal" is a subjective concept.'
By page 85 it was looking a bit daunting with another 328 pages to go, with two consistent narratives going. - i.e:- I am ordinary, normal, an average everyday worker, just like everybody, at the same time, I am exceptional, higher standards, higher achiever.
The quote preceding chapter one says "I don't believe that God put us on earth to be ordinary." The first sentence of chapter one kicks off as if it could be straight from the start of Desolation Angels. "With the gray Talkeetna Mountains in the distance and the first light covering of snow about to descend on Pioneer Peak, I breathed in an autumn bouquet that combined everything small-town America with rugged splashes of the Last Frontier." Chapter One, 'The Last Frontier' is all living and growing up in bountiful gorgeous pristine wilderness, all God's creation. By Chapter Three, it's all 'Drill, Baby Drill', exploiting Alaska's abundant natural oil and gas resources.
Chapter Two is establishing her early influences and direction in political alliance. I found this interesting, the selective bias to conservative merits, and ignoring the glaring faults, like Watergate, etc., while listing liberal faults. The bold, bald selective bias in stating her reasons in support of Republican policies and strengths at the same time ignoring the flaws and weaknesses, while listing Democrat flaws. I wondered are we meant to take this seriously? The selective thinking is consistent throughout, which is amusing and disturbing at the same time. Example: pages 45, 46, 47. The Carter / Reagan Iran hostage release of fifty-two Americans, claiming that President Carter did nothing and the hostages were released just as Reagan was elected, saying "I had followed the Iran hostage crisis and remember wondering why President Jimmy Carter didn't act more decisively." Hostages for 444 days, and all returned home. And she gives President Carter no credit for that.
This passage encapsulates the tone of the book. 'If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore: "If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?" '
It goes on,
'As governor, though, hunting WAS an issue. I would face pressure from Hollywood to halt hunting, ban guns, and end our state's wildlife management practices, such as controlling predators. I said no to all that nonsense: gun bans would destroy the Second Amendment, and as a lifelong member of the NRA (Alaska has the highest NRA membership per capita in the nation), I had plenty of backup telling Hollywood liberals what I thought of their asinine plans to ban guns. And we HAD to control predators, such as wolves, that were decimating the moose and caribou herds that fed our communities. One animal rights group recruited a perky, pretty celebrity to attack our scientifically controlled, state-managed wolf-control program. It was ironic that she opposed using guns to kill predators that would cause Native people to starve, but apparently not opposed to taking movie roles in which she'd use guns to kill predatory people.'
By contrast, here's some statistics taken from various sources on the internet.
On average there are nearly 12,000 gun homicides a year in the U.S. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of firearm deaths in the U.S. are suicides.
169,395 firearm deaths in the US from 2011 - 2015. Seven children and teens (19 or under) are killed with guns in the U.S. on an average day.
2015 - 13,286 killed in the US by firearms.
2013 - U.S. annual gun deaths and injuries - 73, 505 non-fatal firearm injuries, 33,636 deaths due to firearms
'In the United States, the death rate from gun homicides is about 31 million people - the equivalent of 27 people shot dead every day of the year'. New York Times, June 2016
This is what I can't understand about America.
I'm calling it quits at the half way mark. Can't take any more of the mindless jingoism, the simplistic arrogant world view.
This is not an espionage novel. I bailed on page 113, had enough, abandoned. It was just wasn't going anywhere. It is pretty dry, mostly descriptive oThis is not an espionage novel. I bailed on page 113, had enough, abandoned. It was just wasn't going anywhere. It is pretty dry, mostly descriptive of equipment or a room. It was getting boring around page p. 90 finding it hard to follow what the author is saying - all the detail and conversation. It seems like a lot of filler padding out the story. I started to get it about half way, it is not about a story, there is no story as such, the novel is about describing the actual unglamorous world of espionage. It could be described as a realist novel. It is important to remember the The Ipcress File was written during the Cold War, published 1962, so it would have had a different authenticity, mood, veracity, ambience, atmosphere, than it does today. Maybe the book is now dated and wouldn't have stayed in circulation if not for the film. This is one case of the film being better than the book. The film's iconic status is in part due to John Barry's film score, and the theme tune, The Ipcress File, which captures the atmosphere of the shadowy world of espionage like no other....more
I'm giving it up with 'Collected Stories' after having read 'Red Leaves', which is about some Indians discussing whether to eat their Negro slaves. ThI'm giving it up with 'Collected Stories' after having read 'Red Leaves', which is about some Indians discussing whether to eat their Negro slaves. This is too much for me I'm afraid. We were warned from the back cover synopsis - 'In this extraordinary collection, Faulkner captures the bitter tensions of America's Deep South. - - Faulkner's muscular, vivid prose lays bare the anguish of the land riven with violence and racial conflict, and the pathos, dignity and troubled history of its people.' 'If you imagine Huckleberry Finn living in the House of Usher and telling stories while the walls crumble about him, that will give you the double quality of Faulkner's work at its best.'
All the stories are mostly unrelentingly depressing with no hint of joy or happiness, but that last one decided it for me. The stories are all different, but all the same in a way. I found it hard going with so much talking about 'niggers' a lot of the time. I think the writing is different to Faulkner's novels, which are more demanding and have a cinematic structure which I like. I love the novels I've read so far and will not be discouraged from reading others.
Discontinued reading at chapter 12, page 31. Surprisingly disappointed in this, To Be a Pilgrim, the second of the trilogy. I read The Horse's Mouth fDiscontinued reading at chapter 12, page 31. Surprisingly disappointed in this, To Be a Pilgrim, the second of the trilogy. I read The Horse's Mouth first, a long while ago, a great book, and a favourite. Next I read Herself Surprised, also excellent. To Be a Pilgrim is told in the first person of Tom Wilcher, and Sara Monday/Jimson is barely mentioned and I couldn't find Gulley Jimson mentioned anywhere from searching through the novel. To Be a Pilgrim got off to a long slow start in Tom recalling his privileged childhood endlessly fighting with his sister Lucy. Boring....more
