Denerick's Log

Denerick

12.

A Confederacy of Dunces. By John Kennedy Toole.

Haven't read much over the last six weeks. A combination of the football, a new game of footie manager, and the fact that it is indeed summer, has severely limited my reading habits.

A quite severe 'meh' for this one. I can see why its a cult classic, but not why anyone thought it was any good. The book doesn't say anything. What it does say is absurd. And what makes it so absurd is that no creature like Ignatius J.Reilly has ever existed, or is likely to exist. The point is that he is a figment of what must have been a warped mind, but written very poorly indeed. Read some of the dialogue out loud to see what I mean. Overall, very poor. The end is meant to vindicate an otherwise listless and vague novel, but in my opinion it offers little consolation. It kinda reminded me of one of the earlier seasons of South Park, one of the worst episodes. Not my cup of tea.

Apparently the author's relationship with his mother is meant to elucidate many of the themes presented in the novel, but I don't think this novel encourages anyone to care enough about unexplained motives. Freud would have a field day with this though, I can only imagine that Toole was one fooked up individual.

3/10

Denerick

13.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressel

Were I alive a hundred years and had read this book, I'm fairly convinced it would have made me a Marxist. Tressel (his pen name, which draws attention to his profession) does a great job in describing the squalid misery of the working class in this middling southern English town. What makes it distinct from other socialist novels is that the focus isn't on one large company and how it treats its workers, but instead on sets of tradesmen who have to struggle through periods of unemployment. When in employment, their lives are a constant battle against rent and debt. It makes for very compelling, very moving stuff. It does make you angry, and sad, and mad, and maybe even a little bad bad, as we can see echoes of this system still in force today. But the world described in this turn of the 20th century novel in no way compares with the condition of the working class today. With a little prudence you can lead a relatively decent lifestyle, with access to culture only dreamed of in earlier generations. At least, that is, in most western countries.

What I most enjoy is his focus on 'the benefits of civilisation'. Self actualisation of human beings isn't to be realised by merely having 'employment' or some temporary security from poverty, but by the higher rewards. Simple things like bike rides, visits to music venues, or books, are the things that are worthwhile in life and which should be the entitlement of all those born, not just those born to the upper or middle classes.

Whilst I feel very positively towards this book on both an emotional and an intellectual level, it of course has flaws. As fiction it has adopted a semi allegorical approach, castigating the religious (Who are without exception hypocrites and liars), the wealthy (With one notable exception being exploitative psychopaths) and generally anyone who doesn't uphold socialist principles. For all that, it is an accomplished book with an extremely persuasive moral message. But one must employ their critical faculties appropriately and remember that, after all, this is a work of fiction.

8/10

Denerick

For anyone who may care (I'd imagine you to be a somewhat grim and lonely demographic!) I've decided to stop updating this. I might start a blog and critique more in depth than I'm used to, but then again I probably won't. I always enjoy looking back on this thread and remembering some of the good, the mediocre and the downright awful books I've read over the years.

Queen-Mise

Denerick wrote: »

For anyone who may care (I'd imagine you to be a somewhat grim and lonely demographic!) I've decided to stop updating this. I might start a blog and critique more in depth than I'm used to, but then again I probably won't. I always enjoy looking back on this thread and remembering some of the good, the mediocre and the downright awful books I've read over the years.

I really like goodreads.com for tracking my books. But then I read too many books to really keep a log like this although I do really enjoy reading the logs the people here keep.