Panama and the California Gold Rush by Aims McGuiness
Thoughtful, engaging and highly effective historical text. Traces the lines of encounter and transformation of Americans and Panama in the mid nineteenth century, with heavy focus on racial politics accompanying both colonialism and resistance. The scale is that of macro-level politics and continental tensions, the way Panama developed transit and in so doing was undermined as an autonomous society. Yet it also incorporates an effective presentation of individual lives, with the stark economic structures and tortured political choices invested in this period.
Recommended.
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label history. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Female Citizens, Patriarchs and the Law in Venezuela
Arlene Diaz
An history tracing the late eighteenth and nineteenth century political conditions in Venezuela, and the way this balance was highly gendered. Looks at different stages of the colonial and republic history to see how new legal rights were highly patriarchal in tone, focused on property rights, family unity, honour and maintaining female subordination. It also shows challenges to these conditions by women, and intense political involvement through the legal framework with individual petitions and communal associations.
Overall quite effective, and well structured. Almost too well structured, really. The clear layout of the main argument proved exhausting after a bit, the run through of gender detail and overall argument so effective that it proved predictable where the account would go next, making for an effective presentation of the main argument but not the most lively of accounts. Nevertheless, for the close detail of the topic and clarity of overall approach this work is recommended.
An history tracing the late eighteenth and nineteenth century political conditions in Venezuela, and the way this balance was highly gendered. Looks at different stages of the colonial and republic history to see how new legal rights were highly patriarchal in tone, focused on property rights, family unity, honour and maintaining female subordination. It also shows challenges to these conditions by women, and intense political involvement through the legal framework with individual petitions and communal associations.
Overall quite effective, and well structured. Almost too well structured, really. The clear layout of the main argument proved exhausting after a bit, the run through of gender detail and overall argument so effective that it proved predictable where the account would go next, making for an effective presentation of the main argument but not the most lively of accounts. Nevertheless, for the close detail of the topic and clarity of overall approach this work is recommended.
World Histories
collection of articled edited by Marnie Hughes-Warrington
An excellent array of articles, offering a powerfully written overview of the field of world history. It’s an immense topic, but the work focuses in on specific thematic aspects and main historiographical issues, in a detailed, up to date and deeply intriguing account. The piece is interesting partly in terms of which earlier historians are continually references in their different attempts at a total perspective, most recurrent seem to be Wells, Toynbee and McNeil. The account generally offers a perspective on world history that emphasizes the immense challenges in it as well as the great potential. Also provides a compelling argument for attempting to move beyond Eurocentric paradigms, needing to better integrate earlier “prehistory” and the benefit of working in gender analysis to such accounts more effectively.
An excellent array of articles, offering a powerfully written overview of the field of world history. It’s an immense topic, but the work focuses in on specific thematic aspects and main historiographical issues, in a detailed, up to date and deeply intriguing account. The piece is interesting partly in terms of which earlier historians are continually references in their different attempts at a total perspective, most recurrent seem to be Wells, Toynbee and McNeil. The account generally offers a perspective on world history that emphasizes the immense challenges in it as well as the great potential. Also provides a compelling argument for attempting to move beyond Eurocentric paradigms, needing to better integrate earlier “prehistory” and the benefit of working in gender analysis to such accounts more effectively.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Great Russian Invasion of India
A. Dekhnewallah
A nineteenth century British military account. Not travel, military, for fresh and compellingly unique primary history reviewed for your pleasure. The description is fairly basic but reasonably structured, and the minor details and substantive value judgements have their appeal. As an actual piece of entertainment the direct conflict give it a bit of more direct appeal. It’s still not the sort of thing I’d expect to find much general readership, and it retains a number of inhibiting quirks from its time.
A nineteenth century British military account. Not travel, military, for fresh and compellingly unique primary history reviewed for your pleasure. The description is fairly basic but reasonably structured, and the minor details and substantive value judgements have their appeal. As an actual piece of entertainment the direct conflict give it a bit of more direct appeal. It’s still not the sort of thing I’d expect to find much general readership, and it retains a number of inhibiting quirks from its time.
