Feed Me

Sometimes when you read a book you just know you will have to read it again. That was the case for me with M.T. Anderson's book, Feed. I first read this book only a year ago in my last library school class (*sigh* I can't believe I'm feeling all nostalgic about library school-- well, for this particular class, anyway), Library Materials for Young Adults. I loved the books that I read for this class, but there are three that stand out as my favorites. The first I have already written about (see my very first post--yes, I'm too lazy to type the title and author), the second is the one I'm about to write about and the third was just an amazingly beautiful, heart-stopping book called The Book Thief that I may get around to writing about eventually.

Feed is my sci-fi selection. Some (yeah right-- as if there is a "some of you" reading this) of you know that I like sci-fi, but not necessarily the alien variety. In this book, there are no aliens, just people, living in a world that is different from our own, but not so different. That's the thing about good sci-fi--it has a tendency to hold a mirror up to our world and say to us "see, you're not so different from this and if you are not careful, this could be you." In re-reading this book, as I thought I would be writing about it, I actually took a few notes, but I am going to ignore them and just write willy nilly.

The book's teenage protagonist, Titus, lives in a world that centers around the feed. The feed is an entity (I guess you could call it that) that is implanted in the members of the population when they are (I believe) babies. It is there, talking to them, seducing them and encouraging them not to think. It is basically all about stimuli overload. For example, for those of you that are on Facebook, think about that particular feed and then think about it as if it was magnified tenfold and in your brain. Facebook feeds are full of your friends' thoughts and news links and all kinds of trivial (and sometimes not so trivial) stuff. There are also, of course, advertisements on the side. In this book, the feed basically strips people of their humanity. People are distracted to the point that they have forgotten how to think or feel.

The book opens with Titus and his friends' trip to the moon. They are just there for a good time and a good time is had by all, until they are hit by a virus. Before this happens Titus meets a girl, Violet, who he is smitten with right from the start. But unfortunately, the treatments they receive to rid them of the virus, we find out later, don't seem to be helping Violet. It turns out that Violet comes from a "radical," intellectual family that is not overly pro-feed. In fact, Violet didn't receive the feed until she was (I think) about six. This seems to be a problem as it seems that the feed doesn't take to a person as well if it is given to them "later" in life. As the characters themselves find out, the feed affects a person's entire limbic system. If it starts to fail, they not only have weird brain things going on, but their bodies also start to fail. For example, when this starts happening to Violet, she sometimes has episodes of paralysis. So, you can't just take the feed away from a person if it starts to malfunction because it affects all aspects of their being, physical and mental.

I should also mention at this point, that the feed is very much about commerce. A lot of what is being piped into peoples' brains are advertisements. And because everyone is connected to this fashion trends evolve faster than the speed of light. One thing that Titus and his friends are dealing with are lesions on their faces and bodies. The feed, in one of its forms, transmits the idea of treating the lesions as fashion statements, so before you know it, many of the teenagers are even adding synthetic lesions to their bodies just because it is the thing to do. So, why do these people have lesions? What is causing them? The people are too distracted and are having too much fun to ask these questions. Is the government responsible? Who knows... And nobody cares.

When Violet really starts to fail, Titus does not know how to act. He does not know how to care about another person because his whole life has been about distractions (does this sound a little familiar?). He doesn't handle things all that well (and yes, he is just a teenager and they are not always known for their ability to deal with life's probems) and he is disturbed by the feelings that are popping up inside of him. What nuisances they are... Is it all too late or is there something he can do to overcome this?

As I've already stated, good sci-fi often presents itself as a cautionary tale. Do I think we are headed in this direction? Maybe, but it's not like I think we need to stop technology and progress. We just need to make sure we keep our heads and retain the ability to think and feel for ourselves. Is that possible? I certainly hope so...

My first post that is not about a book, but a t.v. show instead. It is about an episode of the late great Buffy the Vampire Slayer called "Hush."

Today readers (and I will not forget about you, thin air), just as the title says, I am going to write about a t.v. show. This is a show that I was pretty much obsessed with in the late 90's and early 2000s and I still haven't forgotten about. In fact, I re-watched the episode in question tonight. It was a t.v. show that entertained me a great deal, and on occasion, it roamed into that territory that some (I'm sure people would argue with me, but who are they and why should I concern myself with them?) that I would call art. The episode "Hush" is one such episode that I think deserves that distinction. If I could, I would show all of my artistically minded friends this episode and I think then they would see for themselves. But for now, they will have to do with my words and I hope they are not ineffective, but that they convey what I have to say in their imperfect way.

