What Are You Reading 2018 - Page 4

With regards to the overarching weirdness of the book (surreal and farcical situations reminiscent of surreal English comedy, the bizarre and incognizant representation of time and space which almost reminds me of an old videogame or a bad movie), I was fine with that. Not even knowing if any of Ryder's relationships are even real and random appearances from old school friends from England being in what I've decided is Liechtenstein, that's all fine: I can handle weird and scattershot.

Many of the characters are just selfish, miserable and stubborn people that remind me all too much of many typical English people from my parent's generation and their progeny: completely concerned with themselves and not even appearing to be loving towards anybody, even their own children. When they interact, the absolute lack of actual conversation and the loop of stubborn selfishness between them just became hard to read - it was too real and too much like being a part of these conversations with their real world counterparts. In addition to that, the book constantly captures the mentality that some people are just unable to do certain things and a desperate and then a passionless clinging to convention. Refute, refuse or ignore anything that doesn't agree with you, your sentiments or any situation you've found yourself in (the silence between Gustav and Sophie, the fact that Miss Collins doesn't want you Brodsky.)

I think the more American school of thought of "anyone can achieve anything" or "anyone can grow up to be the president" is the complete opposite of the English way, which is a lot more defeatist and cynical: You tried, failed and so you'll never amount to anything. Don't bother, just do what everyone else does. If it's good enough for everyone else, it's good enough for you. Then we get this feedback loop of everyone in this town being monstrously formal and entirely miserable and unsatisfied and a need to appeal to the few people that have risen to some kind of prominence in the pre-approved "good" thing, which is this case is high-culture of music (but not poetry). I think the fact that one of the only characters still trying hard and being positive despite this is quite young (Stephan) With the uncomfortable sharing of personal information, we really get an idea of how depressed everyone is, while also seeing that no one actually wants their problems solved, they just want to complain about them. This is much more a part of the English people than the "stiff upper lip" representation people hear than you may realise as a foreigner.

Speaking of that, Ryder's insistence that he completely understands the place and the people he's visiting is also very English: not willing to actually learn the culture or admit mistakes, but just lording over it and judging it constantly - and means he never really seriously tries to be sympathetic or empathetic in any real capacity, making him exactly the same as everyone here. The formality of everyone involved almost acting as a block to actual interaction. This is something many friend who have moved here have remarked on - that the English say words and act politely, but it's either not felt or has no actual meaning behind it. Small talk of sorts.

Various parts of the plot can be taken as being exactly like the twee English movies that are so popular here - sickly sweet movies of past loves, happy families or pets and pretty much anything else you can think of. The way these usually just end up in failure despite success, or just literal failure is great to see as someone who doesn't get anything out of those films. These usually have some amusing moments and occasionally some warmer, more positive human moments, which are then almost usually drowned out by a flood of negativity. I find it interesting that one of the few genuinely nice things that Ryder doesn't mess up (praising Stephan) is still remembered by the end of the book (not that it helps much with the outcome of that).

Effectively for me, I take the whole book as a personal warning about turning out this way. About coldly giving up after failure and chasing the social norm (not questioning convention like having a wall in your town that blocks everything), about how selfishness and stubbornness completely delete any possibility of actual communication and about how stress and endless, forced tasks causes an endless loop of misery. The characters that were approaching happiness were much more open and carefree than anyone else and took actual time to relax and socialise in a casual manner. Compare the enjoyment of the group playing cards at the cinema/theatre, the people at any of the stuffy musical gatherings and the group at the Hungarian café.

"England: get some rest and warmly put someone else first for a change" in 535 pages.

Why did the children never leave Hailsham? Well for starters they don't believe they are human which is clear enough, but what are the obstacles keeping them from believing this? Riddle me that.