Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman is a powerful memoir, written succinctly with elegant prose and direct language. It’s personal, honest, as Feldman shareUnorthodox by Deborah Feldman is a powerful memoir, written succinctly with elegant prose and direct language. It’s personal, honest, as Feldman shares her unique truth fearlessly.
It is too short, but basically this book is about the first half of her life. Feldman has since written about the latter half, which I hope to also read. The core of Unorthodox is not about how she became “unorthodox” and embraced a secular life in the modern world, but rather is about how she was raised ultra-orthodox in such a stifling and punishing world.
The Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, specifically the Satmar group as opposed to all the different ones, might as well be from another time let alone another country. Lifelong New Yorkers wouldn’t even recognize the world she describes. It is cruel, hypocritical, and is concerned with patriarchal control far more than anything that could be defined as spiritual religiosity.
Without even getting into debates about mainstream Judaism, the legacy of religion on humanity, and philosophical questions about atheism and the supernatural, it’s important to remember that this cult does not represent the vast majority of Jews. They are a minority of a minority, although they do have too much political power in some places but that is not the subject of this particular review.
The book is a window into an insular world which outsiders rarely get to learn about. That said, it is author Deborah Feldman’s story and she would not presume to speak for all Jews or even all Hasids. Her experiences are her own. She is, however, based on that an expert in a sense.
The narrative is mostly chronological, beginning with her childhood and explaining the circumstances of her family. Her mother left long ago, and her father appeared to be mentally ill without treatment due to religious fundamentalism. She was raised by her grandparents, whom she does love, although they do have their flaws. The extended relatives and in-laws who surrounded her in this family-focused community are often awful people, judgmental and petty who seem to get off on telling others what to do.
Jewish readers will find some of the culture familiar, and other aspects very strange. These are not your average Jews. Even though they live in the biggest city in America, Yiddish is their mother tongue and they look down on the English language. And as pedantic as they can be with following every little letter of the Talmudic law, there are constant rumors of child molestation and even murder that people get away with. It seems very hard to argue that this somehow fosters a superior morality compared to secular laws.
The focus is especially on women, who have few rights are not allowed a full education. Feldman finds herself in an arranged marriage at 17 and pressured into getting pregnant young. Without any sex education, she is traumatized again and again. And her husband is just not a figure of respect, to put it mildly, who even gives her an STI. Throughout it all, she insists on hiding away novels and continuing her love of reading and learning, and remains an independent thinker. It shows remarkable spirt and willpower, while her peers were barely literate she comes out of it an accomplished writer.
It is unfortunate so many others were left behind. There is a growing movement of young people leaving, but it’s quite an uphill battle. Something I learned in reading this book, is how much the ultra-orthodox obsess over the tragedy of the Holocaust. It is fair, of course, since many of elderly lived through the war directly and remained traumatized their whole life. But the way it is framed as “God’s punishment” for sin, it is clear that the suffering is now used as a method of control by what can only be described as a cult. There is something about human nature that sadly responds to extreme negativity, letting these kinds of emotions manipulate everything until people barely have the ability to think. And yet these people consider themselves scholars.
In truth, their ancestors in Europe did not live this way. The ultra-orthodox Hasid religion is a modern movement, constructed after the horrors of the second world war. It is not healthy, it is not bringing any kind of light to the world, and only continues the cycle of suffering.
The tagline of the book states “my scandalous rejection”, but the scandal is that so much abuse is allowed to continue in seemingly modern, human rights-respecting societies to this day. That may be a topic for another article, about education standards in New York or current political influences in Israel. The hopeful thing is, after reading this book, more and more young people are rejecting this lifestyle. Unorthodox just happens to tell of Deborah Feldman, and she is far from the only one.
She does escape with her son in the end, which happens somewhat abruptly after she slowly takes more steps in her adulthood such as going to college, and mostly the transition is a story for her next book aptly titled Exodus. There is also a Netflix adaptation, which is named after Unorthodox but is focused on its aftermath. This book is about her past, where she came from, and what she must move beyond. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, it’s a story so many people still need to read....more
I got a lot out of this book. I do understand the criticisms that Harari can be unfocused in this list of lessons, or rather questions without clear aI got a lot out of this book. I do understand the criticisms that Harari can be unfocused in this list of lessons, or rather questions without clear answers (but what's wrong with that?), and it is not quite the must-read that was Sapiens and even Homo Deus.
That said, having a book of Yuval Harari disjointedly riffing about the state of the world is about the most fascinating kind of read I could ask for. The more, the better. His ideas about religion, technology, story-telling, identity, meditation, the future, politics, nationalism, what went wrong with humanity and what went right... his very well-thought out takes on all these subjects are crucial indeed. (And for an atheistic author who doesn't believe in identity and basically disproves all religions, this sure turned out to be a surprisingly spiritual book.)
