Collage

n. A piece of art made by sticking various different materials, aka PHENOMENA Magazine
Department
books
The Tooth Fairy
xwidget_75_The Tooth Fairy Reviewed by Hank Wagner Seven-year-old Sam Southall awakens the night he loses his first tooth and encounters a strange visitor. He surprises the odd little creature, who, after recovering its composure, reveals itself as the Tooth Fairy of legend. Thus begins a relationship which endures until Sam leaves for college, a strange, touching, sometimes dangerous association that adds spice and terror to Sam's otherwise normal existence. The Tooth Fairy, whose appearance, demeanor and sex change constantly, accompanies Sam on his journey through adolescence, sharing his triumphs and tragedies, even ushering him into manhood with his first sexual experience. Along the way, the he/she/it protects Sam, but also exposes him to a variety of dangers; the mercurial creature is by turns adversarial and supportive, giving the novel a certain edginess. From the outset, Joyce stresses the uncertainty of life. One of the more horrifying events in the novel takes place well before the Tooth Fairy appears. In the book's opening scene, one of Sam's friends is attacked by a pike as he dangles his feet in a stream. The boy loses a toe, and is destined to walk with a limp for the rest of his life. The attack, frightening because of its suddenness and harshness, is a stunning reminder of how quickly lives can change. One minute you are safe, bullshitting with your friends, the next you are being hurried off to the emergency room. It also points out that no one is in control -- neither children nor their parents. Joyce's point is that the only sure thing in life is change--he expresses this sentiment perfectly, using Sam as a prism. Who better to portray the ambiguity of life than a teenager, whose perceptions change along with his body? Joyce uses his innate understanding of childhood to great advantage, creating a story that can be taken as a supernatural tale or as a psychological study of a troubled adolescent grappling with impending adulthood. Joyce returns to the theme of ambiguity again and again. Consider, for example, the Tooth Fairy's gender or lack thereof -- its form varies with Sam's age and mood. Besides its physical malleability, it also assumes a striking variety of roles, acting in turn as friend, foe, prophet, protector, lover, and conscience. While it often taunts and threatens him, it also helps him handle bullies, protects him from crazy adults, and initiates him into the wonders of sex. In short, it is whatever Sam needs it to be. There is also the question of whether the Tooth Fairy exists at all -- the book permits either interpretation. Interestingly, the Tooth Fairy appears to Sam soon after a traumatic event at school. One might say that it appeared in response to the event, perhaps as Sam's coping mechanism. Thereafter, its visits coincide with the turbulent events in Sam's life, suggesting that it may all be in his mind. Cunningly, Joyce has Sam visit a psychiatrist, to whom he confesses all about the Tooth Fairy. The psychiatrist, bent on fulfilling his own expectations, blithely ignores Sam, choosing instead to pepper him with inane questions about his sexual urges. Considering the differences between The Tooth Fairy and Requiem(the only other of Joyce's seven novels to find U. S. publication), it's hard to predict what the author, a three time winner of the British Fantasy Award, will do next. Based on prior experience, however, it promises to be strange and original. In the meantime, we can hope that all his previous work somehow finds its way to the US. I for one am looking forward to that day. -- Hank Wagner
John Doe · Jan. 16, 2023, 3:06 a.m.
