The Spinoza Problem

The Spinoza Problem by Irvin D. Yalom
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

From the first pages I sensed some artificiality in this book. I did not feel real action and characters, it looked more as author trying to illustrate certain ideas and situations.
After reading about the author HERE I got clear picture.
Irvin Yalom, a psychiatrist, wanted to demonstrate a case study of a person experiencing alienation in the society. He selected two cases -
- B. Spinoza, Jewish philosopher, who did not accept religion of his community. As a result he has been excommunicated for the Jewish society.
- A. Rosenberg, a main Nazi racial theorist, whose works were highly appreciated by Germany leaders, but at the same time he was shunned by them.
Looks like the author used such technique before - books inspired by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche.
As I am not interested in Rosenberg theories and life story, I concentrated on Spinoza, but here I was also disappointed. I got impression, that the author is reusing over and over just one point - god and nature are one and we, humans, should live life free of any emotions and relations with others.
At that time I concentrated mainly on Spinoza's theories, but here I

View all my reviews

Damascus

Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I know and appreciate, Christos Tsiolkas as an author 2 books - The Slap and Barracuda.

The third one, Dead Europe, I could not read. Quite early in the book, I got impression, that it is a traveler's advice, how to find a cheap homosexual partner in Athens.
Damascus - somehow I thought it is a book based on the last war in Syria and the plight of fugitives.
First pages put me into right direction - St Paul, beginnings of Christianity.
I stopped reading - why an author like Christos Tsiolkas, whose all books are deeply rooted in current issues, would go 2,000 years back, to dig into history of religion, which became marginal in general and hated in some circles?
First I wanted to find answer to this question.
The author declares it openly - in his young years, somehow interest in St Paul activity coincided with author's personal doubts about his own identity and place. Now, having the last two firmly established, he returned to the other fascination of his youth.
I returned to reading the book, but quite early I had to put id down again. Simply concentration of dirt, sheet, vomit, bile and vulgarity was beyond my endurance.
After some break I returned.
Personally I found 2 interesting points -
1. Enormous social barrier, which Moses' laws created between Jews and the rest of ancient world. From Gospels we know, that Jesus was a bit flexible in following these rules - he dined with tax collectors, did not observe Sabbath very strictly. But on the other hand he declared that he does not intend to question any point in Moses' law, that his only aim is to bring lost children of Israel on the correct path.
The book only slightly touches issues facing Saul, the Jew, in his encounters with multinational Christian communities. Still I appreciated it as it was the first time I realized this issue.
2. How essential to the newborn Christians was the message - Jesus will return (soon). It explains why it became so popular among lower classes and slaves in Roman Empire. Our burden will end soon and we will enjoy heaven while our oppressors will grind teeth in hell.
Other than that I did not find anything valuable in this book.
One important thing completely missed are his writings.
Compared to other Evangelists recognized by the official Christian churches they represent completely different style. Instead of poetic ecstasy (John), simple report (Mark), passionate story (Matthew) and detailed story (Luke), in Paul's writing I find clear, logical, classical thinking typical to Greek philosophers. 
How come a person deeply submerged in Jewish society changed so much?
Damascus does not contain any hint. Saul is presented firstly as quite rough worker in a leather tents production workshop, then as a passionate Apostle. In the last chapter, his nephew mentions something about his thorough education. That's all.
Saul's close contacts with Timothy and Thomas the Twin I found rather dubious and confusing.
Plus dirt, vulgarity and cruelty all the way - thus my rating.

View all my reviews

Curiosity starts in..

 Last week I spent long hours in State Library of Victoria.

2 posters attracted my attention...

How right - what could be a better place to satisfy curiosity?

Next poster confirms...

This is a Starting place!

But precisely where, WHERE?

And now my curiosity remains even more curious - how the Library conveyed this message to women?

Update.
Above question worried me so much, that eventually I stated it in a letter to SLV.
Here is their response:

In line with the 'Inclusion and Reach' pillar of the library strategy the cubicles in the ladies toilets feature similar advertising to contemplate (see attached).

Well, I am very thankful for the answer and happy that females haven't been ignored.

I also realized, that wall urinals is probably the last physical advantage of male gender. Not only for natural functions, but also as a good place for a reflection.