Re: Godot: An Introduction

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PODESTA,Lesley wrote:

> Malcolm wrote:
>         "You mean his being so happy that he couldn't help but ruin it?
> I've always
> > thought that it was the central working cog of the mechanized
> > cliche/metaphor of "people living in g(G)lass houses shouldn't throw
> > stones." He threw the stone and years later when his conscience caught
> > up
> > with him, he threw it at himself instead (i.e.. the suicide)."
> >
>         I never thought of that before! Is this because there are no
> such things as "Cliff Notes" in Australia (which I've gathered from
> various posts are kind of crib sheets) and we just read them ourselves?
> But, if I'm doing you a disservice and you are the author of that theory
> then bravo, it's great.

I never used Cliff Notes in school. Couldn't even bring myself to open one
up out of curiosity. I loved books so much that I decided very early on that
it was either going to be sink or swim. If I didn't get it, I didn't get it.
But I was not about to hungrily stuff the instant gratification of a Cliff's
Notes in my greedy little mind. I think if anything they can be detrimental.
Say you're so precocious that you want to start reading Dostoyevsky when
you're 12. Sure, the Cliff Notes might elucidate the architecture and the
various undertows for you, but you're not going to be able to "relate" to
what's going on for many years. I'd rather have an image haunt me for a
decade or two until I finally "get it" than just roll my eyes, shrug my
shoulders, say "whatever" and flip to the back of the book.

Malcolm

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