Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law.

Currently reading, in an intermittent way, Joe Abercrombies Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. Published 2016 and is 372 pages in length. Its an anthology of short stories that are typically postmodern westerns in a fantasy setting, that could be called scenes composed of character studies with violence. Practically the composition of a wrestling match in literary form. Because they are westerns in a fantasy setting the typical ranged weapons are longbows and crossbows (what I assume the union "flatbows" are) which are described as more impersonal weapons and often in the same equalising point and shoot theme a firearm would be described in a western novel. The short story "Some Desperado" has one character begging another character not to "shoot" (188 : 2016), with the description "In fact, once you've got it drawn and aimed it's easier to let fly than not to." (188 : 2016), described in a way comparable to a firearm. Of course shoot is derived from old english sceotan which is the transitive verb of throw a missile, so to assume it would be used exclusively for firearms is incorrect. Even if it was this is still a fantasy setting and I am not High Lord Pedantic. Although perhaps because I point this out, maybe I am. The close combat tends to be more personal, akin to the build up in a wrestling match, although acting without thinking seems to be a theme and Abercrombie tends to build up then oppose the readers expectations. So, the literary equivalent to a wrestling match in a fantasy western setting. Perhaps a better analogy would be to compare it to a Tarantino movie. I wonder if Abercrombie just wrote these to keep in practice and develop ideas and eventually decided to collect them into an anthology. Still, great if you are looking for a series of engaging and concise reads.

Link to online example at Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. 

Abercrombie, Joe. (2016) Sharp Ends : Stories from the World of First Law. Published by Gollancz, Great Britain.

Crash Course covers the French Revolution in 15 minutes.

Well, crash course finally covered the "French Revolution" (9th October 2019) in its sequential series of documentaries "Crash Course European History" and managed to have an interesting take on it to provide coherence to a historical narrative covered in 15 minutes. And yes, watching it was special for me and I did drink a cappuccino while I watching it. I'm going to work on jokes about tennis courts for a while.

Michael Palin "North Korea Journal"

Currently reading  Michael Palins "North Korea Journal" (September, 2019) published by Hutchinson, Penguin Random House. I was worried that Palin might end up writing a gumby tourist guide to North Korea circa 2018, such as "lovely people.. oh look at all the colorful kimchi! Delightful" but this is not quite the case. Of course there is a picture of Kimchi on page 28 but it's probably mandatory, in the same way as if I went to America it would be mandatory to take a picture of a Hamburger, or a picture of Scones & Tea if I went to Britain. That reminds me I should probably take a picture of a Meat Pie & Tomato sauce sometime.

Palin is suitably observant and sceptical about the various staged scenes/ tourist spots the group visits and the managed nature of the 15 day guided tour but also attempts to remain respectful, the locals refer to their country as the "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea - the DPRK" (pg 7) and there is advice going in "Remember that you could place North Koreans and their families in a difficult situation if you attempt to initiate contact with ordinary citizens" (pg 15).

In the chapter titled "Day 11 Sunday 6th of May" there is an excerpt of a dialogue between Palin and the guide "Hyang", the books back cover quotes it and I suspect that this dialogue has the misfortune to be evidence of a rather central thesis of the book, which could be described thusly "mutual incomprehension and shared humanity are constantly intermingled" (inside cover).

The quoted dialogue, Palin speaking to Hyang (pg 123), goes like this,
"My hope is that if I'm open about the foibles of our leaders she will open up about her own.
'Our way of life is based on freedom of speech' I say.'People can be as rude as they like about their leaders. In my country we are able to criticise our leaders if they do something wrong, and like any human beings they frequently do make mistakes.'
So Hyang plays it straight back to me.
"That's what makes us so different,' she replies. 'Our leaders are very great. They are not individuals. They represent the masses, so we cannot criticise ourselves, can we?'
I don't really know where to go with this.
'Criticising our leaders is like criticising ourselves.' she persists.
We fence with each other in this sublime landscape. I'm trying to break down the barriers between us which, frustrating are not human but ideological. I know So Hyang to be bright and intelligent. She tells me she has read Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte and Charles Dickens, so she must know that other cultures do things differently and that Dickens of all people found much about his country to criticise. But it's no good, she won't be lead. It's as if the only thing she'll criticise is criticism itself. (pgs 123 to 124).

Well to be fair put yourself in Hyangs position, her function is to guide a foreign media team, there are consequences, and their all important star comes up to you and begins a conversation with "Our way of life is based on freedom of speech", am I wrong to point out that this is an ideological statement in itself? At least Palin shows her the "Fish Slapping Dance" sketch from Monty Python (pg 130). Her question "The fish, she asks with concern, 'is it alive?". Damn straight.

The greater context of this, guided tour is the understanding that tourism to the DPRK is a source of considerable revenue, North Korea has tourist zones, mostly catering to Chinese tourists (80% of DPRKs tourists) but would like to cater to South Koreans and also the British by the way (pg 107). So anyway, I am still reading this 170 pg book and looking at its pictures.

Michael Palins "North Korea Journal" (2019) is composed of 16 chapters with many accompanying pictures, and has Michael Palins voice with its wry humour on a 15 day journey, describing being mostly waken by "Where are you, Dear General?" a patriotic anthem, as a guided tour, through North Korea (DPRK).