Sunday Morning! Bowles on Film

Rufus F.

Rufus is a likeable curmudgeon. He has a PhD in History, sang for a decade in a punk band, and recently moved to NYC after nearly two decades in Canada. He wrote the book "The Paris Bureau" from Dio Press (2021).

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4 Responses

  1. Aaron David says:

    I had started reading Dune again as a pallet cleanser, so to speak, after a deep dive into The Troubles, in print and film. But, as I always have multiple books going on, I was also reading some Conrad short stories, mostly those dealing with, on the surface, the Napoleonic era. But Dune isn’t a book with multiple levels that reward a rereading, as it is a very surface oriented book. And there is nothing wrong with that, but as I in a space much more open for a challenge.

    So I have had Under the Volcano sitting on my shelf for over a decade, and I think now is the time to pick it up. I read the first section or so over the last few nights, and it seems to be very much of its time, and a jump past its contemporaries all the same. Very enjoyable.

    Also, I finally broke down and subscribed to the Criterion channel, and started watching a Belgien version of Conrad’s Almayer’s Folly. So, if you are noticing a Conrad theme, don’t be alarmed. Conrad is one of, in my opinion, the most important writers.Report

    • Rufus F. in reply to Aaron David says:

      Under the Volcano is a great novel. I read it a few years ago when I quit drinking, but it’s about many more things. I keep intending to watch the movie, which is on the Criterion Channel, but haven’t got up the wherewithal yet.

      It’s interesting you mention Conrad- I just finished the William S. Burroughs biography and he was also a big believer that Conrad was the great modern writer. Unfortunately, I’ve only read the story that everyone has to read in school- the horror! But I guess I can see what capacity the local library is running at!Report

      • Aaron David in reply to Rufus F. says:

        If I may suggest it, read Conrads Lord Jim. And I haven’t read everything by him by any means; he falls into that rarified category of a lifetime read.Report

  2. dhex says:

    this has been an excellent series, rufus!Report