The apocalypse is neigh: reviews of McCarthy’s The Road, Quinn’s Ishmael, and Sunday night’s dream
January 16, 2008
Well, maybe it’s not. It’s just that I’ve been thinking about the end of the world/civilization a lot recently. I had this dream the other night. I don’t remember it all (does one ever?), but it involved a nuclear explosion – the earth shuddering, green flames, violent purple lightning – and me evading the Chinese/Korean army while helping James Bond-esque girls escape. Needless to say, it was much cooler and less scary than the apocalypse would really be. But, aside from being a suitable beginning to the work week (doesn’t Monday always feel apocalyptic? I’m thinking of Arcade Fire’s Windowsill, in particular), it did remind me that I’ve been wanting to write about the last two books I read – books that, strangely enough, spent a lot of time discussing the apocalypse. (A side note – if you want an interesting dining experience – one that might give dreams of nuclear explosions – try Kuma’s Corner. It’s an odd combination: a death metal biker bar/restaurant with food good enough to command an hour wait at 7:30 PM on Sunday. It supposedly has Chicago’s best burger, and definitely does have BBQ pork fries. Hmmm pork fries.)
Back to the books. Book #1 – The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Book #2 – Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Both would be best described as novels – though Ishmael has a more overt “spiritual” or “philosophical” bend. Both have a rather dim view of humanity’s current course. Both are excellent, page turning, thought provoking.
McCarthy’s novel is a tale of a father and son’s journey through post-apocalyptic America. As always, his prose is beautiful, if gut-wrenching. In the midst of delivering a completely engrossing, suspenseful tale, he weaves in a number of thought provoking themes. He suggests that, if push came to shove, and survival were at stake – society would dissolve and mankind’s humanity, by in large, would disappear. He presents us with two figures who “carry the fire” (of civilized behavior/human spirit) and leaves us to grapple with the whys. Why do these two “carry the fire”? Why do they continue on? How do they retain their humanity? etc. McCarthy gives us hints as to their motivation: God, the paternal bond between father and son, stories of heroes past, but no clear answers. The ending, as seems to be common in his books, does not resolve the issue. All in all – a beautifully crafted and thought provoking book. I highly recommend it.
Quinn’s Ishmael is a novel of a different sort. Instead McCarthy’s well crafted story that blends in difficult themes and questions amidst beautiful prose, Quinn puts forth a “Socratic” dialogue that supplies questions with the not-so-subtle force of a sledgehammer. The tale begins with the narrator finding a personal ad: “TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person.” Our narrator is drawn, seemingly against his better judgment, to answer the ad. The resulting education is thoroughly annoying (to this reader) but annoying in a very good way. This book works well as a gadfly. Even if you disagree with every point – the premise is so novel that you’ll learn something from reading it.
Ishmael (the teacher) takes a look at human civilization and takes a stab at boiling our activities down to a root cause. He attempts to identify the source of humanity’s “fall” (in the biblical sense) or flaws. After doing so, he tells a new “story”, even turning the Genesis story (Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel) on its ear a la Wicked vs. the Wizard of Oz to provide us with an alternate story – an alternate cultural aim that he believes will lead us in a better direction.
As I hinted above – I don’t agree with Ishmael’s tale – I find it to be flawed. But, I have spent hours and hours ruminating because of the book. It’s subject is one near and dear to my heart – eaudaimonia – and if Quinn’s book is not as elegant or well reasoned as the philosophical greats, it is much more accessible (it nearly demands to be read) and well worth the relatively short time it will take you to read it. I highly encourage you to do so, and if you do, let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts and have a discussion about it.
Howdy all – sorry it has been forever since I last posted. I’ll be attempting to make up for it over the next week or so. Without further ado, I give you a book review:
Oddly enough – the title of the this book could very well be the same as the next one to be reviewed: The Power of One. However, this is a true story, not a novel. I have never read an account that touched me as deeply as this story. It immediately gained a place amongst my favorite books.
We have the story of Greg Mortenson – a man who had amounted to very little through his mid thirties. Sure, he was an excellent mountain climber. Worked the night shift at hospitals as a nurse to pay the few bills he incurred (gym membership, food, gas – his car was his home). But that was essentially his story. No family, no wife, no material possessions to speak of.
