Nausea (Jean-Paul Satre)

Jean-Paul Satre 
Nausea

The first time I've really read any Satre if memory serves me right and if I can't remember reading any previously then it doesn't exist in my consciousness anyway... or maybe it does and always was there waiting for me to read him. Anyways Satre now has a place in my mind which would no doubt, or not, please him if he was around to be pleased. The book is more readable than I thought it may be with a semblance of story line threaded through both real and surreal experiences encountered by our diarist. If it was written by a beat writer I'd assume that Nausea is a pseudonym for hallucinogenic drugs as the prose borders on psychedelic at times. Both the story and nausea induced musings are interesting and compelling often showing a dark underbelly of society whether through hackneyed politeness or through violence and abuse. The encounter with past love is well written and although it's difficult to exactly expect any one thing to happen in a story such as this it's not what I thought. After spiraling into a nosedive the ending has a twist albeit an open ended one. The descriptions of characters and the town seem to have influenced the beat writers and remind me of Steinbeck. The more surreal passages remind me of Dylan Thomas or Flann O'Brien and the stream of consciousness beat writers. Must read more.

The Communist Manifesto (Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx & Gareth Stedman Jones)

Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx (introduction Gareth Stedman Jones)
The Communist Manifesto



Context setting including pre Marxian theories, religion, contemporaries and how they fell out with them. Also analysis of what Marx and Engels separately brought to the Party. Then various prefaces to international editions written by Engels and at page 321 we start. The manifesto itself is a mere 50 pages of this edition so the bulk of the work, introduction and notes, is by Gareth Stedman Jones who should take a lot of credit. A very interesting and critical read well recommended. I won't go into the content as I couldn't do such a wide ranging and deep work justice. Suffice to say if the language was different the main thrusts could have been written today as there is still massive resource, exploitation going on in the world, economies and politics are still ruled by capital and many are still alienated by their daily work if they are lucky ? enough to get it. Has aged well. 

Bicycle Diaries (David Byrne)

David Byrne 
Bicycle Diaries

This is a great concept in that when David travels he takes a foldup bike and explores wherever he is, usually cities, by cycling. Some chapters focus just on the city and others David uses what he sees to branch off into his own views on different subjects or analyses a theme such as art. It's very readable but by it's very nature I guess you can put it down after you've read a chapter as you know that the next is a different city. Byrne obviously has a good eye for detail and the descriptions of places, with unprofessional photos, are refreshing. He looks at places with a visitors eye and whilst reading the London chapter felt myself thinking "really, is that really true" but without spending a lot of time living in a city you're bound not to understand the whole truth about what goes on in it. Maybe no one ever can and my description of how I see London is very different from a neighbour's. But yeah, he does seem to view my city from a tourist's eye. But all in all a very interesting read if a little jumpy especially at the end where we get some odd and impractical cycle parking designs.

24 Hour Party People (Tony Wilson)

Tony Wilson
24 Hour Party People



What seems to be a semi true book about the rise of and fall of Factory Records. Very entertaining and mostly believable. A mad tale of inspired band signings and venue opening brought down by no sense of how to manage the same. In fact the whole point was not to manage through contracts. Seems that all the money that New Order made went on luxuries particularly the doomed Hacienda club. They all (mostly) had a bloody good time doing it all though. Well worth the read.

Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)

Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist



Dickens is forced on schoolkids and thereby puts us off by our very contrariness and obstinacy in liking anything that teachers put in front of us. Or maybe that was just me and my mates. He is a brilliant writer and you can just imagine folk eagerly anticipating the next installment as it was published. The characters are engaging and repulsive by turns and the story has pathos and comedy in shedloads. Although Dickens does rail against the injustices of the age, which strike a chord even now, I'm not sure that today he'd get away with such descriptions of Fagin. The characters are a little tabloides but he was a journalist and he's obviously making a point about why people find the place they're at, how they struggle in life and what they need to do to make ends meet. And of course the inevitable, for the stories purpose, consequences which are not wholly fair on our heroes or villians. The poor and needy are contrasted with those with wealth and status although the former are far more developed as characters and in the plot. Although the London described is mainly gone, at least not as obvious on the surface, the conditions described and lives lived are the same for a great many across the globe. A gripping read and as I read it in the priveleged position of holidaying in an idyllic spot in Mallorca about as far from Dickensian London as you can get, at least within some sort of civilisation, then it was a strange experience to look up from a passage about cold damp crowded London streets full of filth and the destitute to gaze across the fjord like bay and beach from our holiday villa.