Informal Empire: Mexico and Central America in Victorian Culture
Robert Aguirre
A simple but well presented look at how late nineteenth century Britain treated and represented Mexico in its culture patterns. There’s less focus on literature or formal texts as widespread public spectacle, specifically looking into the networks by which fairs were organized and how the relevant producers worked to give a consistent and racialized hegemonic message.
Wirtten in a direct and engaging style that gives direct presence to the historical associations contained within it. The type of work that more effectively engages with its aspects of both complex specific style and a general structure that should be welcoming to those outside academia.
A simple but well presented look at how late nineteenth century Britain treated and represented Mexico in its culture patterns. There’s less focus on literature or formal texts as widespread public spectacle, specifically looking into the networks by which fairs were organized and how the relevant producers worked to give a consistent and racialized hegemonic message.
Wirtten in a direct and engaging style that gives direct presence to the historical associations contained within it. The type of work that more effectively engages with its aspects of both complex specific style and a general structure that should be welcoming to those outside academia.
Cuban Counterpoint: Tobacco and Sugar
Fernando Ortiz
Extended early twentieth century analysis of the titular themes, tracking the comparative impact of Tobacco and Sugar on Cuba. Starts with the premise of a very dry subject matter, but quickly makes it fascinating, rolling off fascinating insights, neat connections, stunning juxtapositions and effective systemic analysis. The look into the philosophy and aesthetic behind each plant is entertaining, the argument for how each substance is gendered intriguing, but it’s in the overview of how the economics functioned that really make the book take of is the insight into economics. Ortiz argues persuasively that while it’s the most pleasant crop, sugar has also directly accompanied a process of standardization, mass production, mechanization and foreign exploitation of Cuba that connects a very destructive long term legacy. In contrast, he explores venues by which Tobacco has had the potential for autonomy and overall financial advantage.
The first half is a surprisingly engaging and fast moving chain of analysis that offers much of worth in asssessing colonial and postcolonial conditions generally. After that, the second half is far less satisfying, as it goes into listing and specifics to substantiate the main thesis, slowing the main pace down to a crawl and rendering large setions frankly boring. Still, taken as a whole this is an exciting and virtal work.
Extended early twentieth century analysis of the titular themes, tracking the comparative impact of Tobacco and Sugar on Cuba. Starts with the premise of a very dry subject matter, but quickly makes it fascinating, rolling off fascinating insights, neat connections, stunning juxtapositions and effective systemic analysis. The look into the philosophy and aesthetic behind each plant is entertaining, the argument for how each substance is gendered intriguing, but it’s in the overview of how the economics functioned that really make the book take of is the insight into economics. Ortiz argues persuasively that while it’s the most pleasant crop, sugar has also directly accompanied a process of standardization, mass production, mechanization and foreign exploitation of Cuba that connects a very destructive long term legacy. In contrast, he explores venues by which Tobacco has had the potential for autonomy and overall financial advantage.
The first half is a surprisingly engaging and fast moving chain of analysis that offers much of worth in asssessing colonial and postcolonial conditions generally. After that, the second half is far less satisfying, as it goes into listing and specifics to substantiate the main thesis, slowing the main pace down to a crawl and rendering large setions frankly boring. Still, taken as a whole this is an exciting and virtal work.
The Origins of the Modern World: A Global and Ecological Narrative
Robert Marks
Doesn’t go as far with the main premise as it could, or indeed as the author seems to think he did. Fundamentally this is a work too slim and too general to really deliver the force of ecohistory promised in the main argument, and to an extent it runs into similar tension of the McNeil work of beign uncertain who the history is marketed towards. That notwitstanding there is a lot of value in here, and the focus on human history as told through impact on the environment, diffusion of diseases and overall ecological processes is a compelling standpoint. In particular the definition of an "ecological ancient regime" to the planet and the way it was shifted by trade, travel and more direct material control over the environment is a compellin gone.
Doesn’t go as far with the main premise as it could, or indeed as the author seems to think he did. Fundamentally this is a work too slim and too general to really deliver the force of ecohistory promised in the main argument, and to an extent it runs into similar tension of the McNeil work of beign uncertain who the history is marketed towards. That notwitstanding there is a lot of value in here, and the focus on human history as told through impact on the environment, diffusion of diseases and overall ecological processes is a compelling standpoint. In particular the definition of an "ecological ancient regime" to the planet and the way it was shifted by trade, travel and more direct material control over the environment is a compellin gone.
