Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse

I am gradually working my way through some of Hermann Hesse's most celebrated works.  Having been inspired by Siddhartha, and immersed in The Glass Bead Game, I next turned my attention to Steppenwolf:

In fairness, Steppenwolf seems to have been subject to a myriad of interpretations down the years, and Hesse himself commented that the book had been very much misunderstood by many people. At the risk of being accused of misunderstanding the many messages myself, I have attempted to dissect some of the themes which are touched on or probed.

Through the main character, Harry Haller, the novel takes a look at to what degree some people have split personalities (in Haller's case between "man" and "wolf"), but also the notion that we have multi-layered personalities.

Within the context of all this, we also delve into the conflicts and tensions between individualism and bourgeois existence, and see how a solitary and single-minded approach to life and culture can often become a blind alley, where resentment and bitterness might fester and thrive.

As Haller continues on his journey, he meets people who introduce him to frivolity and decadence. Touching on the issue of multi-layered personalities once more, it is hinted that we should value some levity as an emollient. Alien worlds are much more welcoming and accommodating than we might have imagined. Other people are fascinated by the strengths of the loner or the thinker, and they themselves may yearn to fill in some of the gaps in their own development.  There is no shame in these "compromises", as greater rewards may lie ahead...

One strand which I picked up, rightly or wrongly, during the period when Haller links up with Hermine and the saxophonist Pablo, is an assertion that the sensual, and the pleasures of the flesh, are just as worthy and valid as the intellectual.  Sensuality is a form of an expression, and a mode of living, just as "conventional" culture is.

This part of the novel was the most fascinating for me, as it began to steer the story discernibly in the direction of transcendence, a much favoured subject of Hesse.  The question began to form in my mind - "well, we've learned to welcome more joviality and hedonism into our lives, but where does this take us?".  There is a recognition that even those individuals who cultivate advanced tastes for both the individual and the sensual will be little appreciated, and that shallowness and mediocrity will still hold sway.  But will there still be some form of escape, or release, for the inquisitive and the curious?

Grandiose though the ending of Steppenwolf is, many matters are left wholly or partly unresolved for me.  There are references to immortality and eternity, and the almost obligatory allusion to a return to a child-like state, which is presumably in part what endeared this work to the post World War 2 "counterculture".

During the Masked Ball scene, intoxication appears to be put forward as a kind of release from the constant striving, suffering, indiscretions and effort of life, but even this is not sufficient for Harry Haller.

The subsequent hallucinatory scenes offer additional clues, and build on the premise of a multi-layered human being. The killing of Hermine by Haller (the Steppenwolf) provides persuasive hints that the animalistic side of him was still lurking, the irony being that she prevailed upon him to end her life in exchange for tutoring him in the ways of her social milieu.

So is life for most of us a never-ending struggle, characterised by our constant shuffling of the various pieces of our multi-faceted personality, and not finalised by even death itself?

Another thought which increasingly weighed on my mind as I progressed through Steppenwolf  was that rather than simply taking life too seriously, some of us fail to take some aspects of life, and our "souls", seriously enough. A balancing is desirable.

Even allowing for the outwardly downbeat ending, some optimistic notes are still struck towards the end of the story. We all have it within our power to change, but our "souls" need to be unlocked, and this may entail the assistance of others.

Not as linear as Siddhartha, or as enriching as The Glass Bead Game, Steppenwolf is nevertheless a work which will continue to provoke much thought and reflection among many people.

The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

Not so long ago I completed reading Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, and posted my thoughts on this blog:

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Suitably enthused, I then moved on to another of Bradbury's most noteworthy works, The Martian Chronicles:

The Martian Chronicles is a fictional account of Earth's repeated attempts to colonize Mars, presented as a series of short strories, and examines the effects and ramifications of these events over a number of years.

Many themes are explored throughout this book, often pertaining to the dichotomy between Man's idealism surrounding his journey to Mars, and the intolerance, corruption and arrogance which he also brings with him.

Another message which comes through is that the inhabitants of Earth could learn from the civilizations on other planets, and that they ignore such lessons at their peril. Some human weaknesses could be our downfall in exploring space, including greed, sentimentality and hubris.

In The Martian Chronicles, people have widely differing agendas when approaching colonization of Mars.  Some see Mars as a potential refuge for lovers of liberty, tolerance and peace, while others wish to fashion the Red Planet for their own less benign and selfless motives.

The work looks at the methods employed by the Martians to address the influx of Earth men, from the subtleties of "telepathy" to less benevolent measures as the depredations intensify.  Some uncomfortable and probing questions are posed about what lengths a people should go to in defending their own "territory" and habitat.

Some of the philosophical strands in this book really resonated with me, particularly the desire of some of the Mars colonists to live a simple existence, for its own sake, and not to be in hock to some "end" or spurious "common good".  But at the same time, the question lingers, how far should we be permitted to go in order to secure and preserve our own liberty and richness of life?

