Comments on: Belonging by Ron Butlin http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/ A collective of bibliophiles writing about books. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:47:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Lisa http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-3487 Lisa Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:30:16 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-3487 Good news for Ron Butlin: http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Awardwinning-writer-takes-up-role.4206522.jp Good news for Ron Butlin:

http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment/Awardwinning-writer-takes-up-role.4206522.jp

]]> By: The Ossians by Doug Johnstone « Vulpes Libris http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-3484 The Ossians by Doug Johnstone « Vulpes Libris Sat, 21 Jun 2008 07:02:12 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-3484 [...] darkness in The Ossians reminded me of Ron Butlin’s Belonging - though the subject matter is different, the poetic descriptions, the postmodern [...] [...] darkness in The Ossians reminded me of Ron Butlin’s Belonging - though the subject matter is different, the poetic descriptions, the postmodern [...]

]]> By: The Last Bear by Mandy Haggith « Vulpes Libris http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1826 The Last Bear by Mandy Haggith « Vulpes Libris Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:38:20 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1826 [...] Ron Butlin’s “Belonging” Jan Andrew Henderson’s “Crash” Alan Warner’s “Morvern Callar” [...] [...] Ron Butlin’s “Belonging” Jan Andrew Henderson’s “Crash” Alan Warner’s “Morvern Callar” [...]

]]> By: Crash by J.A. Henderson « Vulpes Libris http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1825 Crash by J.A. Henderson « Vulpes Libris Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:37:08 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1825 [...] Comments Movern Callar by Ala… on Belonging by Ron ButlinLuisa on Movern Callar by Alan War…Lisa on Where the wild [...] [...] Comments Movern Callar by Ala… on Belonging by Ron ButlinLuisa on Movern Callar by Alan War…Lisa on Where the wild [...]

]]> By: Movern Callar by Alan Warner « Vulpes Libris http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1824 Movern Callar by Alan Warner « Vulpes Libris Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:35:36 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1824 [...] Ron Butlin’s “Belonging” Maggie Haggith’s “The Last Bear” Jan Andrew Henderson’s “Crash” [...] [...] Ron Butlin’s “Belonging” Maggie Haggith’s “The Last Bear” Jan Andrew Henderson’s “Crash” [...]

]]> By: Mhairi http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1736 Mhairi Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:13:33 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1736 Another one I don't want to read. The world seems to be full of them. Another one I don’t want to read. The world seems to be full of them.

]]> By: Lisa http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1735 Lisa Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:45:27 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1735 Jackie, it also crossed my mind that this might not be your kind of book... ;-) I've been thinking about the snake. The symbolic snake, perhaps. Thinking about snakes and women: the biblical snake in the Garden of Eden, the snakes in the hair of Medusa and her sisters, etc. This big snake lives in the commune's woodpile and when Jack first asks about Ms Snake, he's told she's harmless. However, the other male resident comes to Jack several months later with an axe and a shovel... The snake is pregnant and this is when she's dangerous. She wants to move into their ricketty shack to lay her eggs, so she's got to go (apparently). Jack is a bit shocked at this, but once they find her and get stuck in, Jack loses his head and in a foaming mess of blood and guts and egg (Jack like a maniac) the snake leaves this world for a better one (Snake Heaven, one hopes). The other guy actually has to intervene and stop Jack hacking at the fragmented remains of a very dead she-snake. Vomit. So if Ms Snake represents <em>Belonging</em>'s women, they're dangerous when they want to settle down or when they get broody/pregnant/maternal and that's when Jack loses his head. Maybe. And maybe Jack is supposedly a symbol of a certain kind of (misogynist) man. I don't think this book is flying the flag for misogyny, FWIW. Just looking at it and trying to work it out. That's how I read it anyway. Now, I must forget the snake scene before I throw up my tea. Jackie, it also crossed my mind that this might not be your kind of book… ;-)

I’ve been thinking about the snake. The symbolic snake, perhaps. Thinking about snakes and women: the biblical snake in the Garden of Eden, the snakes in the hair of Medusa and her sisters, etc.

This big snake lives in the commune’s woodpile and when Jack first asks about Ms Snake, he’s told she’s harmless. However, the other male resident comes to Jack several months later with an axe and a shovel…

The snake is pregnant and this is when she’s dangerous. She wants to move into their ricketty shack to lay her eggs, so she’s got to go (apparently). Jack is a bit shocked at this, but once they find her and get stuck in, Jack loses his head and in a foaming mess of blood and guts and egg (Jack like a maniac) the snake leaves this world for a better one (Snake Heaven, one hopes). The other guy actually has to intervene and stop Jack hacking at the fragmented remains of a very dead she-snake. Vomit.

So if Ms Snake represents Belonging’s women, they’re dangerous when they want to settle down or when they get broody/pregnant/maternal and that’s when Jack loses his head. Maybe. And maybe Jack is supposedly a symbol of a certain kind of (misogynist) man.

I don’t think this book is flying the flag for misogyny, FWIW. Just looking at it and trying to work it out. That’s how I read it anyway.

Now, I must forget the snake scene before I throw up my tea.

]]> By: Jackie http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1732 Jackie Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:09:40 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1732 Why is it the fashion these days for male authors to make the female become turned on by rape? Follett does it in his new one too. I'm sure a call to any rape crisis center would tell them that idea is so far from fact to be absurd. Is it because the authors insist that rape is a crime of passion, rather than power? Is it to make the male less criminal, less creepy, less responsible for perpetuating violence against women? The attitude these authors display is actually one of the excuses and viewpoints rapists use to justify their actions. For authors to encourage this idea is blindly irresponsible. Between that action and the killing of the snake, Jack sounds like an icky person. This is one book I'll not be looking for. Why is it the fashion these days for male authors to make the female become turned on by rape? Follett does it in his new one too. I’m sure a call to any rape crisis center would tell them that idea is so far from fact to be absurd. Is it because the authors insist that rape is a crime of passion, rather than power? Is it to make the male less criminal, less creepy, less responsible for perpetuating violence against women? The attitude these authors display is actually one of the excuses and viewpoints rapists use to justify their actions. For authors to encourage this idea is blindly irresponsible.
Between that action and the killing of the snake, Jack sounds like an icky person. This is one book I’ll not be looking for.

]]> By: Lisa http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1727 Lisa Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:18:48 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1727 "Butlin sounds a bit like Houellebecq... Read him?" Ah, seem to have been avoiding Houellebecq since some snotty journo said that all new writers are trying to sound like him. Will look in the library. For the Coetzee too. I think you'll be able to tell if Belonging is your sort of thing, just from the first chapter. Try before you buy... :) “Butlin sounds a bit like Houellebecq… Read him?” Ah, seem to have been avoiding Houellebecq since some snotty journo said that all new writers are trying to sound like him. Will look in the library. For the Coetzee too. I think you’ll be able to tell if Belonging is your sort of thing, just from the first chapter. Try before you buy… :)

]]> By: Sam http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/belonging-by-ron-butlin/#comment-1726 Sam Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:08:55 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=532#comment-1726 Butlin sounds a bit like Houellebecq, now I think about it. The terse language, preoccupation with violent sex. Read him? Any comparison? Okay, I'll seek it out next time I'm in a bookshop (er, that'll be tomorrow during my lunchbreak, then). Definitely read the Coetzee. It's compulsive! Butlin sounds a bit like Houellebecq, now I think about it. The terse language, preoccupation with violent sex. Read him? Any comparison?

Okay, I’ll seek it out next time I’m in a bookshop (er, that’ll be tomorrow during my lunchbreak, then).

Definitely read the Coetzee. It’s compulsive!

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