The Birth of the Modern World 1780-1914
C. A. Bayly
Tracks the world’s past through a set of eras and linked major themes, looking at the way major political upsets spread beyond the boundaries normally assumed for world history. It’s particularly effective in showing the highly diffused nature of ideologies of revolution, and tying China directly into what occurs with Europe and North America much earlier than the standard political account does.
Has a couple of rough patches and doesn’t do quite as good a job as it could in maintaing continual engagement, but there’s an effective argument here well backed by organization of amassed detail. Good history.
Tracks the world’s past through a set of eras and linked major themes, looking at the way major political upsets spread beyond the boundaries normally assumed for world history. It’s particularly effective in showing the highly diffused nature of ideologies of revolution, and tying China directly into what occurs with Europe and North America much earlier than the standard political account does.
Has a couple of rough patches and doesn’t do quite as good a job as it could in maintaing continual engagement, but there’s an effective argument here well backed by organization of amassed detail. Good history.
The Human Web: A Bird’s-Eye View of World History
J. R. McNeil and William McNeil
A rather short and general account by which to try to trace a world history. The main conceptual development, focusing on networks and specifically webs that frame larger human communities is a persuasive one, on the whole. It is rather general however, and limits the argumentative force of the book by making the main idea seem a bit vague and watered down. This aspect isn’t helped by the line by line style of writing, or even the two authors, seeming to express a main ambivalance as to whether the book is a specialist path-setting work of historiography or a general history intended for the wider public. The tension is not entirely a productive one.
Worse than: After Hitler by Konrad Jarausch.
Better than: History after the Three Worlds by Arif Dirlik
A rather short and general account by which to try to trace a world history. The main conceptual development, focusing on networks and specifically webs that frame larger human communities is a persuasive one, on the whole. It is rather general however, and limits the argumentative force of the book by making the main idea seem a bit vague and watered down. This aspect isn’t helped by the line by line style of writing, or even the two authors, seeming to express a main ambivalance as to whether the book is a specialist path-setting work of historiography or a general history intended for the wider public. The tension is not entirely a productive one.
Worse than: After Hitler by Konrad Jarausch.
Better than: History after the Three Worlds by Arif Dirlik
History After the Three Worlds
edited by Arif Dirlik
Anthology of historiographical articles. Some useful opening analysis into the field of world history, and makes a commendably nuanced effort to move beyond Eurocentric views and into the direction of more progressive politics. Looses a lot of credibility with me for its characterization of and assault against postmodernism and postcolonialism, definign them (misleadingly) as overly general and insufficiently grounded, proving counter-leftist by effect if not intention. There’s a kernel of a good critique in here and it’s probably a dialog worth having, but this collection demonstrates too much simplisticity in layout and redundancy in elaborating claims to really feel productive. The pieces actually written by Dirlik are the weakest, some of the ones by other people get into more specifics of different regional or thematic issues and deliver more productive histories.
Worse than: Orientalism by Edward Said
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
Anthology of historiographical articles. Some useful opening analysis into the field of world history, and makes a commendably nuanced effort to move beyond Eurocentric views and into the direction of more progressive politics. Looses a lot of credibility with me for its characterization of and assault against postmodernism and postcolonialism, definign them (misleadingly) as overly general and insufficiently grounded, proving counter-leftist by effect if not intention. There’s a kernel of a good critique in here and it’s probably a dialog worth having, but this collection demonstrates too much simplisticity in layout and redundancy in elaborating claims to really feel productive. The pieces actually written by Dirlik are the weakest, some of the ones by other people get into more specifics of different regional or thematic issues and deliver more productive histories.
Worse than: Orientalism by Edward Said
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
Russia: A Long-Shot Romance
Jo Durden-Smith
This travel account is from the late twentieth century, showing an American’s experiences in Russia just as the Soviet Union collapsed. Quite different in tone than most of similar works described above, partly because of era, partly by the specific situation of the author and the tone he adopts. Certainly after a certain point he becomes less a descriptor of Russia as a static, surveyed thing, and is more a witness to major change. Nevertheless some similar motifs continue, enough to make use of the account to shine comparative light on other accounts.
