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August 21, 2006It’s really petty to resent what a man reads…And The New Yorker is pettiness defined as it struggles to come to grips with the fact that President Bush is reading Camus - so taken aback are they by the president’s climbing gall in reading Camus that they feel they must lecture him about it. Already, it seems, the President has polished off the Camus and had a debate with his new press secretary, Tony Snow, on the origins of existentialism. Now, it’s possible to feel misgivings about the President’s ranch reading…But it is the sunny optimism of humanism to imagine that books change lives, and that no one can come away from “The Stranger” entirely unaffected, particularly one who is, as he reminds us, a wartime President. The writer, Adam Gopnik, does manage to toss a small and almost-not-condescending dono toward Dubya: It sounds almost like the beginnings of wisdom, or, at least, a compulsory fall reading list for us all. What a foppish snot. What disagreeable, nauseating snobs. These folk don’t take themselves too, too seriously, do they? I wonder how they can reproduce with their noses so high in the air? Last year, of course, it was that self-revealingly prejudiced snob Mark Kurlansky who couldn’t believe that moron Bush was reading his book: In fairness, Kurlansky does admit: “What I find fascinating, and it’s probably a positive thing about the White House, is they don’t seem to do any research about the writers when they pick the books.” Think about that for a second. Basically what Kurlansky, the “liberal” is saying is that he is suprised and fascinated that the guy he hates is…umm…not prejudiced…as he himself apparently is. Sounds like projection to me, anyway. Like Kurlansky is admitting that he would research someone before he deigned to read their book. Such sophisticates, they are. They know and understand all things. And all that they hate, they are become. UPDATE: My Li’l Bro Thom (yes, we’re chatting a lot today) wonders about Bush reading 60 books in 8 months - but if you break that down, it’s like 2 books a week. I read that. Many of my friends read that. I think if such a fact had been revealed about Bill Clinton, no one would blink an eye at the pronouncement…but if you really think about it…Clinton would spend his nights yakking away about policy with anyone who would listen, and he spent his days doing whatever presidents do - when would he have time to do all the reading he’s supposed to have done? Bush retires early with a book. Likely he reads for an hour or so before he sleeps. Two books a week does not strain credulity, after all. Related: Wealth Porn and Cognitive Dissonance at the Grey Lady http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/08/21/its-really-petty-to-resent-what-a-man-reads/trackback/ 7 Responses to “It’s really petty to resent what a man reads…” |
August 22nd, 2006 at 10:36 am
You know what I’d like to know is, what “wisdom” the New Yorker writer believes he has gotten from The Stranger?
The Stranger is a book about a guy who doesn’t believe in anything and finds no meaning in life. Hence, he is left with small pleasures like smoking and swimming. As far as he is concerned nothing is really related. You get up and perform a series of unrelated tasks, and games, and that’s it.
At the outset the “hero” Meaursault (sp?) tells us his mother has died. And yet he cares so little about that fact (once again, it is unrelated to anything else as far as he is concerned) that he can’t even remember what actual date she has died, whether it was today or yesterday.
Now, here’s where I think people lose the meaning of the book.
Shortly after his mothers funeral he meets a gal and they go on a beach holiday. While having a walk on the beach, Meaursault meets up with an Arab guy and gets into a confrontation. In this passage of the book he is bedeviled by sunlight which seems to get him more angry. He winds up killing the Arab.
My take on the book is Meaursault has seen his life as unrelated events and thus does not see the larger narrative of his life. A normal person (you know, one who actually finds a real meaning in life) would recognize that ones emotions will tend to be askew in the days following ones mothers funeral. But now Meaursault. No. He barrels on with life oblivious to the fact that there may be subliminal emotions at work in his psyche.
Therefore, it is easy for him to become enraged to the point of murder, especially when the sunlight is really bothering him.
I actually wrote a little post about the fact that Bush was reading the Stranger. It is kind of funny to me, because it is not Bush’s typical reading which usually has something more to do with history, particularly America history.
My speculation is that Bush is reading the Stranger so that he can understand the psyches of human who lack meaning in their lives, and comprehension of the larger narrative of history.
In other words, he’s brushing up to be ready to deal with Europe (on the Iran issue) in the next few months.
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:00 pm
I remember when Bill Clinton, the most unStoic president of all, was lauded by the Dems as a paragon of virtue for claiming to have the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius by the bedside.
Since Bill didn’t specify whose bedside, maybe it was, but Peggy Noonan did a great article calling him on the subject.
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:49 pm
The Wise Man, the Fool and the Family of Nations
Stayed up too late last night reading Plato’s Republic and considering the difference between the just man and the unjust man. (Yeah, I know, much more of that and people will be making fun of me. Like that’s never happened before. Or to be…
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:54 pm
An excellent observation, Pastorius.
Anchoress, your comment about finding it difficult to reproduce with your nose so high in the air might account for the reproductive difference between conservatives and liberals!
Chief No-Nag pointed out an article on that subject just tonight when I got home.
August 23rd, 2006 at 3:40 pm
I read 200 books last year. I read for pleasure, and seldom watch TV so it’s not hard to do.
August 24th, 2006 at 9:27 am
SLICK, THE SEXAGENARIAN
Bush turned 60 last month, and he gets ripped for reading. It’s really petty to resent what a man reads…
August 30th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
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