Mark Reece's Blog, page 16

Review- A confederacy of dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are few books that I can remember making me laugh aloud. Perhaps because reading is a solitary occupation, and laughter is social, I often don't laugh even when finding a book very funny. That was not the case with a confederacy of dunces.

The protagonist, who entirely dominates the narrative, is Ignatius J Reilly. He is an intellectual of the most abstract, disreputable type, obsessed with medieval philosophy, who purports to despise the modern world and all its comforts, criticizing everything around him in baroque language that no one he talks to understands. His attitude is pure posturing, as in reality, he loves the comforts of the modern world, with its junk food and warm houses. Like many people who are routinely disgusted, Ignatius appears to enjoy disgust, regularly going to the cinema purely to point out how repulsed he is by the films being shown.

In many ways, Ignatius is grotesque. He is entirely selfish, living off his mother, who he treats badly, is obsessed by pornography while constantly disclaiming it, he is dirty and obese. However, aside from the humour of his rants, Ignatius' absolute inadequacy makes him in some ways sympathetic. When his mother forces him to apply to jobs, absurdity follows absurdity. When a policeman attempts to arrest him, Ignatius responds with a declamation against the world, demanding to know why the policeman is not dealing with the city's 'fetishists and onanists'. It is skillful writing to make such an unappealing character not entirely dislikable.

In their own ways, the other main characters are equally as colourful and exaggerated. Lana Lee runs a sleazy bar/strip club that forms part of many of Ignatius' adventures. She is so mean that she waters down all the drinks. Ignatius' sometime friend/kind of girlfriend, Myrna, thinks that all social problem are caused by lack of sex. She constantly advises Ignatius to read articles she finds in journals before changing her mind when realizing that they were written by nazis.

The vividness of the characterization is matched by the vividness of the setting, with New Orleans depicted as having a bustling street life, filled with rundown factories, underground gay clubs, and bumbling 'undercover' policeman who are instantly spotted by the residents. There is an affection in the descriptions that sits curiously with the squalid poverty that forms the background of the book. Many of the characters struggle to get enough money to live, and having a job that pays below the minimum wage is a recurring theme.

Read this book. It is one that will generate opinions.



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Review- Why evolution is true

Why Evolution Is True by Jerry A. Coyne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In this book, Coyne sets out the different types of evidence that demonstrates evolution, rather like a detective, talking in turn about fossil evidence, vestigal organs, the ability of retroviruses to infect the DNA of their hosts, and other forms of genetic evidence, discussing how the different facts reinforce each other.

I enjoyed this book more than many other books about evolution because of the focus on the evidence. Coyne quotes specific fossil finds that demonstrate the evolutionary development of different species, for example, Tiktalik Roseae, which showed the connections between fish and early amphibians in the tree of life. A book like this one is important to show how many disciplines are required to advance knowledge, and how difficult it is to attribute scientific discoveries to any individual. Many of the points described were long known before their wider significance became apparent, such as the incredible fact that whales occasionally develop legs outside their bodies, complete with the same leg bones as terrestrial animals.

However, the book is not dry; on the contrary, it is lively and passionately written. 'Big truths' like evolution can only be established if enough people are willing to spend years or in some cases their whole lives pursuing the smallest of details in their fields of interest. Coyne gives many such examples, such as the scientists who followed up predictions from bio-geography about where fossils would likely be found if particular theories about ancient land movements were true, then devoted enormous amounts of time seeking out the evidence, often in difficult or dangerous situations. Such things can only be done by people who care passionately about their subject, and in the expansion of human knowledge. This passionate care about the natural world is also on display when Coyne talks about the fragility of island based ecosystems, and the dangers imposed on them by the introduction of outside pests.

I suspect the book would have been different had the author not been Amercian, to the extent that Coyne often contrasts the evidence that supports evolution with creationist claims. I understand that this is important in the political context of the USA, where Christian fundamentalism is a powerful force, but to an outsider, the whole evolution/creation 'debate' is silly. I hope that someday, a point is reached where the findings of biology can be discussed on their own merits, rather than focusing on that archaic sideshow. Of course, there is a discussion to be had about the philosophical consequences of any scientific finding, and Coyne touches on this in his final chapter. Evolution isn't a moral theory, and no moral implications flow from it necessarily. However, I would suggest that the common ancestry of all life on earth is fatal for doctrines that rely on ideas of hard human exceptionalism, i.e. the belief that humans are in some fundamental and absolute way different from other lifeforms on earth.

