On the front page of todays NY Times Book Review section, theres a rave
review of The Emperors Children, a novel by Claire Messud. One of the
characters is Ludovic Seeley, an Australian magazine editor who holds
nothing sacred and plans to start a contrarian publication that will spur a
revolution
Another character is a wealthy New Yorker who purports to
believe in the voice of the people and has never met a liberal cause he
doesnt like, yet is mildly repulsed by the young, troubled black client of
his wife, Annabel, who works at a nonprofit social service agency.
For those who keep track of reactionary literature, all this should ring a
bell. It is the same tried-and-true themes found in Evelyn Waugh, V.S.
Naipul or Tom Wolfe. Basically, leftists--whether liberal or radical--are
portrayed as cynical or gullible. Their beliefs have more to do with
following fashion than about changing society. Since Messud understands
herself to be writing a comedy of manners, it might be expected that the
leftists come across as fools. Whether they are life-like and interesting,
is a different matter altogether.
full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2006/08/27/another-stupid-911-novel/
