"Maurice is heartbroken over unrequited love, which opened his heart and mind to his own sexual identity. In order to be true to himself, he goes against the grain of society’s often unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics."
When Forster penned Maurice, homosexuality was so taboo that there was no name for it. For a man to be with another man was a criminal offense. One of the most touching things about this book is seeing the protagonist – the closeted, very ordinary stockbroker Maurice – struggling to describe who he is and what he's feeling. He eventually comes up with something vague about Oscar Wilde.
I appreciate the fact that Maurice, unlike Forster himself, is a very unremarkable man: he's conservative, a snob, not very interested in music or philosophy and rather dull. However, he's living with this extraordinary secret that affects his entire life and the book shows how he deals with it, in his secretive relationship with his Cambridge friend Clive Durham, and later with gamekeeper Alec Scudder.
It would have been so easy for Forster to write a novel about a sensitive, soulful, brilliant, sympathetic character. How could we not love him, even though he's gay? But that seems to be the point. However, I did find it hard to actually like Maurice at all until the very end. He is emotionally brusque, misogynistic and thoroughly self obsessed. This is on hindsight a brilliant representation of a closeted man's anger and violently subtle rejection of social norms.
Some details in the book are dated. The language at times feels stilted. The class system isn't as pronounced today as it was then. The influence of time setting is also seen in Maurice's relationship with Clive Durham. The developing relationship between Maurice and fellow Cambridge student Clive Durham is touching in its intimacy and affection—but then, but then, but then— the relationship stalls at intimacy. Maurice is coaxed by Clive, led on (if you will), only to reach a wall—a wall of this-far-and-no-further. After ‘outing’ himself, Clive seemingly has no ‘out’ to arrive at. His bold confession to Maurice is overstated, leaving Maurice confused and wanting more. While this novel is certainly a matter of time and place, the Platonic relationship just doesn’t ring true for a contemporary understanding and certainly dates the book, it registers as alien in modern readers of anything other than Christian fiction.
Maurice eventually finds his absolution and love in the arms of Scudder the game keeper. An unlikely combination but Scudder's naïve acceptance of his homosexuality is refreshing in it's nature. This relationship did feel very rushed and I wasn't completely convinced about the lasting nature of it. Scudder is a character that creeps out of the background and has a more profound effect on Maurice than originally anticipated.
Overall a flawed book but one made a classic by the unusualness of its subject matter at the time. Maurice goes through an emotional hell and back, looking at his sexual orientation as an abomination, a disease that has no cure, though treatments are sought the internal struggle remains until it nearly drives him to suicidal feelings, and eventually acceptance. It was a moving book, with some excellent passages. I would say a must read for anyone interested in literary history.
Age Rating 15+. Very light allusions to sex that you might even miss. Just some more difficult language and themes.
"It's 1843, and Grace Marks has been convicted for her involvement in the vicious murders of her employer and his housekeeper and mistress. Some believe Grace is innocent; others think her evil or insane. Now serving a life sentence, Grace claims to have no memory of the murders.
An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?"
Grace is a murderess. She collaborated with her co-worker to kill their master and his mistress out of jealously. So the people say. So the people want to believe. Because, let’s face it, where’s the fascination in a murder committed only by a man? There’s no sensation, nothing to stir the crowds. Whereas a woman who took a life? Well, there’s the spectacle! Never mind that she may be innocent. This is a perfect chance to humiliate women, to place the blame on them and continue the tradition that started at the beginning of time...But Grace knows the truth. Or does she?
Margaret Atwood takes the story of one of the most famous female prisoners of the 19th century and weaves a masterpiece of a novel. Set in the 1840s in Canada and spanning almost 30 years, this is a confession and a fascinating journey to the mind and the life of a woman who has much to say and even more to hide. Is she a criminal? An innocent bystander? A cold-blooded killer? Is she a victim of her weak will? A small animal captured in a man’s well-constructed trap? And does anyone want to actually listen to her? When a young psychiatrist decides to dive into the darkest part of Grace’s mind, everything will change.
This is a novel that I consider perfect on every level. I’ve always believed that the finest writers can give us the conclusion at the beginning of the story and we’ll still be interested and invested in the development of the action. This is exactly what happens here. While Atwood doesn’t reveal everything at once, we have all the proper materials to ‘’guess’’ the end and there is still much space for suspense, agony and, speaking strictly for me, anger. Anger was the feeling that became my loyal companion while I was reading. Anger because of the double-standards of the time, the conviction that a woman is guilty by definition when accused, the habit of regarding women as objects for the men’s pleasure, ripe for the taking...
