Obsessive Compulsive Reading Disorder

Review for Nabokov's The Enchanter

2009-08-05T14:33:00.002-04:00

While Lolita may have been his commercial apex of his literary career, The Enchanter has by far a more impressive conclusion that doesn't disappoint with a dissatisfying ending after having endured all of the trials and difficulties of Humphert Humphert, but rather ends in the midst of the action leaving the reader to decide whether or not the anti-protagonist is caught. It is essentially Lolita condensed without all of the tiresome descriptions and nauseating plot twists, leaving the reader no less satiated with the intrigue of the novel's focus through the periscope of Nabokov's distinctive writing style. It is inherently the same story with only a shift in the scenario of the man's relation to the family, the appearance of the mother, and the predicament facing the protagonist, but the objective of his schemes are still the same: find a way to isolate the girl and make unadulterated love to her. Also it is interesting to see how the enchanter enchants since he lacks the advantage of Humpher Humphert's dashing good looks and must seek to assert his long unused charm to entice the mother into his proposition. So not only is he the flawed warped hero he is also mmore appealing to the reader's sympathy where as his successor in Lolita came across as a sophisticated pedophile, Dynisian playboy of nymphettes, which never fails to remind the audience of h is innate corruption, unlike the enchanter, who's secual preversion may be a product of his physical shortcomings. The Enchanter also begins with a tirade of sorts, an attempt to either justify his crime or seek an excuse for his absence of guilt, which may cause some readers who enjoyed Lolita's playful introductory paragraphs to disapprove, but it adds a sense of conflict over how the narrator percieves his love of young girls over how society views it, how he considers himself to metaphorically be a "pick pocket, not a burglar," is a complete turn around from Lolita's uniform dealing of the subject, where the sexual tampering of preteens is not handlesd in degrees but wrapped in a single veil of inarguable conviction. It is always villain versus society, not villain versus himself, villian versus society, society versus villian's perception o himself, and the perception fighting against the villian as the Enchanter presents in multiple variety. While it fails to be recognized as one of Nabokov's most influential achievements it neer the less deserves to be aon the shelf of any literary collection and should be included always as the companion of his beloved, Lolita.

Review for the Subtle Knife

2009-07-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

Since all of the background information was covered within the first novel in the His Dark Materials series this heart pounding sequel immediately begins in the heat of Lyra's escape into an alternate universe where she comes in contact with her protector to-be and discovers more about the enigmatic dust and the role it plays in the fate of men. While simultaneously offering an enjoyable fantasy escapist read, Pullman's second novel in his internationally bestselling trilogy is at it's heart an allegory singling out the fall of any organization or institution that demands unfailing obedience. Within the range of his criticism lies not only the church but God himself since his followers attempt to rob Lyra's world of all that makes it worth living in. A quote spoken by Will's father betrays the philosophical conflict that rests at the heart of the novel's structure:

"There are two great powers..and they've been fighting since time began. Every advance in human life, every scrap of knowledge and wisdom and decency we have has been torn from one side by the teeth of the other. Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously between those who want to know more and be wiser and stronger, and those who want us to obey and be humble and submit." Pg. 283

Of course the controversy stems from the implication that to believe in god is to sacrifice over your freedom of living, which as an aethteist the author of this review agrees with Pullman since to believe in an ability surpassing all human ability is to admit in your own inadequacy. But Pullman does not bludgeon the reader with this suggested philosophical viewpoint but rather inserts it subtly into the fabric of the story line. Meanwhile its woven through the course of four alternating perspectives that all lead to one climatic conclusion in preparation for the series final installment. Pullman deftly crafts a modern twist on Milton's timeless classic Paradise Lost that appeals to young readers and adults alike without drawing them through miry pits of miltonian english verse. He uses the frame story so well that it gives justice to it's source while creating a genre of celestial warfare that is an original genre all his own. By the end of the book the reader is craving for more of the action that only Pullman can deliver.

Commentary on The Voyage Out

2009-07-18T14:52:00.002-04:00

The Voyage Out is a tale about the progression of maturity in the life of one overly sheltered twenty four year old woman named Rachel. When her aunt discovers how utterly ignorant she is of the natural interactions between men and women she personally takes on the role of tutor to school her in the ways of society. Of course, the obvious metaphor suitable for symbolizing Rachel's ascent into womanhood is a sea fairing voyage where she discovers the vastness of the world she was never permitted to see under the dominion of her puritan aunts and father, who is obsessed with raising her in an acceptable manner in atonement for his maltreatment of his wife. Whether the voyage in question is leaving behind the ignorance of her youth or perhaps a new code of expected behavior she encounter's in society has yet to be seen. But certainly Woolf will not fail to clarify that before the conclusion of the novel.

TO my surprise, the voyage out was actual the final voyage, death.

Commentary on Light Before Day

2009-07-18T14:35:00.001-04:00

Although it is not characteristic of me to discuss commercial fiction, Christopher Rice is an accomplished young novelist worthy of attention. In his third novel concerning the under workings of the underground gay community, Rice takes the reader on a journey through scattered events that seem about as related as the sun is to pluto, everything from a blackmailing ex boyfriend to a series of meth lab explosions and kiddie porn rings operated by wealthy homosexuals. But reporter Adam Murphy finds himself compelled to find the connection because of his personal interest in the as well as its offer of a chance to further distract himself to help further prolong his sobriety.
In comparison to Christopher’s bestselling mother’s work, his style is minimalistic and terse, lacking the laconic and profuse monologue like narratives that guide Anne’s characters through their supernatural setting. He’s more comfortable with interjecting modern lingo appropriate for a modern mystery novel, which sets it world’s away from the primarily historical backgrounds for his mother’s stories. He doesn’t possess her descriptive agility either and provides only what is necessary for understanding while using dialogue, action, and the narrator’s thoughts to cover most of the page. His characters are burdened with real life problems that enable the audience to empathize with the flawed protagonist, which is vastly dissimilar to the immortal tragedies and dilemmas plaguing Anne’s undead. But to give Christopher the proper amount of justice the he is due as an individual it is hardly to his credit to compare him with an author specializing in a completely distant and different drama. Although Light After Dark is fraught with an equivalent amount of drama as his debut novel, A Density of Souls here it is more subdued and obvious that his approach to it has matured since the angst driven hatred and sexual tensions of the high schoolers in his first novel. It is obvious that then he was still combating resentment and coming to terms with his sexuality, where as in his later work it is more relaxed and an accepted part of the character’s reality. Although it is far from being the authors crowning achievement, it is an incredible step of progress in his stylistic ability.

