A History of the World in 10½ Chapters - Julian Barnes

''I don't know how best to break this to you, but Noah was not a nice man. I realize this idea is embarrassing, since you are all descended from him; still, there it is. He was a monster, a puffed-up patriarch who spent half his day grovelling to his God and the other half taking it out on us.''

I dont know if this is considered a novel or a collection of stories. While each chapter may have a correlation with an incident in history, these are mostly read as independent stories than a full length novel.  But, what is important is its quality, and not the form. On that ground, this book was very impressive. What did I like the most is his control over the language the way he formulate the sentence and paragraphs, the way he mixes things up from one story to other by varying the style and the method of delivery. I was also impressed with the deep sensitivity with which he dealt with the subject, even in those satirical chapters, retaining the sublime humour through out..

10½ Chapters, starting with Noah's arc and ending with a dream the new heaven, are in one way or other had a stream of similarity and connection. The first chapter, where a wood worn recollect his life in the Arc, with which Noah was entrusted to save one 'breeding pair' of every specimen of the living creatures on the land ( was it applicable to the marine species, I have no idea), the wood worms manages to sneak in (despite being rejected) in slightly large quantities( 7 of them). He recounts the events and the aftermath, being critical to the Noah for his capabilities, his behaviour ( he ask why dos GOD choose a drunkard to save the living from the apocalypse), and the aftermath.  The worms comes back in another tale of a mock trail in which the reverend of the church had a severe fall from his chair, which was alleged to have been eaten by these worms, causing the legs to givaway. The argument for and against the accused,  often citing GOD as the witness, is another hilarious reading. The Visitor, is based on the hijacking of a cruise liner by the Palestine Liberation Movement,  the Shipwreck , a critical study of the the painting of Theodore  Géricault  ( the raft of Medusa) before returning to the theme of the Noah's arc ( in one journey of an Irish women in search of the Noah's Mountain in the Armenia/Turkish mountains to pay homage to her father and the other 'project ararat' where a celebrated astronaut , Spike Tiggler ( based on James Irwin) set about to find the remains of the Noah's Arc in the Ararat mountains).  In  the half chapter ( between 8 and 9) we read a serious' meditations about the authors impressions on 'Love',

Except for a couple of chapters ( especially towards the end, where the command and intensity was some what lacking), the rest of them were brilliant. He has a way with his words which was captivating.  It was often funny, and often philosophical without being judgmental.  Even with a highly politicized subject of the hijack, or with the religious aspects of the Noah or the whale,  or the fictional recounting of the shipwreck of Medusa ( French ship Medusa, sank in the Atlantic in 1816 and the famous painting by  Géricault in the year 1819) his prose is controlled and detached from the sentimental aspect of the issue.

The ship is often repeated through out the book. As Noah's arc, of survival, or in the form of disaster ( shipwreck or hijack). The quest for the Arc ( may be as a saviour of the mankind in an abstract way) and the omnipresence of 'woodworm' depicting' the decay or disaster is intentional ( or may be I am making it up, trying find some connection between the chapters). "We make up a story to cover the facts we don't know or can't accept, we keep a few true facts and spin a new story round them. Our panic and our pain are only eased by soothing fabulation; we call it history." , said Barnes.   But what is important at the end I liked the book. I haven't read any other book, but will seek out a couple more soon.

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A History of the World in 10½ Chapters(1989)

Julian Barnes

Picador

309 pages
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NY Times, Wiki

The Rival - Richard B Sheridan

Rich hero and even more richer heroine. However, heroine hate richness and wants to marry someone who do it not for her fortune, but some one who loves her. She is willing to leave every thing and live with him,if need be, in condition which are not of her status. Here come the suitors, most of them undoubtedly for her wealth. Knowing her intentions, hero comes in disguise as a no one, poor in wealth but rich in charm. He play the duality of characters in his impeccable style in front of the lady he love ( however the audience is aware of his disguise, but they like to see her falling for his conceit). The plot reveals itself ( you can invent any possible reasons), there is anger and sense of cheating and the lovers fight. In the end, every thing is clear and clean and they come together again and live together happily. Haven't we seen this in various forms and style and interpretation through out many generation of artists?

Richard Sheridan's master piece, written and originally performed in 1775, possibly would be the first of the same, which numerous other less capable artists and directors shamelessly tried to give their own version. Lydia Languish, heir apparent of a huge wealth, is determined to marry someone who is not doing it for her fortune. She is currently under the suppotr and guidance of her aunt Mrs. Malaprop. If she decides to disobey and marry on her accord, half of her wealth will be lost. Mrs. Malaprop is trying to find her the right boy, as the girl is grown and started showing tendencies of rebellion of girls of her age like reading books from libraries, Baron, Sir Anthony Absolute wants his son, currently serving the Royal Army to marry her and are in advanced discussion with Mrs. Malaprop. The overall confusion prevail as he speak to his sone about the proposal while he on the other side flirting with the same lady in disguise. There are other suitors, and a villainous Irish Baron Sir Lucious O'Trigger to cause further complication. As is expected, every thing clears out in the end for the lovers to join and live together.

