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Yesterday I wrapped up one of my few anticipated non-fiction reads of the year: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter.
This book reaches back to America's foundation to trace its often hostile relationship with its own intelligentsia and the impact that's had on American society and development. This book was published the year my mom was born—1963—and was reflecting on the political attitudes of its day, yet much of it, particularly in the introductory chapters, feels like it could have been written yesterday. Plainly, America is still struggling with a recurrent animosity towards the very concept of an educated class.
Because it was written in 1963, parts of it are dated, in terms of attitudes and terminology. But on the whole, Hofstadter provides a thoughtful and comprehensive look at the influence of various individuals and groups, both the good and the bad (for instance, while he notes the well-documented shortcomings of Puritan society, he also notes they placed much more value on an educated populace than the Evangelical traditions which eventually overpowered them.)
The book is obviously well-researched, and Hofstadter does a thorough job of documenting his sources and influences, as well as recommending additional reading on a broad range of topics touched on in his own book. So much of what he establishes here makes perfect sense when looking at modern American society. He so neatly threads the needle between where we started and where we are now that at some moments, it felt like the fog was lifting on something I should have seen ages ago.
While I would love to read a more modern, updated version of Hofstadter's exploration, even this dated one provides ample useful information for the current political state of the country. In short, there has always been a significant interest in this county not only in not glorifying education, but in resisting education (and Hofstadter elucidates the tension between these attitudes and the country's commitment to free childhood education when such a thing was not common).
It does make for heavy reading; Hofstadter's prose does not breeze by, but the points he's making feel important enough that it was more than worth it to take my time. Would not recommend reading right before bed though.
Highly recommend for fellow Americans and anyone seeking to understand the current climate of idiocy and rule by clowns to which we are subject. I'm not sure how we can definitively put down these attitudes of anti-intellectualism, but understanding their sources and history must be a start.
The cover bills it as a "vampire revenge story." The premise of The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl is thus:
16-year-old Holly Liddell, in 1987, allowed the undead Elton to turn her into a vampire because he promised her an eternity together. Thirty years later he dumped her at a Quick Stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma and peeled out. Because Holly was turned at 16, she'll always be 16. While she's busy wallowing in this post-Elton, she's approached by two other girls with a similar story: Elton seduced them with promises of forever love, turned them into vampires, then dumped them when he got bored. And worse: he has his sights on a fourth girl. Reluctantly, Holly agrees to help Rose and Ida kill Elton--but developing feelings for Elton's new target wasn't part of the plan.
Honestly, I did not expect this book to be good, and it wasn't. It was entertaining enough. It will keep you busy if you have nothing else going on. Prose is mediocre, hamfisted where it tries to be poetic, and overexplains things to the reader. The plot moves so fast you rarely have time to take in where the characters are at before they're off to the next thing, and the characters themselves are very flat. Rose and Ida are basically interchangeable and I kept getting them mixed up because they really have no personality outside "the nice one" and "the bitchy one." Elton is comically awful with no redeeming or "human" side to him whatsoever, as are most of the protagonist's victims.
The novel feels very grounded in its publication year, down to a jarring and somewhat incorrect use of the term "gaslighting" by a teenager from 1987. I also cringed at the scene where the three main characters all explain their sexualities to each other. It felt very much like the author desperately grabbing for more representation points by saying "Look! Rose is bi too! Ida is asexual!" even though these things literally never matter within the story except for this one awkward scene.
There are some enjoyable things about it. I still like the idea of the plot even if it was poorly executed. The relationships formed within it and the focus on letting go of your past mistakes and forgiving yourself so you can move forward are nice. I did enjoy the subplot about Holly learning to let go of her anger at her neglectful mother, and the one where she confronts Mr. Stockard--who in her day, was an enthusiastic young high school teacher, but has become a burned out middle-aged man by the present time who's given up on his students.
( Read more... )
Crossposted from my main
16-year-old Holly Liddell, in 1987, allowed the undead Elton to turn her into a vampire because he promised her an eternity together. Thirty years later he dumped her at a Quick Stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma and peeled out. Because Holly was turned at 16, she'll always be 16. While she's busy wallowing in this post-Elton, she's approached by two other girls with a similar story: Elton seduced them with promises of forever love, turned them into vampires, then dumped them when he got bored. And worse: he has his sights on a fourth girl. Reluctantly, Holly agrees to help Rose and Ida kill Elton--but developing feelings for Elton's new target wasn't part of the plan.
Honestly, I did not expect this book to be good, and it wasn't. It was entertaining enough. It will keep you busy if you have nothing else going on. Prose is mediocre, hamfisted where it tries to be poetic, and overexplains things to the reader. The plot moves so fast you rarely have time to take in where the characters are at before they're off to the next thing, and the characters themselves are very flat. Rose and Ida are basically interchangeable and I kept getting them mixed up because they really have no personality outside "the nice one" and "the bitchy one." Elton is comically awful with no redeeming or "human" side to him whatsoever, as are most of the protagonist's victims.
The novel feels very grounded in its publication year, down to a jarring and somewhat incorrect use of the term "gaslighting" by a teenager from 1987. I also cringed at the scene where the three main characters all explain their sexualities to each other. It felt very much like the author desperately grabbing for more representation points by saying "Look! Rose is bi too! Ida is asexual!" even though these things literally never matter within the story except for this one awkward scene.
There are some enjoyable things about it. I still like the idea of the plot even if it was poorly executed. The relationships formed within it and the focus on letting go of your past mistakes and forgiving yourself so you can move forward are nice. I did enjoy the subplot about Holly learning to let go of her anger at her neglectful mother, and the one where she confronts Mr. Stockard--who in her day, was an enthusiastic young high school teacher, but has become a burned out middle-aged man by the present time who's given up on his students.
( Read more... )
Crossposted from my main
Signs of Life: 40 Catholic Customs and Their Biblical Roots by Scott Hahn
Covers everything from sacraments to theological points with practical applications to various devotions. Reasons for and history both.
Covers everything from sacraments to theological points with practical applications to various devotions. Reasons for and history both.
Julia's House Moves On by Ben Hatke
The second Julia picture book.
Julia decides that they need to move the house. Everyone's unhappy. So she makes plans. . . .
Plans meet reality. Adventure ensues.
The second Julia picture book.
Julia decides that they need to move the house. Everyone's unhappy. So she makes plans. . . .
Plans meet reality. Adventure ensues.
The Arabian Nights translated by Husain Haddawy
Based on one of the older and more unified Syrian manuscripts.
( Read more... )
Based on one of the older and more unified Syrian manuscripts.
( Read more... )