Mother Night
I finished reading Mother Night today and really enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down last night. But it didn't really strike me in any strong way so I'm very interested to see what other people got out of the book. I think the moral Kurt Vonnegut introduces in the beginning of the book is excellent - "we are what we pretend to be" and I thought that fit quite nicely with MatchPoint.
A few quotes I highlighted;
The experience of sitting there in the dark, hearing the things I'd said, didn't shock me. It might be helpful in my defense to say that I broke into a cold sweat, or some such nonsense. But I've always known what I did. I've always been able to live with what I did. How? Through that simple and widespread boon to modern mankind - schizophrenia. (p. 179)
Totally agree with this. It's become the way of the civilized world to separate reality from pretense. (We think the pretend is just pretend but it isn't. It has an effect.)
And just a little further down the page...
...Krapptauer's sort of truth would probably be with man kind forever, as long as there were men and woman around who listened to their hearts instead of their minds.
Beautiful. The Nazi's think it is a compliment but it isn't. I'd just maybe say it differently. I don't think it is people's hearts that make them so narcissistic and racist. It is warped thinking - brainwashing. Not heart! If people listened to their hearts more, there would be far less bigotry and hatred in my opinion. But I still thought this was very cool. We know what Vonnegut is saying even though the people listening to the eulogy do not.
I had taught myself that a human being might as well look for diamond tiaras in the gutter as for rewards and punishments that were fair.
That's a result of the schizophrenia. Or maybe as Kristen says, Kitsch?
Very cool book. Glad it was recommended. Interested to see what other people think.
(I've already started Slaughterhouse Five.)
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