books
THE PRIME OF HIS LIFE Graham Joyce's Smoking Poppy
xwidget_74_Smoking Poppy Note to those who vote for the British Fantasy Award: I realize Graham Joyce has won your Best Novel award four times -- for INDIGO (2000), DARK SISTER (1992), REQUIEM (1994) and THE TOOTH FAIRY (1996) -- but you'd best just engrave another trophy to Mr. Joyce. If he deserved the four previous wins (he did), then there is no denying him a fifth for his latest (and so-far greatest novel), SMOKING POPPY. Note to anyone else involve in similar literary "contests" including non-genre awards: See above and please note this book is being published in calendar 2001 in the UK which qualifies it in many cases for this year's awards. Note to any film producer with a lick of sense (admittedly a fairly empty category): This one is hot. It's got it all. Roles any actor would die for. Jungles. Opium. A scantily clad babe in distress. A charismatic drug warlord. Look, don't worry about the fact it's intelligent, has depth, and is beautifully written. We'll dump all that stuff. Maybe add a few special effects. Are there volcanoes in...where the hell is this set...Thighland? No, nothing like Brokedown Palace. Think Traffic combined with Apocalypse Now (minus the war) and rescue/adventure! Whatever. I'm telling you, move on this one. Note to the perceptive reader: Don't even take the time to read this review. Just buy the bloody book and read it. It's one of the finest novels you'll ever grasp in your grimy paws. Danny Innes is the Brit equivalent of what Americans call a "regular joe." An electrician by trade, he's alienated from his adult children, recently separated from his wife, and a bit befuddled as to how it all came about. All he's ever done is his best to love and provide for them, but there he is, kicked in the teeth and alone. Then he's told his daughter, Charlie (Charlotte), has been arrested for drug trafficking in Thailand and is imprisoned in Chang Mai. Danny has to go. No matter how estranged they've become -- Charlie had gone off to university at Oxford and come back multiply pierced and with "the politics of an international terrorist" and he hasn't heard from her in two years -- it's his little girl and it is up to him to do what he can. Danny, like most men, is a "fixer." When confronted with a problem -- whether it is frayed wiring or a daughter facing life imprisonment or execution -- he wants to fix it. Danny, although not a recipient of higher education, is a voracious reader who uses books "the way some people do alcohol, to obliterate the noise of the outside world." (Although of late, our Dan's been knocking back quite a bit of whiskey and not a few ales.) He's the sort of autodidact who has accumulated vast amounts of the sort of knowledge that makes one wizard at trivia. Like most self-taught intellects, Danny's brain acquires information in what "educated" types would consider an odd fashion. He picks up books by Keats, Coleridge, Baudelaire, De Quincey, and Rimbaud from the library (along with a more technical guide to drugs) because someone's told him they were notable dope-fiends and he wants to find out more about the stuff. Of course, unhampered by the prejudices of "education," Danny also can make associations and gain insights his allegedly-learned brethren can not. Danny goes off to Thailand accompanied, somewhat to his distress, by his "best mate" Mick and religious zealot of a son, Phil. Mick Williams is a blustering bull of a man, but possessed of a lively intelligence and undauntable determination to help his friend--despite the fact that Danny has never considered Mick a friend. Phil is as repressed as Mick is unrestrained. Three years older than his sister and a laboratory technician, Phil has distanced himself from his father with a parsimonious nature and complete dedication to Christian fundamentalism. The incongruous trio hit Thailand and are confronted with a world more alien (and perhaps more survivable) than the bottom of the Marianas Trench. They are also dismayed to discover the young woman imprisoned in Chiang Mai is not Charlie. Despite the utter incompetence of the foppish local British Consul, they manage to question the imprisoned girl and her information gives them a possible location for Charlie -- a small village near the Myanmar border, a lawless area that requires a trek through near-impassable mountainous jungle terrain to reach. The journey through the jungle to the poppy fields and the borderland village where they find Charlie is one of many layers of discovery. Any reviewer is compelled to discern parallels between SMOKING POPPY and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The similarities are there: the relentless dread that overhangs all like the vines and trees of the jungle, the filtering of reality through the protagonist's point of view, the indictment of Western imperialism, the allegorical journey and eventual rebirth. But this is no Conrad pastiche. Joyce does leave us with some mysteries, but there is none of the vagary of Conrad's oppressive but never-delineated horrors. Nor is this a solo personal expedition like the one Marlow takes. It's a family story about relationships and truth, love and the ability to learn and heal; the discovery of a spiritual world -- both a personal inner espial and one with literal unseen demons. And when Danny and his crew arrive at their "Inner Station"-equivalent, it is not a scene of savage horror: it is the start of the true journey. SMOKING POPPY is also an extraordinarily entertaining book. There is the element of exotic travelogue: the author has knowledgeably, lovingly, and accurately represented a culture few Westerners know anything of. Not that this is a glossy vacation-in-fascinating locale telling -- the sweat, the insects, the smells are all part of his rendering. Most of all, the people Joyce has created -- and they are amazing living, breathing creations you can scarcely consider fictional, people you will know forever -- are hilariously human. In their foibles and flaws, their blindness and even their revelations -- we see ourselves. There is the kind of recognition and reaction we all must have to survive: we must laugh even as we weep. Danny is closed, emotionally cut-off, and blind to everyone, everything around him. To be allowed to share in his enlightenment is like being granted your own redemption. There's more. Much more. There's never been any question that Graham Joyce is a gifted writer, but with SMOKING POPPY he attains a new level. He is in the prime of his writing-life and may well progress beyond it -- an awesome consideration. -- Paula Guran, originally appeared in Cemetery Dance #37
John Doe · Jan. 16, 2023, 3:02 a.m.