If only there was a way to make everyone in the world read Harari and have some real perspective about all that is going on. Seriously, those with power may be just the kinds to not to seek truth--as is expertly explained within--but it sure would be nice if they did read more.
This book is a series of conversation starters in many ways, but conversations that need to be had. How are the challenges of the planet earth, and not only the societal structure but the actual genetic makeup of the human species, how are they going to pan out in this dynamic century? Unfortunately, those in charge seem to have no idea what to do. Yes, the current regressive political movements are discussed, and one does come away more convinced than ever that such movements are extremely not equipped to deal with the problems that are coming?
So what are we going to do about it all? I don't know. But, for a start, at least having thinking more deeply about the right questions could lead to some better answers!...more
Douglas Rushkoff is more well-known for writing explorations on cutting edge media, and critiques on the digital economy in particular of late, but heDouglas Rushkoff is more well-known for writing explorations on cutting edge media, and critiques on the digital economy in particular of late, but he also has an impressively growing body of work in the medium of fictional comics. Aleister & Adolf is the new graphic novel--more like graphic novella sized--that takes up powerful ideas about symbols and utilizes such to delve deeply into the occult in the World War II setting. The Beast himself Aleister Crowley (in his later years) vs the Nazis, a great premise indeed.
It should be said that the black and white art by Michael Avon Oeming is excellent, with solid storytelling in expressive cartoony stylings with an ability to get psychedelic when the need arises. No critiques there, though color would be nice but can't complain about the power of the imagery. However, this review will be more about the writing content.
Aleister & Adolf would have fit well as a classic Vertigo book, but let's be honest Vertigo isn't what it once was and it's good to see Rushkoff at publisher Dark Horse Comics. His last graphic novella formatted book Adolescent Demo Division was published by DC/Vertigo yet the science fiction plot wasn't a perfect fit. Now with the post-Karen Berger comics world Dark Horse is taking up the job.
While I do like these short books like A.D.D. that can be read in one sitting, it would be preferable to have more to read. That's the main problem of Aleister & Adolf. It's too short. Which is a good problem to have; it's a great book and it leaves wanting a lot more. The nature of the comics medium does tell the story very succinctly and everything that needs to be said is said. But one still wishes that there could have been a miniseries several chapters longer to stay in this narrative longer...
Most of all, as for the comics medium, it's perfect for getting into the power of sigil magic upon our world. That's the overall point, isn't it?
So, the plot. Told in flashbacks, an aging war photographer agent goes on a mission to recruit Aleister Crowley as part of a propaganda operation against Hitler during World War II. The ambiguity over whether the intelligence agencies believe in magick is wonderful. Is Crowley a magician pretending to be an agent or an agent pretending to be a magician? Does it matter of magick is literally "real" so long as the Nazis believe so and can be manipulated? Questions like that remain unanswered and we the readers can only speculate.
The conspiracy theory angle is also worth contemplating. Did Crowley really create the V for Victory signal in the fight against the Swastika? Were the Nazis really practicing genocidal death magic all that time (and if so, can sex magick win against that)? Was Rudolph Hess a part of this operation? Then there is the name-dropping: Ian Fleming, of course. Even Jack Parsons and L. Ron Hubbard is briefly mentioned, which is a delight to any fan of this kind of trivia.
Aleister & Adolf touches on so much, and it's a shame it ends after as a quick a read as that. The journey shouldn't be over though: After reading no doubt one will be online all night further researching the power of sigils and all the above subjects.
There's more going on in the world than we might now, and the psychic plane of ideas may yet be more worth paying attention to than we have all been told... This short comic certainly doesn't have all the answers, but it's a great starting primer for learning more.
I know I'll be lending my copy around. In this uncertain age were it seems like the good ideas are losing, I hope more people start thinking this through. I hope more people will be reading.
Afterlife by Tim I Gurung is a unique novel quite unlike anything else you might read. It also might not be for everyone, written in a curious and dirAfterlife by Tim I Gurung is a unique novel quite unlike anything else you might read. It also might not be for everyone, written in a curious and direct first-person narrative that can be intriguing yet tedious.
The novel opens mysteriously, with direct descriptions of pain in a nondescript setting. The title of the book turns out to be literally just that: the afterlife. The narrator searches in this presumed life after death environment, going from darkness to light. Landscapes are thusly described, from grass to trees and canyons and more.
There is much showing not telling, with exclamation points and lines like “beyond imagination” detailing exactly how the narrator feels being in this place. Much of the novel contains no dialogue, and no traditional plot. The journey goes on and on, and the conflict is simply about continuing to cross an ocean and the accomplishment of climbing a mountain and the unspoiled garden and and then there’s a desert. Etc.
The most interesting parts are when the metaphors of spirituality meets modernity, as the angels and God are revealed to be computer screens. Then come the ironic punishments for various sinners, the sad suicides, and the bureaucratic dolling out of resurrections while souls argue about why they must be reborn as animals. Somehow the narrator character always figures out exactly what’s going on and feeds it right to the reader.
