Recently Read: "The Scavengers' Manifesto" by Anneli Rufus

I actually read this book last September, but just got around to writing a review for it. I had to let it digest for a while, I suppose.

The Scavengers' Manifesto by Anneli Rufus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this book up at the Dollar Tree for a buck. I thought I could learn some techniques and secrets about scavenging. I never wanted to be a "freegan," but I do enjoy yard sales, thrift stores and never paying full price for new stuff. So, when I saw this during my weekly trip to the cheapest retail chain in town, I tossed it into my basket.

I found the book amusing, but not what I expected. I didn't take the term "manifesto" in the title seriously, but I should have. That's exactly what this book is. It's not so much a "how-to" as much as it is an explanation of a life philosophy. It is written by two people, who assume are a couple. While I'm not sure which individual wrote which chapters, I could tell they were written by two distinct personalities, one more analytic and one more poetic. The chapters written by the analytic mind were more informative. The others were amusing, though repetitive.

This book gives an interesting perspective of the history of scavengers' roll in society, from hunter-gatherer cavemen to the rag-pickers of Dickens' England, to the American hippie and punk movements. The portions of the book dealing with the historical significance of scavenging were fascinating, as were the sections on the scavengers of the animal kingdom.

The majority of the book totes the scavenging philosophy, over and over. It's stated in a variety of different ways, but in such a whimsical Mary Poppins like way that it wasn't nearly as annoying as it could have been. Clearly this is a matter of great conviction for these writers, and evidently it makes them incredibly happy and their life worth living, though they claim they are misunderstood by most people. They even explore the notion that it could be a considered religion. For the most part, I agreed with the tenets of their philosophy. There are different degrees of followers, according to the book. The all or nothing freegan who never purchases anything, the retail scavenger who never buys new and loves a good thrift store find, the bargain hunter who never pays full price, and every possible version in between. It's a very open, understanding life style that does not judge variations. So they say.

There is one specific notion though that was mentioned multiple times that rubbed me the wrong way. The writers claim that one does not find the items, but the items find the scavenger. Just wait, and what you need will present itself eventually. I can understand that, though sometimes the need can't wait. But the book claims that we should keep every single thing we find regardless of need or desire. They tell of finding an incredibly ugly painting, taking it home and hanging it up. That baffles me. Why keep something you don't want or need? Put it back out there in circulation. Someone else might like it or need it. If you already have a perfectly good toaster, leave the one in the free box for someone else. The unneeded items you hold onto just become junk cluttering your home. In a way, this book seems to be advocating hoarding, a serious psychological disorder. I was left shuddering at the thought of what the authors' house must look like.

Overall, it was a fun read and definitely work the dollar I paid for it. It's nice to know that you don't have to dumpster dive to be included in the group. Despite the repetitive nature of much of the text, I did learn quite a bit about a lifestyle that has characteristics bordering on religious. I may not dive in with both feet, but the concept of doing a little bit of legwork to re-purpose or reuse an item rather than buying new doesn't seem unreasonable. If nothing else, the lifestyle saves money, not to mention is way better for the planet. Too many perfectly good items are thrown away just to be replaced by identical items right out of the factory. Like the book says, scavenging is beneficial for the economy, society and environment. But take heart, without mainstream retail shoppers, there would be nothing to scavenge. That's the paradox that those who scavenge must accept.

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Recently Read: "Never Let Me Go"

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was very interested in reading this book, but was disappointed once I started. It took me a rather long time to get into the story. Still, I persevered, as the book was recommended and I'm a sucker for anything that boasts both science fiction and an alternate timeline from our own.

However, it is light on the science fiction aspect. In fact, it seems the science fiction aspect is merely a backdrop to study of the human condition. The meat of the novel is how the main character interacts with her peers, her elders and the outside world. It's about holding on to hope till the bitter end, and then resigning yourself to a fate beyond your control. It's about how society, whether it be the larger society or a small, isolated one, deals with things that are controversial. It's about how society reacts to given sets of morals. It's about a lot of things, way deep down.

On the surface, however, it's about the tedious life of a girl who grows up and does exactly what she's supposed to do. The few efforts Kathy makes to change don't work out, and the narrative, told in the first person as if she's having a conversation with the reader, reflects her resignation to her fate. In this way, it's depressing as well as tedious. The first third of the book is about Kathy's early childhood and adolescence. If it weren't for the hints of the "secret" science fiction aspect, it could have been the story of any girl attending a British prep school. The second section is an interim period before Kathy started her work as a "carer." Again, it could have been about a group of college friends on break, if it weren't for the ever present reason of their existence. In this section, the reader learns a bit more about the science fiction aspect of the story. Still, it's more like scenery than plot. The third and final section shows Kathy and her friends fulfilling their roles in society. This was when it finally started to get interesting for me.

The final section was when the reader finally gets the full picture, as do Kathy and Tommy. I don't think ethical questions were so much raised as their existence was acknowledged. Ishiguro doesn't offer opinion. He simply paints a picture of a society with questionable practices. Society creates these clones, but much like Dr. Frankenstein, is disgusted by their presence. They loathe them, but are not willing to lose the medical benefits their existence provides. Why does society despise the clones? Is it a matter of a violated conscience, that some moral or ethical law is being broken? Is it shame? There are some who feel the ethical violation is not so much playing god and cheating nature, but rather the treatment of the clones which are, after all, still human. Of course, they must prove the clones' humanity to make their point. Even these individuals, so concerned with the quality of the clones' lives, despise the very ones they wish to help. Still, they swallowed their bile, smiled, and taught the clones about art and poetry. It is easy to understand how one would deny the humanity of the clones in order to justify the lack of morality, but how does one continue to despise the clones while accepting that they are fully human? How is the pure hatred of a group of people justified morally? The clones themselves, do not seem to have any ethical or moral concerns, aside from their sense of duty. They never once think of shirking their duty, only at most hoping to postpone it for a couple years. They are confused and hurt when the loathing is perceived, but they do not seem to return the loathing.

Lastly, I would like to share a feeling I got towards the end of the book. The entire narrative, as I mentioned, was conversational. It was as if the reader was sitting with Kathy who was prattling on endlessly about her life. It was clearly assumed that the one on the listening end of this dialogue was acquainted with the circumstances of the society in which Kathy lives. This makes for a slow reveal of the aspects which differ from actual society. Ishiguro did an excellent job of revealing these tidbits in a way that was not forced. They flowed naturally from the narrative in a "matter of fact" way. Of course, you already know that we're clones and will be harvested for spare parts, so it's no surprise when I mention it in passing. Ishiguro seems to do this effortlessly and beautifully. It is actually a very difficult technique, and I was much impressed. The narrative style was convincing, and as the story was winding down I felt as if I was also a carer, or perhaps one of Kathy's last donors. Maybe she was keeping me company as I recovered from a donation, and told me her story to distract me or keep my mind off the fact that I was about to "complete." I felt drawn into the story, as if I was a character in this alternate universe. This is a haunting way to make the reading of this novel personal, to experience the story on some level and passively live a small piece of it.

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For another view on this novel, please check out my friend Jenni's review. (She's the one who recommended this novel to me.)
Bkwurm's Banquet of Books: Horror and Familiarity Go Hand-In-Hand: Review of Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go"