books
Partial Eclipse and Other Stories
xwidget_73_Partial Eclipse and Other Stories Praised and lauded for his original, vital, entrancing novels, Joyce is just as compelling in shorter works. Not that he writes many short stories. (Understandable. He does have to spend time on those novels.) What's more, the stories he writes are usually published in England, rather than the states. For many readers, this will be all new material. Although Joyce tends to concern himself with very human relationships this, by no means, limits his diversity of style or subject matter. He is, in fact, both unpredictable and versatile -- slipping off into SF or into the starving, frozen city of Leningrad under siege or to the dazzling sun of a small Greek island. Always intelligent, often profound, these are stories that make you think more deeply, and more sometimes more strangely than you have before. Graham Joyce weaves the sort of dreams that change the waking world.
John Doe · Jan. 16, 2023, 2:57 a.m.
insights
Take a look
1. FoxTrot Comics by Bill Amend FoxTrot Comics by Bill Amend Official home of the FoxTrot comic strip. New comics every Sunday. https://foxtrot.com/   2. Haunted Houses - Find Real Haunted Houses Haunted Houses - Find Real Haunted Houses, Explore Hauntings and Halloween Attractions Find real haunted houses, Halloween Attractions, Haunted Attractions. http://hauntedhouses.com/   3. 151 Illusions & Visual Phenomena Illusions & Visual Phenomena This huge collection of non-scary optical illusions and fascinating visual phenomena emphasizes interactive exploration, beauty, and scientific explanation. https://michaelbach.de/ot/
John Doe · Jan. 14, 2023, 6:15 a.m.
insights
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’. It’s the practice of optimizing your web pages to make them reach a high position in the search results of Google and other search engines. In other words: People will be more likely to encounter your website when searching online.   Google’s search result page for the term ‘nightmare’   In the image above, we see the first few results when someone searches for the keyphrase ‘nightmare’. In this case, Youtube is the first result and this means that their page on Nightmare ranks #1 on this search term. The idea behind SEO is that when you optimize your page to become the best result, you can climb those rankings and become one of the first results that people see. Which will get you more clicks and traffic to your site!   https://yoast.com/tag/seo-basics/   SEO news: the latest news, resources, and guides [2023] Browse through hundreds of guides, resources, and articles related to SEO (search engine optimization). https://www.marketermilk.com/topic/seo   SEO Starter Guide: The Basics | Google Search Central  |  Documentation  |  Google Developers A knowledge of basic SEO can have a noticeable impact. Explore the Google SEO starter guide for an overview of search engine optimization essentials. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide
John Doe · Jan. 14, 2023, 6:13 a.m.
SEO
insights
Useful sites for web developers
1. IP Locator API This API provides geolocation of an IP address. By default, the lookup only returns IP Country. https://api.iplocation.net/?ip=74.125.45.100 {"ip":"74.125.45.100","ip_number":"1249717604","ip_version":4,"country_name":"United States of America","country_code2":"US","isp":"Google LLC","response_code":"200","response_message":"OK"}   2. The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack The Ultimate Oldschool PC Font Pack: Home The Oldschool PC Font Resource: HomeFont indexReadmeShowcaseDownload Text mode font: [✓] 1 2 3 4 5 6 IBM VGA 8x16 Enable JavaScript for full functionality of all site features. Oldschool PC Fonts: Home Fonts Readme Showcase Download Aa The Ultimate Oldsch https://int10h.org/oldschool-pc-fonts/   3. Favicon generator / Generate from image https://favicon.io/favicon-converter/   4. Base64 Online - base64 decode and encode Base64 Online - base64 decode and encode Base64 - Online Base64 decoder and encoder  decoding and encoding texts and files. Base64 links More about Base64 encoding (wiki) Encode image to a Base64 for html/css Css Images analyzer and encoder to Base64 You can use this base64 sample decoder and en https://www.motobit.com/util/base64-decoder-encoder.asp   5. WEBP to GIF Converter WEBP to GIF | CloudConvert cloudconvert Tools Convert Files Archive Converter Audio Converter CAD Converter Document Converter Ebook Converter Font Converter Image Converter Presentation Converter Spreadsheet Converter Vector Converter Video Converter Optimize Files Compress PDF Co https://cloudconvert.com/webp-to-gif
John Doe · Jan. 14, 2023, 5:15 a.m.