"Hush" is an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that deals very much with the imperfections of language and communication. I'm going to type the opening words. They are not my own, but Joss Whedon's (some people call him a genius, but I don't like to throw that word around lightly. However, I do think he has dwelled in that terrain at times). Anyway, here are his words as spoken in dream by Buffy's college psychology professor: "...talking about communication...Talking about language--not the same thing. It's about inspiration--the moment before the idea when it's total--when it blossoms in your mind and connects to everything. It's about the thoughts and experiences that we don't have a word for."

This was an episode that aired during sweeps month. Yes, sweeps month is all about ratings and it is often when t.v. shows use up the majority of their budgets to try to produce a masterpiece that will draw in more viewers. Often it's just all so obvious and you just want to roll your eyes and say "this sucks." This was not the case with this episode. It really succeeded--so much so that I remember thinking as I was watching it how sorry I felt for those that wouldn't watch Buffy because of the funny name or because it was only for teens. I knew I was watching something that was great and I wasn't ashamed of it. I love great story-telling whether it is about 5 year olds, teenagers or 90 year olds. I know that very often people dismiss shows or books about teens because it is just not seemly for adults to be interested in them. We were all teens at one time, weren't we? And we all carry a piece of our teenage selves inside of us, whether we want to admit it or not. It is part of who we are. But anyway, I am digressing from the point, which is communication. On the other hand, I think I am clearly illustrating its imperfections. I started out with all of these ideas that I wanted to convey and they are eluding me now. Back to the point, Anne...

In this episode, fairy tale monsters arrive in Sunnydale and render the town speechless. All of the occupants wake up in the morning unable to speak. People deal with this in different ways, but most of them are in a panic of some sort. The one thing that sticks out for me, is the fact that the character, Tara, who has a speech impediment (stuttering) does not panic at all, but seems to flourish. Finally she is equal to rest of the world. I thought this was dealt with beautifully.

But she is not the only one that benefits. Sometimes communication is easier when language doesn't interfere. There are several characters that are on the verge of having relationships that finally open up to each other and their relationships that were in limbo come to fruition. In fact Buffy and the much maligned (in the on-line fandom world, anyway) Riley who were teetering and on the brink finally share an embrace and a kiss. They also find out that they both have been hiding huge, earth shattering secrets from each other: Buffy is the slayer and Riley is a member of a military group that is responsible for doing away with vampires and demons. In other words, they have something in common.

It was very interesting watching this episode, not only because it was so well-written, but because about 30 minutes of it was completely silent. The actors had to act without speech and I think did a pretty good job. The fairy tale monsters, the Gentlemen (see picture above) were incredibly creepy. They floated through the air with smiles on their faces without saying a word. They were completely polite and gentlemanly despite the fact that they needed 7 hearts and were totally prepared to cut them out of the unlucky victims that happened to cross their paths. It was finally discovered through Buffy's watcher's diligent research, that they were stopped in the fairy tale when the princess screamed. Buffy realizes this and while working together with Riley, sees the box that holds all the voices and gestures for Riley to open it and set them free. Riley, misunderstanding (communication again) Buffy, rather than opening the box, chops it with his weapon. Fortunately, this has the same effect and the voices are released and Buffy screams, causing the Gentlemen to explode. This incident was the first time Buffy and Riley see each other at work and opens up a lot of questions that need to be addressed when they are finally able to speak again. In fact the episode ends with one of them saying "we need to talk" and the other answering "I guess we do"... and then silence...

I feel like there is so much that I wanted to write about this episode that I did not express. Communicating my ideas through language, even in its written form, has failed me.