I loved the way Atwood uses the newly-born ideas of Mesmerism and Magnetism and the rising of Spiritualism movement that became in vogue a few years later. In addition, she addresses the issue of Hysteria, the common belief that all women were prone to uncontrollable, violent fits of rage, another token of a society that refused to believe that women are actual human beings with the right to seek sexual pleasure and emotional fulfilment. God forbid, these are principles solely belonging to men….
This theme of suppression is apparent throughout the novel. Suppression of thoughts, feelings and sexuality that become, because of its suppression, twisted and grotesque. This is mainly shown is the character of Dr Simon Jordan, the phycologist sent to assess Grace. He is very complex, in my opinion, very real and perplexing. He is not free from his own demons, he has some fairly obscure ideas about sexual pleasure but he desires progress and knowledge. The internal grappling between the carnal and "base" attributes and the socially excepted enlightened ones was wonderfully expressed and so interesting to explore.
Grace is a complex, intriguing character. In my opinion, she retains characteristics of the Unreliable Narrator as we are never actually certain that her views on events and people are accurate. She comes across as a sympathetic, level-headed, brave, considerate and surprisingly dignified woman. However, she keeps an air of quiet cunning and manipulation, suggesting she could very well be a murderess playing on the stereotypes of the day, a masterful actress portraying the feminine ideal. She’s not afraid to express mistrust or uncertainty and has the self-discipline to keep her most ‘’controversial’’ thoughts secret until the opportune moment. Atwood takes us into Grace’s mind before she speaks and succeeds in creating a complete picture of our heroine. However, there is still an aura of mystery surrounding her and a strange, underlying sensuality and dark innocence.
I absolutely adored the writing in this book. Atwood lends a lyrical and poetical prose to her work, something not often seen in historical fiction. Sometimes I just had to stop and reread a sentence as it was just so exquisitely written. The whole book has a feeling of oppressiveness, trapped and in danger, like being in a locked hothouse with too many clothes on. Truly an atmospheric work of art.
Age Rating 16+. Adult content. Sex, allusions to sex, rape, abortions, death, murder, and an disturbingly oppressive atmosphere.
"London, 1756: In Newgate prison, Tully Truegood awaits trial. Her fate hanging in the balance, she tells her life-story. It’s a tale that takes her from skivvy in the back streets of London, to conjuror’s assistant, to celebrated courtesan at her stepmother’s Fairy House, the notorious house of ill-repute where decadent excess is a must…
Tully was once the talk of the town. Now, with the best seats at Newgate already sold in anticipation of her execution, her only chance of survival is to get her story to the one person who can help her avoid the gallows."
Most importantly, the depiction of the prejudices and the stereotypes imposed on women by their fathers and their husbands is brutally honest. This is a world where a woman has to use her body as a merchandise in order to retain or to gain some form of dignity and self-respect, to acquire the necessary means to live her life in some form of freedom, however controversial.
The magical realism element was a suprise but it is successfully woven into the story, adding an aura of mystery to Tully’s character. I do wish this element was explained more but I really enjoyed its inclusion.
People have described this story as erotica, I personally disagree. It does have graphic sexual scenes but it's plot and characters is foremost. And as for the racy scenes? Well, this is the 18th century and our main character is a courtesan, so that’s that. In any case, you can easily skip them if they bother you.
Tully is an engaging main character. Naïve, sincere, brave and unafraid of her sexuality. She tries to make her life better, using the means that are accessible at the given moment and I don’t think that the readers should judge her. We all struggle to live our lives as best as we can given the era, the circumstances and all the unpredictable factors. I refuse to judge her choices and probably would have made the same ones in her prediciment.
I personally thought that the speed that Tully feel in love with Avery was rushed. I would have liked if their relationship was fleshed out more and there was more time for the audience to get invested. They just sleep with each other a few times and I am supposed to believe they have a deep emotional, spiritual connection?
Overall a really good book that I personally enjoyed thoroughly. Won't be for everyone as it does have a very whimsical and otherworldly vibe to the whole thing, that is added to by Tully's ability to see ghosts.
Age Rating 16+. Very graphic sex scenes, rape and references to child rape. Not for the feint hearted.
