Category: books

Nihilism in the 21st century

New 3quarksdaily column:

In a radio sketch by the British comedians David Mitchell and Robert Webb, David Mitchell plays an interviewer trying to get a cabinet minister to say what he really thinks about the government’s funding cuts. At first, Robert Webb, playing the minister, says there is no disagreement between him and the cabinet, but the interviewer presses on, continually repeating the same question: “OK …. but what do you really think?”

At one point, the minister unrealistically breaks under these faux-critical questions, and admits:

“It’s all lies. I hate it, I’m against it, all right? […] That’s it, my career is over.”

You’d think that was enough. But after a pause, the interviewer replies:

-“Yes, but what do you really think?”

“Look, it’s all futile. We’re all nothing but specks of flesh going through this obscene dance of death for nothing. Everything is nothing.”

-“….Thank you minister.”

More here.

River-Crossing Riddles Through the Ages

New 3QD-column:

Have you ever been in this situation where you had to get a group of 3 men and their sisters across a river, but the boat only held two and you had to take precautions to ensure the women got across without being assaulted?

This problem is one of 53 puzzles in the oldest extant puzzle book in the Western (Latin) tradition: the Propositiones ad acuendos iuventes or problems to sharpen the young. Its authorship is uncertain but it is often and plausibly attributed to Alcuin, who possibly sent them to the Frankish ruler Charlemagne in 800 AD. I hope you will allow me a brief introduction of these puzzles, before I go on to do what I hope will by then be redundant, namely spelling out why I think you should be thrilled by their existence.

More here.

Twee manieren om je rug recht te houden James Comey, A higher loyalty; Jordan Peterson, 12 rules for life

Ik heb dit weekend twee boeken gelezen die in mijn systeem allebei onder de categorie ‘zelfhulp’ vallen: James Comeys A Higher Loyalty en Jordan Petersons 12 Rules for Life.

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A Study of Dignity Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day

A butler on leave travels through the English landscape – an outwardly tranquil environment, whose greatness lies in its “very lack of obvious drama or spectacle” (29); an explicit image of the dignified professional that our butler, Mr Stevens, has endeavored to be during his entire life. A great butler, he theorizes, embodies dignity, a virtue resting on the imperturbability of his person and on the moral status of the household that he serves.

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“His heart loved goodness most.” George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo

President Lincoln’s son Willie has died, and has now joined the ghosts at the cemetery. Most of the ghosts have stayed behind because they were not ready to move on – with the exception of the reverend Everly Thomas, who thought he was ready but who has fled from judgment at the last instant. Most of the ghosts have not accepted the fact that they have died, believing vaguely but strongly that whatever was on their mind when they were taken from the world can still be achieved. They will still be able to sleep with their wife after healing from their injury and getting out of the ‘sick-box’; or they can yet reverse their ill-advised suicide attempt.

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Van wie is het verhaal? Édouard Louis, Weg met Eddy Bellegueule en Geschiedenis van geweld

Eddy’s homoseksualiteit is lot, is een onweerstaanbare natuurkracht, die zich praktisch vanaf zijn geboorte manifesteert; en dat in een omgeving waarvoor voor zijn soort mensen volstrekt geen plaats is. Niet dat er door de stoere jongens in het dorp geen homoseksuele handelingen worden verricht, maar aan hen kleeft dat niet; “de misdaad bestaat niet uit het doen, maar uit het zijn. En vooral uit het eruitzien als” (150). Eddy is een open boek voor zijn omgeving, en als hij probeert via vriendinnetjes te bewijzen dat hij normaal is, houdt hij niemand lang voor de gek; zijn lichaam weigert dienst in bed, zelfs wanneer hij zich voorstelt overweldigd te worden door potige mannen. Zijn poging laat alleen een gekwetst meisje achter.

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A Study of Accountability Dave Eggers, Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?

Thomas’ life hasn’t gone the way it should, and he has certain ideas about why that is. Therefore, he decides to stop time, and ask questions to the people he thinks hold the key to explaining his own situation. His method is to kidnap them, chain them to a pole in an abandoned barracks, and convince them to talk.

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A Study of Irony Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time

“Tell me, whom does art belong to?” (91) When Barnes’ Shostakovich dutifully assists in examining students at the conservatory on their knowledge of Marxist-Leninist ideology, he makes sure to ask only the easiest questions. In this case, the answer is on a large banner in the examination hall: Lenin’s insistence that “ART BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE”.

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De kleur van de Mercedes Laurent Binet, HhhH

Is dit een roman of een geschiedverhaal? Natuurlijk is een van de motieven in HhhH dat de auteur zelf uitdrukkelijk worstelt met de status van wat hij uiteindelijk aan het papier toevertrouwt. “Als mijn verhaal een roman was”, zegt hij vaak (224); elders noemt hij het een “infra-roman” (256) – ik weet niet wat dat betekent; misschien een roman ín een geschiedverslag.

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