Has Your Reading of Conrad and Maugham, pre-Puberty, Caused You to become a Better Citizen-farang in Thailand (and Asia)?

[GammaGlobulin]

My Dear Friends,

 

As for me, pre-puberty, I read, and re-read, Conrad and W. Somerset. I even cried over the injustices written about, so many times.

 

Now, after so many decades, I think my Lucky Stars that I bought these old second-hand books, and kept them by my bedside, just in order to refer to them, time and time again, as I continued through puberty, until, here I am, almost ready to pass through the senility stage of my life.

 

Good books make the man, and not clothes, one presumes.

 

Although, as I have mentioned, once in the distant past, the wearing of shorts in Thailand should not be tolerated among the polite class.

 

Anyway, kidding aside, reading books such as those written by Conrad and Maugham should only be done while one is still young enough.  After this stage of prepubescence has passed, then moral concepts are less easily internalized, in my opinion.

 

So, read good books while one is young, or forever lose the opportunity to be turned on by them.

 

Yes. It is definitely true that my appreciation for living in Asia, over a number of decades, has been colored and enlightened and transformed through my reading of short stories and novels written by W. Somerset, and, to some extent, by Conrad, also.

 

Being an upstanding farang is not so easy if one is ill-read.

 

No doubt you all have read these books, or otherwise, why would you even be here?

 

Best regards,

Glob

 

Note: I wish I could return to those days of innocence and bliss, and read these books, once again.  Alas, once one has read these books, then they are over and done with, never to be read, again, for the very first time. (Madonna:  “Like a Virgin, for the Very First Time” Madonna knew, years ago, what I am saying now.)

 

 

 

 

[GammaGlobulin]

Moralistically speaking, what are the most terrible things you read, as a youth, while reading Lord Jim?

 

And do these lessons still guide you in your approach to Asian Life, even today, in Thailand?

 

Conrad is not such a celebrated writer, after so many years, even today, for no reason.

 

Conrad's writing had meat on its bones, and sticking power.

 

His stories are not easily denied, even today, in this present-day desert of FB silliness.

[GammaGlobulin]

Conrad was born in the UKRAINE.  Hence, my mention of him during these troubled times.

[GammaGlobulin]

The other obvious and important consideration is that Conrad wrote his novels, and novellas, in English, a language not his native tongue.

 

How amazing is that?!!!

 

And so, knowing that Conrad did what he did, writing so fluidly and fluently in a language which was not his native language, Conrad has always been an inspiration to learners of foreign languages.

 

Some day, if I or you work very hard on our passa Thai, then we, too, may be able to write important works of literature in the Thai language, literary achievements which will be read by millions, and go down in history as revered classics of writing.

 

And, since we are not dead yet, then our accomplishment of such an amazing feat is not beyond the ken.

 

Where there is life, there is hope.

 

Someday, some of us may write a novel which might challenge even the best works of Conrad.

 

According to what I just watched on YouTube, there is at least one good author of Conrad's caliber who has written 27 books, while living in Thailand.

 

Being in Thailand, the hot weather is ultimately conducive to profundity and prolificacy.

 

In fact, living in Thailand, one might even become as prolific as a Balzac.

 

(Just keep on writing.  Some say, a billion monkeys typing can produce great literature. Anyway, this is what I do.)

[mahtin]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

The other obvious and important consideration is that Conrad wrote his novels, and novellas, in English, a language not his native tongue.

 

How amazing is that?!!!

 

And so, knowing that Conrad did what he did, writing so fluidly and fluently in a language which was not his native language, Conrad has always been an inspiration to learners of foreign languages.

 

Some day, if I or you work very hard on our passa Thai, then we, too, may be able to write important works of literature in the Thai language, literary achievements which will be read by millions, and go down in history as revered classics of writing.

 

And, since we are not dead yet, then our accomplishment of such an amazing feat is not beyond the ken.

 

Where there is life, there is hope.

 

Someday, some of us may write a novel which might challenge even the best works of Conrad.

 

According to what I just watched on YouTube, there is at least one good author of Conrad's caliber who has written 27 books, while living in Thailand.

 

Being in Thailand, the hot weather is ultimately conducive to profundity and prolificacy.

 

In fact, living in Thailand, one might even become as prolific as a Balzac.

 

(Just keep on writing.  Some say, a billion monkeys typing can produce great literature. Anyway, this is what I do.)

How amazing is that?!!!

Not so amazing. Even Esarn Thais can do it.

This kept me up late.

https://theisaanrecord.co/2017/08/20/review-pira-sudhams-short-stories/

[GammaGlobulin]

1 hour ago, mahtin said:

How amazing is that?!!!

Not so amazing. Even Esarn Thais can do it.

This kept me up late.

https://theisaanrecord.co/2017/08/20/review-pira-sudhams-short-stories/

It is the quality of writing which amazes, maybe.

 

For example:  Lin Yutang 林語堂, he did it, too, in a major way. ...  Anyway, just a thought of mine... (probably signifying nothing, as usual, unequal to Hamlet, maybe.)