"In this remarkable and ground-breaking book, Kenan Malik explores the history of moral thought as it has developed over three millennia, from Homer's Greece to Mao's China, from ancient India to modern America. It tells the stories of the great philosophers, and breathes life into their ideas, while also challenging many of our most cherished moral beliefs. Engaging and provocative, The Quest for a Moral Compass confronts some of humanity's deepest questions. Where do values come from? Is God necessary for moral guidance? Are there absolute moral truths? It also brings morality down to earth, showing how, throughout history, social needs and political desires have shaped moral thinking. It is a history of the world told through the history of moral thought, and a history of moral thought that casts new light on global history."
This is a finely crafted history of ethical and moral philosophy that nicely describes the great philosophers but with a welcome eye to the philosophies of civilizations other than the Western. I would have, however, liked to have read more about the morals from Africa and South American traditions, especially on the more ancient side of things.
Yet despite the necessary brevity he manages to both summarise and analyse the views of history's most renowned thinkers on the subject with clarity and insight. Malik also does a wonderful job of making the basic tenants of the major philosophers understandable through stories and examples.I shall be reading this book again, several times probably.
In the end, he concludes there is no escape from the Euthyphro Dilemma, as formulated by Socrates and recorded by Plato. The dilemma is that good is either good because it is determined as such by some external judge, like a god or a society, in which case it is arbitrary; or it is intrinsically good, in which case it stands on its own objective merits, which we cannot define.
Malik himself thinks that morality is constructed by humans and that our belief in our capacities to carry out that task has been severely undermined by the horrors of the twentieth century and a decline in engagement in collective thinking and discourse.
I highly recommend this, particularly if you haven't read much western philosophy, because it's accessible in a way that so much philosophy isn't, and it's broad in its scope, in a way that other histories of philosophy that I have read are not. A brilliant spring board into the world of philosophy and into further, more in depth reading.
Age Rating 15+. An intellectual book with lots of academic jargon.
"The clarion call to change that galvanized a generation.
When Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch was first published it created a shock wave of recognition in women, one that could be felt around the world. It went on to become an international bestseller, translated into more than twelve languages, and a landmark in the history of the women's movement. Positing that sexual liberation is the key to women's liberation, Greer looks at the inherent and unalterable biological differences between men and women as well as at the profound psychological differences that result from social conditioning. Drawing on history, literature, biology, and popular culture, Greer's searing examination of women's oppression is a vital, passionately argued social commentary that is both an important historical record of where we've been and a shockingly relevant treatise on what still remains to be achieved."
It's a classic, which is why it should still be required reading for any feminist trying to educate themselves, but it's very, very much of its time. Very much the work of a second waver with all the problematic attitudes towards sexuality, homosexuality and race that that implies. Worth reading as an historical record, but not something that I base my own thought on.
Many of the things she talks about are outdated or becoming so, which is touching in a way as it means we're making progress but many of them are still cuttingly relevant today. Young girls still grow up dreaming of romance and magical kisses while boys are taught to fuck. Women are still penalised in marriage and children are still forced inwards in a nuclear family. This is a powerful book with some poignant insights.
However, Greer, at times, inadvertently makes me laugh by criticising academic feminism in a highly academic book and criticising the classism in feminism while dealing mainly with white middle class issues.
In the course of The Female Eunuch, Greer manages to emphasise the fact that women—from the moment of their birth—are conditioned by society to act, dress, speak, work, etc in a certain way, and that that way is designed to subjugate women. She quotes people across the ages on women (and the majority of those quotes show just how terribly women have been regarded and treated). She urges revolution, she pokes fun, she is ruthless in her attack but she dilutes that attack by being swayed by her own righteous indignation at the wrongs women suffer. What I found most annoying about the book were the many sweeping generalisations Greer makes and her near - misogynistic view of non-radical women.
She wants to upturn society, rewriting economics, marriage laws, and the very concept of love and affection (which she seems to either disbelieve in or disapprove of). She doesn't just hate the way women are treated in society; she hates society and the entire structure of humanity, and would, it seems, throw out every law and tradition in a second if she could. This, along with her tendency towards Freudian-style psychobabble (even though she criticizes Freud, the language is of Freud) and the pretentious language of the intellectual makes her increasingly annoying.
Overall a book to read from a historical stand point coming to it with your own well rounded views already formed.
Age Rating 16+. Adult content and topics and academic language needing previous knowledge and reading to be able to disect.
"Maurice is heartbroken over unrequited love, which opened his heart and mind to his own sexual identity. In order to be true to himself, he goes against the grain of society’s often unspoken rules of class, wealth, and politics."
