Swear Words

On Netflix, we find a documentary, of sorts, on "The History of Swear Words". Each 20 minute episode focuses  on only one particular word at a time. For reasons that may become apparent later, I will censor myself and use the spelling used for the episode titles: F**k, Sh*t, Bitch, D**k, Pu**y, and Damn.

Nicolas Cage was the overall host of the series. Many of the other persons in the series were "entertainers".....some of whom had faces I recognized, although I'd be hard pressed to give names to many of these faces.

With the first two words, F**k and Sh*t, the show knew no bounds. It was as if the persons in the series were very excited to be using these two words and use them as often as possible. The basic point was that freedom of speech was sacrosanct and only repressed ninnies would find these swear words offensive. That attitude seemed to change slightly with the word "Bitch".

Many of the women in the series found "Bitch" to be highly offensive. Some leniency was given, however, when certain women, under certain circumstances used the word. Men were only allowed to use the word as a verb - as in "My boss is always bitching about something", but under no circumstances were men allowed to call any woman a bitch.

It's unfortunate that the series was not called the History of Offensive Words. Although these "woke" performers were all about using the swear words, there are offensive words that are strictly forbidden. Those words could not even be discussed. One woman had no qualms about saying "Pu**y", but another word with a similar meaning was referred to by her as "the C word". She apparently finds that word far too offensive to say in a program about swear words.

Although not a swear word, the vulgar word referred to as "the N word" was not mentioned. Although very different, usage of that word has some minor similarities with the word "Bitch". Certain people are allowed to use the "N word" indiscriminately, however, others are not permitted to use the word under any circumstances. I am not permitted to even type the word in this article.

The majority opinion of the folks in the series was that swearing was a positive thing and no one should be offended by these words. I would be more inclined to listen to that opinion if they would admit that there are certain words that should not be used and anyone finding a word unacceptable isn't automatically a conservative dweeb.

Gaga Dognapping Politically Motivated?

In West Hollywood, Lady Gaga's dogwalker was shot outside his home by suspects that police are identifying as two black men wearing baseball caps.

The suspects were able to steal two of the French Bulldogs, Koji and Gustavo, while a third dog, Miss Asia, managed to get away.

The FBI has been contacted because investigators theorize that the bulldogs may have been dognapped for "political" reasons.

Seriously?

LAPD were looking at two possible motives:
(1) The two black men may have shot the dogwalker and stolen the bulldogs as revenge for Lady Gaga having sung at Biden's inauguration.
(2) or, ransom.

Does anyone seriously believe Trump's only two black supporters in California were so angry at Gaga for supporting Biden that they'd steal her dogs?

Were the baseball caps worn by the suspects actually MAGA hats? If so, maybe the FBI should question the two black men involved in the Jussie Smollett case.

 

Great Books - The Red and the Black.

In a post from two days ago, I mentioned that Dr. Jordan Peterson has a list of "Great Books" on his website. I had neglected, however to furnish a link to that list. I'll remedy that oversight by putting a link to that list here.

There are 51 books listed in the category of "Literature". Going over the list, I see that I'd already read 16 of those 51 books before discovering Peterson's list. I've decided to reread some on the list, as well has read as many as I can that I haven't read before. Unfortunately, circumstances make it impossible for me to read all 51 books. Being on a locked down island (due to COVID), I'm unable to get my hands on printed copies of the books - it'll be ebooks only.

I'm having difficulties getting into my Amazon account, so I'll only be able to download ebooks from fadedpage.com/ - gutenberg australia - and project gutenberg.org. If a particular book is not in the public domain, it will difficult, if not impossible to download a copy. As I write this, I've downloaded 26 of the 51.

After finishing Crime and Punishment, I choose to read Stendhal's The Red and the Black, having seen that novel described as an "historical psychological novel". I'm half way through the novel.  

