Beautiful job choosing particular passages and examples of Vollman’s language and thinking. Of the 4 Dreams I’ve read so far, this is my favorite - due to the perfect combination of its language, subject, history, characters and humor. You used the word ‘giddy’ on how his language could make you feel. Agreed completely. Thanks again
I still haven't read this dream but I've read The Rifles and I really enjoyed how Vollmann weaved Franklin's expedition, Cpt. Sub Zero's story (his alter ego), and his own experience in the magnetic North Pole. So it's good to know that he deploys the same technique on this one. I'm definitely going to pick this one up next year.
Argall is most definitely *not* the right place to start with Vollmann but thankfully read this many, many years ago because of a random gift from my old high school physics professor who I ended up being very good friends with after leaving town and finding him again after I was deep into college. That same day he also gave me a copy of Gravity's Rainbow and a CD of the eponymous Moondog, and I also remember getting into a car crash while I was driving him to a figurine painting convention. I'm glad you enjoyed it, this was one of the books that got me deep into readerly *and* writerly works.
One day in the 22nd or 23rd century, a kid will look back (possibly not in anger) at this century to make a list of our greatest writers: the name of William T. Vollmann better be on that list. Thanks for recommending this tasty chunk of Virginiana: whereas he was Blind, now he let us see.
Unfortunately, I don't have any idea. But I'm dying for them! There is a small extract of _The Cloud-Shirt_ on Grand Street: www.grandstreet.com/gsissues/gs46/gs46c.html
It was your videos that convinced me to pick up the available volumes of Seven Dreams (and abridged RURD). I read The Ice Shirt and was wondering if you would recommend reading them in the order they were published. Thanks again for all of your wonderful videos, Chris.
I read them in historical chronological order, since each dream links back to its predecessors. But I'm sure they can be read any which way and still be amazing. 1. _The Ice-Shirt_ 2. _Fathers and Crows_ 3. _Argall_ 4. _The Poison Shirt_ (not yet published) 5. _The Dying Grass_ 6. _The Rifles_ 7. _The Cloud-Shirt_ (not yet published)
It has been nearly three years since Vollmann has published anything which for him is an eternity, The Lucky Star came out in February 2020 just as the pandemic began, shut the world down and I read during a five week stay in a hospital following an autologous stem cell transplant. His two volumes of photos have been delayed again until June 2023. Your fine video on him (as usual BTW) will spur another reading of this and other Dreams. I still await your video on Harold Brodkey.
I, too, recently saw that my preorders of the photo books got pushed out. I do know that he was having some health issues. And then his daughter died. So I'm sure those factors affected his work.
I see a copy of Honoree Fanonne Jeffers's "The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois" in the background, if you haven't read that book, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!! Probably the best novel I've ever read about race here in America, and a great American epic too! One of my favorites!
I wrote a review for _LARB_ on that one! lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-question-is-my-breath-on-honoree-fanonne-jefferss-the-love-songs-of-w-e-b-du-bois/
I love that on the "Praise for Argall" page, two of the reviews aren't praise at all. The quote from the NYT actually wonders who'd want to read "this sort of thing, with its false etymologies, obvious puns, forced archaisms and self-indulgent digressions." And I was like, "Oh, I do! I do!"
@@LeafbyLeaf I used your idea of making a genealogical chart of the characters and it really increased my enjoyment while reading it; when I reached the end of the book I discovered that the author had provided two on the last pages.
Actually, not at all. I mean, I _did_ do grad school, but I've never been an academic. I do read a lot of academic books and I hail from a family full of educators. But I've been in the technology field all my life.
Hysterical realism - the kind that makes me yearn for the control and compassion of “Mason & Dixon.” Still, I’m sure there will be much to entrance (or distract) me. Nice work, as always.
