Isaac Bashevis Singer's "Meshugah"

[Laurasia]

Nov 29, 2010 11:30:15 GMT -5 @mccoyxyz said:

So maybe the main theme of the current lifetime is simply some time to relax and detox; become more the person we were before all of this.

Amen to THAT! ;D

Sincerely,
Laurasia

[kapitanprien]

Oddly enough - I had that thought too (although I didn't make it far into the war). Currently it seems like my focus is on the 1930's - which was my favorite period (the latter half mainly). I noticed with all of my vintage furniture, that it dates to the mid-late 30's (from what I could research on it). I do have some items that are from the 40's (mainly dishes), but it just seems like I'm to be focusing on the happier time of my life.

[mccoyxyz]

reply to k: I would suggest you and I have at least something of an advantage over much of the rest of the people here.
Now whatever else one may say about the U boats, it was at least a legitimate form of warfare, they were definitely exposed to a lot of enemy hazards and paid the price for whatever achievements they made.
Similar in a sort of a way to dying of illness in the ghetto before things got too crazy. Exempt from a lot of the stuff some of these other people saw.

[kapitanprien]

Re McCoy: That's one thing I've noticed. And I could take it even further back with having been on ships during my time in the Handelsmarine (German Merchant Marine). I wasn't around the chaos and trauma for the most part during the 20s' and 30's since I was always out at sea. I never really 'saw' and 'experienced' much of what happened on land during those years.

That's true about having paid a high price - the U-Boat arm of the Kriegsmarine had the highest casualty rate (estimated 75-80%).

I also study the U-Boat War during WWI and for those interested in the Battle of the Atlantic, I always strongly suggest that they study WWI - because only studying WWII is only getting half the picture.

[mccoyxyz]

Update: I've now finally got up enough nerve to finish this book. I keep asking myself stuff like: only 40 pages to go, how can things possibly get any worse than they already are? And somehow, they do anyhow.
Sure easy to see how the Jewish mainstream establishment of the era (ie the longterm US citizens who had arrived long before all that stuff) were so deadset against Singer's writing. It certainly did not paint things in any sort of manner they'd like.
Now that I'm done this, I won't read any more of his stuff; just too darn depressing. I prefer contemporary American novels.