"Saturday" on a Friday

Hello readers. Your favorite (or not so favorite) book blogger is back. And so soon after my last entry. Why am I back? Well, because I've read another book and I liked it. The book in question is Ian McEwan's Saturday. I started reading the book this past Saturday, and unlike the events in the book itself that take place all in one Saturday, I didn't finish reading it until today (Wednesday). And as you can see by my last sentence that I wrote two days ago, I actually started this post on Wednesday and just polished it up and added a few more sentences today, Friday. Again, I could not complete an activity in one day. An entire book takes place in one day and I can't even read the book or write about it in one day. What a sorry excuse for a reader and a blogger I am... Anyway, I have found that my calling is not writing about books. My mind is too scattered for such an activity, but I am going to try to continue to order my mind by writing about books on a semi-regular basis. Maybe I'll get better. We'll see...

The central character in the book is Henry Perowne, a neurosurgeon and a man that has very high hopes for his Saturday. He plans on having a pleasant day, starting with a squash (I think it was squash, but I would have to look it up to find out for sure, but I don't think it really matters as it could be tennis or badminton and it wouldn't make a difference) game with one of his colleagues and ending with a dinner with his family, very much looking forward to a reunion with his daughter who he hasn't seen in months. What he doesn't suspect is that a minor car accident and the interaction that he has with the other cars' driver will have have negative consequences that will make his evening far from pleasant.

Perowne is a very methodical man, much in tune with his life of routine. He loves the intricacies and precision of surgery. He likes to know where he's going. He certainly doesn't suspect that this incident, however disturbing it was at the time, will come back to haunt him. I know John Lennon has a lyric in one of his songs about life happening when you're busy making other plans (I'm not going to even bother looking up the quote right now--I think you can catch the drift). I will, however quote from the book: "All he feels now is fear. He's weak and ignorant, scared of the way consequences of an action leap away from your control and breed new events, new consequences, until you're led to a place you never dreamed of and would never choose...(McEwan, 2005)" This pretty much sums up the central theme in the book--that you're never really in control, even when you think you are--that one small decision or action could possibly change the entire course of your life.

The only other Ian McEwan book I have read is Atonement. Despite the movie version advertising the love story as the main element (yes, Hollywood tends to do that, doesn't it?), I think it is more about one young girl's action, one fabricated story that she decides to tell, having a lasting negative impact on all the lives involved, including her own. This is an idea that the author seems to love to explore. Who knows--maybe all stories are about this, in some way or another. I don't know. I'm just a humble blogger rambling on inexpertly about the books I am reading.

I have found, in the course of reading these two books, that I am a big fan of Ian McEwan's writing. I really like his quiet, introspective, poetic style. In fact, I have become such a big fan that I checked out two more of his books from the library yesterday. I don't know if I'll blog about them, or not. Two days ago, I also started a Texas sized book (and no, it doesn't take place in Texas, but in India. I'm just making a size comparison. duh.)called A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. This book has 1474 pages and I am now on page 14. Only 1460 pages to go! I may or may not blog about this one in 2011, but not 2012 as the world is set to end then.

Cormac McCarthy's, The Road

Hello gentle readers or thin air, I have finished another book. "Wow," you say (well, thin air would probably just breathe it) "it's only been 4 months since your last entry and you've finished another whole book--I'm so impressed." Yeah yeah yeah, I know--I get it. I have read other books since then (although not many), but I just haven't felt compelled to write about them. This one was different...

First I must out myself as a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction. I know it's bleak. I know it's full of desperation. I know we still see humans screwing each other over, despite it being in their best interest to band together. Yes, there is darkness, but in that darkness, there are sparks of light and it is that light, that small smidgen of hope when hope is seemingly absent that piques (is that the correct word?) my interest. Second, I must say that I made sure that I posted a photo of the book that had the "winner of the Pulitzer Prize" label rather than "Oprah's book club" label. My loathing of "Oprah's Book Club" labels sullying the covers of books everywhere may have had something to do with that, but I also thought it was good idea to illustrate that this book won quite a prestigious award.

In this book, we see father and son traveling the bleak, barren road together. The apocalypse is never fully explained, but it has destroyed most of humanity and all of nature. The father and son are in it together--they only have each other. They are very aware of the thin thread that holds them together--that something could come along and sever it at any moment. The father has very little hope to offer to his son and his honesty is sometimes brutal, but his love for him and his desire to protect him is very real. In addition to searching for food, they are, in a sense, moving just for the sake of moving. The father knows that there is more than likely nothing better out there, but one must strive forward. Who knows, maybe there is something good out there. More than likely not, but life is about movement. We can sleep when we're dead, right?