Possibly the most fascinating chapters of The Martian Chronicles appear towards its conclusion, when issues of racial persecution, war and human relationships are very prominent. Those who suffer racial discrimination on Earth travel to Mars with hope, but may end up facing the same types of oppressors on their new home.

Many of those who boarded the rockets espoused some ideals about freedom, but acted just as unethically and immorally, and with as much avarice, on Mars as they had done on Earth.  There is an attendant danger that the colonized area becomes as authoritarian and over-regulated as the mother planet. Peaceful co-existence was desired, but on terms set by the former Earth dwellers....

When a major war erupted on Earth, many of the colonists return from whence they came. For all their determination to construct a new life, the pull of historic ties, tribalism and vested interests proves stronger, and they are drawn back to support something which they profess to abhor.

After the exodus back to war-ravaged Earth, the few people left on Mars try desperately to establish contact with each other, but in this context the journey proves more seductive than the cold reality upon arrival. The craving for human interaction proves to be delusive, with the inference that we are best left to reach our own equilibrium, and form relationships "organically". This struck a chord with me, I must admit!

The final chapter is more hopeful, with a group of humans finally severing all ties with Earth, and looking towards the future.

The Martian Chronicles was at times a demanding read, as there is comparatively little in the way of exposition, and intense concentration may be needed to get the most out of it, and interpret all of the imagery.  However, if one persists there is plenty at which to wonder, and with which to exercise the mind.

Kimi Raikkonen

So, the 2007 World champion has announced that he is returning to Formula 1 competition with the Renault/Lotus team, after a two year absence from the premier class of motorsport.  My first reaction was surprise that Raikkonen had only been out of F1 for two seasons. It felt like longer than that!

Whilst it is excellent news that a driver of Kimi's talent will be back on the grid, this news does throw up some interesting talking points, both about the Finn and others.

Whilst Raikkonen is making all the correct noises, about rediscovering his hunger for F1 and so on, he faces a different situation to that which existed when he embarked on his Grand Prix sabbatical. In 2009, he was still in a reasonably competitive car, and with a team with bounteous resources. That will not necessarily be the case in 2012. The record of ex World Champions returning to F1 in "middling" cars or teams is equivocal at best.

On the surface, Kimi would seem to have advantages over previous high-profile F1 returnees.  Firstly, he is still remarkably young for someone who has achieved so much, and who has competed in so many Grands Prix. Theoretically, this should help him both physically and psychologically. In addition, during his two year absence from the pinnacle he has continued competing, more or less full-time in rallying, whilst also dabbling with NASCAR.  His competitive juices have therefore been kept well and truly active.

Despite the plus points mentioned above, there is always the nagging fear that in today's ever-changing, intense and complex F1 environment, Kimi will fail to get up to speed.  On balance, I don't expect this to happen, primarily because he is such a naturally fast driver, in the Mika Hakkinen mould, and can therefore drive around many problems.

It will be fascinating to witness to what degree the thinking on the choice of the other Lotus driver for 2012 is influenced, sub-consciously or otherwise, by the arrival of Raikkonen. Given that the choice of Kimi represents a risk, albeit a relatively small one, will there be a temptation to "play safe" in the selection of the occupant of the other seat?

For the time being anyway, let's disregard any misgivings and celebrate the return of "The Iceman",  whose inclusion adds yet more spice to what promises to be an intriguing 2012 season.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (movie)

Last night, I had the good fortune to watch The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, the 1965 film adaptation of John le Carre's novel, starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom.

The opening sequences of the movie accurately set the scene.  Bleak, gloomy and austere, capturing the atmosphere surrounding the seedy world of espionage. It was a masterstroke to make this film in black and white. Monochrome is invariably more evocative than colour.

The plot of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is quite elaborate, and the movie does a fine job of striking a balance between overt explication and leaving some aspects to be worked out by the viewer.

Richard Burton delivers a fine performance as the brooding, careworn and cynical Alec Leamas. The quality of the acting throughout is quite exceptional. Particularly worthy of praise is the contribution of Oskar Werner as Fiedler.

Other films in the "spy thriller" genre may have sought to glamorise espionage, but The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is quite unflinching in its depiction as a sleazy, ruthless and unforgiving world.  The court room scene towards the scene is particularly stark and compelling.

Overall, this is a well-constructed and riveting film, and well worth checking out. It may persuade me to devote some attention to John le Carre's novels.

Brazilian Grand Prix 2011

So, the 2011 Formula season has reached its end. Not the most riveting race to sign off with, but there are plenty of side issues and subtexts which are worthy of discussion.  In some ways, it is unfortunate that the threatened rain did not materialise in Interlagos, as this would have spiced things up slightly!

Whether Mark Webber could have won if  Sebastian Vettel's gearbox maladies had not intervened is a matter of conjecture, but the form from practice and the early laps of the race itself would seem to indicate that the German would have notched up another victory.  The nature of the Interlagos circuit worked in his favour, making the problems manageable.

Even though the win in Brazil was fortunate, it was some compensation for the frustrations and setbacks endured by Webber throughout 2011. It still seems mildly extraordinary that he won only the single race in the whole season.

