Ava
مطمئنم نصف بیشترِ نارضایتیم به‌خاطر ترجمه بوده. یک روزی سر فرصت می‌رم سراغ زبان اصلش تا باز بخونمش.
Feels like I delved myself into the life of an animal and sense all of its visions through the mind. Chubak roleplays a camera-man here who does care for nothing but the animal. What does it say to us if we subvert all the anthropocentric languages we project on to “the other” and here, the non- human. I'd like to read more stories with such a realistic, allegorical and symbolic lens on the “other” that we always ignore in our lives. Thanks to the ideological systems who fed us with the accepted kind of dialectic of which they could control our true and natural feelings about the alternative world that could exist. Between us and the one we couldn't accept as “us” right now.
Every part of this book, from the introductory chapter to the last analysis on the transnational feminism, was not only thought- provoking in general, but opend my eyes more and more as well, answered my general questions about the role of feminism in philosophical disourse in the world of academia. Why is it blurred and what does the male-dominated narrative say about it. This work delved into many aspects of the sub-fields in philosophy studies, such as the role of feminist approach to the philosophy of ethics and conflict, in the context of war, rape and sexual violence. The references are great and in the introductory part, May Schott introduces the audience to other encyclopedic sources in feminism and philosophy. In the first chapter, she responds to different criticisms on the existence of “feminism” in the world of philosophy. In the second chapter, demonstrates the concept of epistemology and the question of feminism and women's issues accordingly. May Schott also questions the dominant, mainstream ideas written and told by the male figures who are known as great philosophers to most people. She talks about several cases of gender inequalities in Denmark's academic spaces as well, and challenges the common stereotypical beliefs about the role of women Scandinavian countries. The chapter that accounts for conflict and the study of rape in wars was a tough read, though necessary. She also puts a number of solutions to the issue of trauma women have experienced over the course of post-war years. This book is definitely not enough if you want to read more on feminism and its significance in philosophy fields, however, it was a great starter. Not too bold, not too easy, a needed book for everyone if you ask me. Or those of you, who major in philosophy and struggle with sexism in your classes, or if you're into the basic philosophical discussions that are related to the human position in the world, women's image from the perspective of famous figures such as Plato and Kant, or if you're just curious about feminism. Amazing work. I hope one day I could write like May Schott.
نویسنده با مهارت خاصی و به کمک سبک توصیفی، بیگانگیِ دیگری و محیط زندگیش رو در نگاه دختر نوجوان سفید‌پوست به تصویر می‌کشه. این‌که این هم‌زیستی برای یک بچه معصوم حس غریبی ایجاد می‌کنه. احساس ترس در قلمرویی تازه، لختی و باکرگی طبیعت، ناشناختگی عجیب. حتا تا حدی وحشت. در انتها حس نجات میان جمعی بیگانه، به کمک یک شخصیت آشنا. شخصیتی که به اندازه هم‌نوعانش کوچیک نمی‌بینتش. آسودگی دخترک که به شکل نصفه‌نیمه‌ست، متاسفانه با دیدن پیرمرد دانا رقم می‌خوره. لسینگ هم ازاین هنجار گفتمانی، در بازنمایی کلیشه‌ای خردمند سال‌خورده از موقعیت فرودست حداقل در این داستانش خارج نشده. ما طبق معمول شاهد خط‌کش گذاری روی ارزش مردمان نیتیو و رنگین‌پوست هستیم. معیاری که در آن موسپید دانا، سیاهِ خوب محسوب می‌شه، اما بقیه کمرنگن و فاقد اهمیت. مردمانی که در طول این داستان فقط رهگذرن. در دید این دختر بچه حتا تصویر محوی دارن. تنها کسی که چهره‌ش ارزش می‌گیره، پیرمرد فروتن و محترمیه که حتا سفیدپوستان هم ازش حساب می‌برن. تکلیف باقی مردم از اون بک‌گراند چی می‌شه؟ هیچی. البته که لسینگ فرودست حساب نمی‌شه و نقش پرسش “آیا فرودست می‌تواند سخن بگوید” پررنگ تر می‌شه این‌جا. اما همزمان می‌تونیم بگیم که نویسنده با ظرافت و زیرکیِ شاید ناخواسته، داره دوگانگی‌هایی که از طریق شست و شوی مغزی در ذهن یک نوجوان از موقعیت امتیازدار شکل می‌گیره رو نشون می‌ده. این‌که فقط اون پیر خردمند شامل ارزشه، با دیدن اونه که به این فکر می‌کنه شاید همه‌مون باید اون‌طور که دلمون بخواد باهم زندگی کنیم. هرچند اگه این رو وارد عمل بخواد بکنه، حاضر نیست از فرهنگ سفیدپوستان که مرکزیتی تشکیل می‌ده، لحظه‌ای خارج بشه. همچنین از قلمروی جغرافیایی‌شون. البته زبانی که استفاده می‌شه، به طور عمد ساده‌لوحانه‌ست. این‌جا مهارت نویسنده بیشتر به چشم می‌خوره وقتی می‌بینیم تونسته بینش ساده‌لوحانه یک بچه ۱۵ ساله رو از اون زمین ناشناخته که جای پای افرادی مثل اون نیست، نشون بده. منتها لسینگ اون‌قدر هم سعی نمی‌کنه ضد این این فرم زبانی فرادست حرکت کنه. از طرفی دیگه، نمی‌تونم تمام آثارش رو در حیطه کلونیال و پست‌کلونیال زیر این چتر انتقادی ببرم. زبان یکی از داستان کوتاه‌های کمتر معروفش، قابل تعمیم به تمام آثارش نیست و نخواهد بود.
Reading this sword-and-magic epic fantasy was like drinking sap straight from a tree; it tasted raw and unprocessed. The plot had great potential to be much better composed. I can see the creativity behind it, but just not well done.
Knightfall's story underlies the cliché of medieval knights who have to struggle with their internal, questionable conflicts. Something that is interwoven with the classical concepts of Christianity and historical context of those times, like the crusade wars. The narration dedicated itself to the Christian values of the middle-ages. In contrast to that, the tone and diction stayed close to a more modern, impartial, and dissonant language. Modernization is a great opportunity that authors can freely play with, as they are retelling creative stories of middle-ages in a speculative way. However, Knightfall doesn't have the consistency to make it feel real to the audience. Even if the author wants to create an intentional imbalance between the writing style and the story, they should have been cautious about how to do it logistically. Sometimes this combination got too unnatural during reading the middle chapters. The language is so modern in a world with such medieval aesthetics and social standards and doesn't make sense in some places. It doesn't feel real and creates an alienating effect in a non-artistic way. Also, there is no risk-taking in setting up the narration. The excessive use of descriptive words is artificial and not daring at all. I expect fantasy fiction writers to face risks while creating a situation in order to make the audience locked in their seats. If the character feels the danger, I need to feel his own danger inside myself, or if a side character embraces the bone-chilling feeling of fear, I need that feeling in its naked, true form. Character emotions are not well touched upon, as far as the audience's emotions and thoughts are concerned. The writer needs to transgress those boundaries of shame and narrate the story beyond a mere reportage-like text; unless they are just storytellers. But then again even storytellers need to evoke the sentiments to their very end as well. By that I don't mean using fancy words. Great speculative authors of our time don't use fancy words just for the sake of aesthetics, otherwise we would call them nothing more than pretentious writers. For several chapters I felt like I'm reading a crudely wrapped up world-building with no sense of captivation.
