In fact, this book seduced me when I first read it. I was seeing subliminal messages everywhere. I think I completely bought it all until one day, looIn fact, this book seduced me when I first read it. I was seeing subliminal messages everywhere. I think I completely bought it all until one day, looking out of a plane window my brain, now trained to see these subversively scribed messages of sexuality, imagined the word "sex" in the clouds below me.
I read this as a teenager, 72 is purely a guess -- it might have been earlier, but I don't remember. What I do remember is being overwhelmed with the I read this as a teenager, 72 is purely a guess -- it might have been earlier, but I don't remember. What I do remember is being overwhelmed with the nadsat glossery in the back. My good buddy, Tom Meinskow, had read it as well and we used the language a bit.
It's so interesting to me that the methodologies used in the book to 'tame' Alex of his violence were used in the 80's to try to cure homosexuals of their inclination. I don't know if that's life imitating art or if Burgess was describing something that was already happening.
Having him bereft of both violent urges and his beloved Beethovan said something to me about the complex nature of human desires. Sure, Alex was a creep -- but he was a product of his society. And the society's violence to him was even more vile....more
African pygmys, attested in ancient Egyptian and Greek texts as being nearly mythical inhabitants of central Africa, are described here in an AnthropoAfrican pygmys, attested in ancient Egyptian and Greek texts as being nearly mythical inhabitants of central Africa, are described here in an Anthropological tome. I must re-read as I remember little from it....more
A facinating journalistic history of LSD. It delves into the phenomenon I am very interested in, the birth of the flower children out of the ashes of A facinating journalistic history of LSD. It delves into the phenomenon I am very interested in, the birth of the flower children out of the ashes of the beats. Once they dropped acid they left their black berets behind and adopted the colors and edwardian glory of their innocent and naive rebellion.
A must read to understand the 60's and drug culture if you weren't there personally. I was but on the fray......more
This is a pretty good book, but at best it's a distillation of portions of Arial (and William) Durants multi-volume work "The History of Civilization"This is a pretty good book, but at best it's a distillation of portions of Arial (and William) Durants multi-volume work "The History of Civilization".
Dated stuff -- but still, good. I especially liked the stuff on the Borgia popes....more
A much better version of "Groundhog Day" (written long before the film) where the protagonist dies in the middle of his life only to find himself reboA much better version of "Groundhog Day" (written long before the film) where the protagonist dies in the middle of his life only to find himself reborn with the same consciousness, only to die again at the same precise moment. Ok, it's not just like Groundhog Day, but it scratches the same itch.