Aug 24, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
This is one of the few Substacks I look forward to reading every week. It consistently explores deep themes of religious loss and struggle, and demonstrates how books are fundamental to human meaning. So thank you for writing this piece -- once again I relate deeply.
I'm also struck by how radicalizing it is to have a book taken away from you when you are young. My parents did the same thing to me in high school, and that was a turning point in my life. I became a free thought/free speech radical at the age of 16 as a result, and I have been ever sense.
Honestly, taking that book away from me was one of the most formative things my parents could have done for me. It turned me into a book obsessive.
I look forward to your comment every week as it’s always so thoughtful and engaging! It’s been interesting to see how many of the stories so far have reflected on how fiction has shown another way to those brought up within the strictures of a religious household. Of course, I’m not asking for those in particular so it’s been fascinating to see how common those stories are. We have a few posts in the pipeline which take a different tack, and talk about books strengthening religious faith, rather than stripping it away, so will be interesting to see how the conversation changes around those.
Aug 25, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
Same, and absolutely because I was so young. It's such a formative time. Now I experience the same blinding-hot rage whenever anyone in power bans a book.
Aug 24, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
As I hope you will "The collector" when my review of it finally arrives here (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
My experience with the 'forbidden book' was a little lighter. For me it was "Tarzan" that parental authority considered too advanced for my 8 year old mind. I put its cover on a similarly sized book on the shelf to cover up my crime of stealing it.
Aug 24, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
This is great. I love this book (and Ender's Game too but not as much). It spoke to earlier me about the value of perspectivism and how we can never truly know the other enough to judge.
Definitely. Things like that opened my head wide open as a kid. I think the kindness and generosity Card gives his characters here is really part of what makes it last.
Aug 25, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
Always a highlight of the week! I was stuck in a faculty meeting all day, furtively glancing at my phone for a dose. This touched me deeply: "Rather than confide in one another over our shared lives, we hid away from one another." I know the life-energy needed to conceal my deepest self, and the necessity for it sometimes. It's yet another reason I appreciate the community here on Substack. Authenticity is celebrated.
Aug 24, 2023Liked by radicaledward, M. E. Rothwell
This piece is so good at getting across the deep places books take us, and how painful-wonderful the transformations can be - and how different for each reader. I loved Speaker for the Dead when I first read it, too, and I read it before Ender’s Game - Speaker treated religion and faith seriously, something I was hungry for in my atheist family - and the uncanniness of that world got under my skin - thank you for evoking all the wild weirdness again.
This is one of the few Substacks I look forward to reading every week. It consistently explores deep themes of religious loss and struggle, and demonstrates how books are fundamental to human meaning. So thank you for writing this piece -- once again I relate deeply.
I'm also struck by how radicalizing it is to have a book taken away from you when you are young. My parents did the same thing to me in high school, and that was a turning point in my life. I became a free thought/free speech radical at the age of 16 as a result, and I have been ever sense.
Honestly, taking that book away from me was one of the most formative things my parents could have done for me. It turned me into a book obsessive.
I look forward to your comment every week as it’s always so thoughtful and engaging! It’s been interesting to see how many of the stories so far have reflected on how fiction has shown another way to those brought up within the strictures of a religious household. Of course, I’m not asking for those in particular so it’s been fascinating to see how common those stories are. We have a few posts in the pipeline which take a different tack, and talk about books strengthening religious faith, rather than stripping it away, so will be interesting to see how the conversation changes around those.
I look forward to reading those posts! Keep up the good work.
Yes, exactly the same. The immense injustice of it lives so large in my memory. Possibly because I was so young.
Same, and absolutely because I was so young. It's such a formative time. Now I experience the same blinding-hot rage whenever anyone in power bans a book.
What can I say? It made me get the book.
I think this is the ultimate compliment for any guest post on this sub
I hope you like it!
As I hope you will "The collector" when my review of it finally arrives here (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
My experience with the 'forbidden book' was a little lighter. For me it was "Tarzan" that parental authority considered too advanced for my 8 year old mind. I put its cover on a similarly sized book on the shelf to cover up my crime of stealing it.
The Collector by John Fowles? If so, that book is great!
That was the fill of my open wound
Interesting!
I almost chose to write about The Magus instead of Speaker for the Dead!
This is great. I love this book (and Ender's Game too but not as much). It spoke to earlier me about the value of perspectivism and how we can never truly know the other enough to judge.
Definitely. Things like that opened my head wide open as a kid. I think the kindness and generosity Card gives his characters here is really part of what makes it last.
Oh the aching humanity of Ender Wiggins...such an excellent anti-hero.
Incredible.
Thanks!
Always a highlight of the week! I was stuck in a faculty meeting all day, furtively glancing at my phone for a dose. This touched me deeply: "Rather than confide in one another over our shared lives, we hid away from one another." I know the life-energy needed to conceal my deepest self, and the necessity for it sometimes. It's yet another reason I appreciate the community here on Substack. Authenticity is celebrated.
wow...
ya got me.....
What a wonderful share. I subscribed, of course, and am looking forward to going through the other posts.
Thanks for the kind words!
You can check out my table of contents for more posts like this as well: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/table-of-contents-5c3
This piece is so good at getting across the deep places books take us, and how painful-wonderful the transformations can be - and how different for each reader. I loved Speaker for the Dead when I first read it, too, and I read it before Ender’s Game - Speaker treated religion and faith seriously, something I was hungry for in my atheist family - and the uncanniness of that world got under my skin - thank you for evoking all the wild weirdness again.
Thanks for reading!
Well damn... This one hits real close to home. Might just have to look into the book -- and Edward's Substack!
Thanks!
You can check out my (incomplete) Table of Contents for more essays like this: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/table-of-contents-5c3
I have a few that I think are good companion pieces:
Mario: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/mario-daddy
God of War: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/godofgames
Final Fantasy VI: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/final-fantasy-vi-in-2021
Final Fantasy VII Remake: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/final-fantasy-vii-remake
Shadow of the Colossus: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/orpheusandthetitans
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/a-hole-in-the-floor
Lord of the Rings: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/lord-of-the-rings-a-lifetime
The Neapolitan Novels: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/the-neapolitan-novels
House of the Dragon: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/house-of-the-dragon-episode-eight
Chungking Express: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/wong-kar-wai-chungking-express
Happy Together: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/wong-kar-wai-happy-together
My Neighbor Totoro: https://radicaledward.substack.com/p/revisiting-my-neighbor-totoro