Neil
The text weaves a narrative of a shared life in a house, that gets expanded and revised - whilst being owned by 2 architects.
Some of the house seems vacant, not in a minimalist way, more in the ‘empty summer house' way, before everything gets set up after being vacated over winter, but it's not a summerhouse. Only the kitchen and workshop really seem alive.
There are some very interesting details like the timber steps and patina in the courtyard. The Japanese elements that are also so very Scandinavian.
I'm not sure about the book.
I really found it interesting, but somehow lacking and it's an unsettling feeling.
It might have been a balance to see how the overnighting apartment was executed and lived in, even though outside the scope of the book.
It'll be interesting to see the next book in the series.
I had an uncle who worked in publishing and this was left as a gift (along with other books) when it was published in 1981.
This summer holiday, as a family we watched Kjell Sundial's 1980 film, ‘Vi hade i alla fall tur med vädret' - which is both quite Jacques Tati-esque and a time capsule of the 1970's.
There is a flasher in it, who turns out to be running a kiosk under his mac - no flashing at all.
Anyway, reminded me of Flash Filstrup, and I dug it out of a box in the attic.
I don't think you could ever say it was politically correct. There is probably a reason it wasn't republished.
It was nostalgic and everything that holds with the conflicts between remembrances and then re-experience.
Great thick tome.
Very enjoyable read through his career and development.
Lots of colour plates interspersed to compliment and illustrate the author's view.
Several of my favourites weren't there, but they fall outside the line that Tricia Paik had charted. The catalogue is large, so not everything can be included - obviously.
The only odd moment, was the inclusion of a Gwyneth Palthrow interview as a reference - I'm not sure why, I felt it was odd. Possibly my expectations of art history. 🤔
I found this a real slog. Easier to put down, than pick up. I've read quite a few books in-between starting and finishing this.
70+ sections/chapters - lots of ideas, references, certainly plenty of thoughts sparked. Technology, societal futurology, politics, pharma, etc. language as an idea virus (biblical/historical precedents)
However, it felt like a relatively thin plot.
It has the obligatory; a hero, a heroine - an anti-hero, who is possibly a hero - depending upon which side you stand on. An obligatory sex scene, etc.
I feel this book is really is 2 parts. Part 1, a very slow build up, setting the scene for Arthur getting into the story. Passport Trouble.
He does not so much as convince them of his soldiering experience, he just never corrects a series of misunderstandings and assumptions.
Part 2 the story. With a punchline and a set up for the next book.
I think the book could really have been a short story or novella - Part 2- he ends up as a mercenary, a colonial officer training local soldiers, then an incursion.
There is a good part that illustrates the fact that they are professional soldiers for hire, when they meet the opposing force and one of them is an old friend/colleague - he's not disarmed, he offers some information to minimise casualties and they discuss if the incursion might well be reversed in the evening.
It's a profession, the europeans intend to get paid and live for the next assignment.
The natives are not treated in quite the same civilised way.
Overall not as enjoyable as other Ambler books, that I've read. It's an interesting premise and it starts off promisingly with Colonel Haki making an appearance, disappointingly he only sets the story rolling. The rest is pretty pedestrian and for a main character who apparently has insight, the story arc forces him to make repeatedly poor choices.
As a novel, maybe it's just not aged well.
Passes a few hours whilst waiting in an airport, transferring.
But overall, it felt a bit passionless and I was left wondering if Ambler has been paid by the word.
Back to the Arthur Abdel series, I think.
I enjoyed this - there was plenty of opinion and some of it damn good.
The short take away is; creativity needs nurturing (build a resource - go to galleries, keep looking around you, question), exercise the skill, use it and regularly, believe in it - if you don't 100%, why should anyone else.
Refine, refine, refine....boil down how you communicate the idea, until it leaps out, clear and true.
Don't do brainstorm, “group-think” is a killer.
Being in adverting in the early days, in New York, post WW2, 60's, pre-computer, he obviously had a blast.
For me, it suffered a little for the fact that a story assembles the best bits (edited) and it sounds like it happened without a hitch. This is probably the result of his occupation (sales and advertising) and being an elderly male (New Yorker).
If I read too much in one go, I kept thinking about my Grandfather, when he visited the states and was told that in the US they grew potatoes, the size of your head - he relied, in Scotland we grew potatoes to fit in your mouth.
This book was enjoyable and worked best in bite sized chunks.
It started off interestingly, it's obviously a tantalising subject and elusive - which is exactly why I was drawn to the subject. I was curious to see if Anjan could illustrate “How We Evolved to Desire Beauty”.
The basic ideas of body symmetry seem logical, selection for procreation and health, genetically programmed desire for certain terrain - plausible.
Ultimately, I felt any chance of a concrete conclusion slipping away in the 2nd half of the book, at this point (I admit) I started to skim.
There will no doubly be subsequent studies into DNA markers, MRI scans and other factors which might link directly to our attraction to ‘attractive' ( subjective word in itself) people, places and objects - and their attributes.
Läste nummer 52 i en bokhandel och blev fångad. En del humor, en del tänkvärt och jag tror att det återspeglar mycket väl på Ernst Billgren.
Jag gillade det, både som en rak läsning och att doppa i då och då.
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I read number 52 in a bookshop and became captured. One part humour, one part thought provocation and I think it reflects very well on Ernst Billgren.
I enjoyed it, both as a straight read and to dip into randomly.
If I were to read this as a non designer and about to get involved in a multi-discipline workshop, then this is a good introduction to some basic concepts.
If I read it as a designer who works with process and design thinking for a living, then it'd be easier to quibble with some of the content.
Given that, I think the intended audience is the former and it works in that respect, it probably sets the scene nicely. I know someone who has been given the book before taking part in David's workshop. They thought the book was good and I'm looking forward to hear about the workshop.
I read this book as an extension of some research I'm doing on a paper. I've been reading about control, covert aggression, passive aggression, APD, sociopathy, etc.
This book falls into a more general relationships section. I guess bought by people who are having distress from partners, colleagues, children or parents who are controlling on nature or their relationships are uneven in power.
There seem to be quite a lot of similar books on these subjects, e.g. dysfunction in relationships. There seem to be a lot of stories/case studies to illustrate the ideas going on here.
I feel it could have conveyed the message in a more direct way and therefore a thinner book.
I guess the take away was ‘locus of control', they will not change, if you will not change - it's up to you.