The Red and the Black has also been described as "an analytic, sociological satire of the French social order under the Bourbon Restoration". I'm glad I picked this novel - following Crime and Punishment, I was ready to read something not as heavy as Dostoevsky. This novel fits that category, and although I am enjoying the novel, I don't quite agree that it should be placed on the "Great Literature" list. But, as I said, I'm only half way through the novel. I could change my mind.

Crime and Punishment

Over the past few days, I've been watching, on Youtube, lectures given by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. Not a few are from his series on the Bible.

Anyone familiar with Dr. Peterson's lectures knows of  his admiration for Dostoevsky's novel, Crime and Punishment. In his view - and mine - Crime and Punishment is one of the greatest novels ever written.

When Dr. Peterson mentioned the novel in this series, I decided to reread the novel. I've read the novel quite a few times - the last time being in 2012. It was high time to jump into it again.

Naturally, I expected that there would be portions of the novel that I had forgotten over the years. After all, nine years is quite a long time. I was shocked, however to come upon sections which seemed absolutely new to me.

Coming upon the character Svidrigaïlov in parts five and six, it was as if his part in the story had magically appeared in the novel since I last read it. Svidrigaïlov plays an extremely important role in the last chapters, and I cannot understand how I could have forgotten his role entirely.

On his web page, Dr. Peterson gives an extensive list of books that he believes are the truly "Great" books. Over the years, I've read about 16 books that have made their way on to his list, but like Crime and Punishment, it's been several year since I've read many of them. One that I have not read is The Red and the Black by Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), which has also been described as a " psychological novel ". I suspect that The Red and the Black will be next on my list.

The Valley of Decision

I told myself that, this year, I'd finish reading every book I start regardless of how I may feel about the book after encountering a stumbling block . Now, 20% into Edith Wharton's first novel, The Valley of Decision, I'm afraid I'm going to go back on my promise (to myself).

An historical novel, it is about the life and times of Odo Valsecca during the later part of 18th century Italy. Unfortunately, I'm finding the novel a bit of a grind.

Before completely giving up on the novel, I went to goodreads.com to read other reviews of the novel, in hopes that those reviews might change my mind. They didn't.

Most of the people giving reviews appear to be as disappointed in this novel as I am. Quite a few people gave the book three stars (or less) out of a possible five stars.

One of the reviewers - a rare person who gives the book four stars - wrote:
"I almost abandoned this book twice. Her writing is gorgeous but nothing of much consequence happens until well into the book. Then I finally fell into the story."

Sorry, but I can't wait that long. Maybe I'm impatient, but there are far too many books available to trudge through this one.

When I started reading The Valley of Decision, my plan was to move on and reread Wharton's second novel The House of Mirth, which I originally read in December, 2017. I'm not sure I'll do that now.

I was watching a video of Jordan Peterson yesterday, and following his suggestion, I may reread Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. I first read that novel in 1977, and have read it several times over the years. Reading it again now might be a better decision than reading anything by Wharton.

The Swiss Family Robinson

In her biography, A Backward Glance , Edith Wharton mentions, almost as an after thought, the novel The Swiss Family Robinson.

"When, on the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples cry out: "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles," the German version causes them to say: "So lasset uns Hutten bauen!" The cry, which suggested to me something fresh and leafy and adventurous, like a Mayne Reid story or "The Swiss Family Robinson," is a picturesque instance of the way in which racial character colours alien formulas".

I looked it up.......Google Translate translates the German, "So lasset uns Hutten bauen!" as "So leave it build us huts."  Hard to imagine the Apostles saying that at Christ's Transfiguration.

 

Be that as it may........

Wharton's mention of "The Swiss Family Robinson" led me to wikipedia. Although I had never read the book, I was somewhat familiar with it through films and comic books. Most of us know that Lost in Space is a space age adaptation of the 19th Century novel.

Later, I went to Project Gutenberg and downloaded a copy (as mobi).

Johann David Wyss wrote the story to teach his sons Christian values, discipline and self-reliance. A few of these "family values" would be considered unacceptable by some families today.