Reading the book after nearly three centuries, still gives you the charm of a major works. However, the impact , I think, could be more on stage, for its dramatic moments and postures than one experience while reading. Sheridan wanted to write a comedy and including the selection of names, the plot, the schemes were obvious to have a comical effect. He might have crossed the line with the Irish back ground of Lucious O'Trigger, when his first show was interrupted by unruly audience and had be stopped. The same was modified, reducing some of his rhetoric, before re-launching the same in 15 days. Since then ,this has been one of the most staged plays in the modern era, changing his fortune forever.This book also gave a new word to English dictionary as 'malapropism'.

The book does not give you enough to justify the dual role of Ensign Beverly and Captain Absolute to the readers satisfaction. The conversations, however are to the true nature of the characters. The ploy is open in the first page and no curiosity is carried. However, the dramatic moments are galore, with various conversations between Anthony Absolute, Ensign Beverly, Mrs Malaprop and Lydia. As said before, an on stage version will have better appeal than the book.

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The Rivals ( 1775)

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Nick Hern Books

98 Pages
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Encyclopedia Britannica , Project Gutenberg, Wiki Entry

The Living Room - Graham Greene

Multi-storied building, where most of the rooms are closed, currently occupied by three old people. Two sisters ( Theresa and Helen)and their wheel-chaired brother James ( a Priest by profession), assisted by Mary a paid per hour servant.

Rose, a twenty year old, is brought back to her aunts and uncle after the death of her mother by a friend of her father(died long ago). What receives her here are the closed rooms and the catholic aunts with closed mind. After the death of any member of the house the room is closed permanently for reason not known to any; ( Quote: " I always think of ghosts, the dead who cant sleep"). The entire action takes place in the one available Living Room.

Rose, and Michael , post the funeral of her mother had chosen to stay at the village for the night before coming over to her aunts, having a little affair. Michael , nurturing an unhappy marriage, finds love in the young Rose against the Catholic believes of the aunts. Rose wanted to leave the house with Michael, and by various cunning tactics in the pretext of religion, Helen manages to stop them. She makes Theresa ill, forcing Rose to stay on until she is recovered, later brings the wife of Michael to the house causing a scene, playing with the vulnerabilities of people. Defeated, Rose commit suicide , consuming sleeping pills left over by Mrs. Michael. The Living Room is also has to be closed now, after the death of Rose. Limiting the free movement of the remaining people to the constrict of two rooms.

The play is short and covered under 4 acts. The first 2 acts of Rose's arrival with Richards one evening and the next morning and the second a similar afternoon and the next morning after three weeks.

While there are no obvious bad characters here, most of the characters are very sharp and distinct. To me Helen stands out. She acts according to her belief routed in Catholic practices and does not approve love and affair outside the marriage. The Fact that Rose is a 20 yr old and Michael is a 45 yr old married man, does not stand good in the court of religious justice. She does not approve their relationship and plots everything possible to thwart the same. She send the maid Mary to Spy on them at their secret rendezvous place at every afternoon, she manages to inform the wife of Michael and stages a show of suicide and cries, gets Theresa to believe that she is sick and falling and need nursing by Rose to prevent her from leaving. While her acts looks very villainous, her intentions were pure and in accordance with her religious belief. The fact that Michael is not a Catholic can only add more vigour to her acts.

Michael is another difficult character. An unsatisfied husband, no love with his wife after the death of their child. Works as a Lecturer of Phycology in the University , where "he can understand the mind, and not love the mind". Rose was a seduction for him on the night of the funeral. As the 'executor' of the will, and the friend of her father, he also had the proximity and authority to her, however the family tried to stop him. But he also realises, that he is not able to abandon his wife. He consoles himself that 'she will not do anything stupid, she will be at home' after her dramatised attempt to commit suicide. While his love for Rose is strong, he is unable to take any bold decisions in its favour. The closest he is coming is to take time till "the day after tomorrow".

Father James, is the less Catholic of the three old. He is more in the realistic world and is considerate to both Michael and Rose's feeling. But he does not loose his believes. He is also not happy about the closed rooms where the ancestors are died. He does not subscribe to the reasoning of Helen. He is able to think more clearly in both religious and philosophical way. He is the only one who can engage in conversation with every other character.

Theresa is a lost soul. All she can do is sympathise. He existence depends on the support of Helen. Helen decided her actions. She takes the responsibilities for the undue behaviour towards Rose. "..I seemed to frighten her. It's a nice house. We aren't bad people. I don't know why there should be so much fear around."

Rose, is young and live. She is at an age where she is not intelligent, and she is not the raw. She need help and she need love. She fails to get any from all. To Michael she is only a passing seduction. For the Aunts, she is the protection of the family values and name. Father James, can only advise her to prey. She gets followed and spied on. She gets accused of breaking up families. She is an orphan in all senses.

Fantastic play in mere 80 odd pages. As Director Perter Glenville explains in the introduction, "This play is not for or against Catholics , it's about them - or rather about certain individuals Catholics who find themselves in a terrible dilemma; a dilemma pushed to its farthest limit ". As Father James remarks , "You see it's nearness to God that withers a man up. We are all such long comfortable distance away."

While this play was a huge success in London, where it ran for 38 weeks, it was failure at the broadway according to this report. The first play by Graham Greene , is an outstanding piece of work.

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The Living Room
Graham Greene
Penguin Books
87 Pages
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More Read : Guardian