Tristram Foxe and his wife, Beatrice-Joanna, live in their skyscraper world where official family limitation
glorifies homosexuality. Eventually, their world is transformed into a chaos of cannibalistic dining-clubs,
fantastic fertility rituals, and wars without anger. It is a novel both extravagantly funny and grimly serious.
Quotes and thoughts while reading:
I love it when a dystopian novel doesn't beat around the bush. See here, on page 5 "You've had your recommended ration.
No more motherhood for you. Try to stop feeling like a mother." (p 5) This is right after her son was let return to Mother
Earth, the added bonus that they got some phosphorous out of him.
"It's Sapiens to Homo" (p 6)
atavistic: relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.
'They're not supposed to understand it too well.' said Tristram. 'Just a general impression, you know. It's in the syllabus
but never comes up in the exam.' (p 28) How many times can you remember experiencing this?
"A dance-tune plopped out suddenly, as though a bag of ripe plums had burst" (p 40) See there are gems like this, festooned all
over the place, another was "lemon sunlight". Dog, I just love that line, "lemon sunlight".
"Apparently they had a copy of the Bible - Dognose where they'd got it from." (p 43) I do appreciate the replacement of "God",
with "Dog" everywhere, "For Dog-sake let's know where we stand" (p 62)
truculent: eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant.
Hoc est enim Corpus. Hic est enim calix sanguinis. ➤ This is my body. This is the cup of blood. (p 169) Whew, I
really thought this was going to be something clever hidden in the Latin, but in actuality, it's just a common Christian saying,
albeit, this all takes on a different light in this book.
'And as far as possible,' said the television face of the Right Honourable George Ocham, Prime Minister, 'to pursue the good
life with a minimum of State interference.' It was the face of a business tycoon - fat-jowled with firm but self-indulgent lips,
hard-bargain-driving eyes..." (p 191) Man, doesn't that sound like Trump?
eleemosynary: of, relating to, or dependent on charity; charitable
"The small capitalists were crawling out of their holes, rats of the Pelphase but Augustine's lions." (p 193)
"He has this precious career to think of, a man with children standing a better chance of promotion to Minister of Fertility
than a man with none, or so he says... Looking out to sea I now pray daily that the sea will send you back to me... I love
you and if I ever hurt you I am sorry." (p 223) Jesus, how things change, what a compete and total reversal, you've got to read
the whole book to appreciate all this.
"Then all the big noise ceased, nor were there any specifically human sounds, only animal gasps of those late in dying. One last
flash showed him his watch: 2203. Three minutes from start to finish." (p 260) The whole lead up to this fight was very compelling,
and confusing. I am still curious who he fought, it's claimed they looked different, but still.
'What's an E.S.?'
'Extermination Session. That's what the new battles are called, you know... They were well trained, and well armed and they died
gloriously, believing they were dying in a great cause....'
'You just take advantage of the poor devils who don't know any better - is that it?'
'Of course. We're better off without the morons and the enthusiasts.' (p 277)
'Despite its name,' [the major] said 'the War Department is not really a branch of the government at all. It's a corporation. The
term "War Department" is merely a link with the past. A corporation with a charter.' (p 278) And this, was one of my favorite bits,
because it is so absurd, but completely and totally probably. And I love it for that.
Surprise, surprise, another gread read from the likes of GB and MN. Thanks you two.
© JKloor 2015 Books