You don't see That Hideous Strength mentioned very much, but it does have a resonance now. I used to teach that one in an Arthurian legend class. Lots of echoes with the long-surviving Arthurian tradition. It's the last of the "Space Trilogy" (Out of the Silent Planet & Perelandra being the first two), and the bad guys get their comeuppance in the end. As you'd expect, Lewis mixes up Christian and medieval stories as he built the story.
Great quote from Tom Hanks. Makes me feel that there is some reason somewhere.
I first read THS back in college and recently tried to reread it. I lost interest after a few chapters. Douthat’s take on the novel, however, got me thinking it might be time to try again.
Re Hanks, yes! Reasonable. Apparently that’s difficult for folks these days.
First off, thank you for the recommendation. I ghost for a prominent television and radio pastor, so I spend my office hours pouring over commentaries and steeped in Greek and Hebrew. Y'allogy is a fun outlet for me, giving me a chance to speak (or at least write) in my native tongue—Texan.
To the point of your post, however: I appreciated your take on Portis. Though as an Arkansan he skewered my Texas sensibilities, True Grit remains a favorite for its simplicity of plot, complexity of character, and stripped down wit. The dialogue is filed to an edge sharper than an Arkansas toothpick, just as good country folk in the 19th century spoke. As a practitioner of dialogue, he ranks up there with two other masters I admire: Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy.
I also appreciated the quote from Bradford, especially the use of the phrase, "stupidity and bullying." His comment reminded me of something Christian philosopher Peter Kreeft, who in his preface to his commentary on Pascal's Pensées, Christianity for Modern Pagans, said in a footnote, no doubt because an editor redlined his text. Kreeft wrote, "Note on 'sexist' language: Those who insist on changing the centuries-old convention by which 'he' is shorthand for 'he or she' are invited to pay their dues to the newly neutered grammar god and add a 'she' to each 'he' in the following sentence, then read it aloud. If he (or she) does not have a tin ear for language, he (or she) will change his (or her) mind about his (or her) linguistic 'improvements,' I (or we) think."
Interesting that Taylor mentioned prophecy and comedy together; those two disciplines both have a tendency to offend their hearers. Think of how many times the Biblical prophets were thrown into dungeons or executed because their message wasn't what the establishment wanted to hear. I'm seriously worried for a culture which doesn't seem to want to encounter anything remotely uncomfortable (and thereby, perhaps, learn and grow); but as usual, serious writers will continue to say what they know needs to be said. I'm happy to hear Tom Hanks' stance on the issue. Thanks, as always, for writing!
Yes, grateful for Hanks. But it is puzzling: One of the great benefits of literature is it’s ability to present us with something strange and alien to our regular experience. If it’s difficult to deal with, that’s part of the challenge—and, like you said, possibly the means of personal growth.
Sharing it to my WhatsApp Book club group as we briefly discussed on True Grit and Portis just before I saw this on my timeline. Yet to read any of his books, but I will venture soon into Portis territory based on your write up. Cheers..
Good stuff. I share your appreciation for Charles Portis's work. Like you, I only discovered him much later in life than I should have — I might've learned more about what makes compelling fiction writing if I'd read it earlier. After True Grit, I've plowed through his other books and loved them all despite being different from True Grit. But they all share that great unique voice.
I've never been one for westerns, though I enjoyed the True Grit remake. Masters of Atlantis, however, sounds like something I might really like. Thank you for alerting me to its existence!
A friend of mine once pointed out that a hallmark of the modern moral aristocracy is that their era, the moral Now over which they rule, must be seen as superior to any other. It's a deliberate and necessary thing, this making the past a scary place, that reinforces their power and prestige. Incidentally, you see the same thing in the CCP, who have banned time travel stories, at least in film and television.
I finally read True Grit a couple of years ago. After seeing the John Wayne film so many times I had unwittingly memorized much of Portis' book-- as the screenplay is mostly a direct lift from the novel. It's curious though that Portis' spiritual emphasis got yanked from the Wayne film and gets only a few nods in the recent remake. The Christian testimony of the American Indian about to be hanged was magnificent. The best part of the book were the pages of Mattie in the snake pit, which may also have had spiritual overtones—especially since Rooster is the hero who saves her.
Yes, Mattie’s Christianity is thoroughly part of her character. And I’d agree on Rooster’s rescue from the snake. It’s always struck me as Christological: Mattie’s desire for vengeance leads to disaster, a fall, where she’s maimed, and Rooster must descend to retrieve and save her life.
You don't see That Hideous Strength mentioned very much, but it does have a resonance now. I used to teach that one in an Arthurian legend class. Lots of echoes with the long-surviving Arthurian tradition. It's the last of the "Space Trilogy" (Out of the Silent Planet & Perelandra being the first two), and the bad guys get their comeuppance in the end. As you'd expect, Lewis mixes up Christian and medieval stories as he built the story.