Although more restrictive gun laws are enforced today, in Wyss' day, Swiss citizens were required to teach their children the safe use of firearms. In Wyss's story, even his 10 year old son has a rifle. Of course, you'd expect a 19th century novel about people stranded on an island to include tales of hunting animals, but the amount of shooting in "Swiss Family Robinson" might be considered.....if you'll pardon the expression, over kill.

When apes wreak havoc upon the family's secondary farm, the father sets out traps filled with poisoned food to get rid of the apes.

There is no precise indication how large the island is, but it must be quite large. Nearly every sort of animal imaginable makes its home there. Lions, tigers, elephants, boa constrictors. You name it, it's there, and the family has no qualms killing it. The family have domesticated animals that were rescued from the shipwreck, but the amount of food they're able to store by hunting and fishing is enough to feed a family five times their size.

The father finds no end to the projects he embarks on. He can build anything and he is a never ending source of knowledge. He makes the Professor on "Gilligan's Island" look like a Piker.

After ten years on the island, the family find a young woman who has been stranded on another part of the island for three years. She's found near the end of the book. Wyss can't have her appear too early and possibly introduce sex into the story. Of course, her introduction was simply a way of bringing about a plausible explanation for a rescue by the British navy.

Bury this CD....Please.

Being an old fart, I often find myself reminiscing; thinking of my younger days and friends I haven't seen in a very, very long time. Sadly, many of these friends have died.

One friend, long gone, returned to my memory this morning and the memory of him led me to think of Cat Stevens. Rick and I were big fans of Cat Stevens during the 1970s.

One of our favorite LPs from that ancient period was Tea for the Tillerman. Naturally, with this LP on my mind, I opened Spotify to give it a listen and I looked for Cat Stevens on Wikipedia as well.

I knew all about the singer's conversion to Islam, his changing his name to Yusuf Islam and his abandoning music for several years.

I was less familiar with his private life. I was completely ignorant of his wife and children. I was not at all surprised, however, to learn that his son, Muhammad Islam had decided to follow in his father's footsteps and take up songwriting.

The children of famous musicians rarely, if ever, reach the quality of their parent. Julian Lennon, James McCartney, Dweezil Zappa, and Jakob Dylan are prime examples of children who can't live up to the father's legacy. I was willing to give Cat Steven's son the benefit of the doubt and give him a listen.

Going under the stage name,Yoriyos, I was able to locate him on Spotify. He has only one CD, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. This CD was released in 2007, and it being the only one on Spotify was not an encouraging sign. The title of the CD didn't help.

Listening to this music, I can understand why he hasn't released another in the 14 years since this one debuted. Yoriyos' voice is pleasant enough, but the songs are third rate - and I'm being generous. His guitar playing is simply strumming and it doesn't appear that he knows more than two or three chords. The other musicians on the CD are fine, considering what they have to work with.

His lyrics are trite.

If he weren't the son of a famous, millionaire song writer, he would never have been able to release even this one CD. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a remarkably horrible CD.

The Headless Horseman: A Strange Tale of Texas

Of the dozen books I've read so far this year, four were written by the Spanish writer, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez and four were written by Edith Wharton .

In Blasco Ibáñez's novel, The Torrent (Entre Naranjos), it's mentioned that the protagonist, Rafael Brull had read the novels of Mayne Reid. Seeing that name, I wanted to learn more about this particular writer. I went on to read Reid's 1853 anti-slavery novel, The Quadroon. Although I enjoyed reading that adventure novel, I did not put any of Reid's other novels in the queue. I wanted to first read some of the novels of Edith Wharton.

In Wharton's autobiography, A Backward Glance she also mentions the writer, Mayne Reid. I saw this as a sign to go ahead and read something else by Reid.

Project Gutenberg has 61 novels written by Mayne Reid available for download. I decided that I would read the novel that had been downloaded most often - The Headless Horseman: A Strange Tale of Texas.

