”When the government is allowed to show up unannounced without a warrant and search people’s homes, it is bad news for all of us.”
— Says New York Times in an editorial (A Loss for Privacy Rights) against unwarranted police searches in California (In breach of the 4th Amendment that forbids unreasonable searches and seizures) targeted at poor people who apply for social security.
WARNING:
Mature content please DO NOT read further if easily offended for personal or religious reasons.
In the history of novel writing, the 20th century has seen the revolution as fas as breaking the taboos is concerned. Novels containing taboo themes (openly challenging religious, political authorities and their systems, explicit adultery, incest, illicit sexual affairs), taboo words (fuck, cunt, shit plus so many other swear words and phrases… though it remains interesting how some words are gaining taboo status like nigger, fag, dyke.. READ Wikipedia article on Profanity), taboo subject matter (explicit, graphic and gratuitous violence, rape, killing, necrophilia) etc. were published. Here are some of the ground breaking novels and widely recognized as the ”firsts” and pioneers in their groundbreaking or taboo breaking. All titles contain links to their Amazon.com page where you can read other reviews or buy the book.
1.) Ulysses by James Joyce. First published in 1922 in Paris, banned in UK and USA. Contains irreverent or obscene scoffing of religion, explicit sexuality, fetishes, obscene language or expletives, scatological material and possibly coprophilia.
2.) Lady Chatterly’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Written and published privately in 1928 in Florence, Italy. Contains graphic and taboo, adulterous sexual affair shown in a sort of positive and gratuitous light, four letter expletives.
3.) Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. Published in Paris in 1934. Ground breaking in its frankness and directness of describing sexual affairs, sexual intercourse, genitalia etc. No novel had gone to such limits before in portraying graphic sex. Usually critic opinions range from ”trash” to ”one of the greatest novels” of 20th century.
4.) City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal. Published in 1948. Known as the first frank ”gay” novel that has a love affair between two young men as its plot. Gore Vidal often reminisces how even The New York Times had refused to review the novel because it was considered immoral or objectionable bythe ”liberal” newspaper at that time.
After and between the publication of these novels, so many writers and novels touched upon taboo subjects. Too many to name or remember probably. I would mention just one that stood out in 1990s and could be considered precursor of the sorts the modern shock novelists are writing today.
5.) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. Published in 1991. This novel packed– I suppose, with the apparent intention to shock and sell– graphic violence, rape, sexual violence against women, gratuitous killing, Sadism, necrophilia and even cannibalism.
But here is one question: What you think remains taboo today?? My personal reading of American Psycho was that, after a while you get bored with this genre. Maybe that’s the reason these are not categorized as classics. Now these novels are quite generic though they do sell well at times.
Here is second question: Please mention books and writers that I omitted and you think they must be there in the list. Also, give me reasons why they’re taboo breakers? You can nominate your taboo books from any language, country or culture as long as you give me good references to the work.
This news story from The Guardian newspaper in London, ”Riven by class and no social mobility – Britain in 2007” is kind of disconcerting and even depressing to read. Rest of the world has very romantic notions about Britain including England, Wales, Scotland. Millions of people want to go to UK from all over the world to visit, holiday, study, work and immigrate permanently. This trend is seen among the developed countries like USA, Canada, Australia as well as the developing countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa etc.
I don’t know what the fuss is all about? Lots of people say many British people leave UK and live in other countries as expats because life is not all that nice (weather being the prime subject to moan about) and taxes are too high.
Anyway, this report notes that 89% people in UK say they’re judged by their class. The trends are not so different in Wales and Scotland. Working class people are very much likely to stay working class. Same is true with the middle class. Here is what report mentions:
”But many class attitudes have survived economic change. That suggests people are still judged by where they come from rather than how much they earn.”
This above quote from the story must appear as quite an uncool truth about UK to many readers I suppose? Well, wherever you’re from, express your thoughts in the comments section. Cheers.
I really cannot believe that I am having to write this to some educated, seemingly decent, ”Catholic” blonde woman who lives in UK……
After finding THIS BLOG I ended up posting an odd comment there. The one mentioned in my last post about freedom of speech. The simple discussion led me to her other post, ”Amnesty International, Iran and Propaganda” and I am not saying this out of some childish rivalry or anything but I personally found it a very disturbing read. Just visit the link to the post and let me know what you think. But what really disturbed me was this blogger’s insensitive treatment of Zahra Kazemi’s tragedy. I never thought on the other end of the political spectrum there could exist the antithesis of Anne Coulter…. In the true spirit of a friendly debate- which does not mean agreeing to each other, I post this comment for people who might have or harbor such notions:
emberglow Says:
28 November, 2007 at 3:45 am
I appreciate your taking so much time to do a lengthy write up. NO big organization, entity, publication etc. is objective or error,corruption free. If something exists on such a large scale there will always be cracks somewhere. I recently wrote a post about how I like New York Times for many reasons despite it’s obvious or not so obvious misgivings. Amnesty International is a big bureaucracy too. But you cannot trash it altogether and other human rights organizations and reliable sources.
Now let me come to the second point. As much as I admire your resolve to counter ”Islamophobia” I am appalled by your blatant prejudice. I myself hate Islamophobia and its creators. For example this is my lengthy post on Mark Steyn and people like him: CLICK FOR LINK
But at the same time it is important to criticize human rights violations, related crimes in any country of the world. Police torture and custodial deaths are the norm in most eastern countries, not just Iran. You begin talking about Kazemi’s case and then suddenly trash it and move on:
”The Kazemi case is only a human rights violation if the Iranian version of events is untrue, which AI can’t possibly know. Otherwise it’s just an accidental death in police custody. So why mention it three years on?”
She was a journalist. If she wanted to discover the truth and ”violated” laws or restrictions she should be praised for her bravery. But you make her into a ”criminal” and then you embrace the evidence of Iranian news agency IRNA and Iranian government ”inquiry” and reject the international community, Human rights groups, government of Canada, where Kazemi had gained citizenship and where her family resides. Her son in Canada, Stephan Hachemi, still believes that his mother was tortured, raped and murdered. Is he supporting international anti- Iran propaganda? Maybe he is getting paid for it? huh ?
If you cannot sympathize with the most cruel, unjust, barbaric rape and murder of a woman…,do you also have no sympathy for Kazemi’s surviving family just because you choose to think it is all anti- Iran propaganda? I really don’t know what is driving your maniacal prejudices, and, let’s say, Islamophilia/Iranophilia that so tragically blinds your mind and clouds your judgment.
Please wake up!
