October 5, 2007 Novel novel.
The shelves at Kinokuniya pride themselves with an ‘ivory-tower’ of intellectual works, opulent facts; facts which provide us with comprehensive intellectual and historical frameworks to understand the world today. But isn’t it true that facts are not just simply known, or read off the world? Isn’t it true that how we perceive, group and organize features that exist intends our ‘truths’ and ‘facts’? Pages that divulge lofty ideas and fix-it answers are, on the other hand, deafening voices of certainty and authority. We fill ourselves with so much answers that I think we begin to lose ourselves and become the answers we sought. Isn’t our journey about owning up to our search for meaning and not just depending on off-the-shelf softwares we install and run conveniently? Yet, all these sell best.
I told Jen that reading novels help me feel human again. Unpretentious, humble and full of flaw and imperfection. ‘Real’ not because they can be empirically or logically proven, either through discourses or concensus. But real. And yes, to quote Kundera (yes, him again), ‘the stupidity of people comes from having an answer to everything. The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything…it seems to me that all over the world people nowadays prefer to judge rather than to understand, to answer rather than to ask, so that the voice of the novel can hardly be heard over the noisy foolishness of human certainties’.
- 8 comments
- Posted under kundera, quotes
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petrina
said
what is certain then?
fact is not truth. and truth has as many facets as a well-cut diamond. maybe even more.
the quest for truth always begins with questions, i used to read self-help books until i learned to trust myself and my life experiences to guide me.
even then, ‘some questions have no answers, which is a terribly difficult lesson to learn’ – katherine graham.
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whoami
said
There was a time I never read novels but after listening to my friends’ exciting discussions about how they would rather have the last chapter changed to their “desire”, how emotionally affected they were and how they would actually look at things differently after their reading….I was like thinking “Wow, but its just a story…fiction…not fact…er..not truth”. But I went on to pick my first novel and again and again…stopping only when work or some relationship occupy too much of my time causing me to drop reading and start ‘writing’ my own ‘novels’ in life. I have left reading novels for a long time now but they definitely have spiced up my life, taught me some life “tricks”, perceptions, reactions, responses, attitudes…you name it….there were times I applied what I read to what I faced and some turned out great whereas some were a total “slap in the face”!! hahaha…life’s really interesting when you get to share the stories, dreams, fantasies of people you know or people you will never get to cross path with….to be part of their lives yet allowing them to be in control…if the door is opened for you to hop in the car and share the journey, never try to take over the wheels or insist on co-piloting….just enjoy each other’s company, stupidity, giving, taking, loving, loathing, caring or whatever it takes….perhaps you will meaningfully be part of his/her novel……
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kungfutofu
said
love that Kundera quote!!!
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lianghin
said
petrina,
perhaps it is really not about answers then?
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petrina
said
it is not about answers in the rational, point by point sense.
but an answer which includes the fact that some questions have no answers, to which the soul (mine included) anguishes over.
then comes the realisation that is more about the quest which forms the person than seeking out the right answer. i am unsure if this makes sense, i am still searching. but be rest assured, it is sincere.
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lianghin
said
it sure does make sense petrina. i can’t agree more. it reminds me of the Zen’s approach to kōan. That a disciple’s respond to a kōan was not about the answer in a specific form, but that one has actually given up one’s attachment to some previously embraced knowledge/perspective.
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lianghin
said
justy, any new addition to your milan kundera’s collection???
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Justy
said
Aiya… i am at the kampung. Need to go to Seoul some point to do book shopping…