I'm getting there!

I have finished reading AQOTWF this weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed it (well as much as you can enjoy a book like that). My comments will follow in a weeks time after I have done my professional exams.

Nurton.

My computer is a critic

My Cpu just deleted my comments on WOMD so I will redo them later (honestly)

Continuing the anti-war theme we will read

All Quiet On the Western Front-Erich Maria Remarque

some history
Remarque was a German soldier during the First World War
The book was banned by Hitler-another veteran of WW1

I think instead of reviewing we should answer the question:

"With particular reference to the recent/ongoing Iraq conflict, who makes a more powerful antiwar statement, Remarque or Townsend?"

Adrian Mole and The Weapons of Mass Destruction – Comments by Nurton

This book is the perfect publication for which to start our club with. Not only does the concept of a readers group feature throughout the second half of the book, but Adrian Mole, by his own admission is an Intellectual.

This was the second time that I had had the opportunity to read this superbly entertaining book. I first read it when it was published soon after the beginning of the Iraq war. If you are familiar with Sue Townend’s other books in the Adrian Mole series then you will soon realise that this book has been written with a massive political sub agenda which is something she has never done before to such an extent. You certainly get the feeling that she resurrected the character because she felt that it was the best way that she could express her distain for the current state of the nation.

Amazingly despite this obvious political message overhanging the book, it still remains a book that makes you look like a crazed idiot when reading it in public places. I don’t know why, but people look at you in a very strange way when you burst into spontaneous laughter in the middle of a packed commuter train 15 times within 15 minutes on the commute into work. It really is that funny in places!

A few of my favourite bits are:

- Gielgud the swan
- Daisy
- Pandora being humble (slightly)
- The piggery
- The comedy aspect of huge personal debt.

For an Adrian Mole diary I really can’t think of anything that could have been better about it. The best bit by far is that it manages to extract real emotion from you at the end. If you read it you will know why!

Week starting: Monday 25th July

This week's book is:

Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction

The two members (so far just Darth and me, sob!) will be reading it this week. We will comment on it over the weekend. Leave a comment here if you want to join.

PS: Sorry if there are any shocking typos in these posts, but I am rushing because I want to leave work early!

A few words about the BAWIRA

I suspect I have slightly different definitions of what constitutes intellectualism than young Nurton.

Clearly there is no definitive thing one person can do to become an intellectual. In the current climate of pop-culture obsession and accredation-infatuation, I would say an intellectual is someone who is prepared to promote his/her ideas straying outside, if necessay, their own particular sphere of expertise.

My mandate for any form of intellectual froum would be one where ideas are debated. People who get upset because someone holds a different opinion, even one that is regarded by the hoi polloi as offensive are advised not to join. I disagree that there should be a ban on any sort of literature to be discussed. This is not me saying something weak like 'all literature has equal cultural and or intellectual value'-I don't believe this, but in banning the discussion of it Nurton would undermine the very point of an intellectual forum.

Points of intellect I suspect the current members will disagree on

1. Whether Jeremy Clarkson is an intellectual-true it is often refreshing to note Clarkson comments on a wide variety of issues but jingoism, chauvanism, racism, elitism are not original ideas Clarkson is merely a popular representative for the better off middle classes who's collective ambition in this world is to own a fast/the fastest car.
2. The value of popular science-I deplore popular science. I hate the way people who read it feel informed as they toss a few buzzwords and fashionable phrases across the pub table. Science is no longer valued unless the less mentaly capable public can be involved in it. Authors should stop pandering to this and write about how to restore the esteem in the sciences.
3. Art for arts sake is important

I feel compelled to get points down lest someone brand me a philistine for contributing to this website.

A view of the home of BAWIRA

A picture of Woodham to encourage you to join!



A picture of Bath. The posh end of town!

Welcome to BAWIRA

What is BAWIRA? ... Let me explain:

Darth Kendrick and Nurton are two friends from a small place called Woodham which is near a slightly bigger place called Wessie B which in turn is near to an even larger place called Londinum.

Nurton has recently moved to Bath which is near a very small place called Yatton Kennell.

Nurton and Darth have been wondering how to meet young single women. Darth concluded that joining a reading club would be a good place to meet "fitties". But as neither of us can be bothered to join a book club or talk to the kind of extremely boring people who frequent them, we decided to create our own on the interweb. Our goals are as follows:

- To create an online community where we can discuss a nominated 'book for the week'
- To encourage our friends to join
- To encourage Scandinavian single women to join
- To avoid too much poetry
- To avoid Harry Potter
- To be an international club

So, ladies and gentlemen, we give you the

Bath And Woodham Intellectual Reader's Association

If you want to join, leave a comment and I will add you as a contributor to the page. Everybody will get to choose a book at some stage (in the order they joined) and then at the end of the week we will review the current book (everybody leaves a post and people can add there comments to what people have said).

This club is a splinter cell of the CNF, although membership of the CNF is not mandatory it is recommended.