Undisputed Truth (Mike Tyson)

Mike Tyson
Undisputed Truth

One of the most compelling no holds barred autobiographies I've read. Tyson let's us into his deep soul and whilst even in the pits you sort of feel that he's half boasting of what he's doing he obviously sees the bad side too. He never seems to apologise to the people he's wronged but in a way turns his wrongs back on himself wallowing in self pity and excusing his behaviour as to the way that he was brought up. And given his upbrining it's hard not to understand that's why he is the way he is. Not sure many would turn out different. His boxing made him incredibly well read at an early age in his career and the whole book is framed in the wider picture of his place in boxing history. The last part gets a big sugary, despite the language, and you ultimately feel very sorry for him. As he says, no one can read this and feel jealous of him. Except maybe his childhood peers at least those that are still alive. Which isn't many if the book is to be believed. I'm not a boxing fan and knew very little about Tyson except for the ear incident but this is a fascinating read of addiction and chaos. Must find out how the last year or so have treated The Champ.

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men

I've not read this before and it's probably been on my list of must reads for longer than anything. Probably since I read the Grapes of Wrath at school. Brilliant characterisations with parallel tracks of hopelessness whether it's people working on farms, itinerant labourers forever hoping to get enough money for land, those who own the farms in their isolation and also the place of blacks in society. The big man personifies these dreams and hopelessness despite physical strength. There are many parallels to be made with the human nature and society here, more than I could write up I'm sure, but at it's basic level this is a beautiful story of two men who are joined at the hip and the care that the one takes of the other. The ending is a bit rough though. I suspect it will be one I'll read again and again like Cannery Row. Now where is my copy of that...

News from Nowhere (William Morris)

William Morris
News from Nowhere and Other Writings

After a few interesting tasters we get into the main novel which is basically a view of an anarchist utopia in which we are treated to how it is to live in such a society and how such a society works. There are descriptions of the environment, people and their livelihoods and alongside are mini lessons on how people can live together in utopia. It's Morris' own version of utopia with some digs at things he doesn't like including architecture the houses of parliament coming out particularly badly. He doesn't shy away from the obvious questions such as why would people do hard jobs, what if someone kills someone else, how does produce get to where it's needed and how is it traded, or not in this case. It's very well written to and as a story is quite compelling. There is a love interest, possibly too much, which is ultimately when utopia falls apart but not because of it. I won't spoil the read. My only criticism of Morris' utopian vision is that women still seem to enjoy waiting on men and doing the cleaning. I know that times have changed since this was written but Morris was a pretty enlightened bloke and it's odd that he carries on with gender stereotypes. Well worth reading for the entertainment and to provoke thought.

Whilst this edition has quirky stories before the main meal the afters are a dreary let down. There are lectures which although the content is fascinating they are bloody hard work to get through and although I hate putting a book down without reading from cover to cover I just couldn't get through the essays. For instance the Useful Work versus Useless Toil lecture starts off really well questioning whether someone who does unrelenting and unsatisfying work should be seen as worse if they don't work at all. This resonates with current political thinking which is that if you don't work at anything, however depressing, you are not a worthy member of society and shouldn't be allowed benefits. Great start but gets bogged down in interminable and complex arguments that maybe shows a lack of concentration on my part. At times he seems a bit, well, pompous but maybe that's just the language that was used which after all was getting on for 200 years ago. The Occasional Prose I couldn't face but I did skim through the few Letters. I guess what could I expect from a book with 50 pages of introduction.

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (Carson McCullers)

Carson McCullers
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Having loved The Heart is a Lonely Hunter I was really looking forward to reading this. It didn't disappoint. Seems a bit harsher and harder on the characters than The Heart but the main ones are very well developed and believable. Descriptions of people place and weather are brilliant making you feel you know the folk and where they live. The people have the same sort of flaws as Steinbeck describes both naive and chancers picking up what they can out of life. And with a healthy dose of violent undertones. I'm not sure it's quite as good as Cannery Row but it comes close. It's great that the main character is a strong woman although that strength seems to flow from an odd male character who you feel is an analogy. I'm sure someone's written a thesis on it but I like to think that the guy did exist and isn't simply a literary tool to make a point. Anyways it's a great story and the fact that sometimes you have to suspend your belief in the story whilst still empathising with the various characters is testament to how strong and captivating a story teller that Carson is. After all did we believe everything that befell Don Quixote? It's a strange old ending that you sort of know was coming although there's a definite twist in the tail that I won't spoil. Fantastic. There are the added bonus of a number of other short stories in this edition all very much concentrating on a couple of characters building their back stories up letting us know why they're behaving as they are. Great character building that makes you want to read their whole story. The chronology of Carson's life at the back is more than enough material for a story too. Must read more!

