Comments on: Nobel Prize for Literature

By: abb1

abb1 — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:05:08 +0000

That it’s the most dangerous power that ever existed is a trivial truth. That it’s beyond reason now is obvious – messianic goals are being declared openly and frequently.

As far as ‘only one comparison’ – yeah, you do have a point here.

By: bert

bert — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 20:33:32 +0000

The most dangerous power that ever existed … There is only one comparison: Nazi Germany.

To me that’s overcooked.
But then again, you liked the poem.
We settled the aesthetic differences on this thread by chalking it up to personal taste. Might be the best course here.
And its just possible Bush might come up again on this site … look forward to picking the discussion up then.

By: abb1

abb1 — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 15:54:22 +0000

Bert,
‘coherent and reasoned’ is in the eyes of the beholder. I thought he sounded just fine in the Guardian piece you linked – is there something in particular there you find incoherent or unreasonable?

The centre ground between what extremes? I agree that the pipeline thing is nonsense, yet Pinter’s claim that US is charging towards world domination seems right on the money, so what’s your problem, what does the pipeline have to do with this?

By: bert

bert — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 14:07:18 +0000

Abb1, you’re a fixture round here and I know as far as you’re concerned no criticism of Bush is too strong. To my ears though, Pinter sounds plonking and babyish. In a similar way, Michael Moore’s theories about pipeline contracts seem convoluted and redherringish.
There is an overwhelming case to be made against Bush that is at the same time coherent and reasoned. The centre ground can be rallied against these vermin. It was tragic that the one person needed to make that case in those terms – John Kerry – utterly failed to do so.
As a result I’m left halfheartedly applauding the Nobel Committee for shaking a puny fist on our behalf.

By: abb1

abb1 — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 10:52:09 +0000

Some comparisons with Nazism are stupid, others are hyperbolic, yet others are quite accurate. Mr. Pinter’s opinion seems quite sensible.

By: bert

bert — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 01:26:51 +0000

Of course, feel free to come back at me, Alison or anyone else. Not cutting you off. If the thread’s still going tomorrow I’ll doubtless pitch in.

By: bert

bert — Sat, 15 Oct 2005 01:18:36 +0000

Ah, shallow criticism bothers you.
Throwing around hyperbolic comparisons with Nazism.

Oops.

Actually, I haven’t offered any criticism of Pinter. I stated plainly that I don’t like his stuff. It’s a view that’s more common in Britain than abroad I gather. Now its late in London and I’m going to bed. Night all.

By: Dan Simon

Dan Simon — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:37:34 +0000

so they’re gonna keep putting philip roth off until he gets cancer?

No, just until he writes something worth reading.

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:22:29 +0000

“By implication, the unilateral use of force doesn’t [advance the goals of the prize]”

As Engels says, it is called a Peace Prize.

By: Alison

Alison — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:08:49 +0000

Gunter Grass has a huge body of exceptional work, and a deep and complex mind. The criticism of him seemed shallow to me.

By: bert

bert — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 22:44:23 +0000

Bit oblique.
Care to explain how this is like that?

By: Karlotta

Karlotta — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 22:39:18 +0000

Merely ok. The spoof from the BBC website was MUCH more Pinteresque:

Jack: So …. [pause]
Jack: So he won then. [pause]
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [longer pause]
Jack: He waited long enough.
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes … he did. [pause]
Jill: Yes, he certainly waited long enough.
Jack: Words. [pause]
Jill: What?
Jack: Words, in conversion, he was good at that. [pause]
Jill: Yes … he waited long enough.
Jack: I think… [pause]
Jill: …and pauses, he was good at that too.
Jack: Yes.
Jill: Yes. [pause]
Jack: Yes. [pause] I think his word/time ratio was the smallest ever heard.
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [pause]
Jill: Yes, he waited long enough…
Jack: Well done, that’s what they say…
Jill: Yes, they do say that…
Jack: Well done, like the toast… [long pause]… How’s your cornflakes, then?
… and so on..

By: Alison

Alison — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 19:35:39 +0000

Bert: I honestly cannot explain this prize purely as a recognition of literary merit.

Herschel: he will ‘stink the place out’

Man, you are talking about Harold Pinter. Harold Pinter? Get it?

This is like that guy last year saying Gunter Grass was a Nazi.

By: engels

engels — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 18:22:50 +0000

What sickens me is the way they keep giving the Peace Prize to anti-war people.

By: abb1

abb1 — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:10:23 +0000

http://nobelprize.org/nobel/nobel-foundation/statutes.html

The Nobel Foundation is established under the terms of the will of the engineer Dr. Alfred Bernhard Nobel, drawn up on November 27, 1895, which in its relevant parts states:

…one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction…

http://nobelprize.org/literature/laureates/1971/press.html

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1971

Presentation Speech by Karl Ragnar Gierow, of the Swedish Academy
…
According to Nobel’s will, as we have just heard, the prize is to reward work in “an ideal direction”.
…
The spirit of Nobel’s will tells us what he had in mind. The contribution must be one which will benefit mankind.