Most notably, Durden-Smith is utterly explicit in how directly he eroticizes Russian women and uses sexual encounters as metaphors for the basic character of Russian civilization and its encounter with the West. "And when I get back, Yelena is beneath the sheets in the big bedroom, naked and languorous: smiling. As I put down the bags I think for some reason of something I’ve read: that the Russians, as well a having had no Renaissance, Reformation, or Enlightenment, have no tradition of romantic love. I wonder whether it matters as I take off my jacket. It’s created nothing but trouble in the West. "(Jo Durden-Smith, 84)
The claim to special insight and representation as directly accompanying sexual conquest is one of the creepiest, most colonial things I’ve seen in a travel account on Russia, and signals a continuance of certain lines of traveler perspectives up to the end of the Cold War. I’m definitely planning to give some weight to this aspect of things, possibly to the extent of having a dissertation chapter focs on the later manifestations of this kind of thing.
This travel account is from the late twentieth century, showing an American’s experiences in Russia just as the Soviet Union collapsed. Quite different in tone than most of similar works described above, partly because of era, partly by the specific situation of the author and the tone he adopts. Certainly after a certain point he becomes less a descriptor of Russia as a static, surveyed thing, and is more a witness to major change. Nevertheless some similar motifs continue, enough to make use of the account to shine comparative light on other accounts.
Most notably, Durden-Smith is utterly explicit in how directly he eroticizes Russian women and uses sexual encounters as metaphors for the basic character of Russian civilization and its encounter with the West. "And when I get back, Yelena is beneath the sheets in the big bedroom, naked and languorous: smiling. As I put down the bags I think for some reason of something I’ve read: that the Russians, as well a having had no Renaissance, Reformation, or Enlightenment, have no tradition of romantic love. I wonder whether it matters as I take off my jacket. It’s created nothing but trouble in the West. "(Jo Durden-Smith, 84)
The claim to special insight and representation as directly accompanying sexual conquest is one of the creepiest, most colonial things I’ve seen in a travel account on Russia, and signals a continuance of certain lines of traveler perspectives up to the end of the Cold War. I’m definitely planning to give some weight to this aspect of things, possibly to the extent of having a dissertation chapter focs on the later manifestations of this kind of thing.
Russia: Travels and Studies
Annette Meakin
"The peasant women of Great Russia are not as a rule so good-looking as the men. I attribute this to the great proportion of Finnish blood in their veins. In all purely Mongol races the men are the handsomer sex." (Meakin, 57) Very similar format to most other nineteenth century travel accounts in Russia, down to the rather bland and undistinguishable title. The work is different from others of the era on Russia by at least three major facets. 1. A less criticial view on the society than was the norm. 2. An even heavier emphasis than was typical on studying women and assessing their conditions. 3. A more modest situatng of this travel account in the wider field, Meakin doesn’t claim to be delivering unique insight into the true soul of Russia.
"The peasant women of Great Russia are not as a rule so good-looking as the men. I attribute this to the great proportion of Finnish blood in their veins. In all purely Mongol races the men are the handsomer sex." (Meakin, 57) Very similar format to most other nineteenth century travel accounts in Russia, down to the rather bland and undistinguishable title. The work is different from others of the era on Russia by at least three major facets. 1. A less criticial view on the society than was the norm. 2. An even heavier emphasis than was typical on studying women and assessing their conditions. 3. A more modest situatng of this travel account in the wider field, Meakin doesn’t claim to be delivering unique insight into the true soul of Russia.
The Age of Empire
E. J. Hobsbawm
Part of Hobsbawm’s magnus oprus on the history of Europe. Focusing in largely on economic facets he delivers an effective survey with some good identification of main socio-political structures. The work does sufferr from being somewhat dated and being a bit plodding in style, but overall retains its force as a major piece of systemic history.
Part of Hobsbawm’s magnus oprus on the history of Europe. Focusing in largely on economic facets he delivers an effective survey with some good identification of main socio-political structures. The work does sufferr from being somewhat dated and being a bit plodding in style, but overall retains its force as a major piece of systemic history.