Travellers' Tales Brazil: True Stories (ed. Scott Doggett, Annette Haddad)

Travellers' Tales Brazil: True Stories
ed. Scott Doggett, Annette Haddad

A collection of travellers tales of Brazil interspersed with interesting facts and each ending with a related short paragraph or two by another, often well known, traveller. Stories vary from classic traveller trips up the Amazon and other destinations including a few that I've visited way back when. As these are recent quite a few of the towns have developed and indeed a couple of off the beaten track villages now seem to be on the well beaten track and developed. Very enjoyable and bring back s ome great memories. Other stories relate to Amazon boat trips one being on the main Manaus - Belem cargo / passenger boats plying trade down the river to the Atlantic port. Memories of spending hot days in a hammock swinging out over the Amazon on a crazily crowded deck and being told of by the captain for playing cards. Apparently anything that looks like gambling is banned due to there being nowhere to run to if things get heated. Seems like you can gamble now - these stories are fairly recent and not from the late 80s. Other tales from the riverside are up backwaters and concentrate on rarely visited backwaters and the wildlife piranhas featuring heavily.

Some stories are more personal and focus on the people met and times had both good and not so good usually due to romance, the former, and crime, the latter. Still others are about the architecture of cities ranging from the relatively newly built capital Brasilia with mixed reviews to older colonial towns that are often in decay. And of course the luxury apartments of Rio standing opposite favelas and the skyscrapers of Sao Paulo which I think must have increased a lot since I visited.

The culture and festivities feature heavily of course from cowboys to Bahia dance / martial arts to the madness that is Carneval. This I spent in Rio not in the specifically made avenue for the samba schools but out on the streets in the middle of the city near our fabulously named Love House. Usually the generic name for brothels it was central to down town, rather than out by the beaches, and fairly clean. And cheap which is the main backpackers priority. Some interesting guests too many of whom did indeed use it as the name suggested. And I thought it was just a romantically named hostel.

Overall the book gives a great insight into the soul of Brazil from all aspects and made me want to return for another few months to take in everything once again and a few other experiences that others have written about. As my friend Chris is going out there for a year Debbie bought the book for him as a taster as she'd read it before and thought it the best introduction to Brazil rather than the standard guide books. I couldn't resist reading it and it now looks stylish, well used and slightly past it's best. But with such brilliant content it is a little like Brazil itself. I guess if it were Ipanema or Sao Paulo it would be sparkly new with a sexier or functional cover but as a summary of Brazil it's perfect. Slightly jealous of the times that Chris will have when he's there. Maybe I should check out the flight prices.....

Jah Wobble (Memoirs of a Geezer)

Memoirs of a Geezer
Jah Wobble

An autobiography by someone who seems to have plowed his own farrow in the music industry and not really spent a lot of energy sucking up to gain extra sales. Great name (you find out how he got it) and someone who started off on the first post Pistols Lydon record Public Image Ltd. which was a seminal and much underrated album. Plus the next Metal Box. Fantastic bass player who went on to form lots of bands and was a player in the world music scene which I wasn't really into as a concept or execution. I guess I was most into Wobble in the late 80s early 90s with his Invaders of the Heart which was bass heavy fairly experimental with lots of global influences including great north African instruments. Slightly jazzy improvisation vibe going on before he went more world music and jazzlike. So back to the book. Very entertaining pulling no punches, at least in parts, and both interesting for the ageing punk and also as a general read. It's not all about the music. Wobble's tales of east End life and how it's changed over the generations is entertaining and informing. He seems a bit full of himself at times with some suspect claims regarding both music and facing down hard men but hey, what do I know, I wasn't there. He also gives us the lowdown on his personal life and whilst he doesn't reveal all especially regarding his kids who can blame him. You get the picture and there's no need to go into too much detail regarding others. Unfortunately at the end he becomes a bit of a bigot apologist getting the punches in first by saying that anyone who disagrees with him is a middle class politically correct bleeding heart. If everyone took his view the British wouldn't have embraced any immigrant groups or cultures. This is especially ironic given he's from Irish stock and has married someone who is hardly classic BNP tecruitment material. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth but overall a good read. Maybe I should read Lydon's autobiography 