insights
REST Resource Naming Guide
1. What is a Resource? In REST, the primary data representation is called resource. Having a consistent and robust REST resource naming strategy – will prove one of the best design decisions in the long term. The key abstraction of information in REST is a resource. Any information that can be named can be a resource: a document or image, a temporal service (e.g. “today’s weather in Los Angeles”), a collection of other resources, a non-virtual object (e.g., a person), and so on. In other words, any concept that might be the target of an author’s hypertext reference must fit within the definition of a resource. A resource is a conceptual mapping to a set of entities, not the entity that corresponds to the mapping at any particular point in time. — Roy Fielding’s dissertation 1.1. Singleton and Collection Resources A resource can be a singleton or a collection. For example, “customers” is a collection resource and “customer” is a singleton resource (in a banking domain). We can identify “customers” collection resource using the URI “/customers“. We can identify a single “customer” resource using the URI “/customers/{customerId}“. 1.2. Collection and Sub-collection Resources A resource may contain sub-collection resources also. For example, sub-collection resource “accounts” of a particular “customer” can be identified using the URN “/customers/{customerId}/accounts” (in a banking domain). Similarly, a singleton resource “account” inside the sub-collection resource “accounts” can be identified as follows: “/customers/{customerId}/accounts/{accountId}“. 1.3. URI REST APIs use Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) to address resources. REST API designers should create URIs that convey a REST API’s resource model to the potential clients of the API. When resources are named well, an API is intuitive and easy to use. If done poorly, that same API can be challenging to use and understand. The constraint of a uniform interface is partially addressed by the combination of URIs and HTTP verbs and using them in line with the standards and conventions. Below are a few tips to get you going when creating the resource URIs for your new API. 2. Best Practices 2.1. Use nouns to represent resources RESTful URI should refer to a resource that is a thing (noun) instead of referring to an action (verb) because nouns have properties that verbs do not have – similarly, resources have attributes. Some examples of a resource are: Users of the system User Accounts Network Devices etc. and their resource URIs can be designed as below: http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{device-id} http://api.example.com/user-management/users http://api.example.com/user-management/users/{id} For more clarity, let’s divide the resource archetypes into four categories (document, collection, store, and controller). Then it would be best if you always targeted to put a resource into one archetype and then use its naming convention consistently. For uniformity’s sake, resist the temptation to design resources that are hybrids of more than one archetype. 2.1.1. document A document resource is a singular concept that is akin to an object instance or database record. In REST, you can view it as a single resource inside resource collection. A document’s state representation typically includes both fields with values and links to other related resources. Use “singular” name to denote document resource archetype. http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{device-id} http://api.example.com/user-management/users/{id} http://api.example.com/user-management/users/admin 2.1.2. collection A collection resource is a server-managed directory of resources. Clients may propose new resources to be added to a collection. However, it is up to the collection resource to choose to create a new resource or not. A collection resource chooses what it wants to contain and also decides the URIs of each contained resource. Use the “plural” name to denote the collection resource archetype. http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices http://api.example.com/user-management/users http://api.example.com/user-management/users/{id}/accounts 2.1.3. store A store is a client-managed resource repository. A store resource lets an API client put resources in, get them back out, and decide when to delete them. A store never generates new URIs. Instead, each stored resource has a URI. The URI was chosen by a client when the resource initially put it into the store. Use “plural” name to denote store resource archetype. http://api.example.com/song-management/users/{id}/playlists 2.1.4. controller A controller resource models a procedural concept. Controller resources are like executable functions, with parameters and return values, inputs, and outputs. Use “verb” to denote controller archetype. http://api.example.com/cart-management/users/{id}/cart/checkout http://api.example.com/song-management/users/{id}/playlist/play 2.2. Consistency is the key Use consistent resource naming conventions