The story is valuable on its own. It follows the footsteps of traditional writings of medieval literature. Great works such as Sir Gawain And Green Knight and Beowulf both showcased the legends trying to find their path in a crooked, unfair world dealing with unjust choices. But this story is not as well rendered as what you might read in Sir Gawain's story. There could be more to the characters' developments and their backgrounds. There could also be more consistency between the long lines of description and the whole narrative. The small pieces of Knighfall are built and they are even orderly. It's just that the sum of these parts are not put together masterfully to make a unique whole of their own.
Also, the 21st century audience needs more suspense, instead of a simplistic narration of medieval times. That's why modernization should be done carefully and step-by-step.
Too abstract that I can't choose whether Jodorowsky was shooting fragmented freudian analysis on a woman's psychosexual journey, or it was merely a fetishistic text whose author is completely honest about its approach. Similar ideas were presented way before in the animated piece Belladonna of Sadness. But at least in that anime you could recognize the message and historical context. It feels like the writer wanted to show us how kinky this book is (or he is? who knows? some might call this the artistic material for incels). Perhaps it was a combination of two sides. Art and pure perversion going hand in hand to convey the fine line between the grotesque/ beauty, pornography/nude, doing a psychoanalysis of female sexaulity/objectifying their body forms in a lacking nuance study of kinks. I think the textual part failed at what it was trying to depict (or perhaps Jodorowsky did it on purpose, making readers question the backbone of this prose). More importantly, the illustration part is not anything more unique or separate, only being a part of the whole thing, regardless of how talented the artist was.
The cold, violent language of the narrator perfectly paralleled with the atmospehere of the naked planet a part of humanity resides in. This humanity defines themselves the true civility. Are they? A woman objecting the colonizer mindset.The only passenger among 8 who wants to die. Which one resembles with the concept of survival tendencies? The male's words on the woman's body and his lectures on the importance of the her as the future hope for humanity, or the woman's lectures on the wretchedness of this place and the futureless life in this new realm with thousand possibilities of getting poisoned. Is this story really about how to survive? Is this a solution, or the whole narration reflects angry words of Joanna Russ, as she said herself “I think I will not trust anyone who isn't angry”. Is she the Nobody herself. Is she just a couragrous, outspoken nihilist, or a poetic character finding for a hope somewhere in her memories and unconscious' screams. Maybe she didn't even yearn for a hope. This was my first experience in a science fiction world, where I got stuck where the interior of narrator's thoughts and emotions shows itself. Even talking about the future, her words are so direct, so real that you wonder if you're picturing all her described images around you, as the reader. Since she is talking to me, to you. A great feminist, or better to be said, woman's raw diction on the idea of dystopia, with lost imaginaries in her scattered utopias in the past. Not necessarily framed as utopian in her mind. No good ending, no explicit violence, however, the air contains layers of anger, modesty, anger, heated conflicts, artificial hopes, violent words, and anger again. These depictions make a resonance with the setting of the story. Burning sunrises in an unknown, dark planet, dry weather, dry land. Bare and coarse. Don't look for a formulized plot in this story. It will evaporate your hopes and feelings when you try to form any meaning from “civilization”, “humanity” and the futuristic desires.
Underlying racist tone, othering queer relationships. Too personal to call it as a strong feminist work. Though I loved the writing-style and it will stay in my mind rent free, the whole book was a disappointment. I expected more from a writer whose poems I used to admire alot.
