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mugren's review against another edition
2.0
Scarcely funny, overwhelmingly annoying. As the students wonder what the point of their class is, I wonder what the point of this book is. How did this get published? Why all the italics? Why write the name of a character ever time he says or does something?
leerazer's review against another edition
3.0
Another loopy novel about philosophers from philosophy professor Iyer. What exactly is he getting at with these novels, which can be said to form a one-man genre at this point? Could all be a mere lark, poking silly fun at himself and his brethren. Could be using humor and absurdity as a serious critique of the vacuity of contemporary Western intellectual thought. Could be whichever option you please.
Again we have the philosophy professor, and students this time, vainly searching for Thought, or, since they know themselves incapable of it, for a Leader capable of Thought to which to attach themselves. And we have the insults, Iyer's greatest gift.
The insults and humor are fine, but I do find that they get stretched rather thin in an Iyer novel. For me. Something like having two minutes of interesting and exciting music bulked up with uninteresting filler to make a six minute song.
-- In-Reading Passage Noted --
The eye is only distracted by beauty. It is only deceived by beauty. Because the old alliance between beauty and goodness has long been broken, and the treaty between beauty and truth was torn up some time ago.
Again we have the philosophy professor, and students this time, vainly searching for Thought, or, since they know themselves incapable of it, for a Leader capable of Thought to which to attach themselves. And we have the insults, Iyer's greatest gift.
The philosopher looks different from other people, Wittgenstein says. The philosopher's face has secrets. Hiding places. The philosopher is incapable of a simple smile. There are no signs of philosophy in our faces, he says, looking round the class.
He knows the Cambridge student is encouraged to talk, he says. He knows the Cambridge student is to be treated as an intellectual partner, even as an intellectual equal, he says. He knows he's supposed to take heed of whatever nonsense the Cambridge student utters. He knows he's supposed to say interesting to even the most fatuous point.I imagine all of Iyer's real-life students getting all squirmy reading this. Is he serious? Is he having us on? You'd suspect the latter, I would think, but be unable to disprove the former to your complete satisfaction.
He knows he's supposed to glory in the very fact that we can speak, that we say anything at all, that we've even turned up for class, he says... He watches our faces, he says. He looks for signs of understanding. But what does he see? Nothing! Nothing!
The insults and humor are fine, but I do find that they get stretched rather thin in an Iyer novel. For me. Something like having two minutes of interesting and exciting music bulked up with uninteresting filler to make a six minute song.
-- In-Reading Passage Noted --
The eye is only distracted by beauty. It is only deceived by beauty. Because the old alliance between beauty and goodness has long been broken, and the treaty between beauty and truth was torn up some time ago.
catpdx's review against another edition
3.0
I loved this until about two-thirds of the way through, when it shifted away from being a clever and very funny satire to an oddly serious ramble with a tacked-on romance. And the italics, my god, the italics!
mikaiya's review against another edition
3.0
Compulsively readable, but I am not the target audience. Glad the TOB brought it to my attention.
booksnotcooks's review against another edition
I did a year of philosophy and this is going over my head
nikkivrc's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really know what the point of this book was, but I... didn't hate it? The cover is way better than the actual content of the book though, that's for sure. Maybe there are hidden layers of awesome that are only revealed to philosophy buffs.
samclapp's review against another edition
3.0
A quick read, but very charming, and with a unique rhythm to the language that's basically maintained through the entire book. Best part for me was the back and forth between the classroom and raucous social life of college (sorry...university.) Read if: you like philosophy and/or went to Cambridge. Do not read if: you like strong female characters (there is one named woman in the whole book, who is there for about 2 pages, I think.)
jennicakes's review against another edition
2.0
I feel like the best review of this book would just be, I don't know, a picture of Swiss cheese.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.