Coyne is wise not to get too far into the debates around sociobiology. The evidential base for suggesting that particular human behaviours are genetic in origin, rather than cultural, is often thin. There is a minor quibble I'd make when Coyne dismisses the argument that race is socially determined. He describes the idea as if its proponents suggest that ethnic differences have no biological reality of any kind. However, the argument is better stated that ethnic differences are minor in nature, and do not have explanatory power for social differences, such as why different ethnic groups have different educational attainments. Coyne acknowledges that the genetic differences between human 'races' are minor when compared with the genetic differences between them, which means that he gives implicit support to the social construction position.

In conclusion, this is a well written book that expertly arranges the key arguments that demonstrate evolution, arranging them in an informative manner. It increased my knowledge of the topic, and gave many suggestions for further reading.



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Review- Reading Lolita in Tehran

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nafisi was a professor of English literature in Iran during the Iranian 'revolution', when she resigned from her post after refusing to wear the veil or follow other restrictions following the establishment of the theocratic regime. Thereafter, she set up a private literary group consisting of a number of her most promising students (all girls, to avoid contravening regulations on the mixing of men and women), who discussed literature, and, usually obliquely, through reference to their personal experiences, political developments in Iran. The book is divided into four sections, loosely based around the themes developed in the novels of literary authors, and the book alternates between literary criticism, the stories of the women in the literary group, and Nifisi's own life.

Reading Lolita in Tehran is a memoir that has a semi-fictionalized feel. The author says that some of the names of the characters have been changed, and some of them feel a little stock, as if they might be several persons rolled into one. The women in the literary circle are introduced all at once, and several of them seem indistinguishable at times. On the other hand, some of the characters are strongly painted, such as Mahshid, who is a conservative Muslim who nevertheless has an ambiguous attitude towards the regime, and Mr Bahri, a student in Nafisi's class, who is a pompous and self-serving moralizer who refuses to look women in the eye. It is no surprise that the character traits on display, and the political concerns that absorb the protagonists, are universally familiar.

Although the book does not give a detailed description of the political events (as a memoir, it is focused on the author's experiences), it nevertheless gives an interesting insight into some of the disputes and struggles of the time. For example, Nafisi describes how many of her leftist students (foolishly) supported some of the authoritarian measures taken by the emerging theocratic regime, because they believed they had a common interest in opposing 'liberalism'.

The description of the theocracy shares many similarities with descriptions of other authoritarian regimes, with its distinguishing feature being an obsessive focus on the allegedly corrupting influence of female sexuality, and the accompanying fantasies about the purity of chaste women. One of the characters in the book describes women wearing the veil as pearls protected by oyster shells; a view that cannot survive interaction with actual women.

However, the main focus of the book is on the novels. In places, there are miniature essays offering literary criticism, which feel a little bolted on. Some of the author's comments seem lightweight (such as when she claims that the novel is an inherently democratic form because of its ambiguity, which feels odd- there is no reason why a dictatorship could not be mysterious too). Despite this, a real love of literature emerges, and the quality of the prose is often beautiful and powerful. In a memorable scene, the author puts The Great Gatsby on trial in one of her classes, the conservative students denouncing its immorality with arguments that are skewered by those who understand that the moral status of a book cannot be reduced to the actions of one of its characters.

Nafisi has a childlike love of stories (in the best way), that is very endearing. That is what I was left with after reading this book, and is why I would recommend it to others.



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Review- foundation

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'd never read Asimov before, and this book is the first in the 'foundation' series, which is supposed to be amongst his best work. The story is set amongst the 'galactic empire' in the far future, where human civilization has spread over many planets. Despite the apparent strength of the empire, a brilliant scientist, Hari Seldon, predicts its demise through his development of the doctrine of 'psychohistory', a means of determining the future of populations through a mixture of statistics and psychology. As a result, Seldon and his followers are exiled to a far flung planet where they establish the foundation of the title, which is dedicated to protecting civilization.

