I've never found Joyce's books all that difficult. (but then I would say that wouldn't I)
Every year around this time I dip back into Ulysses. And I do mean dip into.
I don't think I've ever read it through from start to finish - now that would be hard - but over the years I've probably read all of it.
Possibly missing the grand narrative arc but ...
I was being snarky about the modern world and the net etc not you.
The tendency to have an opinion of a book or idea without having explored it. It was a backhand compliment to you.
Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2012-06-17 07:13:01)
Now there is at least 4 of us with a opinion of the book without having read it. Ah the Internet.
And me at least not even having heard of Lockwood, Dewsbury, isn't that a USA cartoon?, Baroness Karzi.
I have heard of Islam and Pakistan.
I got removed from the Hope Not Hate Facebook group after saying we shouldn't refer to racists as scum, as it seems completely contradictive to have a group calling itself Hope Not Hate using hateful and 'violent' language. He deleted all my posts and banned me.
I just managed to post on there... all seems fine. Ivy-Style that is. HNH still won't have me.
If people only realised I'm trying to help. Help Not Hate
I wanted to like Finnegan's Wake.
I tried at different parts of my life, which has many points in common with his, from a Jesuit catholic upbringing to an atheistic phase, to a medical education, etc. And now I am at a stage in life where I look back a lot.
But not being a native speaker and being raised in a caribbean island, a lot of the cadences and neologisms just whizzed right over my head. Perhaps the book's only flaw is being too tied to Joyce's life and time, despite its stylistic attempts at the contrary.
So now after this thread I guess I will try again. "A way a lone a last a long..."
Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2012-06-17 21:25:48)
Now then Sammy, I've read the book from cover to cover and I am now in a much better and qualified position than your goodself to comment on its worth, as you are sure "it's a crap book at the day."
Danny Lockwood is a distinguished journalist and qualified editor who writes a disturbing account of life on the front lines of multi-cultural Britian as played-out in his home town of Dewsbury. Instead of social cohesion, we find tit-for-tat violence and murder from both the indigenous white population and the second and new immigrants and refugees from Pakistan and Iraq. The heroin trade blights the community with additional fire-bombings, beatings and shootings related to this economic activity. Not to mention drug deaths. Elements of the Pakistan community are accused of subverting the democratic process with ballot fixing, intimidation and what one local Pakistan politician himself describes as "Person of Pakistani heritage politics." He also explains how the "ultimate" protest vote resulted in the election of BNP councillors and the strategy of those involved as wanting to give a bloody nose to the main stream parties.
This is an important book, as it brings an alternative view of the multi-cultural experiment and the risks that incompatible and alien elements of a culture transposed from its origins do not necessarily work and represent a threat to our freedom and democracy. Particularly worrying is that we have elections being won on the geo-political stage and ticket of Pakistan. Indeed, the murky dealings of Lord Ahmed and Baroness Wasi raise questions on the influence of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in our politics. This represents a larger threat and malign infuence to our society than a few racist thugs in the BNP and EDL for which our secret service will ensure are neutered and exposed at every opportunity.
As for this book being recommended on far right websites, I did some investigation yesterday, and I also found the works of Churchill and Claude Levi Strauss on one website. Evidently, Mr Lockwood is in good company.