Commentary on Pride and Prejudice

2009-07-18T14:34:00.002-04:00

The unfolding of the story through which I have read since I last reflected on its earlier contents has vastly improved in terms of its appeal and has managed to paint Mr. Darcy as a sympathetic character. The book as a whole is an excellent study of how first impressions completely corrupt one’s judgment of their actions and motivations if assessed a s a character of poor morals and it is this false assumption that leads Elizabeth to condemn him so vehemently and ultimately alters the course of the novel. At the climax when he makes his premeditated proposal if her view of his disposition had not been so dramatically tainted she would not have so quickly declined to accept his sudden offer but because of her refusal their eventual romance is postponed from blossoming into fruition and thus extends the duration of the story line. But Elizabeth is not the sole party responsible for this delay of the realization of the novel’s promised event that all of it’s rising and falling action build towards; Darcy himself is to blame for so quickly denying his admission of Elizabeth’s credibility of a potential dance partner and allows the behavior of her family members to paint her in an unfavorable light from which his pride cannot permit him to condescended to ignore even in the face of his love for her. His pride and her prejudice push them further away from one another and only when they both are willing to release their personal inhibitions can the possibility of a mutual bond between them begin to emerge. What initially appeared to be a petty romance novel has rapidly transfigured into a penetrating social analysis of human flaws preventing the unconfused attraction between two individuals from taking place.

Commentary for This Side of Paradise

2009-07-18T14:30:00.001-04:00

The archetype male embodiment of sophistication in search of absolving his unrequited love seems to be a reoccurring theme in the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald, especially when his searching grounds are in the field of nineteen twenty’s decadence. Instead of the outlandish parties of Jay Gatsby serving as the central stage, the point of reference around which Amory and the supporting characters revolve is the erudite campus of Princeton, where the rise and fall of Amory’s social life takes place and is sent into a dwindling spiral after debauchery diverted his attention from his academics. Unlike Gatsby, whose ascent into fortune was contrived by his own means as a catalyst for reuniting him with the love of his life, and thus his plight his more sympathetic than this spoiled child who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and who’s own troubles were instigated by his own in alertness and carelessness. What does qualify this book as a must read for anyone who claims to be an expert on Fitzgerald’s work is the obvious embryonic stages of his writing style that develop throughout the chapters and the ground work laid for his iconic archetypes that serve as the foundation for his later characters. Although the protagonist may be artificial and superficially glib, his character does not remain static but rather evolves throughout a period of rejection and failure. Fitzgerald satirizes the hypocrisy of the intellectual elite’s inclination for socialism through Blaine’s resort to it as a safety net to shelter him from the reality of financial decline.

Commentary on Pride and Prejudice

2009-07-06T18:06:00.001-04:00

Despite the acclaim Austin receives over this romantic English classic, it is difficult to transition from Woolf to Jane without the latter coming across as a precocious commercial writer playing off of the attraction of a courtship of a rich suitor warped by his own calloused behavior only to be warmed into love after awakening the affection of Elizabeth, where as Woolf dealt with the social evolution of an isolated woman whose ‘voyage out’ of her inescapable future as a discontent housewife was death itself. The lives of the Bennett’s and the Bingsleys seem care free to the point of boredom so that they have no alternative but to cultivate trifles themselves in order to stir up interest in their lives. Elizabeth thus far seems to be the only sensible character present who could never find contentment living with the haughty and lavish ways of Mr. Darcy. Darcy himself elicits only a laughing scorn for his diversion from social discretion when he chose to snub one of the most distinguished family in the neighborhood’s daughter only to become spell bound by her witty charm once he discovers the erroneous division erected between them on account of his derogatory comment on her beauty. Despite the erudite reputation of its author, Pride and Prejudice proves to be a light read and slightly disappointing in its style, since it’s generally assumed that literary classics are usually challenging reads. Perhaps the novel will redeem these initial impressions of an over exaggerated conflicting love story that cannot fail to appear nothing more than a chronicle of two opulent families generating a major fraction of the problems from their own addiction to social drama. Now in the more recent chapters the severity of the issue of the Bennett’s decline in the ranks of society has arisen to provide a sense of urgency that propels the daughter’s mother into frantically searching out the surrounding members of the aristocratic elite who loom here under the fringes of English society for a viable husband who could secure the family’s reputation and restore their lives to their former luxury. But with the eldest sister’s marriage almost a certainty Elizabeth’s relationship with Darcy would be simply a manifestation of her parent’s greed if they pursued him in addition to the confirmation of being married into the family of the Bingsley’s. Luckily, her mother has only expressed her sincere resentment and repulsion of Darcy’s abandonment of manners during their first interaction with one another in public. So although this Austinian novel is inherently a social one, it cannot honestly hope to attain the severity of Woolf’s more momentous novel where the marriage of its protagonist was a matter of shaping the character’s destiny lest it lead her into a bleak future of a spinster forced to carry the burden of life unaided. Here, the character does not have the disadvantage of being an only child nor has she been sheltered to the point where she would misinterpret Darcy’s advances. So in light of The Voyage’s Out dismal ending serving as a metaphor for release from social confinement, Pride and Prejudice takes on the pallor of a common harlequin novel. But let’s not pronounce any judgments too early lest they be strongly thwarted by the novel’s conclusive events.