and URI formatting for minimum ambiguity and maximum readability and maintainability. You may implement the below design hints to achieve consistency: 2.2.1. Use forward slash (/) to indicate hierarchical relationships The forward-slash (/) character is used in the path portion of the URI to indicate a hierarchical relationship between resources. e.g. http://api.example.com/device-management http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id} http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id}/scripts http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id}/scripts/{id} 2.2.2. Do not use trailing forward slash (/) in URIs As the last character within a URI’s path, a forward slash (/) adds no semantic value and may confuse. It’s better to drop it from the URI. http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/ http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices /*This is much better version*/ 2.2.3. Use hyphens (-) to improve the readability of URIs To make your URIs easy for people to scan and interpret, use the hyphen (-) character to improve the readability of names in long-path segments. http://api.example.com/devicemanagement/manageddevices/ http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices /*This is much better version*/ 2.2.4. Do not use underscores ( _ ) It’s possible to use an underscore in place of a hyphen to be used as a separator – But depending on the application’s font, it is possible that the underscore (_) character can either get partially obscured or completely hidden in some browsers or screens. To avoid this confusion, use hyphens (-) instead of underscores ( _ ). http://api.example.com/inventory-management/managed-entities/{id}/install-script-location //More readable http://api.example.com/inventory-management/managedEntities/{id}/installScriptLocation //Less readable 2.2.5. Use lowercase letters in URIs When convenient, lowercase letters should be consistently preferred in URI paths. http://api.example.org/my-folder/my-doc //1 HTTP://API.EXAMPLE.ORG/my-folder/my-doc //2 http://api.example.org/My-Folder/my-doc //3 In the above examples, 1 and 2 are the same, but 3 is not as it uses My-Folder in capital letters. 2.3. Do not use file extensions File extensions look bad and do not add any advantage. Removing them decreases the length of URIs as well. No reason to keep them. Apart from the above reason, if you want to highlight the media type of API using file extension, then you should rely on the media type, as communicated through the Content-Type header, to determine how to process the body’s content. http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices.xml /*Do not use it*/ http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices /*This is correct URI*/ 2.4. Never use CRUD function names in URIs We should not use URIs to indicate a CRUD function. URIs should only be used to uniquely identify the resources and not any action upon them. We should use HTTP request methods to indicate which CRUD function is performed. HTTP GET http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices //Get all devices HTTP POST http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices //Create new Device HTTP GET http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id} //Get device for given Id HTTP PUT http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id} //Update device for given Id HTTP DELETE http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices/{id} //Delete device for given Id 2.5. Use query component to filter URI collection Often, you will encounter requirements where you will need a collection of resources sorted, filtered, or limited based on some specific resource attribute. For this requirement, do not create new APIs – instead, enable sorting, filtering, and pagination capabilities in resource collection API and pass the input parameters as query parameters. e.g. http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices?region=USA http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices?region=USA&brand=XYZ http://api.example.com/device-management/managed-devices?region=USA&brand=XYZ&sort=installation-date ref. https://restfulapi.net/resource-naming/ REST API - URL Naming Conventions In REST, having a strong and consistent REST resource naming strategy – will prove one of the best design decisions in the long term. https://restfulapi.net/resource-naming/
John Doe · Jan. 14, 2023, 4:56 a.m.
REST
java
Play with JSoup
Removing Html tags except few specific ones from String in java public String clean(String unsafe){ Whitelist whitelist = Whitelist.none(); whitelist.addTags(new String[]{"p","br","ul"}); String safe = Jsoup.clean(unsafe, whitelist); return StringEscapeUtils.unescapeXml(safe); } For input string String unsafe = "<p class='p1'>paragraph</p>< this is not html > <a link='#'>Link</a> <![CDATA[<sender>John Smith</sender>]]>"; I get following output which is pretty much I require. <p>paragraph</p>< this is not html > Link <sender>John Smith</sender>
John Doe · Jan. 14, 2023, 2:24 a.m.
