Bill Masen wakes in a hospital to find that he is the only sighted man in a city of the blind. During the next few hours, he walks the streets of London to find out exactly what has caused this catastrophe. That is the disorientating start to this wonderful novel, which hinges on those lucky few whose sight has survived. The cause of this mass blindness appears to have been a meteor shower the previous evening. All who witnessed it became victims.
Yet, Masen suspects that there is another force at work, the plant life that he helped bring into existence in Britain known as 'Triffids'. They are highly intellegent plants that are capable of movement. Perhaps most suspiciously of all, they are man-made, rumoured to have been stolen from a laboratory in the USSR. Governments in Western Europe allowed them to pollenate due to their oil being valuable.
Masen became a cultivator of sorts for this oil. This knowledge of the plants is an advantage that may yet help him survive. We bear close witness to his discomfort with this awareness. Wyndham is one of the first of many 20th Century storytellers to confront humanity's hubris when a technology gets out of control. The triffids stalk the streets as a constant menace, yet they are not the only hazard that Masen encounters.
He eventually locates another person who is still sighted. She has been tied and bound by one of the many wanderers that haunt the streets. Masen releases her and manages to find a colony that avoided the meteor shower. His companion, Josella, takes him to this compound and we are reassured that there may yet be a civilised future for those who are left. However, they are both captured and become prey for the gangs who are by now stalking the streets.
The most horrendous aspects of human nature are on display as sighted despots lead legions of the blind into the most deplorable acts in search of food. Wyndham confronts this collapse with a great deal of calm, he is not prone to sentiment when describing the end of society. Bill and Josella escape seperately yet in truth their trials have just begun.
Away from London, life is hardly a rural idyll. As the human population dwindles, Triffids begin to take control of the open land. Masen follows a clue to try and find Josella but he has no success and briefly becomes an unwilling member of a fundamentalist sect. He leaves with his new companion Wilfred Coker, who is just as sceptical about the value of religion after such an event. However, Masen quickly realises that they have no hope on their own.
During all this, Masen's one objective is to find Josella but he can only recall one possible place that she may be living. He leaves Coker to look after other survivors so that he can find the woman he loves. In such an aggressive world, where the protagonists are required to destroy repeatedly to survive, it is refreshing to note that a source of hope still exists. It is a harsh, desperate life that they lead together but it is perhaps the best they can manage.
There are no melancholic reflections by any of the main characters, just a simple need to adapt and survive. Wyndham is reflecting the era in which he is writing, published in 1951, this toughness perhaps reveals the difficulties of living through a major war. Masen and Josella are decent people who give purpose to each other, they rarely lapse into self-pity. Yet, as their world collapses, they have to work hard to move forward.
At times, the dialogue in the novel feels a little strained. Even by fifties standards, it seems overly formal yet there are no such questions about the narrative. Wyndham has created an excellent book that attempts to answer why we as a species deserve to survive. It is a credit to him that the answer is never in doubt.
Saturday 28 August 2010
Sunday 22 August 2010
'Nothing to envy: real lives in North Korea' by Barbara Demick
It is difficult to convey the horror of living in a totalitarian state but Barbara Demick manages to portray the suffering of the North Korean people under their morally bankrupt regime. The widely held perception in the western world is that North Koreans spend most of their time marching in unison around Pyongyang. Demick takes us outside that closely censored image and into the real lives of those seemingly loyal subjects.
Her book is drawn from interviews with defectors who, almost without exception, have a relative who died as a result of a famine in the 1990's . Large tracts of the work focus on this famine, which is believed to have wiped out as much as ten percent of the population, working out at just over two million people. Understandably, previous loyalty to the ruling Workers Party became as scarce a commodity as the food itself. Those who would not steal died first, those who would not break the law to sell were next.
Yet, despite the resentment, no change was wrought in the government's policy and many working people have not recieved a pay cheque since the mid 90's. Kim Jong-Il continued drinking fine wine and dining on lobster whilst his country was laid waste. As if this were not reprehensible enough, his clique knew that they had enough informers to maintain the situation. People knew that a misplaced word could send them to a labour camp, never to return.
