I’ve been re-reading William Golding’s The Pyramid the last few days. I had not read it for so long. It was probably my favourite book when I was around eighteen or nineteen, perhaps because as Oliver says right at the start of the first of the three interconnected novellas that make up the book, “eighteen is a good time for suffering. One has all the necessary strength and no defences.” But one can suffer at any age of course, for all kinds of different reasons, and reflecting on the book now, that comes through beautifully. Evelyn De Tracy suffers with his forbidden love and sexuality; Miss Dawlish suffers her lifetime of impossible love for Henry Williams. Yet the spark of hope is there in the idea that Modernism will provide an escape from the confinements of the old class structures. In hindsight of course those confinements were simply replaced with a different set of systems for suffering in the form of mediated ciphers in which we arguably place too far much value. Like books and films and records. But that’s modern life for you. And yes, it is rubbish.

Comments

[Matt Gregg]

I think your last comments are poignant to your decision to end Tangents; we arguably place too much value on such things as books, films and records, but following your webzine/blog since 2001 has led me to some great music. I stumbled across your site while searching for info on The Clientele, and since then most of my cd collection has been influenced by your reliable comments and reviews on new music.

Thanks.

[Gavin]

Sad sad sad. For the rest of us, obviously.

I just wanted to say thank you for publishing a couple of my articles, this meant a lot to me. Also, like the previous poster, for pointing me in the some interesting directions. Music and literature can enhance life and so many thanks, Alistair, for doing some enhancing.

All the very best for the future.

[David]

Whats going on?
This site has been part of my lunchtime browsing for so many years (and so many jobs). Where do I get to read about swedish pop records I'll never buy now?

Thanks for all the pointers on all those records, comics and books (loved yr Charles Willeford / David Goodis period) and oh so many other things. Tangents, you will be sorely missed.

[Tim Footman]

A humble tribute here: http://culturalsnow.blogspot.com/2007/06/forever-breathes-lonely-word.html