Unfortunately, it seems that the handful of other survivors they encounter on the road are not very nice people. In fact, they just might eat you (probably even your brains), so father and son must steer clear of them. It makes it difficult to trust anyone. At one point in the book when the boy wants to help an old, starving man, the father does not want anything to do with him. He eventually relents and gives him some of their food, but treats the man with suspicion, bordering on contempt. He has his son to protect and they must survive at all costs, even if it means not acting in particularly charitable manner to someone that may or may not want to eat them.

Although the man knows that his boys' willingness to see good in other people and give them the benefit of the doubt, could be their undoing, he admires the innocence and purity of his thinking and does want to protect that to a certain degree. I wish I had the book here with me, so I could find a quote or two to illustrate my points. He also tells the boy stories and tries to explain things that don't exist anymore. For instance, there is talk of birds, at one point. The boy has never seen a bird, so in his mind, they are only as real as his father explains them. I feel a sense of urgency in this--that if the father does not pass along some of these memories, these entities will cease to exist. But does it matter anymore? Sure it does...I think.

The Absoutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Some of you may know that I just completed my last class for my Master's of Library and Information Science degree. So, now I join the ranks of the many unemployed librarians. Yay, me! Lately, it seems that libraries have become focused on technology and that's all well and good and any first year library student will tell you, as Ranganathan proclaimed all those years ago, that libraries are growing organisms. As much as I think libraries need to change and evolve with the times and technology is very much a part of that, I also think books are still very important. I love technology and enjoyed my technology centered classes, but it seemed that my degree was creeping towards an end and I hadn't really taken a class that centered around books. Therefore, taking a class called Library Materials for Young Adults that completely focused on books, was a much needed and very relevant way for me to bring my degree to a close.

Anyway, this class was more than a good way to end my degree as it introduced me to a number of fantastic books (50, to be exact) and got me into reading again. Yes, I had become a library student who didn't read all that much, but now I am a library school graduate who has rediscovered my love of reading. And even though I'm no longer reading 5 books every week (yes, I had to do this for this class), I have been aiming for one 1 book per week. Now before I ramble on any more, I need to say that a few of the books that I read for this class, have taken on the lofty roles of some of Anne's favorite books. Yes Oprah, we regular folks have favorite things too. We also read books, even those that don't have Oprah's Book Club stickers on them. In fact some of us feel that books that aren't sullied with those stickers are even more worthy than those that have been branded with that big "O" word.

Now on with this post before I forget to talk about my chosen book. One of the books from my class reading list that I loved the most was The Absolutely True Diary of a part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie. Why did I love this book so much? Well, if I could just be lazy, I would say it was absolutely lovely. Why was it lovely, Anne? You need to be way more specific. Well, for one thing, the protagonist, Junior, was one of the most likable characters that I had encountered in a long time. He is, in a nutshell (I never use that term), a young Native American boy, growing up on a reservation who decides that he is going to transcend his circumstances. He is surrounded by underachievers and he decides that he wants to be an achiever. He starts this journey by making the decision to attend the school in town. By doing this, he alienates himself from a lot of the reservation folk, but he never, in the process, acts like he is better than any of them. He is just doing this, basically, because he has to. Although the white kids in the school do not accept him with open arms and things are not always easy, he perseveres and eventually does win many of them over (yes, I am going to end this sentence with a preposition, basically because I am lazy). The book is funny (Junior's cartoons that are scattered throughout the book are amusing and really add to the story), eye-opening and heart-wrenching. Junior's life isn't easy, but it he deals with its trials and tribulations with humor and I guess you could say, grace. This book, although labeled as fiction, is very much an autobiographical look at the author's life. As I've already said in so many words, but one cannot stress this enough, the book is funny and poignant and a fantastic read. I very sneakily left this book with my very smart friend who rarely reads. She sat down and read the book in two hours and she really liked it (I won't say "loved" with her as she never uses that word to describe things). So yes, reluctant readers out there, young and old, there is a good chance that you will really like, or even love (if you're so inclined) this book.

So, here ends the first post of Anne's book blog. Hopefully, my reviews will get a bit better with practice. Let's just consider this one a trial run.