“Mein Kampf is one of the most widely known and heavily quoted books of all time. It demonstrates both Hitler’s ability to persuade and his ability to instill a sense of heroic destiny. It is critical that you understand Hitler’s reasoning. Short, one-hour video documentaries only provide an abbreviated discussion of “what Hitler did”, leaving the viewer clueless about who he was and why he did it. His own words are the best way to understand why. When most people hear the title, Mein Kampf, their first reaction is a growing emotional outburst that finally erupts in a yell of anti-Semitism; however anyone who has read Mein Kampf knows there is much more to the work. It is a retrospective on history, politics, and a guide to achieving power from the point of view of Adolf Hitler. It has become a dictators’ manual, which has been read by all major dictators since World War II including Sadam Hussein who patterned his political movement, the Ba’ath party, after the Nazi party. The accuracy of the political parts of Mein Kampf was proven by Hitler’s successful rise to power and by the rise of those who have followed his formula. Many people think Mein Kampf is a long diatribe against Jews and other races. The truth is that only a small part of Mein Kampf is anti-Semitic. The majority of the book involves Hitler’s discussion of the German people’s difficult times after the First World War, his political theories and his organization of the Nazi Party, and it includes an especially large number of attacks against his enemies. Mein Kampf is a large work that offers an interesting interpretation of politics, people, and foreign policy matters. To characterize it as simply a racist work is to oversimplify its message. Germany did not follow Hitler because he was a racist, they followed him because he promised a great future, and Mein Kampf is where he promised that great future. It is important to understand that reading anti-Semitic passages or passages on race will not turn anyone into an anti-Semite. You do not have to worry about being filled with hatred simply by reading Mein Kampf; it is not a magic tome. Some people have so little faith in their own beliefs that they fear any exposure to Mein Kampf might twist them into something evil. If their beliefs are so fragile, so easily twisted, then they are already evil. Unfortunately, many people are afraid that if they do not violently reject anything connected to Mein Kampf, and reject it in a showy way, as they look around to make sure everyone sees their public display of rejection, then it somehow means they approve of the Holocaust or Nazism or whatever triggers their fear. Of course, that is not logical reasoning and it seems silly when it is spelled out, but people often live by their gut reaction and do not think about why they dislike Mein Kampf-they just know they “do” or that they “should”. They are driven by fear, which leads to a hatred of Mein Kampf without a rational basis and without the need to read it in order to understand what it says. They want to live in a simple world where they can conveniently dismiss Hitler as a raving lunatic along with anyone else who does not immediately jump up at the mention of his name to join in the shouting match. It is foolish to dismiss Hitler’s words as the ranting of a psychopath. To do so is to ignore historical facts. The people of Germany did not follow someone they believed was a crazy man into war. They willingly followed someone they saw as a leader, a father, even a god, because they believed in him. To dismiss his work as lunacy is the equivalent of hiding your head in the sand and pretending the world is a nice place where nothing bad can happen again now that Hitler is gone. To claim Hitler was simply crazy is to oversimplify the facts and ignore the obvious. Someone else will appear who uses the same formula to gain power. If you cannot recognize the signs of Hitlerian Power, if you do not know how to counter their efforts, if you remain confused and uncertain as your opponent makes his moves, step by step with decisiveness and intention, and your inaction allows him to come closer to power, then you have already lost and they have won, for they know the rules of the game and you do not. Only through understanding can we come to grips with why the German people followed Hitler and why so many today still follow his example. Mein Kampf is not strictly autobiographical or strictly political; it is a combination of both. Mein Kampf has elements that are autobiographical- for instance, the first chapter of Mein Kampf is about Hitler’s childhood, but even this is a political exposition. Hitler’s personal life was so devoted to political ideas that even strictly biographical sections had to be very political in nature. The title Hitler initially wanted to give his work reflects the emotional nature of its content: Four and a Half Years of Fighting Against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice. His editor found this title to be wordy and asked him to change it to Mein Kampf. Mein Kampf is most commonly translated as “My Struggle”, however, the real meaning is somewhere between “My Struggle” and “My Battle” for the people. It was not intended to describe his own greatness; it was meant to describe his battle for the greatness of Germany and for the preservation of the German race and the world. Today, many people accept Hitler’s contention that human existence is controlled by the laws of an eternal conflict and struggle for a greater good. This is by definition the classic Hero’s Struggle. It is not surprising that people followed Hitler. It is surprising that more did not. His words offered the chance for everyone to participate in his personal Hero’s journey- to be a part of something greater than they could ever be on their own. He was the hero of his own story, of course, only a fool would write their autobiography any other way. He appealed to very basic human instincts which are still present in everyone and still just as available for another would-be leader to massage and control. Hitler’s words have a universal appeal that will continue to resonate among people who seek something greater than they perceive their own life to be. The world has become so distracted by the later events of World War II and with the handful of racial comments in Mein Kampf, it has forgotten about the significance of the Third Reich’s other activities. Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations; Hitler marched into the Rhineland; Hitler repudiated German disarmament; Hitler took back the coal mines of the Saar and established a National Socialist government; Hitler joined Mussolini in Spain and marched into Austria; Hitler forced Chamberlain to accept the Munich pact. Hitler plays on the common belief of the time in Germany that Jews were responsible for the loss of the First World War: “... the Jewish financial and Marxist press intentionally incited the hatred against Germany until one state after another gave up its neutrality and joined the World War coalition, ignoring the real interests of their people in the process”. This view was easy to accept within the borders of Germany, with limited information and a limited view of world events and a history of anti-Semitism. It ignores the accumulation of economic, political, and military rivalries, and the violation of Belgian neutrality that drove England into the war. It also ignores America’s entry into the war which was a clear turning point. These factors, and not the influence of Jewish Germans, turned the tables in The First World War. However, these facts were of no use to Hitler and even the German people were not interested in hearing them. The mood of the German people in 1933 made them dangerously susceptible to falling under the spell of a strong leader. They tried to return to their normal lives and find some national self-respect, but instead they found the way blocked by other nations and blind misunderstanding. The war victors were interested only in reparations. The German labor parties, which might have helped, were split into half a dozen warring camps. This occurred at a time when the people had become accustomed to a long period of strong nationalism. Order and security became more important than a political freedom and that was synonymous with violence and bloodshed. Hitler saw these problems and spoke directly to people’s fears and desires. The German people wanted a strong leader to solve their problems, a leader who could return their national self-respect. To the German people, anti-Semitism, concentration camps, and political oppression were by-products of what they saw as necessary action to feel secure. Following Hitler was not a great leap for the German people. It was what they needed, when they needed it. Understanding how a leader can appeal to and control a nation without being questioned is critical to identifying similar events unfolding today.” -Michael Ford P.S. Just say NO to Donald Trump.
