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September 15, 2004
Once, I put some time in on
reading various volumes of
C.P. Snow's long series of I had high hopes about
novels, jointly titled Snow, him being a
"Strangers and Brothers". scientist turned
novelist and all.
Unfortunately, the dominant characteristic
of the "Strangers and Brothers" books is
tediousness... they're boring in that
peculiar way that the British can be so
good at.
Just as an example: there's this
one character who's very bright,
but in an edgy, unfocused sort of
way, and rather than do what he
needs to do to get along and be
Successful, he's indulging in
various more unconventional
intellectual pursuits. He gathers Corrupting youth is a time honored
a group of young undergrads around intellectual tradition, going back
him... to Plato.
Then he gets himself In Trouble somehow, And consider Ayn Rand
by doing something Very Very Foolish. and her Objectivists.
Is he sleeping with one of the
undergrads? Did he organize some (Which would make an
sort of free love orgy? Were they excellent name for
scheming about alliances with the a rock band: Randy and
international communist conspiracy? the Objectivists.)
As I remember it, Snow
doesn't bother to make
this clear. We just don't talk
about such things,
you know.
What things?
Sorry, not allowed
On the other to tell you.
hand, Snow's
first "serious"
novel was really (What were his "unserious"
quite good: "The efforts? Mystery novels,
Search". like "Death Under Sail".)
A nicely put together
tale about the tensions Why did Snow
between human personal switch from
concerns and the grand Science to
cooperative quest for Literature?
knowledge...
He says it
This one always makes it was after
high up anyone's list of a piece of
novels of science. What *is* reasearch
that that "went
supposed wrong".
to mean?
Was he (or
someone
he was
close to)
nailed for
faking
data?
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