Theme: Contagion
Keith had decreed that we would be atop the zeitgeist and talking all things contagion and, with that in mind, it was straight on to the incredibly apposite...
Reading: The Plague (1947) by Albert Camus
Keith drew perceptive parallels with previous picks: Blindness, and 1984.
Keith read it twice and, second time round, he discovered gems anew.
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| Keith drew perceptive parallels with previous picks: Blindness, and 1984 |
Nick wryly observed that the fascist ‘plague’ that inspired the novel may have gone however many other varieties of pestilence keep this book urgently relevant, not least Covid 19. Man’s confrontation – and cohabitation – with death is vividly related
Hamish listened to this book, something he found quite challenging. Despite a slow moving plot he felt it got better as it went along. It’s a novel which works both on the literal as well as the metaphorical level.
Roland described himself as a Camus virgin eager to pop his cherry. It was a psychological as well as a physical struggle.
Nigel had read The Stranger as a teen, and liked it, but had not read any Camus since those heady days of the late 1970s. So much was eerily familiar which demonstrates how thoroughly Camus researched it, and also how plagues and pandemics follow similar patterns. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is to ponder what allegorical meaning Camus might have attached to each scene.
Robin shocked the group by dissing the book: too much waffle, too turgid, and not enough action.
Camus believed that a plague is not exceptional, just a more obvious manifestation of the human condition. We are always vulnerable to death and disease despite how we may feel. We can never escape our frailty. Camus was also acutely aware of the absurdity of life, and believed instead of despair it should inspire compassion, joy and gratitude. These themes are at the heart of the novel and it’s a message we do well to live by.
Nick 7 / Tristan 6.5 / Nigel 7 / Keith 9 / Roland 8 / Robin 5 / Hamish 7
Listening: What Did You Expect From The Vaccines (2011) by The Vaccines
Most of the group were either neutral or hostile to The Vaccines
There were two exceptions, Tristan and Nigel. Tristan slammed their curmudgeonly nature. Nigel waxed lyrical about having seen them live five times before extolling the charms of the hook laden, sing a long catchy punky tunes aligned to witty, interesting lyrics and punch the air anthemic choruses, and a life reaffirming vibe
Watching: Contagion (2011) dir by Steven Soderbergh
Some loved this film others were more critical
The good stuff
The sickly colour palette
The score
The lingering shots on surfaces which have been touched
The film’s stars being unsentimentally killed
Impeccably put together
Slickly done
The less good
Far too episodic to hold the interest (The only really lively narrative thread is provided by Jude Law as the conspiracy nut with a heart of greed promoting a homeopathic cure for the virus - though not sure about his performance)
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| Conspiracy nut Jude |
Little actual drama - despite the score doing its best to keep things tense
Marion Cotillard’s kidnapped WHO official just disappearing for most of the second half of the film
Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon - a more mismatched couple it’s hard to imagine
The all star cast was a bit distracting and it might have worked better with unknowns and a more documentary style
No one gets enough time to have any real impact
Ultimately it’s completely uninvolving
Disappointing given Steven Soderbergh’s pedigree
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