Reading Notes

Second hand reads

I enjoy perusing used books, not just because I am a cheap bastard, but because I am curious what people have bought, presumably have read, and didn't mind parting with.

It helps me get a feel for the local community, how many people are literate and what kinds of education they might possess. Not surprisingly, given the local military presence, I saw about five copies of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.

But occasionally I find good books - classics of literature. I delicately hope someone donated a well-written book not because they despised it, but wanted to help some underprivileged soul share in the great edification they experienced.

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Last night at the Goodwill I pulled out a slender hardcover print of A Farewell to Arms. Someone had underlined key passages in pencil, occasionally clarifying the interpreted meaning with gentle notes.

Writing notes in books

I religiously keep my own books free of highlighters, notes, and all other markings. My rationale is that the original work speaks for itself better than my fumbling, embarrassing, and annoying attempt to neuter it of interpretation. When I see asinine comments and misinterpreted passages double highlighted by 'First Amendment'-exercising sophomores, I cringe and fear what croaks would sound from my own voice, next to the narration of the master. If I want to take notes, I mark them on a separate medium that is wholly my own.

But on this occasion, reading someone else's thoughts within a famous someone else's thoughts was rather fun. The demarcations were respectful, with a soft gentle tone. They did not blare at me with horns, shouting, IMPORTANT!!! and if I disagreed with the necessity of an underlined passage, nevertheless I was not offended by this reader's opinion.

A man who is not broken is killed

I browsed through all the pencil guides and came across this memorable line underlined:

“If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Hemingway's sentiment about a broken people speaks to me about the weakness of human integrity. How vast the population who fall into line and condone corruption at the threat of death! But there are certain individuals, headstrong or stubborn or perhaps foolish, who adamantly refuse. And because the vast millions condone, threats against the heads of the rebellious can be carried out.

Integrity: together we are one

But if everyone has the desire and courage to call their bluff, tyranny and intimidation would fail. As one collective voice, we answer: 'Go ahead, kill all of us. What desolate wasteland will you Lord over once we are all gone?'

"Were you there, Tenente, when they wouldn't at- 
tack and they shot every tenth man?" 

 ...

"If everybody would not attack the war would be 
over," Manera said.  

Make profit, make war

The average man is either lied into in war by fictitious beliefs, or coerced into war by real threats.

"There is a class that controls a country that is stupid 
and does not realize anything and never can. That is 
why we have this war." 

"Also they make money out of it." 

"Most of them don't," said Passini. "They are too 
stupid. They do it for nothing. For stupidity." 

War is started to serve the benefit of the very few. The supporting leadership don't make gains, just the very top of the top stand to profit. Yet scores of thousands of men die below them for sake of a few who make the profit.