In Deikin’s Russia and the Caucasus 1919-1920
by C. E. Bechhofer
A twentieth century Western travel account of Russia, focusing on aspects of the civil war. Useful for a position of contrast with the usual line of chronological approach I have for travel literature. As a piece of history this work is relatively useful, moderately gendered, fairly descriptive. Aa a piece of writing it’s a bit above normal for the type, being relatively varied and fast moving in its perspective. The direct layout of conflict undoubtedly heps give it a bit more force.
A twentieth century Western travel account of Russia, focusing on aspects of the civil war. Useful for a position of contrast with the usual line of chronological approach I have for travel literature. As a piece of history this work is relatively useful, moderately gendered, fairly descriptive. Aa a piece of writing it’s a bit above normal for the type, being relatively varied and fast moving in its perspective. The direct layout of conflict undoubtedly heps give it a bit more force.
On the Eve
Ivan Turgenev
Another portrait into the Russian nineteenth century. This one centers on the insights as well as dilemmas faced by the Russian intelligentsia around the Crimean War. Questions of society, activity, thought, art, politics and the West achieve central focus, in the context of intergenerational fervent. The main themes are reminiscent of Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, although with a somewhat different tone and overall far less intensity or overall quality. Indeed, this story left less moved than the norm for Turgenev, partly because there was in fact more direct story and literal plot than in some of his earlier pieces. In a recent review I commented on the strength of his writing even with little happening in the formal dramatic sense, and that aspect is born out from the other side of the equation--here a fair deal is happening, but too much of it moves around a love triange and ends up feeling overly flat. It’s on the margins of the main story where politics and the impossible political dilemmas seep through that the text becomes alive, becomes aesthetically radical. Rather oddly, I find myself drawn more to the plotless segments of the book, the long speeches, the description of the natural world.
It’s far from a failure, in no small part because the characters are well conveyed, vivid and specific at all the right points. Still, there remains a sense that they could have become a lot more interesting and effective as elements in writing if they’d been doing less of the typical romantic focus and shifting, and perhaps if they’;d done less in general, been given more of a chance to simply be.
Worse than: Sketches from a Hunter’s Album by Ivan Turgenev
Better than: The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Another portrait into the Russian nineteenth century. This one centers on the insights as well as dilemmas faced by the Russian intelligentsia around the Crimean War. Questions of society, activity, thought, art, politics and the West achieve central focus, in the context of intergenerational fervent. The main themes are reminiscent of Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons, although with a somewhat different tone and overall far less intensity or overall quality. Indeed, this story left less moved than the norm for Turgenev, partly because there was in fact more direct story and literal plot than in some of his earlier pieces. In a recent review I commented on the strength of his writing even with little happening in the formal dramatic sense, and that aspect is born out from the other side of the equation--here a fair deal is happening, but too much of it moves around a love triange and ends up feeling overly flat. It’s on the margins of the main story where politics and the impossible political dilemmas seep through that the text becomes alive, becomes aesthetically radical. Rather oddly, I find myself drawn more to the plotless segments of the book, the long speeches, the description of the natural world.
It’s far from a failure, in no small part because the characters are well conveyed, vivid and specific at all the right points. Still, there remains a sense that they could have become a lot more interesting and effective as elements in writing if they’d been doing less of the typical romantic focus and shifting, and perhaps if they’;d done less in general, been given more of a chance to simply be.
Worse than: Sketches from a Hunter’s Album by Ivan Turgenev
Better than: The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fictions of loss in the Victorians fin de siecle
by Stephen Arata
A well crafted overview of British late imperial culture, and the basic tensions that manifested in their literature. As depicted by Arata it was a society seeking to generate reassurances, one torn by its own ambiguities and contradictions in official ideals. On a direct level they faced an increasingly gloomy foreign context as well as major domestic transformations with technology, class, politics and gender. Dealing with the less stable potential of modernity, an array of authors turned to empire, seeking to reassert it as a natural, essentialized absolute, but in the process reflecting their continued ambivalence and set of instabilities. An intense and well written account, it’s particularly good at parsing less commonly considered elements of Victorian literature, such as the fear of counter-invasion as developed in Stoker’s Dracula and the larger dichotomy centered around the Gothic form.