Commentary on Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

2009-06-22T20:55:00.005-04:00

Similar to Anna Karenina, there are several overly dramatic scenes that are obviously avoidable if only one participating member of the argument had stepped back from the conflict and refrained from enacting on the ipulse for retaliation. It is increasingly difficult to sympathize with characters who knowingly initiate their own misery and at times even revel in the pain it evokes in others. Heathcliff seems to have only the solitary aspiration for defeating the LInton lineage in social superiority so that he will have truly conquored Catherine in a manner he never owned her while she was living. It is predicatable that Mr. Linton's complete severance of all communication with Wuthering Heights would eventually provoke Cathy's curiousity. It is ironic that Heathhcliff's own son resembles him even less than Hareton does, who is the offspring of his deceased rival. But by cultivating all of the characteristics of a brute in Hareton, he is instilling his revenge by ensuring that the Earnsha bloodline stagnates no further than him at his worst. While Wuthering Heights may appear on the surface a story about tragic love, it is a saga dealing with the deterioation of two great family names as the product of one man's need to be compensated for the wrongs committed against him. Also like Anna Karenina, it may on some level be a dissertation on the folly of jealousy. But hopefully it will not have the grossly disappointing conclusion that that particular Tolstoy novel presented. Although I enjoy Emily Bronte's writing style, there has yet to be any evidence convincing enough to suggest her literary superiority over Charolette. One aspect of her style that is preferable over her sister's is her lack of divulging into philosophical or theological view points in support of her work, rather she allows the reader to personally judge the content of the novel at face value without any prompting from the author.

Review on Love in The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

2009-06-07T15:37:00.003-04:00

From chapter one, Love in The Time of Cholera presents itself as an emotional roller coaster fraught with grief for Florentino Ariza when the love of his life refuses him, but the hysterical fact is that it is the men who facilitate a majority of the tears where as the women are stern as generals. This is a reoccurring theme transferred from One Hundred Years of Solitude, with the men being the culprits behind the family's downfall and the women turning away either in indifference or apathy. Perhaps it is a cultural trademark as well, which would explain why it continues to reappear in Marquez's work. But disregarding these facts, the inherent emotionalism present within Ariza's character may prove to be an essential part of his development as a person and also contribute to the role he plays in the story. The sudden rebuke he recieves from Fermina seems incompatible with the intensity of her ardour during the months when they were separated but it is important to note that her determination to marry him did not manifest itself until after the quarrel with her father, so undoubtedly she merely clung more fiercely to the idea of their engagement in a form of rebellion against her father's maltreatment of her aunt. So poor Florentino was nothing more than the victim of a farce!

This is not a typical love story in that the woman involved has not even the faintest tinge of feeling to reciprocate Florentino's passion. Now, after completing nearly two thirds of the novel, the main question that has to be answered prior to the conclusion is whether or not she will ever fall in love with him. It is slightly hinted that she will never develop any feeling for him beyond pity because the narrative mentions that she was not similar to the other widows Florentino courted since she refuses to relieve herself of grief from her husband's death. Unless she allows her husband's memory to fall into forgetfulness she will make no concessions to invite another man in her life.

The book does not possess the element of the fantastic, chimerical events that made it's author's signature piece, One Hundred Years of Solitude so memorable and forever ingrained beneath the list of the world's greatest authors. Although the author does not fail to fulfill the reader's wishes for the eventual realization of Florentino's aspirations, it's passage occured almost without confronting any obstacles besides the intangible stubbornness of Fermina's heart. The metaphor of the journey, as in the final journey of death or the adventure of love, is repeatedly enumerated in the final chapters to the point where it surpasses the symbolic and becomes the literal path taken by the characters once they are finally united. Truly this is an example of the development of Marquez;s style, for he inter weaved at intervals snatches of his dark humor that eventually evolved into the comedy prevalent in One Hundred Years of Solitude, but it doesn't play a dominant part in the telling of the story. Although it cannot compete with the story telling brilliance revealed in the genius of his magical realism, it is a love story enhanced by the exotic setting of the Caribbean coast and the lush vibrancy of Marquez's descriptive powers that makes him a writing virtuoso. Only a writer of talent could transform the repulsive decrepitude of old age into a period of romantic rebirth granted privileges of seniority that allow their behavior to be accountable to no one. Thankfully, cholera did not appear with the frequency one would expect since it is included in the title and merely turns out to be a cover up for their illicit love affair in the end. If it had been mentioned further it might have rivaled the graphic disgusting scenes in One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Review on ADA

2009-06-05T12:43:00.005-04:00

The only way to accurately describe the final chapters of Ada is to mention that the infancy of the plot line that finally began to emerge towards the end of book one collapsed, or rather to put more precisely - disintegrated, into a ruinous heap of anecdotes that inevitably led to the death of the narrator and the novel's namesake character.The fleeting glimmers of promise vanished after Ada marries a remote and dull character who never appeared until he was conveniently needed to satisfy the demands of Van's father when he discovered their licentious affair. It failed to correct the initial impressions of a disappointing story line and only confirmed my predictions that the ending would prove just as anti-climatic as those of Nabokov's other two novels, leaving this book to rest forgotten upon the shelf as a novel hardly worth the attention it receives because of the author's notoriety. But unlike those other Nabokovian novels, this story failed to even introduce an intriguing premise so it can hardly qualify as a disappointment but just as an overall literary embarrassment.

Book four begins with a bizarre dissertation defining the nature of time and at first seems extremely off topic but it is loosely tied in with a reference to an experience at a hotel and then the story resumes it's normal flow from that point on.

The only aspect of Ada that grants credit to Nabokov's writing ability is his luxurious descriptions of the setting and the sensual experiences between Ada and Van. Perhaps that is why it is hailed as a literary gem but excellent imagery hardly meets all of the requirements of defining a great story.