The race ended up being a bit anti-climactic for McLaren, not quite living up to the pre-race hopes and expectations. Jenson Button's late surge on to the podium appeared to vindicate his strategy, but only belatedly.  Second place in the championship was reward for Button's consistency and intelligent driving during the season.

Lewis Hamilton's gearbox failure, coming after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi, was symptomatic of his roller-coaster year.  Hamilton was in quite philosophical mood after the race, the inference being that he will put 2011 down to "experience" and do his best to come back stronger (and luckier) next year.

One of the major talking points of the race was the coming-together between Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna. It did seem that Senna moved over slightly , but by the same token it was an optimistic, and far from straightforward, move by the seven-times champion.  I am no expert, but I think that allowances have to be made for the nature of the track layout at that point, which may have contributed to the Renault driver's line. It seems that I was not alone in considering the penalty imposed on Senna quite harsh...

In what may turn out to be his F1 swansong, Rubens Barrichello did not quite have the race that he was looking for on his home turf. However, he did at least exhibit some spirit after difficulties early on.

Of course, Williams are being linked with a move for Adrian Sutil, and some eyebrows may have been raised when Sutil was very impressive in Brazi, battling tenaciously and finally finishing sixth. A job application in all but name?  To be fair, Force India as a team were pretty much on form all weekend. The performance cannot have done his Williams prospects any harm, at the very least.

The chances of Kimi Raikkonen joining Williams for 2012 have faded, so it is looking increasingly like it may be a Sutil/Maldonado pairing at Grove next season.  Hardly inspiring you might say, and the pressure would be on Sutil to step up to the plate and genuinely begin to fulfill his undoubted potential.

On another Williams-related note, it seems that Patrick Head will be withdrawing from major involvement in the F1 project. Following the case of Ron Dennis, this is another sign of the changing of the guard in Formula 1 generally, with new faces taking over from those who have been so prominent in the past two or three decades.

Just to finish, a word about the Interlagos circuit itself.  Watching the television coverage yesterday, I was reminded what a superb track it is, certainly one of the best on the calendar. It remains a breath of fresh air in this homogenized age, with its anti-clockwise direction, elevation changes and quirky mixture of corners.

So, 2011 is over.   Roll on 2012!

Gary Speed

Sunday dawned sunny but chilly and blustery.  I was preparing to follow an afternoon of quality sporting action, and logged on to the BBC sport website, only to be confronted with the news of Gary Speed's death, which was then just breaking.

At first, the news was difficult to absorb, and I found it hard to believe it was actually true.  But then further details began to emerge.

Gary Speed was admired and respected across the board in football, and this transcended club loyalties. He was one of those men who every coach or player would like to have in their team. For a time, he held the Premier League appearance record, and this is testimony to how he looked after himself physically, his good disciplinary record, and the fact that at his various clubs he was one of the first names on the team-sheet for every game.

He first emerged as a youngster at Leeds, coming to greater prominence during the 1992 championship-winning season, being an integral part of a famous midfield, alongside Gordon Strachan, Gary McAllister and David Batty. Gary provided that Leeds team with youthful energy, vitality and dynamism. His aerial prowess became much-feared, and his versatility was invaluable. Even as Leeds' fortunes declined in the years after 1992, Gary Speed still gave his all.

He served with distinction for his other clubs.  From being the youngster at Leeds, he gradually turned into a kind of "elder statesman" figure, no doubt passing on his knowledge and experience to his younger colleagues.

Gary Speed's managerial career promised to be as successful and rewarding as his playing days, and hopes were high for his stewardship of a young and promising Welsh team. But it was not to be....

If young footballers can aspire to the professionalism, attitude and conduct epitomised by Gary Speed, then their careers will have a firm foundation.

Above all, though, our thoughts must be with Gary's family and friends at this time.

Rest In Peace, Gary.

Leeds United 1 Barnsley 2

So once again with Leeds it is one step forward, two steps back, as Barnsley secure their first victory at Elland Road for twenty one years.

I must confess that I didn't follow this afternoon's game particularly closely, being otherwise engaged, but it seems to me that Leeds must start to improve their form at home, and achieve some semblance of consistency in front of their own supporters. It is very unlikely that they will be able to rely all season on surprise or fortuitous away results. In addition, Leeds' goal difference is markedly inferior to the teams around them.

The Championship is habitually described as "ultra-competitive", which is another way of saying that it is largely mediocre, with few teams able to put together a convincing sequence of results.  One or two teams usually emerge as a cut above the rest, and Southampton and West Ham seem poised to fulfill the role this season.  The rest will be fighting for the play-off positions.

Despite how inconsistent and erratic Leeds seem, they are still in the play-off spots, partially by dint of the shortcomings of their competitors. It would be churlish to criticise the team if it reaches the play-offs, but it would also be nice if they could do it purely on their own merits, and not be seen to be benefitting from others' failings.

Goodness knows what will happen at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening!