Headline May 23, 2017/ ''' THE BURNOUT SOCIETY '''

''' THE BURNOUT SOCIETY '''

THE STUDENTS OF *PROUD PAKISTAN*  are nothing but pure magic. Every single day, and over all these many years-

I have used persuasion and urgings and pleadings  to get them to face up to occasionally composing and  publishing knowledge, content and honors. The seeds fell on rocky, stony ground.  

ALL OVER THE WORLD, in nooks corners and crannies, the universe 

gyrates with nothing but in an epoch : * The Age of Rage*.

In March, a man drove car on to a London's Westminster Bridge, killing three and injuring one before fatally stabbing policeman. The Stockholm lorry assault echoed by Westminster atrocity as well as the Nice truck attack...................I could go on and on.  

And what is very and more  illuminating than  speculation on  these criminals' pathology is to explore what the increasing number of violent attacks says about contemporary society.

These recent violent incidents call to mind    Byung Chul Han's.........  *The Burnout Society*    Han, a German-Korean philosopher writes disapprovingly that we are living through an age of anger rather than rage.

We've moved from from  Michel Foucault's disciplinary society of hospitals, prisons and asylums into an  ''age of achievement''., where most of the disciplining comes from ourselves amidst the vapid cheerleading of   -self-help  culture and social media. 

*Global capitalism's acceleration of working practices, the necessity of multi-tasking, the attendant hyperactivity and a loss of deep concentration are causing new social afflictions*-

Whereas in the  disciplinary society citizens are contend with inflections, Hans states our contemporary epidemic are depressions, burnout and metaphorical  ''infarction'' [literally the death of tissue caused by lack of blood].

Amongst an  emptily busy populace starved of   spiritual and intellectual oxygen, no cells containing the   ''the emphasis and energy of rage'' can be produced.

And with that I return to  *THE BONES OF GRACE'' by Tahmima Anam and thank the reviewer Nadya Mujahid.

While it would be presumptuous to assume that the heroine represents an alter ego of the novelist, the book apparently appears to follow, even if half-consciously-

The  19th century tradition of long, quasi autobiographical novels with strong female protagonists.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this. However, the work does suffer from a certain unevenness that stems from far too little attention being given to some topics, and far too much to others.

Such unevenness is not as noticeable in classic texts that spread the action and plot over a more extended literary canvas. 

For instance, Anwar's story would not have suffered from being truncated, and the novel would have been considerably enhanced by a more detailed explication of  Megna's adventures  [wretched thoughts they might have been].

Rashid's character never fully developed, and that of Elijah is so elusive that it times it appears as if Zubaida is more in love with the idea of being in love with him.

The heroine's rather childish self absorption borders on tiresome at best and downright painful at worst. 

Though she rebels against the constraints of wealthy society, she all too often emerges as little more than a spoilt rich kid. 

To be fair,  however, there are several memorable minor characters that move the plot along at a rapid pace, thereby sustaining the reader's interest.

These include Zubaida's frivolous but inherently matriarchal mother-in-law, Dolly; her two grandmothers; her working partners at both the Diana and Grace sites; her closest female friends; and her slightly overbearing sister-in-law, Ruby.

If one is looking for a biocultural novel that is both sincere and engaging one may certainly immerse oneself in a copy of Anam's most recent book, which makes for entertaining reading of many counts.

But the reader who wishes to be challenged by something more knowledgeable and engrossing had better look elsewhere. 

Though written with sincerity, this novel is unable to dig deep enough.

This is a shame because given Anam's personally erudite background one wishes she had not abandoned her excavation of Diana's bones quite so abrupt.

Perhaps she can revisit such enticing themes and concerns in a future test that will hopefully be less bogged down by a personal, historical and political machinations, not to mention narcissistic heroines.

And this anger that I referred to at the very beginning of publishing this research,   -this anger is banal, world destroying effect,  which erases the Other and prolongs the present.

By contrast, rage, according to Han, is a constructive and functioning as ctrl+alt+dlt corrupt command for current imbroglio.

Those of us who wish to resist the  Tweedledums and Tweedledees peddling   hatred and anger  today need to channel our  productive rage into creating a new post-anger age.

Many thanks, Professor Claire Chambers/University of York.

With most respectful dedication to all the Leaders, Parents, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all on !WOW!   -the World Students Society and Twitter- !E-WOW!   -the Ecosystem 2011:

''' Non-Fiction '''

Good Night and God Bless

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