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Thread: Novel: A world without God

  1. #16
    Litterateur Anton Hermes's Avatar
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    I've recommended The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus on many occasions, but it seems very appropriate to a discussion of religious belief or lack thereof. In this apocalyptic novel, the voices of Jewish children have become toxic. Eventually language itself becomes generally deadly. The notion of religion as any sort of consolation in this world is seen as a comical delusion: Jews in the story practice by retreating into huts in the woods, where they pick up secret broadcasts by their renegade rabbi. However, it's evident that the content of these broadcasts is deliberately incoherent and unreliable, and that nothing useful can really be understood about man's relationship to the divine or the eternal. The importance of ritual and belief appear to be directly proportional to their utter futility and incomprehensibility.
    Nothingness - A dark comedy about delusion, bad weather, and a 21st century witch hunt.

  2. #17
    confidentially pleased cacian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aaron stark View Post
    Hi,

    For an assignment for my Postromantic Materialisms class, I'm looking for a novel in which a story takes place and characters just do their daily things, in a world where there's an absence of faith and belief in God. I was thinking of writing something about Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, but I'm not sure yet. Any further suggestions?

    Thanks in advance,

    Aaron
    That is an interesting title but we already live in a world without the presence of god amongst us.
    There is no physical presence of god amongst the living so to ask to read about a world without god is ambiguous and does not make sense.
    If you mean to say a world without religions then yes that would make a lot of sense and I would predict more harmony and sense without them then with them.
    A book without religions connotation is what you need.
    Try erotic books they certainly do not have any bearing on the meanings of god.
    it may never try
    but when it does it sigh
    it is just that
    good
    it fly

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Anton Hermes View Post
    I've recommended The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus on many occasions, but it seems very appropriate to a discussion of religious belief or lack thereof. In this apocalyptic novel, the voices of Jewish children have become toxic. Eventually language itself becomes generally deadly. The notion of religion as any sort of consolation in this world is seen as a comical delusion: Jews in the story practice by retreating into huts in the woods, where they pick up secret broadcasts by their renegade rabbi. However, it's evident that the content of these broadcasts is deliberately incoherent and unreliable, and that nothing useful can really be understood about man's relationship to the divine or the eternal. The importance of ritual and belief appear to be directly proportional to their utter futility and incomprehensibility.
    Wonderful. It's certainly useful, since we also deal with the notion of language in our class, that is to say if there's a possible link between the use of language in the story and the lack of faith. Thanks a lot.

    Quote Originally Posted by Anton Hermes View Post
    The notion of religion as any sort of consolation in this world is seen as a comical delusion: Jews in the story practice by retreating into huts in the woods, where they pick up secret broadcasts by their renegade rabbi. However, it's evident that the content of these broadcasts is deliberately incoherent and unreliable, and that nothing useful can really be understood about man's relationship to the divine or the eternal. The importance of ritual and belief appear to be directly proportional to their utter futility and incomprehensibility.
    I've read some reviews and articles about The Flame Alphabet and I think I'm going to analyze it. Apparently interpretation plays a crucial part in Marcus's work, that is that a lot of things could be understood as metaphors, so I've read. And if I'm not mistaken and understand you correctly, you're stating that the language of these Jewish children can be seen as a metaphor for the act of believing, or simply religion? I'm sorry if I misunderstand you, haven't read the book yet. Just want to make sure it's definitely a suitable case for my paper, so I can start reading it in the very little time I have.

  4. #19
    Litterateur Anton Hermes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aaron stark View Post
    I've read some reviews and articles about The Flame Alphabet and I think I'm going to analyze it. Apparently interpretation plays a crucial part in Marcus's work, that is that a lot of things could be understood as metaphors, so I've read. And if I'm not mistaken and understand you correctly, you're stating that the language of these Jewish children can be seen as a metaphor for the act of believing, or simply religion? I'm sorry if I misunderstand you, haven't read the book yet. Just want to make sure it's definitely a suitable case for my paper, so I can start reading it in the very little time I have.
    I wasn't suggesting that the language of the Jewish children is a metaphor for religion, or that anything in The Flame Alphabet can be read as a straightforward parallel. Marcus makes language toxicity the cause of the breakdown of families and society, but I think this is just the alienation that infects modern society. No one knows why this is happening or whether it will end, so there's a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty about the phenomenon. Before language itself has become deadly, the Jews in Rochester have taken to going to their huts in the woods to receive broadcasts from their maverick rabbi. It's his incoherent teachings and the incomprehensible rituals his followers perform that I think parodies the seriousness with which we approach religious subjects.

    I take it that Marcus is asserting that the ways we conceptualize family and transcendent reality are defined by language that isn't appropriate to the task. We think we can "understand" these matters merely because we're used to articulating the way we feel about them in a mutually comprehensible terminology. However, this intersubjective word game falls apart when our vocabulary is revealed as useless. The characters' attempts to reestablish the meaning of family and faith in the absence of language is haunting, funny, poignant and futile.

    I hope you find the book as fascinating as I did.
    Nothingness - A dark comedy about delusion, bad weather, and a 21st century witch hunt.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Anton Hermes View Post
    I wasn't suggesting that the language of the Jewish children is a metaphor for religion, or that anything in The Flame Alphabet can be read as a straightforward parallel. Marcus makes language toxicity the cause of the breakdown of families and society, but I think this is just the alienation that infects modern society. No one knows why this is happening or whether it will end, so there's a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty about the phenomenon. Before language itself has become deadly, the Jews in Rochester have taken to going to their huts in the woods to receive broadcasts from their maverick rabbi. It's his incoherent teachings and the incomprehensible rituals his followers perform that I think parodies the seriousness with which we approach religious subjects.

    I take it that Marcus is asserting that the ways we conceptualize family and transcendent reality are defined by language that isn't appropriate to the task. We think we can "understand" these matters merely because we're used to articulating the way we feel about them in a mutually comprehensible terminology. However, this intersubjective word game falls apart when our vocabulary is revealed as useless. The characters' attempts to reestablish the meaning of family and faith in the absence of language is haunting, funny, poignant and futile.

    I hope you find the book as fascinating as I did.
    I have a feeling that won't be a problem. I'm starting it right away, thanks a bunch for the help

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