Only at the end of a long journey is the backstory of the character revealed, and upon meeting familiar souls his experiences on the Earth is tied into this afterlife world. In the conclusion the story wraps up a bit too cleanly.
The theme seems to be that we must all give in to destiny and the responsibility of our actions, i.e. karma, whether we like it or not. Al in all there is no choice but to deal with death.
In fact, God comes across as a rather cruel manager with little compassion; more like a computer program -- yet even worse with the pettiness of acting annoyed – than some force conveying cosmic wisdom. Not too grand a deconsructionist approach, it simply is what it is.
Gurung should be praised for writing the novel, for completely finding his own style and not following in any other author’s footsteps. Afterlife is a literary experiment of a vision that cannot be compared with any other work....more
I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. Much has been said of the new HBO documentary, but I would recommend watching the film as an added supI found this book to be absolutely fascinating. Much has been said of the new HBO documentary, but I would recommend watching the film as an added supplement to reading this book, a bit of reference with regards to video footage. There is so much more to the story of L. Ron Hubbard and his pseudoscientific religion...
I found the biography of Hubbard to be an amazing story. I had already known the basic backstory of Dienetics and the science fiction writings of the time, but little did I realize what an intriguing character he was. There is no doubt the man was a monster. He was also a genius, in a bizarre way. The manner he treated women was despicable in particular. But his whole deal with grandiosity in the pre-Dianetics age, the occult and sex magick of the O.T.O. era, the self-hypnosis attempts to make himself a superman. What a read.
It goes on much further with Hubbard's new religion, legal challenges, evolving his schtick from self-help into insane space opera backstories going back trillions of years. In fact, author Lawrence Wright is remarkably fair with Hubbard. After researching so much damning evidence -- Operation Snow White is particularly awful -- he does not simply say that Hubbard was a con man. No, Hubbard may have believed his own bullshit after a while. That may be an overly sympathetic interpretation, but it's the conclusion I am left with. After a certain point, even the con men manipulating fanatics must become fanatics themselves.
Some criticize the focus on celebrities in this book, Travolta and Cruise and Paul Haggis, but it is Scientology which makes such a big deal of their 'Celebrity Centre' so that subject is very much -- as they say -- fair game. Behind the scenes with Travolta is one thing, Paul Haggis's personal account as an apostate is definitely required reading, but overall it is Tom Cruise who stands out. Apparently, Cruise believes that he is the number three man of the universe after LRH and David Miscavige.
It is current Scientology leader David Miscavage who may come out worst in this book. The man has so many rumors about abuse it gets ridiculous after a while: every single time it is mentioned by former members again and again there is a new footnote declaring, "the church denies all allegations of abuse from Miscavige." By the way, one thinks of comparisons with disgraced comedians Bill Cosby. How many allegations does it take until we can all just say it is definitely true? And how much fairer can Lawrence Wright be by always putting in the church's footnotes after SO MANY consistent allegations?
The church, of course, claims that it's unfair to use former members' accounts to learn about the inner workings because they are bitter. I happen to think that makes no sense and a former member would be the most honest of all. It's the true believer who always lies, and that goes for all religions but especially weird new religions.
That's one of the key questions, what counts as religions and what counts as a cult? In the end, the IRS settled it and after a crazed war Scientology won the right to be a religion. All their unverified self-help technologies get to hide behind religious liberties and need no scientific verification. Rather convenient, don't you think? And, no taxes. Worst of all, Scientologists get to constantly dodge criticism by claiming "religious bigotry." It does beg the question of why any religions get special benefits in a modern, secular country. Perhaps if America didn't give tax exemption to any church then Scientology would have long gone away by now.
As fair as Wright is, telling the other side and interviewing leading Scientologists with their hordes of lawyers, there is no question. The facts overwhelmingly show that the Church of Scientology is a criminal enterprise engages in tremendous human rights violations and have for decades. In the epilogue Wright gets into Mormonism -- which evolved from a cult to a so-called respectable religion -- and he also gets into Jonestown and the Branch Davidians. The power of belief is a frightening power indeed.
It seems that Scientology is dying already. What a mercy. I just hope they don't harass and sue and stalk Lawrence Wright in the meantime. We get it, Scientology. The institution built up L. Ron Hubbard, let him live on a boat when all countries rightfully kicked him out, and it was unfortunate that he brainwashed so many people (particularly those in the Sea Org) with his lies. Then, the ambitious David Miscavige did his coup and now he gets to live like a celebrity while the church sucks money and free labor from its worshippers. Isn't that enough? Doesn't the world get to move on by now? Please Scientology, just go away already and be nothing more than a sad, curious chapter in tragic American history.
Everyone needs to read this book. Learn about many things, from Robert Heinlen to MK Ultra, the perspective is always broad. Lawrence Wright has done the world a great service by researching and writing this book. ...more
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