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Η διπλή γλώσσα
Μια ηλικιωμένη μάντις στους Δελφούς, το πιο ιερό μαντείο της αρχαίας Ελλάδας, επιχειρεί μια αναδρομή σε όλη την παράξενη ζωή της που έζησε ως Πυθία. Πρώτη Κυρία και φωνή του θεού Απόλλωνος. Όταν ήταν νεαρή παρθένα με οχληρές ψυχικές δυνάμεις, παραδόθηκε στις υπηρεσίες του ιερού εκείνου τόπου από τους ίδιους τους γονείς της. Έχει πια περάσει εξήντα ολόκληρα χρόνια ως μεσολαβήτρια, με το σχισμένο στόμα της, διφορούμενων μαντικών φθεγμάτων από το χάλκινο τρίποδα στο άβατον κάτω από το ναό.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
William Golding
217 books4,490 followersSir William Gerald Golding was an Engish novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel Lord of the Flies (1954), he published another twelve volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 1980, he was awarded the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage, the first novel in what became his sea trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth. He was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Literature.
As a result of his contributions to literature, Golding was knighted in 1988. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2008, The Times ranked Golding third on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
As a result of his contributions to literature, Golding was knighted in 1988. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2008, The Times ranked Golding third on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
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August 30, 2019I read a review of this book round about when it was published in 1995 and thought to myself - this is a book that I must read. It no longer is 1995, indeed it seems to be a fair bit later than that, so I will not deny the inescapable - that I am slow, however since the book is even slower I have eventually caught up with it in my tortoise way.
Maybe I am particularly crazy, but I feel this is Golding's best novel - at least in parts, although unfinished when he died and on Goodreads at least it seems that his first novel Lord of the Flies is his most popular and this one one of his least loved. Still I see that Golding was one of those writers who sought to write the same book, or one book that in the cave he struggled to perceive, each shadow that he produced for publication was just slightly sharper than the preceding one. So for me it is here in the last unfinished work that we are closest to his essence - or maybe I am fooled because that is in a way the subject of this book.
And for me that essence is made up of the questions 'what is it to be a man' and 'what is creativity and creative thought'.
This is expressed in the relationship between the young (at first, but in time she grows old) Arieka who will be the Pythia - the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi - and the High Priest of Apollo Ionides Peisistratides. The Oracle, for about a thousand years was a woman who on certain days (possibly just nine a year) sat on a tripod, in a sacred cave and after certain ceremonies she would answer questions put to her by petitioners from across the Greek world. While on the tripod it was believed that she was possessed by the God Apollo and she could reveal hidden knowledge or the future. Ionides says that he is an atheist and implies that the whole thing has to be a pious sham to provide a consistent customer experience so to speak, for him the Pythia plays a part, mutters something incomprehensible which the (male) priests interpret into rational human speech . Arieka is an innocent and has had several strange experiences as a child or better said she has been involved in some strange happenings which might be of a miraculous nature, she has faith and something weird does happen to her - she is the narrator of the novel, of course the rational mind can look at her narrative and say she has been conditioned by her culture and primed to have certain experiences and even to explain them in a certain way, or that she is overwhelmed herself by a situation that is designed to be a certain kind of theatre for the select. Then again maybe something does happen, and as a reader I suspected that Ionides' atheism and cynicism was simply a defence against the possibility of the irrational and inexplicable.
This was for me Golding talking about creativity. Is it a rational planned process - visually the Greek Temple, all lofty pillars and order? Or is it about the dark cave under that temple, the scene of some ancient act of violence where something uncanny, unheimlich, occurs?
Apollo, God of the Sun, music and poetry embodies this duality - this double tongued nature, yes a God of reason and order, but also a violent figure who kills the original Python that inhabited the cave and makes it his own place, a rapist, or would be rapist as Daphne might testify, as we can read in Ovid's Metamorphoses, or perhaps in Euripides' play Ion. The Pythia's possession by the God is described as a rape, afterwards the Pythia talks of her mouth torn by the God, here I recall that Golding himself was a rapist, his knowledge of that act is at heart of the dark cave under the rational temple of his literary output - that is part of what William Golding was, and gave him the feeling that the possibility of such violent acts was not just a part of his nature but of all people, or perhaps all me, there's a sense that a self knowledge of the Chthonic is a necessary part of creativity, the rational temple is as much as it hates it, is rooted in the mystery of the cave the experience of the numinous that we can't explain.
That aspect of the novel I thought was best and satisfying, teasing and ambiguous, however there is also an element of plot (sigh) which I felt was slight weaker and, well it is probably best that I put the rest in spoiler tags, not only because it is a spoiler but because a certain British political event has left me like Don Quixote riding under the midday sun with no hat on .