This is my favorite in the Seven Dreams series, and you did it justice.
Thanks so much, Dr. Moore!
Yes! more Vollmann. What a treat. Thank You. Cool Shirt.
Thanks!
Fantastic video, Chris. Hearing you speak on Vollmann is always a treat.
Thanks so much!
Beautiful job choosing particular passages and examples of Vollman’s language and thinking. Of the 4 Dreams I’ve read so far, this is my favorite - due to the perfect combination of its language, subject, history, characters and humor. You used the word ‘giddy’ on how his language could make you feel. Agreed completely. Thanks again
Thanks so much!
Dat tshirt thou. Amazing review as always, need to reread it.
Thanks!
I still haven't read this dream but I've read The Rifles and I really enjoyed how Vollmann weaved Franklin's expedition, Cpt. Sub Zero's story (his alter ego), and his own experience in the magnetic North Pole. So it's good to know that he deploys the same technique on this one. I'm definitely going to pick this one up next year.
Oh, yeah, he maintains that same mode in all the dreams. What a writer!
@@LeafbyLeaf Indeed! Really addictive, compelling writing.
thank you a got my english project becouse of you
Lover from INDIA
How wonderful!
Seven Dreams and Europe Central are the two Vollmann works I’ve wanted to read since I first came across WTV on your channel.
Truly amazing writing.
Argall is most definitely *not* the right place to start with Vollmann but thankfully read this many, many years ago because of a random gift from my old high school physics professor who I ended up being very good friends with after leaving town and finding him again after I was deep into college. That same day he also gave me a copy of Gravity's Rainbow and a CD of the eponymous Moondog, and I also remember getting into a car crash while I was driving him to a figurine painting convention. I'm glad you enjoyed it, this was one of the books that got me deep into readerly *and* writerly works.
Yeah, I always recommend The Atlas for WTV newbies.
One day in the 22nd or 23rd century, a kid will look back (possibly not in anger) at this century to make a list of our greatest writers: the name of William T. Vollmann better be on that list.
Thanks for recommending this tasty chunk of Virginiana: whereas he was Blind, now he let us see.
Agreed!
Great video! Any idea when we'll be able to read the final two dreams?
Unfortunately, I don't have any idea. But I'm dying for them! There is a small extract of _The Cloud-Shirt_ on Grand Street: www.grandstreet.com/gsissues/gs46/gs46c.html
Great review. Looking forward to your eventual The Dying Grass review. Read that one last summer and was blown away-though it was an exhaustive read!
Thanks! I look forward to blabbing about it, myself. :)
It was your videos that convinced me to pick up the available volumes of Seven Dreams (and abridged RURD). I read The Ice Shirt and was wondering if you would recommend reading them in the order they were published. Thanks again for all of your wonderful videos, Chris.
I read them in historical chronological order, since each dream links back to its predecessors. But I'm sure they can be read any which way and still be amazing.
1. _The Ice-Shirt_
2. _Fathers and Crows_
3. _Argall_
4. _The Poison Shirt_ (not yet published)
5. _The Dying Grass_
6. _The Rifles_
7. _The Cloud-Shirt_ (not yet published)
I love Vollmann!!
Hear, hear!
It has been nearly three years since Vollmann has published anything which for him is an eternity, The Lucky Star came out in February 2020 just as the pandemic began, shut the world down and I read during a five week stay in a hospital following an autologous stem cell transplant. His two volumes of photos have been delayed again until June 2023. Your fine video on him (as usual BTW) will spur another reading of this and other Dreams.