یوتوپیای بسیار جذاب‌تری می‌شد اگر خود گیلمن هم در دام دوگانگی جنسیتی نمی‌افتاد. در میانه کتاب، با وجود تصور یک یوتوپیای سرشار از کالکتیو اکت و خواهرانگی جمعی، همه‌ش فکرم روی این بود که اگر زنی در هِرلند نمی‌خواست بچه‌ای داشته باشد، تکلیفش چی بود؟ قابل اجتناب نیست این انتقاد روی گیلمن که خودش هم فمینیستی تا حدی انحصارگرا بود و با این‌که برخلاف خیلی از نظرات گودریدز، باور ندارم هرلند نسبت به نژادهای مختلف زنان بیگانه‌سازی می‌کند، اما روی مسئله نژاد آن‌چنان هم بحثی ایجاد نکرده و بسیاری از مسائل زنان را تقلیل داده به “زاد و ولد بدون نیاز به مردان” فکر می‌کنم باید جلد سوم این مجموعه را که مربوط به سفر زنی از این سرزمین به کشور آمریکا در اوایل قرن ۲۰ ام هست بخوانم. احساس می‌کنم نیاز دارم از یوتوپیای رادیکال تر، با دغدغه‌هایی که نوانس بیشتری دارند خوانش داشته باشم. مثلا مادرلاینز. اسنشالیست بودن گیلمن خیلی اذیتم می‌کرد و با وجود تلاش خیلی زیاد در پرداخت به رویکرد اجتماعی/سیاسی یوتوپیای مدنظرش، هنوز بسیاری از شاخصه‌های دنیای مردسالارِ دهه ۱۰ یا ۲۰ میلادی را نادیده می‌گیرد. در هرصورت، خوانش بسیار جذابی می‌تواند باشد و شاید برای من به عنوان اولین تجربه یوتوپیای زنانه، بهترین انتخاب. الان با جرئت و اراده بیشتری می‌تونم آثار باکیفیت‌تر و پیچیده‌تر رو نسبت به عناصر اجتماعی مشابه بخوانم. با این تفاسیر، ماندگارترین اثر گیلمن برای من همچنان کاغذدیواری زرد باقی می‌مونه.
Maybe it was wanna be edgy and never close to a real shock horror experience. But it was a tragedy, resonating with one most of us experience daily. The ending made me cry. What made it scary for me was the embodiment of my true fears, that kind of loneliness I might not be able to get detached from and leading me to write a whole new alternative life of myself, to save myself within a fake, fake, fake imagery. It was fucking sad.
Every word. Every vision. Every realistic scenery crumbled into me. Shattered its pieces in my mind.
Ketchum's idea with his fascinating choice of words and their American flavor (slangs, new age words, etc) caught my eye from the first beginning. The transgression beyond the borders of humanity is something that didn't occur in this book out of the blue. It was a gradual opening of the other side. The side of abjection, slowly pulling the band-aid and thus you'll see a glittering violence. I'm a great fan of true crime, shock horror, and even more to the extent of transgressive fiction. Experiencing this book was even more realistic to me, than reading the case of Junko Furuta online. The way the unreliable -mostly pain in the ass - narrator went through the features of American issues in a deep deep path. Misogyny, extreme traditionalism and family structure was being gazed at, with a sense of innocence and honesty, and sometimes, stupidity, from the lenses of a 12 year-old child. A child raising this question that how you would act when the criminal is under-age. When children do something beyond question. When misogyny exists in the hands of a victim of misogyny. As a middle-eastern girl here reading Jack Ketchum, I felt Meg. A girl living in Eastern part of a country miles away from me. Though with two different ages, cultures and lives. I felt her as a victim, and a girl. With all my being.I never been to America. Never had the chance to learn about the nuances of living in each state. However, I know ketchum portrayed the images of livinvg in a small town in eastern US. The problems, the conventions, all the good and bads without pretentiousness. I heard before that living in these kinds of small towns in some states are even not safe sometimes. But they were the narratives of migrants, feeling the heartbeat of a young American girl, as If I live there myself, depicts that how Ketchum was good with writing this shit! As a middle-eastern girl I felt like I'm dealing with these issues myself, in a nowhere shitland in America. I felt like how brave you must be to vividly showcase the details of problematic life-styles in U.S.A. A country these days with too much contradictions, regarding the issues Ketchum pointed fingers to.