The only method of social advancement in North Korea is through joining the Workers Party. Demick shows us that this is the only ambition that most of the population can hold. However, due to a strange caste system that dominates the society, it is an impossibility for just as many. Our defectors are more than aware of the irony of a communist utopia in which such a system persists. It is made clear that for many, that was the reason for leaving.
In amongst the attempts at thought control, there are some moments of rare humanity. A thread that runs through the book is a love affair between two of the defectors that is touching for its desperation. There is a great taboo in North Korea about pre-marital relationships of any kind, partly due to the chilling belief that it would detract from loyalty to the state. Thankfully, in this case it does exactly that and they find the bravery to escape.
This is a rare moment of lightness in an otherwise harrowing work. One after the other, the defectors reveal the moment they became disillusioned with all that they had been taught to believe. From an early age, North Koreans are taught that Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung are the providers of almost everything. The personality cult surrounding Kim Il-Sung in particular is something to behold, as is the grief that took hold of people upon his death in 1994.
Yet, when leaders are supposed to be the providers of everything, questions are naturally asked when the supplies run out. Opposition expressed privately was the only refuge for many of the defectors and even then the constant barrage of propaganda forced many to doubt themselves. As a result, Demick is deeply sympathetic to those who struggle to adapt to life in the outside world, pointing out that many of them have never been instructed to think for themselves.
The book is a thoroughly researched piece that evidently took many years of interviews and study to complete. It is an absolute credit to Demick that she shows us exactly what it is like to live in the world's most secretive state. The drabness and claustrophobia of life are reflective of Stalinism at its worst. George Orwell once wrote of 'a boot stamping on the face of human face forever'. Unfortunately, North Korea is every bit the realisation of his dystopia.
Every page that passes makes the reader more and more grateful for the blessing of being born in a democracy. It is by no means an easy read but a necessary one.
Her book is drawn from interviews with defectors who, almost without exception, have a relative who died as a result of a famine in the 1990's . Large tracts of the work focus on this famine, which is believed to have wiped out as much as ten percent of the population, working out at just over two million people. Understandably, previous loyalty to the ruling Workers Party became as scarce a commodity as the food itself. Those who would not steal died first, those who would not break the law to sell were next.
Yet, despite the resentment, no change was wrought in the government's policy and many working people have not recieved a pay cheque since the mid 90's. Kim Jong-Il continued drinking fine wine and dining on lobster whilst his country was laid waste. As if this were not reprehensible enough, his clique knew that they had enough informers to maintain the situation. People knew that a misplaced word could send them to a labour camp, never to return.
The only method of social advancement in North Korea is through joining the Workers Party. Demick shows us that this is the only ambition that most of the population can hold. However, due to a strange caste system that dominates the society, it is an impossibility for just as many. Our defectors are more than aware of the irony of a communist utopia in which such a system persists. It is made clear that for many, that was the reason for leaving.
In amongst the attempts at thought control, there are some moments of rare humanity. A thread that runs through the book is a love affair between two of the defectors that is touching for its desperation. There is a great taboo in North Korea about pre-marital relationships of any kind, partly due to the chilling belief that it would detract from loyalty to the state. Thankfully, in this case it does exactly that and they find the bravery to escape.
This is a rare moment of lightness in an otherwise harrowing work. One after the other, the defectors reveal the moment they became disillusioned with all that they had been taught to believe. From an early age, North Koreans are taught that Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim Il-Sung are the providers of almost everything. The personality cult surrounding Kim Il-Sung in particular is something to behold, as is the grief that took hold of people upon his death in 1994.
Yet, when leaders are supposed to be the providers of everything, questions are naturally asked when the supplies run out. Opposition expressed privately was the only refuge for many of the defectors and even then the constant barrage of propaganda forced many to doubt themselves. As a result, Demick is deeply sympathetic to those who struggle to adapt to life in the outside world, pointing out that many of them have never been instructed to think for themselves.