Great quote from Tom Hanks. Makes me feel that there is some reason somewhere.
I first read THS back in college and recently tried to reread it. I lost interest after a few chapters. Douthat’s take on the novel, however, got me thinking it might be time to try again.
Re Hanks, yes! Reasonable. Apparently that’s difficult for folks these days.
First off, thank you for the recommendation. I ghost for a prominent television and radio pastor, so I spend my office hours pouring over commentaries and steeped in Greek and Hebrew. Y'allogy is a fun outlet for me, giving me a chance to speak (or at least write) in my native tongue—Texan.
To the point of your post, however: I appreciated your take on Portis. Though as an Arkansan he skewered my Texas sensibilities, True Grit remains a favorite for its simplicity of plot, complexity of character, and stripped down wit. The dialogue is filed to an edge sharper than an Arkansas toothpick, just as good country folk in the 19th century spoke. As a practitioner of dialogue, he ranks up there with two other masters I admire: Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy.
I also appreciated the quote from Bradford, especially the use of the phrase, "stupidity and bullying." His comment reminded me of something Christian philosopher Peter Kreeft, who in his preface to his commentary on Pascal's Pensées, Christianity for Modern Pagans, said in a footnote, no doubt because an editor redlined his text. Kreeft wrote, "Note on 'sexist' language: Those who insist on changing the centuries-old convention by which 'he' is shorthand for 'he or she' are invited to pay their dues to the newly neutered grammar god and add a 'she' to each 'he' in the following sentence, then read it aloud. If he (or she) does not have a tin ear for language, he (or she) will change his (or her) mind about his (or her) linguistic 'improvements,' I (or we) think."
The book was published with the universal "he."
Blessings.
Kreeft is always good to read. I agree that many attempts to universalize our language can make it clunky and unreadable.
I’m with you on Portis’s langauge. True Grit feels as natural as can be. It’s an amazing little novel.
Interesting that Taylor mentioned prophecy and comedy together; those two disciplines both have a tendency to offend their hearers. Think of how many times the Biblical prophets were thrown into dungeons or executed because their message wasn't what the establishment wanted to hear. I'm seriously worried for a culture which doesn't seem to want to encounter anything remotely uncomfortable (and thereby, perhaps, learn and grow); but as usual, serious writers will continue to say what they know needs to be said. I'm happy to hear Tom Hanks' stance on the issue. Thanks, as always, for writing!
Yes, grateful for Hanks. But it is puzzling: One of the great benefits of literature is it’s ability to present us with something strange and alien to our regular experience. If it’s difficult to deal with, that’s part of the challenge—and, like you said, possibly the means of personal growth.
Sharing it to my WhatsApp Book club group as we briefly discussed on True Grit and Portis just before I saw this on my timeline. Yet to read any of his books, but I will venture soon into Portis territory based on your write up. Cheers..
Wonderful! If I were recommending them, I’d say start with True Grit, then try Dog of the South and Gringos.
It’s true. I always looked forward to it so I might have to read him again!
Good stuff. I share your appreciation for Charles Portis's work. Like you, I only discovered him much later in life than I should have — I might've learned more about what makes compelling fiction writing if I'd read it earlier. After True Grit, I've plowed through his other books and loved them all despite being different from True Grit. But they all share that great unique voice.
I love how “easy” his prose feels. It’s so unforced and understated.
I've never been one for westerns, though I enjoyed the True Grit remake. Masters of Atlantis, however, sounds like something I might really like. Thank you for alerting me to its existence!
A friend of mine once pointed out that a hallmark of the modern moral aristocracy is that their era, the moral Now over which they rule, must be seen as superior to any other. It's a deliberate and necessary thing, this making the past a scary place, that reinforces their power and prestige. Incidentally, you see the same thing in the CCP, who have banned time travel stories, at least in film and television.
“The moral Now over which they rule”—great phrase. And seems like a pretty accurate description of the situation.
I finally read True Grit a couple of years ago. After seeing the John Wayne film so many times I had unwittingly memorized much of Portis' book-- as the screenplay is mostly a direct lift from the novel. It's curious though that Portis' spiritual emphasis got yanked from the Wayne film and gets only a few nods in the recent remake. The Christian testimony of the American Indian about to be hanged was magnificent. The best part of the book were the pages of Mattie in the snake pit, which may also have had spiritual overtones—especially since Rooster is the hero who saves her.
Yes, Mattie’s Christianity is thoroughly part of her character. And I’d agree on Rooster’s rescue from the snake. It’s always struck me as Christological: Mattie’s desire for vengeance leads to disaster, a fall, where she’s maimed, and Rooster must descend to retrieve and save her life.