We live in an astonishing time, where the very profusion of cultural miracles small and large telescopes their arrival so that they may strike like a meteor, but there's no blast, no apparent damage, and no lasting impact. And then, it's wham, and we're on to the next one.
The second part of this post's title is a phrase I've coined for this and so many other aspects of our age, where suddenly something's everywhere all at once but only for an instant, and Les Miserables, the latest and greatest iteration of Victor Hugo's greatest novel is just another illustration of this tendency.
An absolute masterpiece, with scene after heartbreaking scene of great emotional power, delivered in an entirely new way; even though it's hardly even a skeletal version of the book - more like the most delicate of strands - somehow it captures so much that's essential, and leaves you leaving the theater as if you're Felix Baumgartner (remember him?) landing back on earth after skydiving from space.
But how long before it's forgotten, if it hasn't been already?
Nothing wrong with that. Just an indication that while we live in an age filled with so many miracles with so many of us looking so feverishly for the next one, I wonder how many of us pause sometimes to reflect on just how outrageous our collective good fortune really is?
Monday, January 21, 2013
Where is Uncle Joe's Utopia?
The prosaic answer to that question is at amazon.com, the digital shelf where I've placed my e-novel for display, but the poetic answer is a place I spent years putting into words, a story inspired by a theory of physics in which time does not exist, a plot where an unthinkable crime has turned our nation inside out, and five souls suddenly facing a death sentence if they cannot carry out an impossible mission.
Who is John Galt? was an interesting question in its day. But Where is Uncle Joe's Utopia? (and also When? and Why? and What?) will prove to be a far more intriguing one. Part thriller, part psychological drama, but above all, a love story of the most unusual and eternal kind.
Who is John Galt? was an interesting question in its day. But Where is Uncle Joe's Utopia? (and also When? and Why? and What?) will prove to be a far more intriguing one. Part thriller, part psychological drama, but above all, a love story of the most unusual and eternal kind.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
A Hologram for the King
Finished Dave Eggers latest a few days ago, and regret not having read something of his sooner. A tremendous novel that captures so much of our collective socioeconomic anxiety, answering not only how it manifests but also how we got here. If, however, Eggers is implying that our nation is truly in decline, soon to be eclipsed by China and their newfound productive genius, then just as others before him thought we'd be surpassed first by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and then by Germany and Japan in the 1980s, I suspect he's being a bit premature.
Our strengths are such that sometimes we are unaware of just how many there are and what their true nature might be. As a small example, imagine you earn $110,000 per year, will do so with no chance of losing your job, and in addition, have assets of $500,000 and $170,000 in debt. Think you're okay? So do I. Add a few zeroes and that's America's balance sheet in a nutshell. But listen to the politicians and the commentators and you'd think it was the end of the world.
As Isay, a great novel, but in real life I think the ending is much happier than what Eggers suggests.
Our strengths are such that sometimes we are unaware of just how many there are and what their true nature might be. As a small example, imagine you earn $110,000 per year, will do so with no chance of losing your job, and in addition, have assets of $500,000 and $170,000 in debt. Think you're okay? So do I. Add a few zeroes and that's America's balance sheet in a nutshell. But listen to the politicians and the commentators and you'd think it was the end of the world.
As Isay, a great novel, but in real life I think the ending is much happier than what Eggers suggests.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)