Unsubstantial books - Kurt Vonnegut "Slaughterhouse 5"

I took the decision to not read novels because they are unsubstantial. The 99,99% (against my will I arrived at this percentage given the high number of unsubstantial novels I daily read). I read essays, now, because usually they still persist in giving a better dimensionality about the contents. At least (technically) they have this aim. Novels today are unable to express Any ethical philosophical religious value. The unique law/code they follow is to be flat (i.e. easily graspable) avoiding to engage the human mind of their readers in any sort of conflict this engagement could eventually lead. Novels must be anodyne, FIRST. They have to face reality as a desktop faces the user. Flat, virtual, unsubstantial. Without depth.
One of the latest examples might be "Slaughterhouse 5" by Kurt Vonnegut. A book well structured, a multi-layered-text. With a little amount of presumption to express deep contents. Like the problem of human sufferance, human animality, time travels, encounters with ETs, In reality, after fifty pages the books becomes boring. No change of speed/pace, no alteration of rhythm, same way of plotting, and the irritating repeating of the same refrain ad infinitum "So it goes".
In the end, in my opinion, even though is a well-equipped story, the story remains unable to take off because it lacks the capacity of remodelling itself while narrating itself.
It is a text that has many tools but it is incapable to disclose the deep and harsh reality which would face and remains quite superficial.

Foto via https://fordhamram.com

Comments

Poetry dwells near the divine light's breath

The comparison between poetry and divine light that we have proposed HERE finds its perfect explanation in Saint Paul, Epistle to the Romans 1:19: τ ὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσεν — “that which may be known of God has been made manifest in them (in men), for God has manifested it unto them”. Poetry unveils within the human being the need to be human, that is, the need for Beauty, the need to feel Beauty within oneself and alongside oneself; and this feeling is sustained by divine light. Since we are influenced by the Augustinian idea of saeculum , we hold that poetry belongs to the saeculum and therefore comes to a halt upon the threshold of divine light [I] without crossing it, though perceiving the light that lies beyond that threshold. We are led to that threshold by the human feeling of Beauty that dwells within us and guides us to that point: to that door which cannot be crossed in our human condition. And yet, the mere act of stan...

Similarities between Lithuanian, Sanskrit and Ancient Greek: the sigmatic future

by Fabrizio Ulivieri Lithuanian is the most archaic among all the Indo-European languages spoken today, and as a result it is very useful, indeed, indispensable in the study of Indo-European linguistics. The most important fact is that Lithuanian is not only very archaic, but still very much alive, i. e., it is spoken by about three and a half million people. It has a rich tradition in folklore, in literature, and it is used very successfully in all walks of modern life, including the most advanced scientific research. Forced by our interest for this piece of living archaism, we go deeper in our linguistic survey. One of the most noticeable similarities is the future (- sigmatic future -). Lithuanian has preserved a future tense from prehistoric times: it has one single form, e.g. kalbė-siu 'I will speak', etc. kalbė-si kalbė-s kalbė-sime kalbė-site kalbė-s This form kalbėsiu is made from the stem kalbė-(ti) 'to speak', plus the ancient stem-end...

Lietuviško skausmo kultūra

Gyvenu Lietuvoje jau keletą metų. Vertinu daug dalykų Lietuvoje. Ypač įdomūs man pasirodė žmonės. Mano nuomone, tai žmonės - ypač kilę iš kaimo vietovių, kurie sudaro daugumą - giliai įsišakniję skausmo kultūroje. Čia dalinuosi savo pastebėjimais, kurie gali būti neteisingi. Jei mano pastebėjimai neteisingi, prašau juos laikyti išoriniais — užsieniečio iš kitos kultūros žvilgsnio pastebėjimais Pagarba kitam paprastai matuojama laisve : „Kiek toli galiu peržengti savo laisvę, netapdamas problema kitam?“ Lietuvoje šis matas tampa kitu klausimu: „Kiek toli galiu peržengti savo skausmo slenkstį, kad mano skausmas netaptų problema kitam?“ Lietuviška kultūra yra giliai panirusi į skausmo viziją. Taip nutiko dėl daugelio priežasčių, tačiau svarbiausia, mano akimis, yra viena: lietuvis žmogus yra užsidaręs savyje - izoliuota, uždara ir beveik neįveikiama monada. Lietuvis žmogus turi savo tapatybę, bet ją visada sieja su dominuojančia viešąja mintimi. Jis eina savo keliu, bet visada...

Fabrizio Ulivieri - TrendSetter

Search This Blog