Max Leonard (Lanterne Rouge)

Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France
Max Leonard

An entertaining run through of the lantern rouges from early days to present. From when it was a disgrace to be avoided to when it was as eagerly fought as first place, nearly, with attendant shenanigans like hiding behind vans to let others pass instead of jumping trains. Being last made you noticed so you'd command more money at other races. I won't go through all the different types described but each chapter has an angle. The overriding message is that although last these riders came last they are still extreme athletes who would leave the average club rider behind after quarter of a mile, sorry, kilometre, and who despite knowing they aren't going to win pull themselves round the entire route including all those mountains for the hell of it. Or more probably because they are paid to pull other team mates around in their role as domestiques. A fascinating read and insight into what makes the mass of le Tour riders click when they have little chance of fame except through the odd stage win or by holding the red lantern on the last day which is always a photo opportunity.

The author adds a personal touch in that he's attempted one of the tours climbs but is defeated in the face of terrible weather and he then re-attempts later. I won't spoil the result for you. And he illegally climbs a mountain next to a railway. Brings a nice touch and also contrasts how even pretty good amateur riders such as him pale next to the horrors endured by the pelaton who cycle thousands of kilometres in a few weeks up and down mountains regardless of injury or weather. Riders don't give up on le tour - le tour drops them either through severe injury or unable to meet the daily cut off time. OK, so a few top riders do stop half way for season long tactical reasons but they could carry on and it's probably on team orders. The rest of the teams carry on regardless. Hard men indeed.

Peter Gelderloos (Anarchy Works)

Anarchy Works (Examples of Anarchist Ideas in Practice)
Peter Gelderloos

Well written run through of how anarchy can be a practical state(less) of affairs and a realistic goal for how people can live together and how such societies be sustained and flourish. It is peppered with examples of stateless societies including those that are consciously anarchist, those that are built on non hierarchical community or socialist principles (collective commune-ist) and those that would not recognise themselves as either anarchy or stateless which are often age old societies that have not been brought into the "modern" states within whose boundaries they have traditionally lived. Many of the references are to past societies especially those that have been colonised by invaders and those created within revolutionary times.

It is a logical journey through the realistic utopia of anarchy written by a committed anarchist who has lived within many of the stateless or anti-state communities that are described. And who has agitated for such communities. Firstly the question as to whether humans are naturally cooperative or competitive is tackled arguing that we are not naturally selfish but look to help each. This breaks down when artificial social boundaries are enforced on us, such as hierarchies, that are hijacked by individuals or groups who take advantage of others resulting in society taking the same attitude and descending into the current global capitalist nightmare that makes a few richer and richer and the many poorer and more poverty stricken. All then fight each other to climb the capitalist ladder but of course those at the top are kicking others back down. This is my analogy not the authors whose arguments are far more convincing and comprehensive. The very fact that humans live in some degree of cooperation across the globe, even if cooperating with others to the detriment of other groups, shows that we have a spirit of cooperation within us. So how to use it for the good of everyone rather than just ourselves or for the few. 

Having taken the spirit of cooperatism as a given Peter then explains how society can operate without descending into "anarchy" or at least the media's view of anarchy as everyone out for themselves. Obviously this is a very biased view as anarchy is about cooperation and collectivism rather than the neo liberal free market version of statelessness (except where the armed forces are needed to put people down and take over other's resources) which is an obvious sham. Various arguments as to why anarchy won't work in practice are knocked back including how such a society could, and indeed such societies have and do, make decisions, why anyone would work if others would share with us, why we wouldn't exploit the environment (as if it could be any worse than today), and what would stop crime if there are no prisons. There are many answers to these questions and many ways of ensuring that such a society benefits and supports everyone in a free and equal way. That is part of the anarchist view which is not to impose one version of your "truth" on others but for each person and community to find their own way. That is what being stateless is all about - not enforcing rules but encouraging good behaviour. There are times when it may be necessary to exclude people who are not cooperating and some of the examples given end in death which I'm not comfortable with but, again, that is part and parcel of self governance.