On the plus side, the book was easy to read, with enough factions and rapid changes of scene to maintain interest. The action largely takes place at a level of political discussions amongst leaders, trade disputes and the like, which is naturally going to be appeal to some readers more than others. There is an ambition of scale to the backdrop of the book that lends a grandiosity to events.

On the other hand, there is a strange lack of futurism for a book set so far in the future. Apparently, 10,000 years from now, the defining technology of civilization will be... atomic power. Patterns of speech and political organization are reminiscent of nineteenth century Europe (there are a lot of monarchies), and mayors smoke cigars. There aren't any woman in the future. The novel seems intellectually lightweight- the foundation is ruled by a series of 'great men', each of whom infer the future by follows the signs that Seldon left behind in his writings, in the best style of conspiracy theorists everywhere. This is fun, but not a plausible idea of how a technologically advanced society would develop.

Overall, the book is worth reading, and I will probably read the next one in the series at some point, although I wouldn't describe the book as a classic.



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Review- Maus

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Maus depicts the author interviewing his father, Vladek, about his experience of surviving the rise of the Nazis, and the holocaust. This makes the graphic novel a mix of styles- partly autobiographical, and partly fictionalized, with the story switching between the present day, where Vladek has migrated to the USA, and Vladek's experiences during the second world war.

The different nationalities within the story are drawn as different animals, with the Jews as mice, the Germans as cats, and Polish people as pigs. Depicting people as animals is a risky proposition (Nazi propaganda often used animal imagery), but it works here. A recurring image throughout the story is wailing mice with their heads tipped back and their mouth wide open. The artwork throughout the book is stark, black and white, with thick outlines predominating, adding to the taut style. The character of the author frets about his decision to fictionalize the story, creating a layer of irony.

Vladek is the central focus of the book. He survives through being very resourceful- during the period of Nazi persecution, and during his time in concentration camps, he is adept at identifying business opportunities that will keep him alive, first by trading his valuables, then whatever resources are available, such as clothes and cigarettes. Vladek observes queues in concentration camps, and works out the best place to wait to receive soup containing vegetables. However, in the modern day, he has become miserly and mean spirited, refusing to spend money on necessities, which damages his relationship with his family.

Vladek's first wife, Anja, survived the Nazi era with him, only to later commit suicide. He later marries Mala, who he constantly belittles for not living up to Anja's memory, and accuses of being motivated by trying to get his money. The character of Art Spiegelman worries that Vladek comes across as being an anti-Semitic stereotype, obsessed with business and money. The interactions between Vladek and his family are often very funny in the frustrations that his meanness cause, but are tinged with sadness too. Vladek seems to view his relationships in a cynical and transactional way- he feels that he needs to save money and food because no one would risk their life for nothing (i.e. he is taking precautions in case another holocaust occurrs). He speak about mass killings matter-of-factly. Furthermore, he doesn't seem to have learnt any overall moral lessons from his experiences, as demonstrated by his crude racism towards a black man, who he thinks might steal his groceries. The story is ambiguous about the extent to which Vladek's character was formed by his experiences, or whether his negative characteristics were always present.

The strand of the story set during the holocaust is dense, with a lot of history covered in a short period of time, including the increasing persecution of the Jews, the culpability of non-Germans in the events, and the role played by the 'Kapos' or prison guards, who were sometimes Jewish, misusing the power they were granted before often being murdered themselves. The book is not intended as a general history, but is horribly effective in depicting the insane cruelty that antisemitism led to, including a particularly horribly scene where German soldiers kill injured children by swinging them into a wall.

I strongly recommend this book. The artwork adds something significant to the subject matter, and the writing is rich and multi-layered, the characters depicted strongly, with their complexity depicted subtly and in few words.



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Urban sink gothic 2- an objective review

Kitchen Sink Gothic 2 by David A. Riley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I liked the story by Mark Reece. He'll go far.