Commentary on Ada 2

2009-06-03T14:36:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately what would otherwise be a interesting story falls short due to a lack of a substantial plot, with merely the narrator's transfer from differing locations serving as the foundation for any turn of events, drafted together in the format of a diary reflection that causes the tale to loose it's passion since the narrator has surpassed the years when the steamy sex he describes is possible on account of his fragility. By far this novel has proven to be the worst example of Nabokov's writing ability; the playful rhetoric of Lolita is strangely absent and the hilarity of Pnin is virtually nonexistent.. This must have been purely an experimental piece for nothing else can explain this shameful display of stylistic technique, one that may have been effective had he remained consistent in remaining with a solitary narrator, but he interjects snippets of Ada's commentary which causes the flow of the narrative to become rocky and loose it's momentum as it transitions from chapter to chapter.

I plan to complete two thirds of the book before i lay my head down to sleep so perhaps my opinion will be corrected but thus far I am thoroughly bored and disappointed.
Towards the end of part one the pace of the passage of major events leading up to the climax begins to erode the sense of a static plot and sparks enough interest to engage the reader's attention for the remaining one hundred pages of the book. But any hint of sympathy for the narrator vanishes when he brashly leaves on a scheme for revenge only to end up destroying his intentions by sleeping with an old acquaintance(thus ruining the credibility of his love for Ada). What initially began as a provocative romance novel about forbidden love has degenerated into a smutty book about petty, childish resentment over a betrayal that he permitted himself to make but prohibits her from committing. It's difficult to fathom how Nabokov went from writing his masterpiece, Lolita, to this despicable piece of harlequin trash. But before I condemn Ada officially, let's allow the remaining pages to prove for the themselves whether or not this was the literary waste of time I projected it to be.

Commentary on Fahrenheit 451

2009-06-01T10:45:00.002-04:00

While reading through the first section it was difficult not to notice the numerous parallels between this Bradbury classic and another dystopian novel, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Both societies prevent their citizens from taking on the labors of thinking by overloading their schedules with recreational activities. Both cultures also frown heavily upon solitude and valuing the loss of human life with preference over another. It is almost as if Bradbury took the entire concept of Brave New World (excluding the decanting process) and condensed it into the concise form of this novella. But Bradbury thankfully does not indulge in alternating stream of conciousness, which made the first chapter of Brave New World so difficult to digest. The author also has a peculair manner of describing things and captures the reader's interest with his original usage of adjectives and simile. It is definitely a light read that could be read from front to back in one sitting so it would serve as the perfect choice on a rainy day.

Years ago I saw the film and was horrified at the idea of a future without books, so much, in fact, that I refused to read the book due to an anxiety at the thought of it's subject matter. But now I have finally gotten a grip on myself and came to terms with the necessity of reading this futuristic classic.

Commentary on Ada by Vladimir Nabokov

2009-05-31T13:58:00.004-04:00

Yet again Nabokov takes my breath away with his use of language but I'm slightly disturbed by the reoccurring appearance of sex involving children in his novels. This story is not as controversial as Lolita since the relationship consists of two children who are only a couple of years apart in age. Once again the author enjoys diverting from the English narrative into french every so often without offering any footnotes for guidance. This story's appeal rests mostly upon it's appeal to the reader's sex drive and lacks the attractiveness of the characters that made Lolita such an interesting read. Van merely seems to be a lust driven adolescent and possesses none of Humphert Humphert's sophistication to mark him as an empathetic character. Ada has neither Lolita's rebellious personality of nymphet character traits. She comes across as a butterfly obsessed nerd with none of the feistyness that made Lolita so unforgettable.

Probably the main reason Ada has little appeal to me so early on in the reading is that erotic themes have never been an interest of mine and I go out of my way to avoid them when carousing through the bookstore. If this novel hadn't had Nabokov's name stamped boldly on it's spine I would have never even bothered to pick it up. Now I regret not Purchasing Pale Fire instead. This is one book I cannot wait to finish, not because it's engrossing but because I merely want this whole ordeal to be over.

Also, the setting seems incongruous with those of Nabokov's other two books I've read (Lolita and Pnin). It's in a small hamlet in America but he addresses it as if it's a European location which causes quite a bit of confusion as to where exactly the story is taking place. The family also possesses numerous quirks that are typical of Nabokov's characters, with everything from madness to incest brewing in this genealogical melting pot but none of them seem to have anything to contribute to the plot, where as in Pnin, the poor professor's broken English serves as the basis upon which the entire story frame emerges. Here the events remain confined to one location with the eyeglass of introspection in the narrative adding to the impression that all the events remain static and have no impact upon their progression.

Hopefully this novel will eventually redeem itself and not prove to be a disappointment as the last two novels did in the manner with which the author brought them to a conclusion.

Atlas Shrugged Commentary 4

2009-05-30T12:53:00.000-04:00

When Dagny reaches Atlantis, one of the greatest internal struggles in the history of literature begins. She’s caught between the desire to remain in the world of men she has always dreamed of living in and her refusal to let the world she left behind but worked so furiously to keep alive fall into the hands of the looters. She views their abandonment of their industries in the world as betrayal and surrender even though she would give anything just to work alongside them again. She would not hesitate to remain with Galt if it were not for Rearden, whom she would not renounce regardless of how tempting it is to remain in the world she had always worked in order to attain. While the men of Atlantis have allowed the world to fall into ruin by its own self destruction, Dagny does not see that she is contributing to that effort by continuing her work with Taggart transcontinental; her life has been invested in its expansion and is inseparable from the rail road it’s self. She cannot merely sit by and allow the sum total of her entire life’s effort be at the mercy of those whose intentions are only to destroy it. Her unflinching determination characterizes her as one of the most admirable heroines ever written. She is never satisfied with the way things are and never ceases to strive to correct them until they are perfected into the arrangement that they should be. She never settles for less and refuses to deal with those who do not follow her same standard of quality. When she enters into the world of men who expect the same level of unwavering devotion to their work, she realizes this is what she has always desired to obtain but cannot accept it at the price of relinquishing the means by which she would earn her right to live alongside such giants of man. It would be the equivalent of suicide to abandon the purpose she has dedicated her entire life to fulfilling.