jsoup
books
The Dawning
Despite a supposedly near-future setting that seems more mid-seventies than early twenty-first century, somewhat stereotypical characterization, and archaic dialogue, prolific horror master Hugh B. Cave still spins a grand story with his new tale of survival and ecological horror. A band of regular folks head into the Canadian wilderness to escape what is left of a society ruined by pollution, violence, and drugs. Cave never confronts the societal "big picture," nor does he deal with the question of why more people did not head for the woods just as our protagonists do. Instead, he concentrates on his small group of characters as they discover that Mother Nature is very angry indeed with humanity. Just as frightening is the one blue-collar member of the group who knows something about fixing things, hunting, fishing, and firearms. The others can't survive without his skills, but they may not survive the consequences of his behavior either. All a bit simplistic, perhaps, but still a good read. xwidget_72_The Dawning
John Doe · Jan. 13, 2023, 9:55 a.m.
books
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Thirteenth Annual Collection
xwidget_71_The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Thirteenth Annual Collection Now in its thirteenth year, this excellent anthology series just keeps getting better and better. Stand-outs among the stand-out dark stories this year include two by Steve Rasnic Tem -- "Heat" and "Halloween Street"; the exquisite "The Emperor's Old Bones" by Gemma Files; the exotic "The Tree Is My Hat " by Gene Wolfe; Gary A. Braunbeck's melodic "Small Song"; Neil Gaiman's deliciously wicked "Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story"; the clever "What You Make It " by Michael Marshall Smith (both Gaiman and Smith also have excellent "fantasy" entries, as well); "Shatsi," a devilish piece by Peter Crowther; noirish "The Kiss" by relative newcomer Tia V. Travis and novella "White" by British newcomer Tim Lebbon; "You Don't Have to be Mad..." by the deservedly ever-present Kim Newman; Paul J. McAuley's evocative "Naming of the Dead"; the sensual "Crosley" by Elizabeth Engstrom Along with the usual yearly honorable mentions and summations -- Windling on fantasy, Datlow on horror, Edward Bryant on various media, Seth Johnson on comics, and "Obituaries: 1999" by James Frenkel -- Douglas E. Winter's must-read nonfiction essay on the horror field, "The Pathos of Genre," is also included. Datlow and Windling continue to set a standard that no one else can match.
John Doe · Jan. 13, 2023, 9:53 a.m.
books
Dreamside
xwidget_70_Dreamside Finally, with this edition from Tor, American readers have the opportunity to read Graham Joyce's 1991 debut novel, DREAMSIDE. It's a shame we had to wait so long. Imaginative and chilling, the novel explores the subject of lucid dreaming -- the capacity to be conscious of and to control one's dreams -- and questions what we perceive as reality. It's also a cautionary tale: those who, like Prometheus, steal fire from the gods will, inevitably, pay a price for their impudence. Four mid-70s undergraduates -- more attracted to one another than to science -- participate in an experiment in lucid dreaming under the aegis of an elderly professor. Meeting with more success than expected, they even learn to meet in what they come to call the "Dreamside." The time comes to stop the journeys to Dreamside, but the students push on until tragedy forces them apart. More than twelve years later, the dreams again invade reality and begin to tear them away from their daily lives and sanity. It becomes clear they must, somehow, reunite and return to Dreamside. Well-paced and smoothly written, DREAMSIDE, lacks a bit of the poetry of Joyce's later writing, but in no way betrays itself as a virgin effort. Better late than never, don't miss your chance to read DREAMSIDE this time around.
John Doe · Jan. 13, 2023, 9:47 a.m.
