Nation
- Thread starter greebo550
- Start date
Daphne gets some real winning complements.
Like the canibal chief admiring how smart she is, and saying he would like to be smart as that as well... What he actually said way "I would like to eat your brians..."
and Mau's comment on the canibal women wanting to eat her so they could be beautiful too.
Like the canibal chief admiring how smart she is, and saying he would like to be smart as that as well... What he actually said way "I would like to eat your brians..."
and Mau's comment on the canibal women wanting to eat her so they could be beautiful too.
- May 5, 2009
- 3,181
- 2,600
Tonyblack said:
Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit said:
Yesterday, I ordered Nation, The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld, The Science of Discworld, The Art of Discworld... my goodness I had no idea how far behind I was in my collection... 
- May 5, 2009
- 3,181
- 2,600
Tonyblack said:
Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit said:
Yesterday, I ordered Nation, The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld, The Science of Discworld, The Art of Discworld... my goodness I had no idea how far behind I was in my collection...
- May 5, 2009
- 3,181
- 2,600
You know, I live out in the Boondocks, way out in the country at the End of the Postman's route...I was in the local gasoline station the other day and said Hello to him. He asked "Do I know you?" to which I replied "Yes, I am on your delivery route"... He scowled at me and said in a gravely voice "Oh... Yeah... YOU, the One With All The Packages."
:twisted: I am not sure How to feel about that LOL I mean I AM keeping the post office in Business, no? :twisted:
:twisted: I am not sure How to feel about that LOL I mean I AM keeping the post office in Business, no? :twisted:
Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit said:
You know, I live out in the Boondocks, way out in the country at the End of the Postman's route...I was in the local gasoline station the other day and said Hello to him. He asked "Do I know you?" to which I replied "Yes, I am on your delivery route"... He scowled at me and said in a gravely voice "Oh... Yeah... YOU, the One With All The Packages."
:twisted: I am not sure How to feel about that LOL I mean I AM keeping the post office in Business, no? :twisted:
:twisted: I am not sure How to feel about that LOL I mean I AM keeping the post office in Business, no? :twisted:
do you think it IS dark?
I would say 'thought-provoking' rather than 'dark' -
I am an optimist who is puzzled by Creation, so I ascribe some mysteries to the Will of God - I don't find knowledge and belief incompatible - and sometimes increased knowledge throws up puzzles that I think are almost beyond our vocabulary to explain/understand.
Like all satirists, TP pokes fun at religion - after all there are many seemingly ridiculous things associated with most religion - BUT many great satiirists do so out of disgust at the mockery that mankind makes of the good will at the heart of many faiths - it seems much more likely that mankind "mishears" than a benevolent creator or great spirit wants us to go round killing people in his/her/its name. pointing out the irony of a faith that forbids marriage and then covers up child molesting or where women are so precious they must be covered up yet regarded as property or one animal is sacred and one almost genetically identical is not - all potential targets for somebody with a sense of the ridiculous.
Jonathan Swift and many others mocked from a position of 'inside knowledge' - no reason why TP should not.
"darkness is in the unelightened soul, not in humour." William of Baskerville*
*probably.
I would say 'thought-provoking' rather than 'dark' -
I am an optimist who is puzzled by Creation, so I ascribe some mysteries to the Will of God - I don't find knowledge and belief incompatible - and sometimes increased knowledge throws up puzzles that I think are almost beyond our vocabulary to explain/understand.
Like all satirists, TP pokes fun at religion - after all there are many seemingly ridiculous things associated with most religion - BUT many great satiirists do so out of disgust at the mockery that mankind makes of the good will at the heart of many faiths - it seems much more likely that mankind "mishears" than a benevolent creator or great spirit wants us to go round killing people in his/her/its name. pointing out the irony of a faith that forbids marriage and then covers up child molesting or where women are so precious they must be covered up yet regarded as property or one animal is sacred and one almost genetically identical is not - all potential targets for somebody with a sense of the ridiculous.
Jonathan Swift and many others mocked from a position of 'inside knowledge' - no reason why TP should not.
"darkness is in the unelightened soul, not in humour." William of Baskerville*
*probably.
I recently reread Nation and have to say that I enjoyed it more than I ever have. It's a superb discussion about scepticism over superstition. About science over religion and how important it is to keep an open enquiring mind over acceptance of religious dogma. Mau's world is turned upside down and, at first he blames the gods and then decides that they don't exist - can't exist. I felt a lot more sorry for the priest character in this reading. The discoveries made on the island had also turned his world upside down. It was very interesting to me that, as the nation grew, all the members found places where they fitted and got on with it. The priest however, sat back and did very little until he was faced with the truth about his gods and that nearly killed him. For thousands of years the islanders had settled into a routine of traditions based on a set of stories created by their priests. It caused them to stop thinking and asking questions. It is when people are like this that religion takes over. And it is uncomfortable for priests to be asked questions, so they discourage it. Having what is known as a "god of the gaps" to supply answers effectively kills an enquiring mind.
One of my favourite lines from the book is: "Imo made us clever enough to work out that He does not exist."
One of my favourite lines from the book is: "Imo made us clever enough to work out that He does not exist."
