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Post by wireman on Apr 7, 2021 12:29:31 GMT
Today we are discussing The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson
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Post by wireman on Apr 7, 2021 14:00:51 GMT
I enjoyed this one. It's a selling your soul to the devil story with a way out. It's also a story of greed but the characters do not seem overly greedy and unlikable. I was pulling for the characters to work their way out of the situation instead of thinking they got what they deserved.
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Post by spideyman on Apr 7, 2021 14:37:57 GMT
An easy and enjoyable read. Take off of the old theme of making a deal with the devil. Reminded me of Aladdin. Did not expect to see it end as it did, but happy for the couple.
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Post by edwardjohn on Apr 7, 2021 18:34:19 GMT
If anyone is interested in the numerous facets, point of interest regarding this story, the Wikipedia page has a lot of really cool information. I particularly love the stuff about the "Bottle Imp Paradox".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Imp
I think this is one of these stories in which you can get a ton of things out of it, depending on your perspective. To me, this story seemed to be the anthesis to Capitalism, the idea of selling something at a loss is what saves your soul from eternal damnation. To sell what is prized for spiritual betterment is basically the opposite of capitalism. I love how Stevenson weaves ideas like this into a relatively simple narrative. I also like a lot of the Hawaiian culture found in this work, Stevenson was a well-travelled man, as I talked about in the previous weeks story section. He spent half a year in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1899, and even lived in Ho'okena, a town which appears in this story. There is a lot of native Hawaiian culture in this work as well.
I wonder if we can get a Stevenson monument in Hawaii? 
I wasn't too sure about the ending, but research tells me its one of the first appearances of a Deus Ex Machina, which is basically a character finding something which gets them out of a seemingly impossible situation. But I was happy that Keawe and his wife got out of it.
Excellent story.
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Post by wireman on Apr 7, 2021 19:27:37 GMT
If anyone is interested in the numerous facets, point of interest regarding this story, the Wikipedia page has a lot of really cool information. I particularly love the stuff about the "Bottle Imp Paradox".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Imp
I think this is one of these stories in which you can get a ton of things out of it, depending on your perspective. To me, this story seemed to be the anthesis to Capitalism, the idea of selling something at a loss is what saves your soul from eternal damnation. To sell what is prized for spiritual betterment is basically the opposite of capitalism. I love how Stevenson weaves ideas like this into a relatively simple narrative. I also like a lot of the Hawaiian culture found in this work, Stevenson was a well-travelled man, as I talked about in the previous weeks story section. He spent half a year in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1899, and even lived in Ho'okena, a town which appears in this story. There is a lot of native Hawaiian culture in this work as well.
I wonder if we can get a Stevenson monument in Hawaii?
I wasn't too sure about the ending, but research tells me its one of the first appearances of a Deus Ex Machina, which is basically a character finding something which gets them out of a seemingly impossible situation. But I was happy that Keawe and his wife got out of it.
Excellent story. The paradox is interesting.
I also see on that page that there is a 1917 silent movie of this. I looked up the movie on wikipedia and I guess it still exists. From the page:
Prints are held by George Eastman House and Cinematheque Francais, Paris.
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Post by edwardjohn on Apr 7, 2021 19:56:02 GMT
If anyone is interested in the numerous facets, point of interest regarding this story, the Wikipedia page has a lot of really cool information. I particularly love the stuff about the "Bottle Imp Paradox".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bottle_Imp
I think this is one of these stories in which you can get a ton of things out of it, depending on your perspective. To me, this story seemed to be the anthesis to Capitalism, the idea of selling something at a loss is what saves your soul from eternal damnation. To sell what is prized for spiritual betterment is basically the opposite of capitalism. I love how Stevenson weaves ideas like this into a relatively simple narrative. I also like a lot of the Hawaiian culture found in this work, Stevenson was a well-travelled man, as I talked about in the previous weeks story section. He spent half a year in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1899, and even lived in Ho'okena, a town which appears in this story. There is a lot of native Hawaiian culture in this work as well.
I wonder if we can get a Stevenson monument in Hawaii?
I wasn't too sure about the ending, but research tells me its one of the first appearances of a Deus Ex Machina, which is basically a character finding something which gets them out of a seemingly impossible situation. But I was happy that Keawe and his wife got out of it.
Excellent story. The paradox is interesting.
I also see on that page that there is a 1917 silent movie of this. I looked up the movie on wikipedia and I guess it still exists. From the page:
Prints are held by George Eastman House and Cinematheque Francais, Paris.
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Post by wolf on Apr 7, 2021 20:14:09 GMT
(...still really enjoying these discussions so much. 🙂...awwww....Lady spideyman , this one is making me miss Tery.  ) |
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Post by wireman on Apr 7, 2021 22:03:54 GMT
I'm not completely sure but I think Treasure Island was the first adult novel I read. As for kids books, I liked the Alfred Hitchcock series, The Three Investigators and I think Treasure Island was my first step up from the kids stuff.
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Post by edwardjohn on Apr 8, 2021 14:57:39 GMT
I'm not completely sure but I think Treasure Island was the first adult novel I read. As for kids books, I liked the Alfred Hitchcock series, The Three Investigators and I think Treasure Island was my first step up from the kids stuff.
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Post by spideyman on Apr 9, 2021 14:41:26 GMT
Back to Interior Darkness for next week?
Pork Pie Hat appears to be a novella-- should we divide the read for two weeks?
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Post by wireman on Apr 9, 2021 15:12:52 GMT
Back to Interior Darkness for next week?
Pork Pie Hat appears to be a novella-- should we divide the read for two weeks? Sounds good.
We will discuss Pork Pie Hat on 4-21
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Post by spideyman on Apr 9, 2021 16:01:51 GMT
Back to Interior Darkness for next week?
Pork Pie Hat appears to be a novella-- should we divide the read for two weeks? Sounds good.
We will discuss Pork Pie Hat on 4-21
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Post by wireman on Apr 14, 2021 14:57:11 GMT
Back to Interior Darkness for next week?
Pork Pie Hat appears to be a novella-- should we divide the read for two weeks? bump
We will discuss Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub from the collection, Interior Darkness on 4-21
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Post by cat on May 29, 2021 16:51:51 GMT
Just read this one. Quick and easy read. Nice take on the genie in the lamp. The selling the bottle for less than you bought it for seemed familiar to me, but I don't think I have ever read this before. Maybe I did, in school at some point. Enjoyed it!
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