I still await your video on Harold Brodkey.
I, too, recently saw that my preorders of the photo books got pushed out. I do know that he was having some health issues. And then his daughter died. So I'm sure those factors affected his work.
In terms of geography's stronghold on one's identity, I definitely think Sebald and Vollman would be in agreement.
I have just begun my exploration of Sebald's world. What a writer!
I see a copy of Honoree Fanonne Jeffers's "The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois" in the background, if you haven't read that book, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!! Probably the best novel I've ever read about race here in America, and a great American epic too! One of my favorites!
I wrote a review for _LARB_ on that one! lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-question-is-my-breath-on-honoree-fanonne-jefferss-the-love-songs-of-w-e-b-du-bois/
@@LeafbyLeaf Just gave it a read, wonderful review Chris!!!!
I love that on the "Praise for Argall" page, two of the reviews aren't praise at all. The quote from the NYT actually wonders who'd want to read "this sort of thing, with its false etymologies, obvious puns, forced archaisms and self-indulgent digressions." And I was like, "Oh, I do! I do!"
I have a feeling you would like “Barkskins” by Annie Proulx
I've only read her short stories so far. Thanks for the rec!
@@LeafbyLeaf I used your idea of making a genealogical chart of the characters and it really increased my enjoyment while reading it; when I reached the end of the book I discovered that the author had provided two on the last pages.
Hahahaha! The same thing happened with me in my edition of Wuthering Heights!
Oddly enough, I'm in Manhattan's Upper East Side at this very moment 😂
Mr. Leaf, where did you get that shirt?!
www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/33159111-europe-central?store_id=1744585
You suit big books.
Why thank you!
Jason segel twin!
I get that a lot! Also-Liam Neeson and Gronkowski.
Random question, but are you an English teacher? You give off the impression of being some kind of academic to me.
Actually, not at all. I mean, I _did_ do grad school, but I've never been an academic. I do read a lot of academic books and I hail from a family full of educators. But I've been in the technology field all my life.
Hysterical realism - the kind that makes me yearn for the control and compassion of “Mason & Dixon.” Still, I’m sure there will be much to entrance (or distract) me. Nice work, as always.
What
gm
Hey hey!
“Mein Kampf is one of the most widely known and heavily quoted books of all time. It demonstrates both Hitler’s ability to persuade and his ability to instill a sense of heroic destiny.
It is critical that you understand Hitler’s reasoning. Short, one-hour video documentaries only provide an abbreviated discussion of “what Hitler did”, leaving the viewer clueless about who he was and why he did it. His own words are the best way to understand why.
When most people hear the title, Mein Kampf, their first reaction is a growing emotional outburst that finally erupts in a yell of anti-Semitism; however anyone who has read Mein Kampf knows there is much more to the work. It is a retrospective on history, politics, and a guide to achieving power from the point of view of Adolf Hitler. It has become a dictators’ manual, which has been read by all major dictators since World War II including Sadam Hussein who patterned his political movement, the Ba’ath party, after the Nazi party. The accuracy of the political parts of Mein Kampf was proven by Hitler’s successful rise to power and by the rise of those who have followed his formula.
Many people think Mein Kampf is a long diatribe against Jews and other races. The truth is that only a small part of Mein Kampf is anti-Semitic. The majority of the book involves Hitler’s discussion of the German people’s difficult times after the First World War, his political theories and his organization of the Nazi Party, and it includes an especially large number of attacks against his enemies.
Mein Kampf is a large work that offers an interesting interpretation of politics, people, and foreign policy matters. To characterize it as simply a racist work is to oversimplify its message. Germany did not follow Hitler because he was a racist, they followed him because he promised a great future, and Mein Kampf is where he promised that great future.
It is important to understand that reading anti-Semitic passages or passages on race will not turn anyone into an anti-Semite. You do not have to worry about being filled with hatred simply by reading Mein Kampf; it is not a magic tome. Some people have so little faith in their own beliefs that they fear any exposure to Mein Kampf might twist them into something evil. If their beliefs are so fragile, so easily twisted, then they are already evil.
Unfortunately, many people are afraid that if they do not violently reject anything connected to Mein Kampf, and reject it in a showy way, as they look around to make sure everyone sees their public display of rejection, then it somehow means they approve of the Holocaust or Nazism or whatever triggers their fear. Of course, that is not logical reasoning and it seems silly when it is spelled out, but people often live by their gut reaction and do not think about why they dislike Mein Kampf-they just know they “do” or that they “should”. They are driven by fear, which leads to a hatred of Mein Kampf without a rational basis and without the need to read it in order to understand what it says. They want to live in a simple world where they can conveniently dismiss Hitler as a raving lunatic along with anyone else who does not immediately jump up at the mention of his name to join in the shouting match.