The next part of the book deals with how we can create such societies whether by stepping outside existing structures or through civil unrest and revolution. This latter is very likely to be required as any working anarchist society existing within the current world order will attract the attention of existing power structures either to stop the rest of the population looking at it and saying yeah, we don't need hierarchies and the state, or to take over resources held within the targeted communities. It's also a moot point as to whether isolationist communities are anarchist even if left alone as they are not pushing for this to be the new world order. Maybe again, each to their own. The necessity of having a global revolution is emphasised as free and stateless societies living in geographic areas will be targets for non anarchist neighbouring states. This part of the book covers how anarchist communities have had to, and will need to, fight a violent fight where necessary. And necessary it is and will be. Again, I'm less comfortable with the idea that violence is justified and righteous as it's a slippery slope from fighting outside invaders to killing those within your society who don't agree with your opinion. A long slope admittedly. Peter has written other books about how the principle of non violence has been detrimental to the aims of true libertarians, environmentalists and other like minded movements.

A very thought provoking and inspirational book that holds no punches as to how necessary it is for humans to move to anarchist societies, how it is inevitable either through revolution or due to capitalist prompted global societal and environmental breakdowns, and how we need to embrace rather than fight what will be the end game of a global stateless society. As it was in the beginning of human society. Well worth reading whether you view yourself as an anarchist or not.

Mike Carter (One Man and His Bike)

One Man and His Bike
Mike Carter



A very readable and and often very funny account of how Mike cycled around the coast of Great Britain. The trials of cycling hit the spot but it's more about the scenery and people who he meets en route. He comes to the conclusion that Britain is far from broken as the politicians and media would have us believe. The acts of kindness blend with his experiences of those living alternative lifestyles to give him a different perspective on life in general and his in particular. I don't know if he's still running, or rather cycling, from or towards unknown forces; in a strange way I hope he isn't and has found peace like the ferryman he meets but there again this book may not have been written without that in his blood. Makes a rainy commute across London seem like a walk in the park.

Steve Stammers (Arsenal - the official biography)

Arsenal - the official biography
Steve Stammers



or The compelling history of an amazing club. Agree with the last part but to be honest this history leaves a lot out and glosses over the more "interesting" incidents I guess cos it's an official biography. Goes from the very start of The Arsenal in Woolwich before they were called Arsenal up until 2008 glossing over the 3 years (and counting) we were trophyless. Anyway the good times have come again as FA Cup holders and about to retain it and finish 2nd. And the 20th year of celebrating St Totteringham Day (google it) - will would be if it had been celebrated 20 years ago. An interesting read and full of facts but not sure if anyone but a Gooner would find it fascinating. Not much social context or wider football context. I enjoyed it especially from 1970 onwards which is when me and my mate started supporting them from afar in the west country and emulated Charlie George's legendary goal celebration when we scored which wasn't often for me as a full back. So, a good read but not sure I'd bother with equivalent from Chelski or ManUre.

Thomas Mann (Buddenbrooks)

Buddenbrooks
Thomas Mann



I very readable book charting the decline of a merchant family based in a middling German sea town. Great descriptive writing and character development a bit like Dickens with similarly fatalistic themes. It starts with the successes of the family and how two brothers grow up - one heading up the firm completely obsessed with position in society and the other a wanderer more inclined to satisfy his own needs and to worry about his mostly imagined ailments. Their sister sits between the two and having glimpsed true love and happiness with a radical from a lower class is bullied by her parents and older brother into an unhappy marriage for status which turns out to be based on a sham anyway. Things just get worse for her and although I felt the most sympathy with this character and put her decisions down to societal pressures on women at that time by the end of the book she is seen as as bad as the rest. The elder brother has a brief fling for love which both know must end and then marries having a seemingly satisfactory life. The younger brother has wild dalliances ending up married and then abused.

The latter part follows the only son of the merchant and his ill health and love of music rather than commerce. A disappointment to the father who he rebels against in a withdrawn way rather than fighting out. His future seems both precarious and unlikely with a fitting and perhaps predictable conclusion to the book.

Early on in the book the revolutions of 1848 are touched upon with some humour although looking from a different angle it shows the arrogance and authority held by the merchant ruling class who have only just ousted the landed gentry from power. These class themes run through the book alongside the analogy of the fate of the family in much the same way that Dickens' stories do. There is humour here in the way that family members act although, again, not as sharp as Dickens but maybe there is something lost in translation despite the obvious work by the translator to bring what I assume are German word plays into English.