The Headless Horseman was first published as a monthly serial in 1865 and 1866. The action takes place in 1850, after the Mexican/American war and before the American Civil War.

There are quite a few similarities between The Headless Horseman and The Quadroon. The male protagonist in both novels is not American (one is "British", the other Irish). Many of the other main characters are (white-non mixed) French Creole from Louisiana and owners of slaves.

In both novels, there is a male slave named Scipio and a female slave, Chloe. In the The Headless Horseman, Scipio is the husband of Chloe. The two are only minor players in the story. In The Quadroon, Scipio is Chloe's father and both characters are central to the plot. Mayne Reid had spent time in Louisiana prior to the Civil War, and I can't help but think that Scipio and Chloe were names of actual slaves he may have encountered there.

In both novels, the principle antagonist has a financial hold over the family with whom the protagonist is involved. In both, the protagonist is at risk of being lynched.

There is love, betrayal and jealousy in both novels.

In my earlier review of The Quadroon I made note of Reid's giving the slaves a "negro dialect". He had also given the uneducated, white, redneck characters a stereotypical drawl. In The Headless Horseman this use of dialects makes the novel difficult reading in parts. There are the slave dialects, the white Kentucky accent, as well as German, Irish and Spanish accents through out. Translating these accents and dialects in my head makes for slow reading.

All that being said, the The Headless Horseman is filled with action and drama and an interesting read. The novel can be found at Project Gutenberg.

The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge

At the end of an earlier post , I wrote that after I finish reading Edith Wharton's autobiography, A Backward Glance , I'd choose another book to read; the implication being that I would pick one of Wharton's many novels or short story collections.

The reading of Wharton's autobiography did lead me to put a number of books in the queue; two being her first novel, The Valley of Decision and one of her most famous novels, Ethan Frome. Her autobiography also led me to put a number of other writers in line - namely Mayne Reid, Henry James and George Meredith. Surprisingly, it also led me to put in The Swiss Family Robinson as well.

Probably the most surprising result is the actual book that I've chosen to read next - The Autobiography of Calvin Coolidge.

Wharton and Coolidge were contemporaries, she being born ten years before Coolidge and dying four years after the President. Both had a connection to the state of Massachusetts, but that's where the similarities end.

Wharton was born into a wealthy family; her father (and later, her husband), being born into the "leisure class" who, "expressed disdain for all forms of productive work, especially any type of manual labor".

Although not "poor" the Coolidge family was certainly not rich. Calvin's father owned several businesses and a farm, and felt that hard work was an essential part of life. Calvin was raised to have a strong Puritan work ethic.

When writing of his time in college, Coolidge said,
"A great deal of emphasis was placed on the necessity and dignity of work. Our talents were given us in order that we may serve ourselves and our fellow men. Work is the expression of intelligent action for a specified end. It is not industry, but idleness, that is degrading. All kinds of work from the most menial service to the most exalted station are alike honorable".

That is a lesson I wish that I had been taught as a child.

Two bits of trivia picked up in the autobiography -
Twice in the autobiography, Coolidge refers to his wife, not as "First Lady", but as "Mistress of the White House".

Secondly, we all know that normally when a President is inaugurated, he is swore in by a Supreme Court Justice. However, when a President dies in office, the Vice President may not be where a Supreme Court Justice, or even a Federal Judge is nearby. In the case of Calvin Coolidge, when President Harding died in office, Vice President Coolidge was visiting his father in rural Vermont. With no Federal judge available, the oath of office was administered by Coolidge's father who was a notary public and justice of the peace.

I've read online where Coolidge is not rated very high as President. Be that as it may, I've learned that he was first of all, a good and decent human being, and he ranks high on my list.

A Backward Glance

For purposes of this review of Edith Wharton's autobiography, A Backward Glance, I'll divide the book into three parts - naturally enough, beginning, middle and end.

This is an arbitrary division on my part, with the beginning and end taking up approximately 20% each, and with the middle taking up the remaining 60%.