The book is a thoroughly researched piece that evidently took many years of interviews and study to complete. It is an absolute credit to Demick that she shows us exactly what it is like to live in the world's most secretive state. The drabness and claustrophobia of life are reflective of Stalinism at its worst. George Orwell once wrote of 'a boot stamping on the face of human face forever'. Unfortunately, North Korea is every bit the realisation of his dystopia.
Every page that passes makes the reader more and more grateful for the blessing of being born in a democracy. It is by no means an easy read but a necessary one.
Wednesday 18 August 2010
'Inception' dir. Christopher Nolan
It was something of a shock to be confronted by something so intellegent and gripping. Given that recent releases include a surfeit of Hollywood staples (re-makes, teen horror, more teen horror), Nolan's film certainly distinguishes itself by being different. It mixes high-octane action sequences with a script that stops to question the motives of its characters.
The result is a film that crosses genres, it could easily be classified as a sci-fi, mystery or thriller and it has a good case for being all three. The action mainly centres around Leo Di Caprio's character Justin Cobb as he prepares a heist to steal corporate secrets. However, it is quickly revealed that this is no ordinary crime thriller. Cobb is a criminal who works exclusively in dreams.
Their target is the heir to a large corporation, a man called Robert Fischer who is brilliantly played by Cillian Murphy. The gang force Fischer in his sub-concious state to confront his difficult relationship with his father. Their theory is that a created thought, or 'inception' will force him to disinherit his company. As they burrow more deeply into his sub-concious it becomes clear that this is no ordinary task.
Cobb is made to confront his own demons, namely in the shape of his wife Mal, who haunts his every thought. His ability to do his job is hamstrung by his inability to let go of her and it quickly becomes clear that this may cost him his life. This secret has only been revealed to Ariadne, a student who joins them to work at creating Fischer's thought.
Mal is played with shocking clarity by Marion Cotillard, who portrays someone who indulges her own anger to the detriment of any other emotion. The film reveals precisely why it is justified but never loses the sense that she always had that element within her. At certain points, Cobb and Mal dominate the film to such an extent that it does slow down but that is only for a brief moment in the second act.
There is no question that taken as a whole, Inception makes a strong impression. In fact, it does to such an extent that it would be difficult to find many that rank alongside it. Nolan would be doing well to better it but given past form, no one could put it past him.
The result is a film that crosses genres, it could easily be classified as a sci-fi, mystery or thriller and it has a good case for being all three. The action mainly centres around Leo Di Caprio's character Justin Cobb as he prepares a heist to steal corporate secrets. However, it is quickly revealed that this is no ordinary crime thriller. Cobb is a criminal who works exclusively in dreams.
Their target is the heir to a large corporation, a man called Robert Fischer who is brilliantly played by Cillian Murphy. The gang force Fischer in his sub-concious state to confront his difficult relationship with his father. Their theory is that a created thought, or 'inception' will force him to disinherit his company. As they burrow more deeply into his sub-concious it becomes clear that this is no ordinary task.
Cobb is made to confront his own demons, namely in the shape of his wife Mal, who haunts his every thought. His ability to do his job is hamstrung by his inability to let go of her and it quickly becomes clear that this may cost him his life. This secret has only been revealed to Ariadne, a student who joins them to work at creating Fischer's thought.
Mal is played with shocking clarity by Marion Cotillard, who portrays someone who indulges her own anger to the detriment of any other emotion. The film reveals precisely why it is justified but never loses the sense that she always had that element within her. At certain points, Cobb and Mal dominate the film to such an extent that it does slow down but that is only for a brief moment in the second act.
There is no question that taken as a whole, Inception makes a strong impression. In fact, it does to such an extent that it would be difficult to find many that rank alongside it. Nolan would be doing well to better it but given past form, no one could put it past him.
Sunday 15 August 2010
'A History of Britain (Vol I) - At the edge of The World? 3000BC-AD1603' by Simon Schama
As the title suggests, this book takes something of a broad perspective on early British history. Not that this is necessarily to its detriment, it reads more like a novel than a typical historical work. That is a credit to Schama who livens up a subject which often drives people away with dry prose and even drier analysis.