It is foolish to dismiss Hitler’s words as the ranting of a psychopath. To do so is to ignore historical facts. The people of Germany did not follow someone they believed was a crazy man into war. They willingly followed someone they saw as a leader, a father, even a god, because they believed in him. To dismiss his work as lunacy is the equivalent of hiding your head in the sand and pretending the world is a nice place where nothing bad can happen again now that Hitler is gone. To claim Hitler was simply crazy is to oversimplify the facts and ignore the obvious. Someone else will appear who uses the same formula to gain power. If you cannot recognize the signs of Hitlerian Power, if you do not know how to counter their efforts, if you remain confused and uncertain as your opponent makes his moves, step by step with decisiveness and intention, and your inaction allows him to come closer to power, then you have already lost and they have won, for they know the rules of the game and you do not.
Only through understanding can we come to grips with why the German people followed Hitler and why so many today still follow his example.
Mein Kampf is not strictly autobiographical or strictly political; it is a combination of both. Mein Kampf has elements that are autobiographical- for instance, the first chapter of Mein Kampf is about Hitler’s childhood, but even this is a political exposition. Hitler’s personal life was so devoted to political ideas that even strictly biographical sections had to be very political in nature.
The title Hitler initially wanted to give his work reflects the emotional nature of its content: Four and a Half Years of Fighting Against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice. His editor found this title to be wordy and asked him to change it to Mein Kampf. Mein Kampf is most commonly translated as “My Struggle”, however, the real meaning is somewhere between “My Struggle” and “My Battle” for the people. It was not intended to describe his own greatness; it was meant to describe his battle for the greatness of Germany and for the preservation of the German race and the world.
Today, many people accept Hitler’s contention that human existence is controlled by the laws of an eternal conflict and struggle for a greater good. This is by definition the classic Hero’s Struggle. It is not surprising that people followed Hitler. It is surprising that more did not. His words offered the chance for everyone to participate in his personal Hero’s journey- to be a part of something greater than they could ever be on their own. He was the hero of his own story, of course, only a fool would write their autobiography any other way. He appealed to very basic human instincts which are still present in everyone and still just as available for another would-be leader to massage and control. Hitler’s words have a universal appeal that will continue to resonate among people who seek something greater than they perceive their own life to be.
The world has become so distracted by the later events of World War II and with the handful of racial comments in Mein Kampf, it has forgotten about the significance of the Third Reich’s other activities. Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations; Hitler marched into the Rhineland; Hitler repudiated German disarmament; Hitler took back the coal mines of the Saar and established a National Socialist government; Hitler joined Mussolini in Spain and marched into Austria; Hitler forced Chamberlain to accept the Munich pact.
Hitler plays on the common belief of the time in Germany that Jews were responsible for the loss of the First World War: “... the Jewish financial and Marxist press intentionally incited the hatred against Germany until one state after another gave up its neutrality and joined the World War coalition, ignoring the real interests of their people in the process”. This view was easy to accept within the borders of Germany, with limited information and a limited view of world events and a history of anti-Semitism. It ignores the accumulation of economic, political, and military rivalries, and the violation of Belgian neutrality that drove England into the war. It also ignores America’s entry into the war which was a clear turning point. These factors, and not the influence of Jewish Germans, turned the tables in The First World War. However, these facts were of no use to Hitler and even the German people were not interested in hearing them.
The mood of the German people in 1933 made them dangerously susceptible to falling under the spell of a strong leader. They tried to return to their normal lives and find some national self-respect, but instead they found the way blocked by other nations and blind misunderstanding. The war victors were interested only in reparations. The German labor parties, which might have helped, were split into half a dozen warring camps. This occurred at a time when the people had become accustomed to a long period of strong nationalism.
Order and security became more important than a political freedom and that was synonymous with violence and bloodshed. Hitler saw these problems and spoke directly to people’s fears and desires. The German people wanted a strong leader to solve their problems, a leader who could return their national self-respect.
To the German people, anti-Semitism, concentration camps, and political oppression were by-products of what they saw as necessary action to feel secure. Following Hitler was not a great leap for the German people. It was what they needed, when they needed it. Understanding how a leader can appeal to and control a nation without being questioned is critical to identifying similar events unfolding today.”
-Michael Ford
P.S. Just say NO to Donald Trump.
Whoooooa, Kanye
can anybody quote 'cool motive, still murder'?