Tag Archives: criticism of books

A Life of Sorts

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Graham Greene

This autobiography of Graham Greene recounting his years of failure – youth, schooling, university, employment and writing novels unsuccessfully, drifts. It might be the drifting without the young author showing much zeal tells that life intentionally – slacker does good without knowing how it happened. However, the writing is mediocre. Good writers must be masters of the language to write poorly. Graham Greene does not have those abilities.

It is supremely odd that while growing up Greene does not mention knowing or reading John Buchan.

Passages where writing is discussed are lazy. Either a writer believes in 1,2 and 3, or a, b or c, or I, II or III, or Mercury, Venus and Earth. Rules and advice are clear using snappy words. The reader and any writer looking for advice from Graham should be cautious: “The smell of opium is more agreeable than the smell of success.”

Other than drugs and Russian Roulette, Greene is the type of writer who does not use the imagination – he must experience something first hand to tell of it – although someone coming from a drug stupor and trying to write about it frequently fails to say much.

LINCOLN THE PRESIDENT

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J. G. Randall

This early political history of Lincoln (1947) is invaluable to 1862. It is a life and times of Lincoln. It sells in detail the political and social forces confronting Lincoln and whether he acted, shifted, remained still or moved by deflection.

The description of 1860-1861 America before the inauguration presents the United States in a time more unsettled than any other time in American history, including today: Attempts by the Democrats (favoring slavery, opposing slavery) to get elected themselves by fouling and goofing the Electoral College (mostly within the state legislatures). There were adamant positions especially in the South where the minority view became the majority position. The anti-Slavery forces in the North were weak.

Politicians attempted to conciliate North and South to no success. In 1860 an appalling Constitutional Amendment obtained two-thirds (2/3) majority in the House and Senate. It would have solved many or all of the South’s problems. It was never added to the Constitution as Number 13 because the War began, and its ratification was forever dropped.

Reading through 1861 (Fort Sumpter adequately described), First Battle of Bull Run (sketchy) and onto the 1862 (few words to Henry, Donelson, and northern Tennessee thus securing Kentucky), the author had to become a military historian. Randall fails.

The story collapses. No one can defend George B. McClellen, except he trained the eastern army and had a disciplined army that needed another general to lead it into battle. In essence George B. was Baron Von Steuben, or a glorified drill sergeant, but no more.

There are many historians to read which tell of military issues form 1862-1865 directing and guiding Lincoln’s political decisions. I recommend this book to early 1862 and stop reading. It is entirely possible that the failure of military history after 1861 is why this book is no longer in print.   

LOS ANGELES TIMES 9/6/2020

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“I think fiction benefits from ambiguity whereas obviously life doesn’t.”

This sentence in this morning’s Los Angeles Times is in a review/interview of a book/author. The sentence indicates that neither the author nor the journalist/reviewer/critic of the book know much about writing English and especially fiction. The journalist let this statement slide rather than explore the author’s state of mind allowing this sentiment escape her mouth.

Fiction is tied to fact, to logic, to reason and uses devices to bring forth a story. Nothing needs to be told chronologically but in order to use and employ a metaphor an author must have a firm understanding of facts, impressions, implications and words, so that the metaphor works. Likewise, allegories,, fables and every other invention authors have conceived in this language or in others require the same rigorous understanding of communication.

Yet, it is apparent, especially in Don Trump’s world – the present life – that ambiguity is prized. There is no truth, only claims and assertions with no anchor to circumstances. The flurry of statements reveal unreasonableness, illogical wanderings and fantasies.

For instance, scenarios alerting people about others invading suburbs in droves, lemmings coming to play in parks, be educated in schools and generally a force making life interesting. Like all people those outsiders want peace, not violence. But I’m much more fearful of home grown kids who know much about computers, the Internet, communication systems, and  procedures allowing them to spy. They don’t need to wear face masks to do that. And most of the young people don’t believe they carry Coronavirus. Let America speed up society to foster Logan’s Run communities. 

Which sounds more plausible? My perception of where society might be going, or little discomfort and unfamiliarity of having new neighbors.  The job of the artist is to advance understanding and comprehension of what most of us can see and realize. Stick to the new neighbors.