Worse than: Victorian Writing About Risk by Elaine Freedgood
Better than: Why Victorian Literature Still Matters by Philip Davis
A well crafted overview of British late imperial culture, and the basic tensions that manifested in their literature. As depicted by Arata it was a society seeking to generate reassurances, one torn by its own ambiguities and contradictions in official ideals. On a direct level they faced an increasingly gloomy foreign context as well as major domestic transformations with technology, class, politics and gender. Dealing with the less stable potential of modernity, an array of authors turned to empire, seeking to reassert it as a natural, essentialized absolute, but in the process reflecting their continued ambivalence and set of instabilities. An intense and well written account, it’s particularly good at parsing less commonly considered elements of Victorian literature, such as the fear of counter-invasion as developed in Stoker’s Dracula and the larger dichotomy centered around the Gothic form.
Worse than: Victorian Writing About Risk by Elaine Freedgood
Better than: Why Victorian Literature Still Matters by Philip Davis
This Is Me, Jack Vance!
by Jack Vance
On the shortlist for non-fiction genre stuff for this years Hugo, read on printout from the voter packet. Kind of a strange production in a number of ways. For one, I don't read much non-fiction genre stuff in general. Also this book talks very little about Vance's writing career itself or his underlying reflections on the process of writing. As well, it's very selective, giving a semi detailed look at his years 11 to 20 and then arching over the rest of his life in a very piecemeal fashion. There are some poignant moments here, and on the whole it's fairly interesting as a reflection on a personal career and the uneven fashion it emerged in. At the same time I think this does a lot less than it could as an autobiography or (this being for Hugo consideration) as a reflection on science fiction. Judged as history it’s somewhat awkwardly framed and feels like it leaves the greater part of the story untold. Viewed as a commentary on writing by a major writer it’s even more partial, at times deiberately refraining from providing this sort of perspective. Judged as an adequate testimony to Vance’s life it’s unknowable, and reaches to overly subjective criteria. It may receive my vote, but I hope the other pieces I've yet to read will be more appealing in these concerns.
Worse than: Keep the Aspidistra Flying! by George Orwell
Better than: Gandhi’s Truth: On the Origin of Militant Nonviolence by Erik Erikson
On the shortlist for non-fiction genre stuff for this years Hugo, read on printout from the voter packet. Kind of a strange production in a number of ways. For one, I don't read much non-fiction genre stuff in general. Also this book talks very little about Vance's writing career itself or his underlying reflections on the process of writing. As well, it's very selective, giving a semi detailed look at his years 11 to 20 and then arching over the rest of his life in a very piecemeal fashion. There are some poignant moments here, and on the whole it's fairly interesting as a reflection on a personal career and the uneven fashion it emerged in. At the same time I think this does a lot less than it could as an autobiography or (this being for Hugo consideration) as a reflection on science fiction. Judged as history it’s somewhat awkwardly framed and feels like it leaves the greater part of the story untold. Viewed as a commentary on writing by a major writer it’s even more partial, at times deiberately refraining from providing this sort of perspective. Judged as an adequate testimony to Vance’s life it’s unknowable, and reaches to overly subjective criteria. It may receive my vote, but I hope the other pieces I've yet to read will be more appealing in these concerns.
Worse than: Keep the Aspidistra Flying! by George Orwell
Better than: Gandhi’s Truth: On the Origin of Militant Nonviolence by Erik Erikson
Why Victorian Literature Still Matters
by Philip Davis
Engaging and fast-moving focus on nineteenth century texts, both major and lesser known. Argus for the continued interest and use of this literature, teasing out ambiguities and ambitious subtext from such narratives. Puts a lot of focus on the plots and religious components in these works, and makes a strong case for their status as continuing cultural legacy and patterns of engagement with major ideas.
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
Worse than: The Future of Theory by Jean-Michel Rabate
All three volumes are part of the Blackwell Manifestos series. Fairly good range of topics and focus oveall, although some work a lot better than others, and there’s a few other volumes in this series that I didn’t finish due to being overly simplistic and unappealing as introductions.
Engaging and fast-moving focus on nineteenth century texts, both major and lesser known. Argus for the continued interest and use of this literature, teasing out ambiguities and ambitious subtext from such narratives. Puts a lot of focus on the plots and religious components in these works, and makes a strong case for their status as continuing cultural legacy and patterns of engagement with major ideas.