She refuses to surrender her role as head of Taggart Transcontinental because she wants to engage in a battle to attempt to defeat Galt’s plant to thwart her own efforts at saving it from the destructive force of the looters. She needs to provide proof that she is a worthy adversary in order to supply evidence that she has earned the right to exist in the presence of the man for whom all of her toil and effort has served. It’s the classic love story of Rand’s other novels, where the two characters cannot express their love until they prove that they are worthy of it by escaping destruction or surviving it. Only then can either be certain that they live up to their standards of perfection. Until then they only have their own estimation of one another’s capacity for endurance and neither could participate in an affair based on a guess. They can only submit to their feelings for one another after the truth rendering verdict of a challenge.

Dagny’s preference for Galt over Rearden stems from the fact that Galt never has taken upon unearned guilt and never compromised his values like Rearden has. She loves him because he’s beyond corruption and the summation of all her values without any flaws. What she admires in Rearden – his unfaltering devotion to his work – reaches an ultimate climax in Galt and has a purer quality because he has never allowed his passion to be placed in the hands of the looters. Galt is the apex of every virtue she has always held dear and the product of their complete collection unlike the way she had seen them diffused in the actions of her colleagues. Her former lovers mark a milestone of her life, the progression of her effort to reach Galt: Francisco marked the era when she recognized her goal and planned the methods by which she would reach it; Rearden symbolizes the exercising of those methods and the years spent earning her right to lay eyes upon Galt. She cannot have him until she displays the magnitude of her determination and refusal to sacrifice the industry through which she earned the right to meet him. Just as she would purchase a ton of Rearden steel, she must pay the full price for the right to love John by fighting this final battle in which the stakes are high the the risks more than she has ever wagered. Of course, only through such a battle could she fully gain the means to pay that price, for any lesser battle would offer too little in the spoils of victory.

The meeting between Cherryl and Dagny reveals Dagny’s love not only of greatness, but also of those who admire it. She proves that she’s not unwilling to help correct someone’s understanding only when what they are striving to comprehend are the proper concepts. Cherryl displays that she’s never ceased to be the shop girl who worships heroes, she was only dampened in spirit by the realization that her husband is a coward.

I just finished Atlas Shrugged and was pleased with the appropriateness of its ending. It ended with the joyous expectation of the great things they would accomplish now that the world had given them clearance for the right of way. But The Fountainhead still remains my personal favorite Rand novel since it dealt exclusively with the triumph of a man who overcame a world that scorned his greatness and focused more upon the motives for their hatred rather than its application to politics and economics. But this novel successfully addressed those topics in a dramatic storyline filled with multiple characters whose greatness was being destroyed solely for their achievement but also with a more contemptible motive in mind – sacrificing their achievement to the undeserving and incompetent. Capitalism, Ayn’s novel argues, is the only form of economy that can prevent this abhorrent practice of seizing the wealth of those who earn it for the sake of those who do not. Any other system will eventually lead to the destruction of wealth with the authority to use force in order to distribute it. Some of the elements towards the end stretched my suspension of disbelief, but I understood that a few of the machines, such as Project X, were symbols embodying the summation of the morality of sacrifice: nonexistence or destruction of existence. So despite of the initial urge to disapprove of the narrative’s switch into science fiction it was necessary to provide an example of the product made by the collectivist morality in order to juxtapose it with the products of reason as seen in Galt’s Gulch.

Atlas Shrugged Commentary Part 3

2009-05-27T22:17:00.002-04:00

Book two offers an excellent example of the consequences senseless altruism creates when businesses donate at the expense of their own profit and wages; while the provide aide to suffering nations hundreds of miles away, they are only inflicting harm upon themselves and the countless other businesses that depend on their products to survive. Her admonitions against charity do not seem so heartless when one witnesses the damaged caused by repeatedly pouring out alms only to bring financial ruin upon yourself and your company. There is nothing accomplished by helping others only to place yourself at the risk of destruction. The nation as a whole falls apart because it devoted all of its assets towards following the creed of “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” The effect is demonstrated by a complete collapse of the economy since the businesses that contributed the prosperity of countless others through the product they provide are sacrificed in the name of public interest and social welfare. It’s an excellent literary microcosm of the disaster that awaits any industry when the government begins to interfere and demand that an owner suit their business according to their arbitrary instruction. Prophetically it warns the reader against the future destined for any economy hindered by legislature and regulation and makes a solid case for the reason to embrace free enterprise capitalism. When the life blood of a nation, it’s wealth, falls under the control of an organization granted unlimited control over the decisions made as to the manner in which it is used, the definition of freedom ceases to exist under such circumstances. When men are denied the right to oversee the spending of the profit made through only their best effort, there can be no other alternative other than to stop producing the means by which their livelihood goes to the benefit of those who have uncontested control over it, or, in the exact word of the novel’s title – they shrug.

The Theif Lord Commentary

2009-05-25T13:33:00.001-04:00

I purchased the audio cd under the impression I had selected the Book Thief, but due to a lack of attentiveness I ended up with The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, whose work I am familiar with through her international best seller- Inkheart. Although she dealt with fantasy with more ease than she addresses this story about a band of prepubescent outcasts who ran away from distressing circumstances, there’s not any perceptible difference that the setting is in modern times since the location has that similar remoteness that sets the tale outside of any certain time period, just as Maggie’s story did. There is the usual Funke trademark assortment of characters, with the one central figure(Prosper) who is the key to sending the plot forward and attracts a majority of the conflict.