It moves quickly through the neolithic and Roman periods and onto medieval history. It seems that this is the real highlight for Schama, his enthusiasm for his work is most notable when he writing about instability. His superb deconstruction of Richard II during the peasants revolt is a prime example of this. However, he is sensible enough to avoid the mistake of dividing British history into 'good' and 'bad' monarchs.
Case studies are provided to act as background to the narrative. Eyewitness accounts of Thomas Becket's various disputes with Henry II being particularly impressive. Another example is the dark humour of the portrait of the 'Three living and three dead', an especially poignant work about the black death. Schama's background as an art historian undoubtedly influenced the images selected for the book.
There are several moments where it seems that there will be a shift towards a more conventional telling, especially during the section on Edward I. Nonetheless, he is quick to address this with acknowledgements that both sides committed atrocities during that conflict. He does well to shy away from the Braveheart perspective on William Wallace, who was in fact just as coldly ruthless as Edward.
Understandably, he treads carefully as we reach the Tudor period. Perhaps the most well-known of all parts of British history, Schama sticks closely to fact and is not given to romanticising Henry VIII in particular. Many recent depictions of the Tudors have played on the idea that it was an era of frivolous courtly love spoilt by the odd religious schism. That view is given short shrift as we are quickly introduced to the ruthlessness of Henry, Edward VI and Mary. The harrowing section on the death of Anne Boleyn being a particular highlight.
Fortunately he is also not given to glorifying Elizabeth I. He recognises her immense contribution towards religious healing in Britain but also sees that she was often maddeningly indecisive, especially when dealing with the many threats on her life. He recognises that when 'Gloriana' was at the peak of her powers, she was indeed a formidable monarch but that, as she went into decline, she was used by those closest to her.
There is no doubt that this reflects the balanced nature of the first volume of this work. Though there are many ways in which it is a conventional telling of early British history it does not shy away from occasional revisionism. Schama makes the point very early on that it is a personal history, not meant as definitive and it certainly does not feel at any point as if the reader is being dictated to. He is often condemned for being middle-brow but the length of the bibliography at the back should put paid to those assumptions.
Not only a fine academic work but a brilliant read. That is not a sentence I write very often.
It moves quickly through the neolithic and Roman periods and onto medieval history. It seems that this is the real highlight for Schama, his enthusiasm for his work is most notable when he writing about instability. His superb deconstruction of Richard II during the peasants revolt is a prime example of this. However, he is sensible enough to avoid the mistake of dividing British history into 'good' and 'bad' monarchs.
Case studies are provided to act as background to the narrative. Eyewitness accounts of Thomas Becket's various disputes with Henry II being particularly impressive. Another example is the dark humour of the portrait of the 'Three living and three dead', an especially poignant work about the black death. Schama's background as an art historian undoubtedly influenced the images selected for the book.
There are several moments where it seems that there will be a shift towards a more conventional telling, especially during the section on Edward I. Nonetheless, he is quick to address this with acknowledgements that both sides committed atrocities during that conflict. He does well to shy away from the Braveheart perspective on William Wallace, who was in fact just as coldly ruthless as Edward.
Understandably, he treads carefully as we reach the Tudor period. Perhaps the most well-known of all parts of British history, Schama sticks closely to fact and is not given to romanticising Henry VIII in particular. Many recent depictions of the Tudors have played on the idea that it was an era of frivolous courtly love spoilt by the odd religious schism. That view is given short shrift as we are quickly introduced to the ruthlessness of Henry, Edward VI and Mary. The harrowing section on the death of Anne Boleyn being a particular highlight.
Fortunately he is also not given to glorifying Elizabeth I. He recognises her immense contribution towards religious healing in Britain but also sees that she was often maddeningly indecisive, especially when dealing with the many threats on her life. He recognises that when 'Gloriana' was at the peak of her powers, she was indeed a formidable monarch but that, as she went into decline, she was used by those closest to her.
There is no doubt that this reflects the balanced nature of the first volume of this work. Though there are many ways in which it is a conventional telling of early British history it does not shy away from occasional revisionism. Schama makes the point very early on that it is a personal history, not meant as definitive and it certainly does not feel at any point as if the reader is being dictated to. He is often condemned for being middle-brow but the length of the bibliography at the back should put paid to those assumptions.