In the beginning of the autobiography, Wharton writes on her early life and family background. She was born in New York city to a well to do, established family. She spent a good deal of her early childhood in Europe - mainly Paris and Rome - of which she writes fondly.

I enjoyed this first part, but I found the middle boring. In this middle section, she writes mostly of the people she knew and associated with at fashionable dinners. Although many of the people she writes of in the book may have been well known at the time, now most are forgotten. The two most famous dropped names are Teddy Roosevelt and writer Henry James. Too much of the book, I think, is spent on Henry James.

Unfortunately, although she does occasionally mention some of her work, she does not spend much time explaining her writing process. I would have much rather read how she came to write her novels than read about her dinners with celebrities of her day.

I did enjoy reading the final portion of her autobiography where she writes a good deal about her experiences before and during the First World War. She goes into her war experiences in greater detail in a collection of magazine articles for Scribner's Magazine in 1915, Fighting France; from Dunkerque to Belfort.

I wouldn't recommend this autobiography to the general public who are not familiar with Wharton. I don't believe reading this will bring the casual reader to her novels. There may be some Wharton fans who would find this autobiography entertaining, but as a Wharton fan, I was disappointed.

As a side note, early in the autobiography, Wharton mentions Mayne Reid . I've basically read two novelists this year - Edith Wharton and Vicente Blasco Ibáñez - both of whom mention the adventure writer in a novel. I've read only one of Reids' books -The Quadroon- Seeing his name mentioned in A Backward Glance, I downloaded another of his novels from Project Gutenberg [The Headless Horseman: A Strange Tale of Texas] which I've put in the queue for reading later this month.

Edith Wharton

I first discovered Edith Wharton in December, 2017 when I came upon a mobi file of The Hermit and the Wild Woman, and Other Stories in my computer. I mentioned in that 2017 post that I had no recollection of when (or why) I had originally downloaded this ebook, but upon finding it my files, I was intrigued by the title and had sent the mobi to my Kindle.

After reading the first two short stories in the collection, I knew I'd want to read more by Wharton. Going back to my computer files, I saw that I had also downloaded two other novels by Wharton, The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. As it turned out, these ebooks had sat unread in my pc since December, 2014. I sent these two to my Kindle as well and these three ebooks would be the last books I would read in 2017.

At the time of that December, 2017 post, I had not read the two novels nor had I finished the collection of her short stories, but as I said, I knew at the time I'd be reading more of Wharton's work, of whom, after reading those first two short stories, I compared to Elizabeth von Arnim. Anyone familiar with my "sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken" blog knows that Elizabeth von Arnim is one of my favorite writers and my comparing Wharton to her is high praise.

I did not, however go on to immediately binge read Wharton. At nearly the half-way point of The House of Mirth, Wharton's makes mention of a "bronze box with a miniature of Beatrice Cenci in the lid", and that led me to read more about Beatrice Cenci. I fell into a rabbit hole and forgot about Edith Wharton.

After reading four novels by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez during the first three weeks of this month, I wanted to go in a different direction. It was that decision that led me back to Wharton. I found two of her novels in my ebook collection - Twilight Sleep and The Children. Doing a little investigating, I learned that these two novels are considered part of Wharton's three "Jazz Age novels", the other being Glimpses of the Moon. I've read the three novels, and I'm not at all certain why the three should characterized this way.

Many of the characters in the three novels seem to wander aimlessly thru their life - like many in the post World War I era - I haven't read enough of Wharton's earlier novels to understand the reasoning of setting these three novel apart.

Being published two years after The Age of Innocence, for which she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Literature, I can see Glimpses of the Moon just as easily being bundled with that novel as with the, so-called, "Jazz Age novels".

As I write this, I've begun reading Wharton's 1934 autobiography, A Backward Glance. There are quite a few novels, novellas, and short story collections by Wharton. I'll decide where to go after the autobiography.