The one element lacking in this story is an additional mystery to be solved. It’s predictable that eventually the detective will come across the thief lord’s group and will probably engage in some sort of showdown. Outside of whether or not the detective will discover them, everything is explained and no detail is left to chance. There’s an unfortunate absence of curiosity present to drive the reader further into the novel searching for answers.

Commentary on Atlas Shrugged, part 2

2009-05-25T13:29:00.001-04:00

Grey is metaphorically used to describe the inconstant and ever-changing nature of the collective enemy fighting against the heroes. It’s used interchangeably with fog and has the connotation of an enemy that’s undefeatable because of its refusal to assume any definite shape, thus denying the heroes the ability to judge it’s movements in order to formulate a method to combat it. It clouds foresight as it constantly redesigns its form to suit any change in public opinion and makes the task of mapping its future movements an impossible job since it never admits its motive, so it cannot be clearly defined as which direction it will decide to move towards next. Unlike most modern epics or heroic stories, the enemy is in fact the majority and the minorities are the victims. But the classic battle of the heroes confronting immeasurable odds that seem to predict their inevitable failure takes on the realistic setting of the modern business world and there for seems more likely of being an actually possibility than the super heroes and protagonists of romanticism, casting the novel in the reflective light of truth. It borders on the realm of nonfiction when one takes into the consideration the decline of industry in America that’s occurred within the past fifty years.

The dramatic irony encircling the interactions of Rearden, Dagny, and Francisco at the opening chapters of book two reaches an intense volume when they all three are brought within walking distance of one another and the closeness of Rearden’s proximity and magnetism towards her unnamed previous lover comes to a climax when he asks her his identity again, but remains in the dark that he’s just confessed his admiration of him. Despite of the more philosophical matters that compose the heart of this novel, Rand couldn’t resist creating a few scenes of drama to ensure that the reader wouldn’t abandon the novel after the character’s give lengthy arguments to their view points that consume several pages worth of reading time. But despite of the profuseness with which they elaborate on the key points that make up the heart of the novel’s meaning, they are never the less well worth the time needed to read them since they reveal several reasons as to why the world is slowly being brought to a standstill. They are not immediately obvious, but they hint at who’s to be at fault for unknowingly orchestrating their own demise by punishing those who move the world forward.

This novel offers a glimpse of the methods employed by political corruption to suppress and cash in on the success of the wealthy by claiming it is all conducted under the guise of public interest. It’s incredible how Rand completely inverts the reader’s understanding of what society teaches as good and offers an entirely new, substantial argument for the morality of what platonian virtue describes as greed, inhuman, and evil. It’s this radical approach to ethics that has always captivated my interest in her work, and Atlas Shrugged is her most violent counter argument to the popular notion of the purpose of money, business, and government.

Comments on ATLAS SHRUGGED

2009-05-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

The beauty of Rand’s writing is that it’s always crystal clear and the reader never has to question if there are any dual meanings behind any of her words because she means exactly what she says. Her heroes are equally as immune to deceit. The point is never masked or distorted in any way, for it’s immediately stressed before the reader has the opportunity to ponder what it could be. In the eyes of the heroine, every situation is outlined in brutal honesty and clarity as to what course of action she must take in order to resolve a crisis but frequently this ability to see through the unnecessary cause’s conflict between her and her colleagues, who are incapable of viewing any problem in terms of black and white.

The attraction of Rand’s characters is their unflinching motivation driving them towards the fulfillment of their goal. But this unwavering devotion to their work generally makes the supporting characters identify them as cold hearted, single minded automatons. Despite the fact that there are a very limited number of individuals who can relate to their passionate drive to succeed, the heroes never pause long enough to feel any more than a twinge of isolation which they immediately shrug off as an emotion not worth sparing time to contemplate since it only slows down the progress of their work. These are truly characters worthy of admiration. If one related to them, that would suggest that they shared a common flaw or grief. But these heroes are beyond suffering and their innate sense of calm is one worth striving to attain.

Reading about Dagny’s struggle to salvage the Rio Norte Line sends thrills of exaltation throughout my spine when she repeatedly corrects the seemingly irreparable conundrums that never cease to appear. She’s the female figure who possesses qualities far more admirable than a feminist. Rand is the only author I’ve ever read whose creations are not only perfect and consistent in their design, but inspiring enough to receive the title of god like.

Another positive trait of the novel is how it seems to always have the perfect quote to end any argument on the value of capitalism. John Galt’s speech provides numerous unforgettable lines that are essential to any collection of literatures greatest quotes. They are as eloquent as they are discerning and scathing just as they are at times concise.

Here are a few examples of how ‘quotogenic’ Mr. Galt is:

“Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil. That sentence is the leper’s bell of an approaching looter. So long as men live together on earth and needs means to deal with one another – their only substitute if they abandon money is the muzzle of a gun.”

“Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue.”

“Money is so noble a medium that it does not compete with guns and does not make terms with brutality.”

“Do you think that death and taxes are our only certainty, Mr. Rearden? Well, there’s nothing I can do about the first, but if I lift the burden of the second, men might learn the connection between the two and what a longer, happier life they would have the power to achieve. They might learn to hold not death and taxes, but life and production as their two absolutes and as the base of their moral code.”

“Money cannot serve the mind that does not match it.”

“Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.”

It will be necessary to write a comparative essay highlighting upon the differences between the four major heroes of Rand’s novels – Howard Roark, Dagny Taggart, Hank Rearden, and John Galt – in order to come to a better understanding of their individual characters and what the differences between them suggests in regards to the role they play in their storylines.

Howard would have never developed Galt’s desire to abandon his work in the real world since he could never surrender all of the potential building sites he could acquire just for the sake of teaching the world a lesson. He was indifferent to whether or not the world recognized the importance of men like him. Plus his product couldn’t be mass produced as John’s engines could have been, which makes the creator more susceptible to ridicule since the public knows that by purchasing the product they add to the reason of their hatred – his success. This was never an issue with Roark. Howard never had to openly confront an entire industry like Hank did; he merely continued his work without infringing upon the demand for his competitors. So although Howard’s struggle was not any less of a battle as the one fought by Galt and Rearden, it certainly was on a smaller scale.