Not only a fine academic work but a brilliant read. That is not a sentence I write very often.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
'Dune' by Frank Herbert
This novel is an epic in both scale and length. At times, the imagination required to picture such an alien landscape is difficult to comprehend. Just as difficult, in fact, as wading through some of the over-extended sentences that Herbert is prone to using on occasion. Open any page in Dune and both will be present in large doses.
That is not to say that it is not an enjoyable read, it certainly is, but it is by no means a fast one. At first, we are introduced to the House Atreides, of which the main character Paul is a member. His father, Duke Leto, has been maneuvered into taking over the governorship of a barren desert world known as Arrakis.
Their stay on Arrakis quickly descends into violence as it gradually becomes clear that the Duke is being used. His great rival, the Baron Harkonnen is behind this plot. Harkonnen is a fantastic literary creation, full of the contradictions and bloodlust of a man obsessed with power. The contempt with which he treats even his own family is something to behold.
Amongst the chaos following the Baron's plot, we pick up the story with Paul, who is cast out amongst the natives of Arrakis. Paul's tale is one that is often difficult to follow, largely due to the sheer number of names that Herbert insists on calling him, for example: Paul, Muad'Dib, Kwaitz-Haderach and Usul to mention but a few. Nonetheless, the harsh beauty of the landscape is conveyed throughout and the characterisation of the natives is very well executed.
Following a series of violent encounters, Paul finds himself as the leader of the natives. He is pushed forward following a prophecy given to them and as a result finds himself as the leader of not just an army, but a religious movement. It is a role that he resists but nonetheless has to accept. As a result, by the close of the book, he has become assured in his decisions, perhaps to his detriment.
His mother Jessica, who accompanies him throughout, attempts to keep him on a mortal plane but she struggles with the task. She gives birth to Paul's sister, who may yet hold the key to his grand plans. The climax of the book leaves as many questions as it does answers but it can be assured that both of them have an important role to play in the remaining books of the trilogy.
Overall, 'Dune' is a fine work of Science Fiction that is perhaps not worthy of the title 'greatest ever' with which it is often burdened. It is a book filled with tremendous landscapes, yet, sometimes the similies seem just as extended. Despite that reservation, I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in sci-fi.
That is not to say that it is not an enjoyable read, it certainly is, but it is by no means a fast one. At first, we are introduced to the House Atreides, of which the main character Paul is a member. His father, Duke Leto, has been maneuvered into taking over the governorship of a barren desert world known as Arrakis.
Their stay on Arrakis quickly descends into violence as it gradually becomes clear that the Duke is being used. His great rival, the Baron Harkonnen is behind this plot. Harkonnen is a fantastic literary creation, full of the contradictions and bloodlust of a man obsessed with power. The contempt with which he treats even his own family is something to behold.
Amongst the chaos following the Baron's plot, we pick up the story with Paul, who is cast out amongst the natives of Arrakis. Paul's tale is one that is often difficult to follow, largely due to the sheer number of names that Herbert insists on calling him, for example: Paul, Muad'Dib, Kwaitz-Haderach and Usul to mention but a few. Nonetheless, the harsh beauty of the landscape is conveyed throughout and the characterisation of the natives is very well executed.
Following a series of violent encounters, Paul finds himself as the leader of the natives. He is pushed forward following a prophecy given to them and as a result finds himself as the leader of not just an army, but a religious movement. It is a role that he resists but nonetheless has to accept. As a result, by the close of the book, he has become assured in his decisions, perhaps to his detriment.
His mother Jessica, who accompanies him throughout, attempts to keep him on a mortal plane but she struggles with the task. She gives birth to Paul's sister, who may yet hold the key to his grand plans. The climax of the book leaves as many questions as it does answers but it can be assured that both of them have an important role to play in the remaining books of the trilogy.
Overall, 'Dune' is a fine work of Science Fiction that is perhaps not worthy of the title 'greatest ever' with which it is often burdened. It is a book filled with tremendous landscapes, yet, sometimes the similies seem just as extended. Despite that reservation, I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in sci-fi.
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