Terry Eagleton; "Why Marx Was Right."

Right before I begin, to all of those who read this I am not some crazy communist nut who is intending to overthrow the government and introduce; a fairer, a classless, stateless world.  As nice as that would be.  It is my own view that capitalism ultimately means that working class people are exploited for the benefit of the rich, as such working class labour is undervalued.  Whether communism is the means to evenly distribute wealth, and ever likely to result in anything but a dictatorship is a different debate, for a different blog.

Anyway, let's look at this book from a purely literary standpoint.  The book is entitled "Why Marx was Right," however right from the offset Eagleton tells us that his book was written to "refute Marxist criticisms one by one."  This book ultimately becomes "Why Marx wasn't wrong," this defensive outlook means that Eagleton often comes across as abrasive and neglectful of other viewpoints.  Paragraphs dedicated to the "necessity of an exploitative relationship in order to identify a non-exploitative one," appear to be not only cruel and Stalin-esque but arguably any form of worker exploitation is ultimately not Marxist.  At worst this book often lauds the importance of Marxism whilst telling us why it can never work, which is a shame for all of us who hold the hope that the world may one day be fairer.

On the other hand Eagleton is often interesting and when he looks at the development of Marxism from a historical perspective he is genuinely informative.  For example prior to reading this book I was not aware that globally the majority of the world’s urban population live in slums.  Or that two billion people live on less than $1 per day, or that 17m Mexicans have the combined wealth of one Mexican billionaire.  Facts such as these are interesting and the fluidity in which Eagleton espouses them makes this book an interesting reflection of the state of the world's morality, more so than it is a promotion of Marxism.

Was Marx right?  Eagleton is not quite clear; he himself acknowledges that Marx was not always perfect.  Personally I think that this book is a useful tool for those who want an insight into Marxism today, whether this book has persuaded me that Marxism is any more moral than capitalism is a different matter.  In general a good read but not for those who are after an irrevocable defence of Marxism.   

J.G. Ballard; Cocaine Nights

I do not remember reading a book that has affected me as profoundly as this one.  Set in the Spanish holiday resort of, "Estrella de Mar," "Cocaine Nights," revolves around the main character's attempts to prove that his brother was not responsible for a fire which killed the wealthiest inhabitants of the resort.

On the surface this is a very interesting murder story, with enough twists to keep even the most ardent crime novel fan interested.  However, delving below the surface we are able to uncover Ballard's true masterpiece. Akin to his other works such as, "Millennium People," we are presented with an intriguing outlook on a wealthy society.  Here is where Ballard truly excels and forces us to question how far would we go to attain a perfect society and whether we truly understand the importance and nature of illicit activity within our own communities.  If you will not read this book for its compelling criminality, or the superbly written commentary on a British society transposed into a world of drugs sex and murder, then the relationship presented between the two brothers alone makes "Cocaine Nights," a beautiful novel.

Ballard at his best and the perfect read for fans of dystopian literature.  Truly superb!

Bret Easton Ellis; Less Than Zero

There is great difficulty in rating the quality of this book, as ratings are hard when feeling overwhelmingly unnerved rather than entertained or intrigued. This early work of Ellis is a forbearer for his future dark novels such as, "The Rules of Attraction," and "American Psycho." This novel gives us a clear indication of who Bret Easton Ellis is; he is undoubtedly a brilliant author who compels us to view the eyes of a dark world through his even darker protagonists.

The novel is presented through the eyes of Clay, an affluent college student who has returned to Los Angeles during the winter. Throughout the novel Clay is shown to take drugs and attend various parties where illicit and increasingly illegal acts take place. Eventually this party like atmosphere extends to his everyday life, profoundly affecting his personality as well as his strained relationship with his former girlfriend Blair. As Clay's life and the lives of those around him descend into chaos the reader is given a real insight into the dark side of the "MTV generation."

At times this book can be profound nearing on the philosophical, lines such as "people are afraid to merge on the freeway," can be seen as a metaphor for our increasingly isolated lives. However, all too often Ellis seems to be repulsive for the sake of being so, frequent graphic depictions of rape do not further our understanding of the novel nor do they illustrate Ellis' literary worth.

If not perfect this book can be seen as a key text in laying the foundations for the modern dystopian novel. This bleak outlook on human nature is both compelling and frightening, truly leading the reader to question if morality has a place in the modern world. If not stylistically perfect, this book is worth reading simply for an interesting, (if not harrowing,) view into the mind of a young confused college student. Hard to recommend due to its vulgarity, but certainly a book to prick the conscience of the modern reader.

Arvinda Adiga; The White Tiger

By and large "The White Tiger," is an engaging novel about a young man trying to make his way in the world. The book is based around the journey of Balram, a young Indian who wishes to exceed the social boundaries of the caste system and gain a higher status than the other members of his village. As the novel progresses we are made aware that financial reward comes at a price and we are posed questions about the cost of rapid industrialisation in India.

Adiga may not always write in perfect prose and at times his narrative lacks coherence but his writing pervades a genuine warmth and is frequently amusing. Balram's exchanges with his pen pal the Chinese Prime Minister are especially amusing, quips about yoga and how he does not know how he "would cope in this fucking business without it," are particularly funny.

Although generally well written the plot falls down wherein Balram becomes gradually more selfish even at the expense of his family. This selfishness coupled with his erratic behaviour toward his master makes him unlikeable in parts, even when subservient to his family and his master we are made aware he is only doing this for his own gain, further distancing him from the reader. Additionally Balram frequently preaches the importance of education but he often displays blatant ignorance, such as when proclaiming the names of the four greatest poets to ever live but only being able to remember three of their names. Balram also shows racial tendencies constantly reminding the reader of how he respects the poets as they have excelled themselves above "normal," Muslims. Character traits such as these do not make him appear complex, rather they show him to be shallow and conceited. The book is presented through Balram writing a letter to the Chinese government and the parallels between both nations rise to modern global powers and the marginalisation of the rural lower classes is conveyed effectively, whilst educating the reader on a subject they may be unfamiliar with.

In general this book is entertaining, if only on a superficial level. The story of a poor boy's journey to becoming a rich man has been told thousands of times, where "The White Tiger," succeeds is making this story appear fresh and interesting. A more likeable protagonist would move this from being a good novel into a great one.