Horror was not something driven from the outside world. This kind of horror fiction started having a form in America, with Allan Poe's petrifying Telltale Heart. Another story shading from the fears of a normal man (a psychopath though) who is becoming something the norms hate. Published in a time when horror was a taboo and got censored several times in Christian schools, Telltale heart was not happening on the outside. It was inside us. It was the deepest fears of a fearsome mad killer. We don't know how much we might bypass the boundaries until a source of power stops us, or well... Encourages us. The Girl Next Door is a story of abjection with its true form. The true domino of violence, a victim in her teens, allowing the products of her victim era to make another victim deeply rotten. The cycle goes on, until it's too late. The most captivating word for me was when the police realized about everything and entered, when it was too late. He told that incel narrator “Were you the kept or the keeper”
And when the narrator said he wasn't involved, the police answered “But you didn't help her either”
It needs not only talent but a pure bravery to write such a narrator in a place full of filth and misogyny. It takes risks to write about an indecisive, passive observer of violence who is dealing with the problem every damn time. It gives us the question about observers of violence in today's world. Is it the pleasure of being accepted by the system of power that makes them silent, a mere cowardice? Or is it more complicated than that.
Rest In Peace. Jack Ketchum
Rarely does one encounter a narrative that boldly transcends the confines of the mind and body, delving into realms beyond mere physical conformity within a deeply humanistic context. Virginia Woolf employs the stream of consciousness technique masterfully, inviting readers to immerse themselves in a narrative that mirrors their own existential musings and daily experiences.
A very tragic portrayal of the harsh realities in a capitalist society and the profound impact of its values on a family's aspirations and their unattainable dreams. Miller knew well how to use the expressionist elements to convey the human aspect of struggling. This story evoked strong emotions in me, and I cried for Willy. Willy Loman, despite his flaws, left a deep impression on me by his never-ending journey with the fragments of his cracked self-cognition. It's astounding how this narrative transcends race and nationality to shed light on the universal yearning for distant desires fueled by the American Dream. Anywhere we live, we live it day by day. The depiction of depression, self-delusion, and coping mechanisms in desperation, deeply resonate with our lives today, revealing the disillusionment that arises from governments' shattered promises. In this world, where internal struggles consume you without leading to any real fulfillment, the pressure to achieve at any cost is relentless. The narrative skillfully exposes the harsh truth that in America, (and today, anywhere!) success is expected regardless of one's circumstances, branding those who fall short as lazy. This poignant tale highlights the foundation of a society that demands sacrifice and perseverance, regardless of one's starting point. And labelling that as a “natural” process of hard working.
Even among great feminists with their critical theory, it is still hard to find someone who touches those corners of literature and pop-culture and inverts their underlying message with brilliant ideas you couldn't think of randomly. Warner looks at The KingKong movie in a way that no one might have imagined in the late 20th century and she deconstructs all the accepted myths and looks at them differently. Her mastery in mythology brings us the details of stories she presents, and their adaptation in today's visual and pop culture, which leads to the suggestions she is trying to imply and ofcourse, without sentimental projection. I have to confess that some chapters, like the Island Race wasn't an easy read for me, however, the whole experience of this reading was absolutely worth it. She almost delves into different issues such as children via literature and fairy-tales, women and she-beasts of Jurassic Park and how they are presented to meet the needs of a male look, how the nationalist idealism can end up with vengeance and racist illusionaries, etc. Warner was the second woman who had a chance to participate in Reith lectures of BBC those times, which she stated frankly at the beginning of the lectures.
I put one excerpt from the book, chapter 4, “Cannibal Tales, The Hunger for Conquest”
“Cannibalism helped to justify the presence of the invader, the settler, the trader, bringing civilisation. The centre has to draw outlines to give itself definition. The city has need of the barbarians to know what it is. The self needs the other to establish a sense of integral identity. If my enemies are like me, how can I go on feeling enmity against them? Cannibalism is used to define the alien but actually mirrors the speaker.”
She also has greater words and references in the first chapters where she talks about the contemporary ideas on women and female-ness. Can't focus enough on how this book is a must read and precious source for anyone who is following today's pop-culture and has a bit of taste for pop-culture myths, movies, and games.