There are absolutely no grounds for comparing Dagny to Dominique due the fact that Dagny would have considered Dominique’s mad obsession with destroying Howard as reprehensible and deplorable. Dominique was neither a producer nor a hero like Dagny, so they reside at differing levels of the character spectrum and have nothing in common beyond their passion for greatness. Dagny initially did not possess the same amount of understanding of why the world was unworthy of housing greatness as Dominique had, which served as the motivating force behind her plans to counteract every potential client that came near Howard.

Dagny was more of a sociable creature than Howard, who was content to not come into contact with another human for days at a time. She plays more of an administrative role than that of a designer, although she does devise the layout of entire railroad lines. But she was less willing to relinquish her job than Howard, who traded his drafting table for a rock drill when all of his options disappeared. Both are as equally uncompromising (which can be said for all four of our heroes), but Dagny’s more willing to conform if it means meeting the deadlines, where as Howard never adhered to any conditions other than those that he personally set.

Hank and Howard are almost indistinguishable from one another and I suspect that they were molded from the same form (hence they share the same initials – H.R.). Both men taught themselves their skills at a young age and shirked the college environment when it demanded that they sacrifice their integrity (primarily this refers to Howard since Hank never attended college, but in a sense Hank avoided the mindless prattle of intellectual circles). Neither man will alter their designs in any way to comply with anyone’s demands, even if ‘anyone’ if actually everyone seeking only to undermine their flawless reputation as an uncompromising worker. They also both denied aiding or surrendering to the government when it demanded that they sacrifice for the sake of the majority.

It’s probably possible to determine the intensity of my enthusiasm for a book based on the length of the reviews and commentaries I write for it. Also, another indication is the number of posts dedicated to discussing the same novel. Generally I have no desire to think too heavily on those books that disappoint me. Why waste more time than necessary analyzing a literary failure? The time spent effusively criticizing it could be spent buried in the pages of a better book. That’s not even considering the time wasted in reading the damn thing. Life truly is too short to waste it on horrible written novels. So allow the size of the review to speak for itself on how passionate I am about a particular title.

Thoughts On Atlas Shrugged

2009-05-20T13:03:00.002-04:00

This would be the second time I've read through the first four chapters since earlier in the year I read well over two thirds of the novel but had to abandon it due to an overwhelming amount of school work. Now the odd occurrences that baffle Dagny do not seem as strange as they once did and it's interesting to map out the elusive schemes of the invisible destroyer even before the characters become aware that there's a connection between the disappearances and the collapsing economy. Obviously they realize that the two are interconnected but they do not know that the intent of the former is the downfall of the latter.

The parallels between the world in Atlas Shrugged and the current state of the modern economy are too strong to ignore. Do not be mistaken by thinking I am suggesting that there's an 'invisible destroyer', rather look at how the government interference in the novel played a significant part in contributing to the nation's financial ruin. Also make a note how people expect the credit and money for as little effort as possible for the work of a much more demanding job. Doesn't it sound remarkably similar to the credit card crisis amongst millions of Americans? If I wasn't a staunch critic of superstition, I would have to describe Atlas Shrugged as prophetic in it's overtones.

Rand wrote this novel specifically as a warning of the end that the current trends of her day would lead to if the American people did not recognize the folly of socialism. Now we currently live the consequences of those who did not heed that warning as socialism is only a few years away from becoming the preferable form of government.

Her characters have always stood out as the epitome of perfection which has been a focal point of criticism from those who find her characters to be unbelievable. But they forget that they are embodiments of 'how men should be' rather than what they are.

Dostoevsky versus Tolstoy

2009-05-18T11:36:00.004-04:00

VS.

Between the two renowned Russian authors, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, I prefer Dostoevsky over the former's pedantic writing style and the terrible ending he devised for his most popular novel, Anna Karenina. Perhaps Dostoevsky's characters are easier to empathize with despite their depravity, when Tolstoy's whiny upper class characters have every luxury available to them and thus their complaints seem to be the product of a decadent lifestyle rather than from any realistic problem. Tolstoy's characters also seem one dimensional and , with the exception of Levin, who turns out to be more than just a love sick suitor, and Anna, who proves to be anything but the endearing character she initially was, the first impression the reader obtains of their personalities happens to be the same throughout the entire novel, whereas Dostoevsky's characters have levels in their personalities that are slowly revealed throughout the progression of the story. For instance, Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment possessed numerous qualities that appeared in varying instances. At times he was the benevolent, charitable young man, in another scene he was the reserved college student, then he was the impulsive criminal, and ultimately he was a philosopher. Plus his situation was infinitely more easy to relate to than the lavish lifestyle lived by the characters in Anna Karenina. It seemed as if they were intent on bringing further trouble upon themselves, as if the tame, sterile life they lived had become uninteresting and needed something to renew the excitement they craved. Vronsky merely desired Anna because she was unattainable and beyond his reach, where as Anna needed a love interest to replace the lack of passion present in her marriage.

The Sunday Salon - Review: PNIN by Vladimir Nabokov

2009-05-17T21:36:00.005-04:00

With his usual display of descriptive ability, Nabokov creates the akward appearance and personality of Professor Timofey so that it's immediately obvious that this idiosyncratic protagonist is going to instigate numerous conflicts with his severely broken english. Although the opening lines do not have that brilliant hook that the first page of Lolita has, the numerous scenarios told in the narrative was enough of an incentive to convince me that it's worth the time consumed while reading it. Plus Nabokov's distinctive writing style is so original that it's a treat simply to read any one of his works regardless of the subject matter. While Pnin cannot compare to the sophisticated Humphert Humphert, he's a class of character all his own.