And yet, through a somewhat random series of events, he ends up in a remote village in Pakistan. He learns that the village could not afford to hire a teacher full time. They shared one with a neighboring village – and as a result the children were left to practice lessons alone half of the time.
“After the last note of the anthem had faded, the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with sticks they’d brought for that purpose. The more fortunate, like Jahan, had slate boards they wrote on with sticks dipped in a mixture of mud and water. ‘Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons?’ Mortenson asks. ‘I felt like my heart was being torn out. There was a fierceness in their desire to learn, despite how mightily everything was stacked against them, that reminded me of Christa [his sister]. I knew I had to do something’. “
And so, he decides to build a school for a Pakistani village separated from the rest of the world by a steep gorge. Not only does he fulfill his promise, but goes much further. He makes helping the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan his life’s work. Today there are over 24,000 students who owe their education to the effort of one man. And what’s more, he’s bringing hope and goodwill towards America. At the dedication of a school on September 14th 2001, an Islamic religious leader gave the following speech (excerpts):
” ‘Today is a day that you children will remember forever and tell your children and grandchildren. Today, from the darkness of illiteracy, the light of education shines bright. We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today,’ he said, pushing his thick glasses firmly into place, ‘as we inaugurate this school. Those who have committed this evil act against the innocent, the women and children, to create thousands of widows and orphans, do not do so in the name of Islam. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, may justice be served upon them.’ …
‘These two Christian men have come halfway around the world to show our Muslim children the light of education,’ Abbas said. ‘Why have we not been able to bring education to our children on our own? Fathers and parents, I implore you to dedicate your full effort and commitment to see that all your children are educated. Otherwise, they will merely graze like sheep in the field, at the mercy of nature and the world changing so terrifyingly around us.’ …
‘I request America to look into our hearts,’ Abbas continued, his voice straining with emotion, ‘and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people. Our land is stricken with poverty because we are without education. But today, another candle of knowledge has been lit. In the name of Allah the Almighty, may it light our way out of the darkness we find ourselves in.’ “
Mortenson’s work is particularly important in these days. As illustrated in the book – a Pakistani General had the following to say regarding terrorism:
“Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America Osama is in every home. As a military man, I know you can never fight and win against someone who can shoot at you once and then run off and hide while you have to remain eternally on guard. You have to attack the source of your enemy’s strength. In America’s case that’s not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. The only way to defeat it is to build relationships with these people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever.”
I think General Bashir makes a salient point. One well worth considering. At this point it is too late to go back in time, but we can all easily support initiatives that have a chance to reflect positively upon America. Organizations such as Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute.
I’ve gotten a bit off topic. The main point I wanted to share is this: if this book doesn’t touch your soul, awaken your compassion – your awareness of how much good one can accomplish – I don’t know what to say. One person can make an enormous impact upon the world.
A Poem by Rumi further illustrates this concept, and reminds me greatly of Mortenson’s story:
Masculinity has a core of clarity, which does not act
from anger or greed or
sensuality, and a husk, which does. The virile center
that listens within takes
pleasure in obeying that truth. Nobility of spirit,
the true spontaneous energy
of your life, comes as you abandon other motives and move
only when you feel the majesty
that commands and is the delight of the self. Remember
Ayaz crushing the king’s pearl!
Recently I have been frequently contemplating Rumi’s words.
Greed. Job satisfaction. Compassion. Self-interest. Bravery. Fear.
These elements, the yin and yang of life, pull me back and forth and cause my thoughts to swing like a pendulum. They may well be the invisible hands that Ryan discussed in a blog entry. They tug back and forth and cloud the core clarity that would lead to purposeful majesty.
At the very least, the poem and book gave me pause and encouraged self reflection. I hope they will inspire y’all as well. Because, as Plato so pithily said: “the unexamined life is not worth living.” So, start living.
Oh – and one last note, if you are thinking of buying this book, you can do so through a link at the bottom of this website and a portion of the price will be donated to Mortenson’s organization. Or, better yet, you could buy it used and donate the difference. Just a thought.