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Review- On the nature of the universe

On the Nature of the Universe by Lucretius

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lucretius' epic poem ranges far and wide, from the formation of the universe, to the human body and its senses, with a focus on why death should not be feared. At the heart of his philosophy is the idea that all matter is comprised of atoms, and that the universe is formed by the movement of atoms, rather than the machinations of gods. This leads him to the view that the universe is infinite in scope but cyclical in nature- it will one day be destroyed. Although not an atheist (he references Roman deities several times, apparently accepting their existence), gods are spoken of as beings with superior power to humans, but no special claim on their attention.

As a poem, on the nature of the universe sometimes does not set out its arguments formally, but makes use of rhetoric and lyrical language to illustrate its positions. The first point that becomes apparent when reading the book is that despite the broad overlap between the claims made by Lucretius and the findings of modern physics, Lucretius' physics is highly speculative. This is to be expected, of course, for someone who did not have access to instruments to confirm things. For example, atomic theory is first demonstrated by positing that one can smell things without seeing them, and that one can be heated without seeing heat, meaning that those things must be comprised of 'bodies' (atoms) too small to see. This is a reasonable theory is the absence of anything to the contrary, then the argument proceeds in the same way, with inference built on inference, with little empirical confirmation at any of the stages.

Perhaps, at the time Lucretius wrote his poem, intellectual advance required such speculation, as it may have been too limiting to have simply said that little is known about a wide tranche of intellectual topics. Painting on a wide canvas does have it dangers however; the start of Lucretius' argument about the beginning of the universe is the assertion that nothing can come from nothing. Even if 'nothing' could be defined, that is not true logically (if an absolute 'nothing' could be imagined, it is hard to see why causality would apply to it), and perhaps not true empirically, given the findings of modern cosmology.

Lucretius' history is similarly speculative and built on compound inferences. One of the books of the poems describes the development of human civilization, and he states that belief in gods came about when people had visions of gods that they imbued with various powers. It's not obvious why this is a complete explanation for the creation of all religions, the origins of some of the more recent ones being better known.

Many of the arguments about physics and history are of historical interest only to the modern reader, but the more strictly philosophical arguments retain their power. For example, one of the best known arguments against fear of death is the observation that one does not fear the time before one's existence, which represents non existence just as surely as the time after one's death. This is a brilliant observation. Lucretius is keen to deny the existence of a 'soul', but one might point out that even if a 'soul' continued to exist after death, there would be no obvious reason to posit a continuation of identity between the 'soul' and the deceased creature, meaning that no living being should be concerned about even a hypothesized soul.

Putting aside the arguments advanced, the poem is often beautiful to a high pitch. At the start of book four, Lucretius creates an extended simile, comparing his poem to the practice of smearing honey on cups containing bitter medicine. It's a wonderful, and apt image, because there is much to enjoy in the power and wonder of the poetry, which give the book its thrilling power, and makes it worth re-reading long after some of its formal arguments have become whimsical.



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Birmingham Royal Ballet- Lazuli Sky

Sad though it is that there has been very little ballet this year, the Birmingham Royal Ballet has still been active enough to create a new programme, available through a streaming service. Although of course not as good as a live show, it is an innovative way to get around the current social distancing restrictions.

Lazuli Sky is a set of three short ballets, and was as beautifully edited and performed as one might expect from the BRB. For me, the stand out was the solo Liebestod, which starred Brandon Lawrence in a startling performance in which he was almost naked throughout.

Starting in a fetal position, Lawrence explored his surroundings like a growing child, its movements carefree and whimsical before a swift decline. Both beautiful and memorable.

This was perhaps not how director Carlos Acosta wished to start his directorship at the BRB, but it was a success nevertheless.

Review- Philosophical investigations

Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Ponderous. Is that a word or a sentence? Does it yet have any meaning? Perhaps the words used in this review are arbitrary outside the Goodreads language-game. How could one describe 'ponderous' without the use of more words?

That's enough words for now.



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Competition win

My story 'The epicentre' has won second place in the HISSAC short story competition.

See: http://www.hissac.co.uk/CompetitionDe... for further details. Congratulations also to the Graham Leitch (winner), and the other entrants.