books
The Facts of Life
xwidget_69_The Facts of Life Joyce plays us all like a bloody banjo -- and it's a fine tune By Paula Guran Once in a rare while, a book reaches out and grabs you. It gets hold of you emotionally in a way that's hard to understand and impacts you with the force of a hurricane. Nails you to the wall, it does, and even makes you bleed a little. Graham Joyce's novel THE FACTS OF LIFE did that to me. I can't promise that it will do the same to you. I suspect you may have to have a few years under your belt to appreciate the novel fully. But even at half-gale force, it's still a hell of a book. On the surface, it's the story of the Vine family of Coventry, England during World War II and the years after. The focus is on young Frank, the illegitimate son of Cassie, the flighty youngest of seven sisters. Cassie is too unstable to care for an infant herself, but is unwilling to give him up for adoption. Matriarch Martha determines that the entire family will share in raising Frank, "Turn and turn about." Since Martha can play them all "like a bloody banjo" the matter is settled. Martha is the vital heart of the Vines. Her seven daughters, their mates and offspring, orbit around her as if she were a mighty planet and they her multitude of moons -- separate, but held in the universe by her natural force. Or perhaps that's "supernatural force" since Martha quietly receives inspirational otherworldly messages and has precognitive dreams; a knock on her door may as easily come from a visiting spirit as from the postman. Of all her children, only Cassie possesses similar "special" abilities. Cassie's "gift" is wilder and uncontrollable and leads to "blue patches" of self-destructive depression. It is soon apparent that Frank, too, is "special," and Martha realizes he must be particularly protected. U.S. CoverJoyce follows the family members through a decade of sharing in the care of Frank. Vivid and affectionately characterized, the Vines are both uniquely eccentric and a microcosm of post-war Britain. After three years with Martha, Cassie and Frank go to live with sister Una and her farmer-husband Tom Tufnel. (The sisters are named alphabetically by vowel -- Aida is the eldest, followed by twins Evelyn and Ina, Olive, and Una. Having run out of vowels, Martha started on consonants, ending with Beatrice and Cassie.) When Una has twins of her own, Frank and his mum go to the spinster twin sisters Evelyn and Ina. The twins are involved with spiritualists who wish to kindly exploit Frank's abilities. Next they live in an eccentric, intellectual, sexually "liberated," radical (and hilarious) commune in Oxford with Beatie, the sister afflicted with "too many brains," and her partner Bernard. After another stint with Martha, Frank goes to live with his Aunt Aida. Aida's husband Gordon is a mortician with a "home office"--a small mortuary behind his house. Olive and her husband William wind up not participating in Frank's upbringing. They have their own brood to contend with as well as a marriage troubled by William's affair with a dead comrade's widow. Joyce reveals these characters primarily through the story of William's extramarital activities with the widow Rita and later with Olive's bitter feud with Aida. Throughout his peripatetic familial upbringing, Frank frequently visits the Tufnel farm -- where his great secret, the mysterious "The-Man-Behind-The-Glass," is buried in a field. The novel is a nostalgic and warm examination of the strength of a family and the meaning of love. But it is also more than that. There's a completeness to this story. Not so much in its narrative progression from point "A" to point "Z," but in its all-incompassing humanity. Joyce presents a story that includes birth, life, death, all the mysteries between, and some of that which is beyond. He makes it whole in a way few writers can. U.K. CoverBut, there's still more to it. Martha, living in an ancient city being bombed into oblivion, is -- unlike most 20th century Westerners -- still connected to the living universe. Western culture has devised a world where everything is objectified and "reason" supposedly reigns. Humanity, as it seeks to control the world, manipulates and exploits it; literally destroys it with the ever-rational machinery of war. Martha Vine, however, is possessed by a wisdom granted only to those still in touch with the larger design of things. Precognitive abilities and attenuation to spirits are simply part of her being. Cassie's wild connection to the living universe is stronger and less controlled than her mother's. She is compelled to participate in life in ways the detached modern observer would see as impossible and insane. Her earthy sexually, her ability to talk to the dead, the way she can exist in a world where the symbolic is made concrete, and see straight through flesh and into the soul would have, in another era, made her a shaman, prophetess, priestess, goddess, or queen. But in the 20th century -- she's considered more than a bit crazy. Joyce has always been an outstanding storyteller and he is merely telling the story. He's drawing no conclusions. He's not setting out any explanations. The supernatural elements in The Facts of Life are portrayed with a naturalness, conviction, and subtlety that makes fantasy real. These things just are. You cannot doubt them. They are simply a different perspective than the "scientific" one we filter through. With prose now graced with even more assurance and power, Joyce has excelled himself and that's saying quite a bit. This one is Booker Prize material and the Brits are barmy if they don't see it.
John Doe · Jan. 13, 2023, 9:42 a.m.
Recommended for you