I just finished reading Pnin and once again Nabokov managed to turn an interesting story stale with an anticlimatic ending. NO matter how much I adore his writing style I cannot agree that he is a great story teller from the two novels I have read, both of which possessed the initial glimmers of promise only to fade away into the category of forgetable because of an unimpressive ending. Theres an impression that can be gleaned from the reaccurence of this literary shortfall and it's an obvious disinterest on the part of the author during the final stages of composing the novel. It's the only explanation I can discern from these two examples, Pnin along with Lolita, where the potential of the story line is ruined by an abrupt and incomplete ending. It's difficult not to feel shorthanded when you have followed the life of Timofey through a variety of scenarios (which at times were hilarious) and read of his deepest sufferings only to come to a conclusion where the sole reward he recieves for his toil is a sudden dismissal from his employer.

Review: Anna Karenina

2009-05-15T00:26:00.006-04:00

The ending diverted completely from the course I expected the novel to take and distracted the reader from focusing on the reaction of other characters towards the main character's demise by entering into a lengthy account of Levin's spiritual crisis. It was as if Tolstoy was attempting to finish his story with an overly simplistic moral encouraging others to strive to do good according to the will of God that - a theme entirely incompatible with the subject matter discussed throughout the majority of the book. It was difficult to refrain from shouting once I finished the last page; "Well, that's fine and dandy, but exactly what does any of this have to do with Anna? Are you suggesting what she should have believed in order to prevent her untimely ruin?"

It's frustrating that Tolstoy decided to deviate from writing an excellent testament to the folly of jealousy by then choosing to enter into a full blown discussion intending to refute nilhism and ingrain the reader with some sort of spiritual lesson, as if he was trying to compensate for the dissatisfaction his audience already feels with Anna's fate. But he definitely did not accomplish that by the preachy method used in the latter chapters of the book.

Despite the disappointing ending, the novel did have it's better moments. It's an excellent insight into the lavish world lived by the Russian aristocracy and at times offers snippets of history from the pre-Bolshevik- uprising period in the dialog, particularly with the male characters. It gives an incredible amount of attention to the religious customs observed by the upper classes and the cultural trends typical of the time period. So it certainly does possess a small amount of historical merit, although it that's what you're searching for, I'd advise War and Peace instead.

Also, there are a few scenes that give Tolstoy credit for his ability to display the ambiguity of deeply felt emotions, especially of love when Anna and Vronsky begin to second guess the intensity of their love when happiness does not come in the manner they expect it to.

I especially appreciated the way Tolstoy did not present love as infallible or eternal, which is typical of modern Romance literature.

Due to it's failure to qualify itself as the literary classic it's proclaimed to be, Anna Karenina receives only a three out of five.

The end is almost near

2009-05-14T18:25:00.004-04:00

When I should have been busy with graduation preparations, I buried my nose within the pages of Anna Karenina. Now that I am only forty-eight pages from the end, I must admit that I am slightly disappointed with the sudden turn of events that took place at the end of book seven. When Anna was considering suicide, I confess that I earnestly wished that she would go ahead and end it all just so that I wouldn't have to endure another page of her senseless jealousy and pessimism. I am curious as to how the novel will proceed now that the novel's namesake character has fallen off the face of the storyline. The only attraction that still keeps me interested in the novel at this point is the future of Kitty and Levin, which will hopefully end on happy terms in order to compensate for the tragedy of the novel's central love affair. If not then I will have to consider this a poor choice in my judgement of it's literary esteem when I selected the book. Now I am beginning to wonder which novel I should chose from my to-be-read list. since I am so close to finishing this one.

Here are the options:

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

Notes from the Underground by Fydor Dostoevsky

A Terrible Beauty by Graham Masterson

Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude

2009-05-13T13:53:00.004-04:00

One of the difficult sylistic tendencies to grasp with this novel is the way the author summarizes at the begining of each chapter exactly what will happen within the chapter so when you actually read the events in context you have the nagging feeling you've already read the scene before. But that goes hand and hand with the author's theme of circuitous time lines, so although it can at times seem redundant I have to give the author credit for remaining consistent in his story telling techiniques.

The most impressive element of the novel is the author's ability to make the impossible, magical occurences appear as if they are a normal part of the character's everyday lives. In a world as exotic and remote as the jungles of Coloumbia it's easy to see how even the inexplicable and mythological can feel as if they are a very probable reality.

The highlight of this novel is how the historical background of Colombia is intertwined with the lives of the Buendia family, so in between the scenes composed of fantasy and interfamily drama, the reader recieves an interesting first hand account of the motivations that led to the eruption of civil war.

I enjoyed this book for it's wonderful imagery (albeit it at times can be obscenely graphic) which makes it an excellent escapist read.

Futher thoughts on Anna Karenina

2009-05-11T11:22:00.003-04:00

It's interesting how Tolstoy parallels polar opposites so that they coincide with one another in the two story lines. For example, Anna's severance from her husband occurs around the same time as Kitty's wedding ceremony takes place. It adds variation to the mood of the story and lightens the depressing scenes of the Karenin's by alternating them with the joyous celebration so that the reader will not become overwhelmed by the emotionalism that's so prevalent around the novel's central character. I suspect that the lives of all the characters will eventually become intertwined through some sort of dramatic event during the climax that will bring their lives closer than they were before during the earlier scenes between Anna and her sister's family. All that depends upon whether or not I have already came across the climax, which may have been the scenes surrounding the birth of Anna's daughter which eventually contribute to her divorce. The transitions guiding the plot from scene to scene are so seamless that, although they are tulmultuous themselves, the appear to be inavoidable and flow naturally throughout the series of events, guiding the characters along their paths that arose in consequence of the decisions they have made. Right now, it's disconcerting that the novel's introductory sentence (Vengeance is minel I will repay) seems to have fallen silent since her husband willingly allows her to leave without any argument. Perhaps once he realizes how serious the damage to his reputation is he willl immediately regret letting her leave without any sense of remorse for her participation in the destruction of his public image.