Book of the Week

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

Recommended by Dr Cocks

  
The title of Ingrid Persaud’s novel is a direct echo of Derek Walcott’s 1971 poem of the same title:

    The time will come
    when, with elation
    you will greet yourself arriving
    at your own door, in your own mirror
    and each will smile at the other's welcome,

    and say, sit here. Eat.
    You will love again the stranger who was your self.
    Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
    to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

Walcott’s poem celebrates a time when fractured selves will be reconciled and accommodated – a time in the future when we might learn self-acceptance, understanding, a sense of being at home with one’s self after a period of exile, a biblical homecoming when the self shall return to the self, catching them unaware, and be welcomed as a guest with feasting. In the context of the multiple selves we navigate in the world of the African diaspora and in the post-liberationist milieu of the Caribbean, this poem might also speak to the sense of self-reckoning, self-recognition, and self-love that nations might find too.

Persaud’s tender and ultimately joyous novel of 2020 does some of the cultural work of capturing a national sensibility, even while it acknowledges that any such sensibilities to be in flux. It unfolds, for the most part, or at least for the best parts, in present day Port of Spain ( Trinidad). It’s the story of Betty Ramdin, a close-to-middle aged teacher who has suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her alcoholic husband. A few years on from her husband’s sudden death, she takes in a lodger, Mr Chetan, a homely man in search of a family , and together with her son Solo, they form a complicated and happily dysfunctional family whose love for each other might just be enough to sustain them as they come to terms with who they are, with the legacy of the violent past, and with the selves they must learn to love.

LE2 salute J G Ballard: Part Two ...

In today's post, LE2 continue their paean to J G Ballard.

Ballard’s stories place characters in often strikingly bizarre and gloomy scenarios, both as prescient warnings as to the possible future of humanity and perceptive dissections of the human psyche. Instead of writing about spaceships and far away planets, Ballard finds the extraordinary in the mundane. He writes about everything from apartment blocks erupting into violence to a man getting marooned on a traffic island. Several of his novels have been adapted into films including a 1987 production, Empire of the Sun, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Christian Bale. Ballard has a uniquely identifiable writing style that to many has become an iconic staple of the genres of science fiction and dystopia. (Rahul Marchand)

Ballard was and remains one of the most prolific and influential writers of the 20th century. His powerfully lyrical writing evokes a pessimistic view of humanity through a distinctive style of narration. This writing also pioneers an interest into the dissection of human behaviour and social order. Not only is he an interesting writer, Ballard is also a widely researched and intriguing figure. An inspiring and impactful background greatly influenced his post-apocalyptic style themes and allows for his writing to focus on the micro-societies and climates that take the setting of his stories. Through his characters, Ballard puts forward the message that individuality is only provisional and broken down when the stability of society can no longer be taken for granted. In summary, Ballard entertains through his bizarre storylines and you will be taken by surprise frequently when reading his work. (Lucas Suarez)

Ballard is remarkable because his writing has a unique atmosphere that pulls you into his worlds, which are often grim reflections of the present. These environments, despite being created over 50 years ago, predict current problems to an eerie degree of accuracy. Ballard’s stories explore the psychological result of placing a human in such conditions, which ultimately makes for an interesting and introspective read. (Lucas Van Den Oever)

J.G Ballard is a one of the most striking, accomplished novelists of the 20th century. His rich background is evident in his writing through his unique style and ideas. His medical background is evident through the scientific terminology and precise numbers that are used frequently. This allows him to give the reader a unique insight into the world of science that other authors may not be capable of. Moreover, after having spent the early years of his life as a prisoner in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, his literature shows an obsession with enclosed society and its effect on humans. The fact that he can speak from dramatic experience is again unique and striking. This leads to the striking nature of his literature being not as fantastical or extra-terrestrial as many other writers but he focuses more on the strangeness in the everyday. (Sandro Weeks)

If you'd like to follow up LE2's enthusiastic recommendations, you can find plenty of examples of Ballard's fiction in the Kayton Library - including The Drowned World, Empire of the Sun, High Rise and his autobiography, Miracles of Life.  

LE2 Salute J G Ballard!

This week, LEN.2 are taking over the Book Blog to give a 'Salute to J.G. Ballard', presenting their hot takes on this famous British Science Fiction writer, whose themes of alienation, psychology, and technology, are as relevant today as they were when they were written.