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
Worse than: The Future of Theory by Jean-Michel Rabate
All three volumes are part of the Blackwell Manifestos series. Fairly good range of topics and focus oveall, although some work a lot better than others, and there’s a few other volumes in this series that I didn’t finish due to being overly simplistic and unappealing as introductions.
First As Tragedy, Then As Farce
by Slavoj Zizek
An argument for the continued revelance of communist political proposals and an effort to give some historical assessment on the recent financial meltdown. The two components are connected.
Some reservations up front. I fundamentally disagree with Zizek’s rejection of socialism and reformist political leftist solutions on behalf of more revolutionary hardcore communism, but he makes a number of effective arguments worth considering seriously. There were also a number of very minor cultural details in which I found the argument in the book flawed. It’s good that they’re used at all, making an effort to incorporate mass-cultural and even some genre elements in a thoughful way. However, I disagree with the notion that the Dark Knight’s Joker is a real parallel to any contemporary European leader, or that the treatment of heroic character is quite as shallow as the work presumes.
There are a lot of extremely compelling arguments in the book however, from the possible uses of hypocrisy to the danger in assuming the financial crisis will empower the forces of the left. In terms of recent political developments like the financial crisis, the preceding context of deregulation and the presidency of Obama to date there’s some of the best insight I’ve seen, offering overall a surprisngly balanced and complex viewpoint.
The book is well written, thoughtful, and very well argued in a fashion that makes me hesitant to try excessive summary. Recommended.
Worse than: Empire by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
An argument for the continued revelance of communist political proposals and an effort to give some historical assessment on the recent financial meltdown. The two components are connected.
Some reservations up front. I fundamentally disagree with Zizek’s rejection of socialism and reformist political leftist solutions on behalf of more revolutionary hardcore communism, but he makes a number of effective arguments worth considering seriously. There were also a number of very minor cultural details in which I found the argument in the book flawed. It’s good that they’re used at all, making an effort to incorporate mass-cultural and even some genre elements in a thoughful way. However, I disagree with the notion that the Dark Knight’s Joker is a real parallel to any contemporary European leader, or that the treatment of heroic character is quite as shallow as the work presumes.
There are a lot of extremely compelling arguments in the book however, from the possible uses of hypocrisy to the danger in assuming the financial crisis will empower the forces of the left. In terms of recent political developments like the financial crisis, the preceding context of deregulation and the presidency of Obama to date there’s some of the best insight I’ve seen, offering overall a surprisngly balanced and complex viewpoint.
The book is well written, thoughtful, and very well argued in a fashion that makes me hesitant to try excessive summary. Recommended.
Worse than: Empire by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri
Better than: Reading After Theory by Valentine Cunningham
Reading After Theory
by Valentine Cunningham
There’s some skilled work and interesting ideas that come through, but ultimately this is a poor argument pushed through against strawmen. It takes a stand against postmodernism and literary theory, arguing that it’s practioners hate texts and write incomprehensibly. Neither aspect is true, and the other mud Cunningham tries to hurl also falls rather off the mark. To its credit the book is crisply writtten and well organized, but remains fundmanetally unconvincing. It is useful to see the other side write and get an argument against one’s common assumptions, but in this case the counter-argumnent leaves me with further support for pomo and theory as liberating element for critical reading and thinking.
Worse than: The Future of Theory by Jean-Michel Rabate
Better than: Slavophile Thought by Susanna Rabow-Edling
There’s some skilled work and interesting ideas that come through, but ultimately this is a poor argument pushed through against strawmen. It takes a stand against postmodernism and literary theory, arguing that it’s practioners hate texts and write incomprehensibly. Neither aspect is true, and the other mud Cunningham tries to hurl also falls rather off the mark. To its credit the book is crisply writtten and well organized, but remains fundmanetally unconvincing. It is useful to see the other side write and get an argument against one’s common assumptions, but in this case the counter-argumnent leaves me with further support for pomo and theory as liberating element for critical reading and thinking.
Worse than: The Future of Theory by Jean-Michel Rabate
Better than: Slavophile Thought by Susanna Rabow-Edling
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