Overall I came away not really liking any of the characters and maybe that's the effect meant when written around 1900 that the merchant class will fade away due to interbreeding, self loathing and lax morals. The catastrophes of wars around this time culminating in WWI and the rise of American capitalist dominance in later years changed what I think Mann was expecting of the bourgeoisie position in society but still an interesting history of the individuals building up German trade at that time.

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere (Paul Mason)

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolution
Paul Mason



An update to this British journalist's original book looking at the 20 reasons driving the protests following the recent global banking collapse and subsequent recession. The book focuses on the use of technology and social networks by the protesters and how it's made their protests different to previous ones. It concentrates on the non-hierarchical and spontaneous nature of protests and how people, mainly youth, are disillusioned with establishment bodies including trade unions. Scope is from Egypt to Wall Street encompassing inner city riots, squatting of farms through to the Occupy square take overs. There is comparison with previous protests going back to the French revolution and those of 1848 and then the 1930s recession. Analysis is given on the similarities and differences which I won't try to replicate here. It's a really well written book with a good mix of personal stories, the guy is a journalist after all, and theoretical and practical analysis going way back. There is some attempt to predict the future but as Paul says this may or may not happen as he thinks it may. There could be more analysis of why technology may help these horizontal or non hierarchical protests succeed where many others have failed with out the backing, or forming, of hierarchical and formal groups. To my mind simply having the ability to bring people together across the world virtually and quickly to camps and protests for short periods won't necessarily replace the world order. Maybe the point is that it has such a reach in such a short timescale (seconds) that more people are influenced than could ever be before. The question of whether many protesters are temporary and the premise that much of this is economically led leads me to wonder whether the enthusiasm for change will continue if the economy picks up. Paul doesn't pretend to have the answers for these questions. This book was published a couple of years ago and it's references to the rise of Islam has missed the major part currently played by the Islam State. Another interesting angle is the place of journalism and media groups when so much real time non-edited and seemingly raw information is instantly available and streamed. A very interesting book and well written. Worth reading.

The Collected Stories (Dylan Thomas)

Dylan Thomas
The Collected Stories



In the autumn me and a few mates went on a weekend cycling jaunt from The Gower to Pembroke, cycled past Dylan Thomas' house at Fernhill and visited his Laugharne boat house (http://jdwhols.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/last-of-summer-wine.html). Given it's the centenary of his birth I decided that there was a calling to read him as not ventured into his books before. After unsuccessfully trying to get a cheap second hand introduction to his prose I discover that my dad has an anthology which I borrow. 

It may be my current state of mind (this first bit written in December 2014) but the start of this book does seem very very dark what with wandering around doom laden welsh hills, unjoyful sex and death. Fascinating though and very readable. The style reminds me of James Joyce crossed with William Burroughs - a slightly surrealist edge with vivid descriptions of characters covered by a foreboding storyline where you fear the worst. At least I do.

The middle part is written in the late 30s (later in the decade than the first part) and is about memories growing up in Swansea taken from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog. Next is three chapters from Adventures in the Skin Trade written in the war about moving to London and bizarre carryings on. These haven't got such a dark psychedelic edge to them as the first part and to be honest are a bit of light relief although hardly a comedy. Some are very funny and all have a brilliant insight into people's behaviours, thoughts and feelings. There are a lot of times that I recognise Thomas' insights in modern character depictions often in telly comedy for instance the way that teenagers talk nineteen to the dozen repeating the same few words and depictions of drunkenness. And to be honest I recognize a bit of myself in some of the anecdotes. I won't tell which ones.

We finish with some short stories, more like essays, from post war then for the nuts and port course a few very early stories the last in draft. Overall it's given me a taste for Thomas and I'll have to search out his poetry. I usually struggle with poetry but maybe it's time for me to dip my toe, if not dive, into that artistry much like we did in the cold autumnal waters of Amroth in Pembrokeshire back when I was a young man.

