Notes from the Cafe by R.F. Georgy

by R.F. Georgy

In 1864 Feyodor Dostoevsky published what is considered to be the first existentialist novel. The Underground Man is one of the most iconic characters in all of literature. One hundred and fifty years later, R.F. Georgy brings back the concept of an underground, Neo-Luddite to offer us a chilling image of the digital age. In the preface to Notes from the Underground, Dostoevsky states, "The author of the diary and the diary itself are, of course, fictitious. Nevertheless, it is clear that such persons as the writer of these notes not only may, but positively must, exist in our society." In Notes from the Cafe, Georgy introduces us to one such person with a unique observational perspective. The Cafe Dweller is the Underground Man brought back to life to offer us an unsettling commentary on the information age. In one sweeping attack, the Cafe Dweller declares, "Information paints no picture, sings no song, and writes no poem." Notes from the Cafe is a powerful intellectual indictment against science, technology, and the dizzying pace of modern life. Quotes from Notes from the "Do you want to know why I smoke? I smoke in defiance to the science of our time. Yes, you heard correctly. I smoke out spite. Science has become our new church. It is the ipso-facto intellectual authority that instructs us on all aspects of living." "Teachers no longer have autonomous control. They have surrendered their authority to sophisticated technocrats who are only interested in creating more technocrats to help expand and maintain the digital complex. The very idea that teaching is a noble and virtuous enterprise, whose singular aim is to transmit knowledge, is laughable. The digital age does not need teachers, gentlemen, the digital age needs information managers to keep our virtual palace moving along." "You believe in progress. You believe in the perfectibility of man. You believe in the rational ordering of human beings. You believe in the crystal palace. You believe in... wait, no you worship the number four." "We are the remainder of a fraction; a fraction that believes itself to be noble and proper. I lied just now, gentlemen, we are not worthy of being a remainder. We can't even aspire to being an irrational number. At least pi has a purpose and a function. We are the unfortunate zero that exists in the denominator of a fraction. We are undefined, a most unfortunate occurrence, I grant you." "But let me ask you a question, gentlemen. Suppose the answers to all of our existential interrogation are offered to us on a silver platter, how would we respond? I mean, how would we react to such a revelation? Do you suppose man would be perfectly content with the answers to all of life's mystery? I'll let you in on a little secret, gentlemen. Man will never be satisfied with an answer. We fool ourselves into believing that we are interrogative creatures. We ask teleological questions as if we truly want to hear the answer. We are condemned to only ask. We don't want to know the answers. We are restless beings, gentlemen, or if you like, we are contingent." "The agnostic will demand proof before he submits to the divine order of things. What's wrong with that, you say? I will tell you what is wrong with it. How the hell do you know what the proof should look like in order to acknowledge it as the proof you require? Do you see the extraordinary arrogance in demanding proof? We have assumed all along that those who require proof have no responsibility other than to sit back, relax and wait for something extraordinary to slap them into believing. We have been lead to believe the onus of proof is on those who affirm unsubstantiated claims. What you don't realize, gentlemen, is that those who demand proof have a greater burden placed upon them.

Paperback

First published March 21, 2014

Reviews

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. Apparently, the reader should first read Notes from Underground by Dostoyevsky.

The author does a good job portraying someone rambling in a cafe, at first, but rambling's not easy to follow. I don't recommend reading in parts before going to sleep. It has a flow that requires more than a few pages to get into.

“Do you know what man will do with his extra time? He will find more ingenious ways to escape himself. He will invent virtual worlds to make himself feel useful. What technology has done is mask our restless nature. We have become so addicted to the shiny toys that science throws at us that we have forgotten how to live in our skin. Imagine what would happen if all the technology that governs our lives stopped for one day. What do you think will happen? We will scream in existential agony. Our true nature, naked and exposed, will rear its ugly head and the absurd will laugh with utter delight. (pg. 113)”

“Why bother coming up with an original thought at all? We have created the illusion that progress is all we need. We have become overly comfortable and complacent with our smart phone and tablets. We believe that if we busy ourselves with the endless details of our technological lives that we are contributing something to the world. You see it differently? Of course you see it differently. You’ve always held out hope that science will overcome the challenges of our discontent. (pg. 114)”

[Kabir Bedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, if read on a superficial level might seem to look like an unhinged man rambling, a man who is terminally ill. The narrator has much more to reflect that goes beyond a shallow analysis of his psyche, as his consciousness is fading into oblivion and in the last burst, he is reflecting on himself, his milieu, and being in itself. The narrator is distraught by modern society and its dependence on sciences and technology. The schizophrenic episodes in the novel are a reflection of the deranged and superficial lives lived not just by the narrator but by the masses at large. A recurring feature of this novel is the dependence on melancholy to explain the human condition and nature in the 21st century.

This book is an ultimate black pill regarding our contemporary society.

[Corey Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Think Piece!

I didn't know what to expect when picking up this book but I'm happy I did. A searing observation of our digital age society with important questions about our existence, overconfidence of man, and our insatiable appetite for information that passes as objective truth. It was short, piercing, and relevant. A good read for someone who wants to know the dangers of a highly technological society guided by science. It challenges us to think about what we are losing, and what we will miss in the future. I loved it!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been so much better with help from a competent editor.