Picture a world in which a university professor eating his dog 'stuffed with garlic and herbs', or the body of a drowned giant washing up on the shores of a British seaside town, are events considered to be within the realms of normality; this is the dark, yet exhilarating world of J G Ballard. Ballard specializes in placing mundane and bleak everyman figures in circumstances too bizarre to comprehend, brought about either by the chaos of their own minds, as is the case in ‘The Enormous Space’ in which a 9 to 5 office worker decides never to leave his house again, or by external factors such the gross overpopulation that is evident in ‘Billenium’. Ballard explores the response of these everyman figures, utilising them as embodiments of the human race as a whole, allowing him to cynically comment on human nature. Ballard is so skilled at emulating the human mind in his work, that the readers themselves come to question how they would behave in these bizarre situations; filled with doubt as the darker side of their nature is exposed.  Much of his work is believed to be inspired by his experiences in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WW2 - the idea of thousands of families suddenly being forced together is extremely Ballardian. (Caspar Robertson)

J G Ballard has managed to create his own remarkable niche in the genre of science fiction which is an astonishing achievement and shows the strength of his writing. Instead of focusing on the ‘space opera’ style of science fiction writing, Ballard keeps his writing grounded in realism by using mundane civil settings and a solitary character to explore wider aspects of society such as consumerism and emotional detachment which are all pressing themes in the modern day. In my opinion, this makes his writing great because of the way most of his premises are entirely relatable until they turn darker which also serves the key science fiction trope of being a warning to society. Moreover, Ballard uses language in a clinical and precise way which means his style is often quite direct. This makes his books a quick and enjoyable read. Any reader should definitely read some Ballard because of the way his writing has become spookily prophetic (the majority of his great works were in the 1960s and 1970s) of the way we live our lives now which gives the reader a lot to reflect on and this is also another reason why his writing has endured so well. (Suleyman Ansari)

In my first few weeks of English A level I was lucky enough to encounter the specific peculiarities and wonders of J G Ballard’s Science Fiction. Having now read excerpts from High Rise and the short stories of ‘Billenium’ and ‘The Drowned Giant’, Ballard is alone in his utilisation of complex, broken social structures to depict his perception of humanity’s strangeness in action. Ballard is able to present the products of his notably unique view on human nature and illogical social structures, such as the animalistic nature which is able to exhibit itself in our consumer-based societies, social hierarchies and in general the corruption and twisted mindsets of those who are seen as ‘in charge’. J G Ballard writes in concise, precise English, with a focus on the particular actions of a character over the emotional side - a refreshing style that perhaps represents the way in which humans see each other on a day to day basis. The particular mix of Ballard’s style, precision and analytical critique of human structures mean that J G Ballard is one of the most engaging and interesting writers that I have personally experienced. (Luke Buckland)

J G Ballard is a writer who had a long and illustrious career with many of his novels turning into Hollywood movies. His books are generally seen to be of the science fiction genre but his writing is deserving of its own genre. I like Ballard’s fiction as he has the power to change what angle you see the world at through his usual writing style of taking a mildly dystopian world, characters rejected by society and combining the two to create an environment which is usually sinister. As time progresses, Ballard’s fiction will only become more relevant and significant as much of his fiction is set in the future and already, some of the stuff he has prophesied - such as Ronald Reagan becoming president - has come true. It is for this reason that it is necessary for the school to explore his works. As well as being great pieces of literature, they offer a sensible view of what the future may perhaps look like and something that we will be able to learn from as well as mitigate against. (Will Cronshaw)

A scene from 'The Drowned Giant', in the Netflix series Love, Death and Robots

J G Ballard’s stories are well-researched on the scientific properties in them and are often viewed as cautionary tales told through an analytical lens. Ballard rights in an unemotional and impersonal style, focusing on the mundanity of the fantastic. I personally have greatly enjoyed what Ballard I have read, specifically I enjoy the narratives that he creates as well as the absurd but scaringly believable scenarios that his novels take place in, such as a world where overpopulation is so great a human being is only allowed 4 square feet living space. I would greatly recommend Ballard to any Pauline: not only are his stories well written and enjoyable but many are cautionary tales that seem as important and prophetic now as ever. (Topo Gilpin)

Thanks to Mr Kemp for curating this Ballard blog-athon: Part II on Friday ...!