Eros and Civilisation (Herbert Marcuse)

Herbert Marcuse
Eros and Civilisation




I saw this book referenced in another which I read earlier in the year thought it looked interesting and put it on my Amazon wish list. Having received for christmas and having flicked through it I realised that it's a bit more heavy duty than a quick skip through sex and society and is an analysis of Freudian thought as related to society and theory of freedom or liberty within society. Knowing nothing about Freud except that all men are obsessed with their mothers, apparently, and probably I'm incorrect in that perception, I start reading in trepidation with google to hand to understand new concepts that Herbert probably assumes his reader knows all about. To be honest my googling is minimal which is due to the clear way in which the concepts are introduced and explained rather than any previous knowledge on my part. I won't try and summarise the entire book but I'm immersed in Freudian concepts that I've only read about in name such as id, ego, superego and the pleasure and reality principles.

We start with how our instincts for pleasure have, necessarily, been repressed in order to keep us as individuals alive and therefore allowing society to flourish and we go on to how this internalised repression has developed into institutional societal repression to the extent that it's gone beyond it's original purpose, to allow us to survive as individuals and a species whilst still gaining pleasure, and moved into the realms of despotic control where a few gain maximum pleasure, as far as they can, whilst the rest of us suffer.

Much is made of the alienation of work and the theory seems to be that all productive work must be alienating to an extent as it's time spent not satisfying our basic instincts. I'm not sure I agree with that entirely but maybe that's because I've been conditioned to think that work is good as it helps society. Which is exactly the sort of repression of the id or basic instincts that Freud is talking about. He has a pessimistic view of civilisation as we needed repression of our instincts and also of ourselves as humans to progress and if we try to gain freedom the whole of society will unravel back to an anarchic state where everyone does just what they want to the detriment of both their long term survival and the detriment of others. Marcuse seems to be proposing a different future where as the amount of time we need to work to survive is reduced then we may become more collective as a society and sharing (to each as is their need) and gain individual freedom and happiness that way. This seems to be pointing to a communist / Marxist / socialist / collectivist anarchism future. There is still the issue of time and the fact that we can't attain true happiness as we know that time is limited and our happiness is fleeting. In fact remembering happy times is best because our memories don't put a timescale or end point in that happy memory. Death obviously comes into this regarding time and as we are likely to find happiness in being at one with our id, rather than struggling for survival, then finding gratification through peace, or nirvana, maybe the ultimate happiness. And death is the ultimate peacefulness.

The epilogue talks about psychotherapy and the fact that it's cures are so that one can operate within society which is necessarily repressive. Therefore it is to ensure that your personality, id, can operate within a sick society. Thereby teaching you to enforce repression on your free spirit or basic instincts. Therapy is therefore "a course in resignation" forcing your instinct, id, to be repressed enough to conform to the norm to enable it to survive society and implied that it gives up hope of full happiness. From this personal viewpoint as society becomes less repressive and libertarian then there will be less repression of your instincts and therefore we will become more content, perhaps even happy, within our freer society.

I've done what I said I wouldn't and summarised the book. Probably incorrectly but that's what I took out of it. It's very readable and at times I felt addicted as to a great novel. The references to greek heros, philosophers and woodland nymphs adds context and is entertainingly diverting. Enjoyable and very much food for thought, whether you agree with Freud or not. I'm still not sure that everything I do is a result of the first few years of life but the underlying theories ring true. In conclusion either depressing (society needs repression and it will only increase) or uplifting (society will tend towards being freer and collective) depending on what bits of Freuds' theories you take and how you apply them. I'm for the latter. The alternative is too depressing and represses my basic instinct to gain happiness and gratification.

The Exploits of Engelbrecht (Maurice Richardson)

Maurice Richardson
The Exploits of Engelbrecht



Another long standing book on my Amazon wish list that was bought for christmas. I saw it recommended by Michael Moorcock who I used to read a lot and could now get a lucrative job writing fantasy screenplays I'm sure. If he hasn't already. Exploits is a collection of short stories about a surrealist dwarf boxer (authors description) who gets involved in all sorts of competitions such as witch shoots, fights with grandfather clocks, man hunting etc. etc. All take over a very long time and distance and are, well, pretty weird which I guess what a surrealist sportsman would engage in. Although entertaining and very readable the stories are short and could be lengthened with more description as to the how and why with a bit of character development, most of whom come and go superficially. Having said that these were written for a regular magazine publication rather than as a book and by the end of the book you get a pretty good picture as to some of the characters. Most of the sports have heavy betting often with fixing involved and mainly to gain time rather than money. Yes, clocks feature heavily. The afterword by Moorcock says that this book is a treasure. And when was Michael ever a fantasist?