The Second Apocalypse

Other Titles => Disciple Manning Novels => Disciple of the Dog => Topic started by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:12 pm

Title: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:12 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
So many things it would seem. The similarities of deeper/hidden meaning that link the two are many. Any Bakker lover should go ahead and read this. Expand your literary horizons and all that.

Disorderly thoughts, as they relate to TSA and DotD, before my non-eidetic memory forgets:

Title.
Huh? There weren't any dogs. Except that dog is God spelled backwards and everyone in the novel has their own personal definition of who/what doG is.


Memories.
Interesting the similarities between Manning and the Nonmen. Interesting because, while Manning is the only one with all the memories, he is (by his own description) insane. He sees too much, he cant forget, cannot forgive, cannot lead a normal life for the accumulation of memories. But then you have the Nonmen. They, by their actions and words, have gone insane. But for what? Not, as Manning says, for too much memory, but in fact for the absence of memories once had.
How can memories at once be the definition and the antithesis of "sanity"? How can Manning be crazy for too much, but the Nonmen crazy for too many?

The collapse of past and present.
Manning's Pavlovian response to salivate when he smells pig shit. Molly's eyes who are at once his mothers eyes. It comes back down to memories again. Seems that the past reveals insights about the present while simultaneously collapsing the present into a repetition of the past.


Religion.
A hysterical passage about a man pulling a gun in a convenient store. A cult leader using hypnosis. The power of suggestion and the wiles of context. The thousand temples, Kellhus' aqusition of the gnosis, the enigmatic shriah.

Random observations:
Baar was a philosophy professor. Perhaps a character someone Bakker saw in his studies. Or maybe his musings on what knowledge of certain subjects can do to a person.
The use of the world wankery. Not really sure, but this is a word I've not encountered except inside the Bakker sphere (blogs, user posts, Bakker's posts). Made me laugh a bit.
Atrocity tales. Another Bakkerism I thought, though used to describe something else entirely in the last chapter of DotD.



I remain surprised that there are not more topics concerning this book oh this forum.

Edit.
Remembered his use of yardsticks to measure how we measure those who measure the measuring of the measured, or something along those lines. So many similarities, so little memory. I really should have been taking notes while I read this yesterday.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:25 pm
Quote from: dharmakirti
"Huh? There weren't any dogs. Except that dog is God spelled backwards and everyone in the novel has their own personal definition of who/what doG is."

I believe the dog in the title is a reference to cynicism and the philosopher Diogenes.  Some google searches inform me that the origin of the work cynic is the greek word kynikos which means "dog like."
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:37 pm
Quote from: Madness
+1 for Embedded Metaphor.

I've missed your perspective, dharmakirti.

If anyone is interested, despite the fact that Bakker's admitted subtext is lacking in Disciple, when I get my copy back from my ex or find time to buy another (or just find another), I'm thinking about doing a Disciple Almanac as well - though, it won't necessitate its own subforum.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:48 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
That would certainly be entertaining. uh +1 from me.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:06:56 pm
Quote from: Madness
Look at us go ;). Yeah, I'm hitting up a bookstore this aft. It'd be nice to try both Almanacs today...
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:07:04 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Just realized my copy of dotd is 8 hours away with my girlfriend
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:07:28 pm
Quote from: Madness
Yeah... No copies at Chapter's, Coles, or either of the used bookstores in town. Guess I'll have to order it or wait till the end of the semester when my ex is done with my copy.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:07:35 pm
Quote from: Madness
Exams will be here and gone soon and I bought a new copy of Disciple a couple weeks ago :D. Disciple Mixtape edition coming soon, for those interested in a reread akin to the Almanac.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:07:42 pm
Quote from: Wilshire
Left it at home in the hope that my parents would read it. I'll be going home again soon so I might bring it back with me.
Title: Re: TSA and DotD
Post by: What Came Before on April 19, 2013, 12:07:50 pm
Quote from: Madness
Lol, no pressure. I'm sure if I start posting Mixtape Tracks, you (and possibly others ;)) will join in, regardless of possessing physical copies.