Don't Panic

theliteraryjournals:

BOOK OF THE DAY:

The Fall by Albert Camus

Do you want to have the very foundations on the basis of which your whole outlook towards life has been shaped, questioned?
Do you want to see the lines between so-called good and evil, right and wrong, the moral and immoral blurred to the extent you could not distinguish one from the other?
Do you want to erase that cherished and precious point of reference, against which you have compared, weighed all your actions, thoughts and feelings so far?

If the answer to the above 3 questions is yes, then go ahead and read Albert Camus. You may end up falling in love with his work, his notions on moral ambiguity and grudgingly marvelling at his genius.

Did I love this book? Yes.
Did I understand every aspect of it? Yes and No. Might take me a few more reads.
Did I love the prose? Oh hell yes.
Do I know whether to label this book as a kind of doctrine of nihilism or existentialism or a curious combination of both? Oh hell no.

by guest reviewer Samadrita

Get the book here!

Read excerpts from the book here!

Touchstone works mysteriously……!!

theliteraryjournals:

BOOK OF THE DAY: 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Much like Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is a story we all think we know, but really don’t…Few films have consciously attempted to follow the novel too closely (which shouldn’t detract from the excellent James Whale/Boris Karloff film, or its masterpiece-sequel, “The Bride of Frankenstein). Thus, everything popular culture “knows” about “Frankenstein” does not originate from literature, but from films. This is a shame, in a way, because the novel itself is, if not the progenitor, an early vessel of so many archetypes found science fiction and horror.

The basic plot remained intact when transferred to other media. Swiss medical student Victor Frankenstein discovers the secret of life (which he never reveals, lest someone repeat the mistake). He then puts together a body, essentially a man, from various corpses. He then becomes horrified by the creature he has built, and abandons. The creature, suffering a great deal of neglect and abuse, still manages to get a thorough education, and learns of his lineage. After murdering Victor’s younger brother, and framing the family maid, the creature tells his (admittedly) sad tale to his “father”, and then demands a mate. Victor, in a panic, agrees, then thinks better of it at the last moment, destroying the new bride. In retaliation, the creature murders all of Victor’s loved ones (including his wife), and leads Victor on a merry chase across the world.

The basic fear of what evil technology may bring along with the good is a central theme, as is the warning against playing God. So is the implicit admonition to be responsible in all things, be it during innovation or being a parent. The creature is, for all intents and purposes, an android-everyone from Gort to C-3PO owe their existence to the Frankenstein monster. And the monster that slays all but one protagonist is a staple of horror, be it traditional monster movies, like “Alien”, or more realistic slasher movies like “Halloween”.

But, as I noted at the beginning of this review, certain of these elements have been lost in most interpretations. The creature is actually intelligent, and well-spoken, quite different from the inarticulate grunts or slow, half-sentences of the movies. Further, while the films have made lightening a staple of the creatures creation, Shelley never really explains the process. Finally, one of the staples of the films is the explanation for the creatures’ “evil” nature. Often, the problem lies with the brain used, which almost invariably is a criminal brain, or is damaged before implantation. In the book, the creature is really a child that’s horribly neglected, but with the strength and intelligence to strike back: id without superego, and without restraints.

Thus, “Frankenstein” will be a new experience for readers who know the source exclusively from the films. Unlike “Dracula”, there aren’t any moments where a reader might look up and suddenly realize how quiet it is in the house, or how dark it’s gotten outside. In that regard, “Frankenstein” has not aged particularly well. Throughout, however, it is a moving, disturbing, depressing, but also a touching and beautiful tale. Those qualities have withstood the test of time. While it is not always a rollicking adventure, it is a rewarding read.

[Guest reviewer: Ian Fowler]

Read excerpts from the book here! 

Get the book here!

Media, mediator and his use of medium.

taoist-buddhist-way:

Wu wei ( 无为) is a Chinese word which is usually translated as “non doing”. This is a Taoist concept which has found its way into mainstream Buddhism via Zen (Chan). It is a fundamental principle in Eastern cultures and one which mystifies and at times frustrates Westerners.

The idea is that there are times when the best action is no action. We can best deal with a situation by not reacting to it. This is alien to most Westerners who feel that a reaction is always necessary. With wu wei we are as the water when it meets the stone in the river. It flows around without directly opposing the stone. Wu wei. The water way.

Wu wei wu（无为无）, alternatively is essentially ‘doing non doing” or “action without action” Bruce Lee talks on this during an interview when we instructs those to “be like water”. 

“The Sage is occupied with the unspoken and acts without effort.’

– Laozi, The Tao Te Ching, chapter 2

Rhetoric of the textual, recording the experience, without Wu Wei we won’t have any of this existential question to come at, where the the appropriate antonym for this can be anything which is exactly opposite of the non doing lose its way in existing purely, out of context reading.

(via dazeuniverse)

And then it rolls back.

A little Sunshine

sulfur:

Patrick Tomasso

Doorways