Arieka has doubts, which makes the narration interesting, she does not know or understand what happens in the cave when she sits on her tripod, she worries about her relationship with the gods - because her experience on the tripod is never consistent. To reassure her Ionides talks about Moses. In terms of a historical novel, that is way beyond the limits of my credulity, in terms of a novel playing at the boundaries of the religious and the rational minds I find it interesting. the implication I felt was that all organised religion is a polite, perhaps even well-meaning, sham. a bit of theatre that provides some comfort in exchange for the money and prestige that flows back to cynical professionals like Ionides, however all these temples with careful rites and observances sit awkwardly on top of dark caves or clefts in the rock in which women or men like the Pythia or Moses have profound experiences that society actually can't deal with very well the best they can do is cover over them and try to provide some order and structure around them.
The story is set in the period of Roman domination of Greece, the Pythia is described, perhaps without irony, as the freeist woman in Greece, but she herself sees freedom as a matter of degrees, she is literally in a gilded cage and is obliged to undergo the experience of being an Oracle and live with the consequences of it whether she wants to or not.
The published novel was the first draft while the second and third drafts were ignored, the title chosen from one of several that Golding had in mind. I'm left curious how Golding's creativity expressed itself in the unpublished drafts, but in a way the ambiguity of the papers left upon his death brings the mind back to the question of creativity and the weird dark cave at the heart of it.
Maybe I am particularly crazy, but I feel this is Golding's best novel - at least in parts, although unfinished when he died and on Goodreads at least it seems that his first novel Lord of the Flies is his most popular and this one one of his least loved. Still I see that Golding was one of those writers who sought to write the same book, or one book that in the cave he struggled to perceive, each shadow that he produced for publication was just slightly sharper than the preceding one. So for me it is here in the last unfinished work that we are closest to his essence - or maybe I am fooled because that is in a way the subject of this book.
And for me that essence is made up of the questions 'what is it to be a man' and 'what is creativity and creative thought'.
This is expressed in the relationship between the young (at first, but in time she grows old) Arieka who will be the Pythia - the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi - and the High Priest of Apollo Ionides Peisistratides. The Oracle, for about a thousand years was a woman who on certain days (possibly just nine a year) sat on a tripod, in a sacred cave and after certain ceremonies she would answer questions put to her by petitioners from across the Greek world. While on the tripod it was believed that she was possessed by the God Apollo and she could reveal hidden knowledge or the future. Ionides says that he is an atheist and implies that the whole thing has to be a pious sham to provide a consistent customer experience so to speak, for him the Pythia plays a part, mutters something incomprehensible which the (male) priests interpret into rational human speech . Arieka is an innocent and has had several strange experiences as a child or better said she has been involved in some strange happenings which might be of a miraculous nature, she has faith and something weird does happen to her - she is the narrator of the novel, of course the rational mind can look at her narrative and say she has been conditioned by her culture and primed to have certain experiences and even to explain them in a certain way, or that she is overwhelmed herself by a situation that is designed to be a certain kind of theatre for the select. Then again maybe something does happen, and as a reader I suspected that Ionides' atheism and cynicism was simply a defence against the possibility of the irrational and inexplicable.
This was for me Golding talking about creativity. Is it a rational planned process - visually the Greek Temple, all lofty pillars and order? Or is it about the dark cave under that temple, the scene of some ancient act of violence where something uncanny, unheimlich, occurs?
Apollo, God of the Sun, music and poetry embodies this duality - this double tongued nature, yes a God of reason and order, but also a violent figure who kills the original Python that inhabited the cave and makes it his own place, a rapist, or would be rapist as Daphne might testify, as we can read in Ovid's Metamorphoses, or perhaps in Euripides' play Ion. The Pythia's possession by the God is described as a rape, afterwards the Pythia talks of her mouth torn by the God, here I recall that Golding himself was a rapist, his knowledge of that act is at heart of the dark cave under the rational temple of his literary output - that is part of what William Golding was, and gave him the feeling that the possibility of such violent acts was not just a part of his nature but of all people, or perhaps all me, there's a sense that a self knowledge of the Chthonic is a necessary part of creativity, the rational temple is as much as it hates it, is rooted in the mystery of the cave the experience of the numinous that we can't explain.
That aspect of the novel I thought was best and satisfying, teasing and ambiguous, however there is also an element of plot (sigh) which I felt was slight weaker and, well it is probably best that I put the rest in spoiler tags, not only because it is a spoiler but because a certain British political event has left me like Don Quixote riding under the midday sun with no hat on .
Arieka has doubts, which makes the narration interesting, she does not know or understand what happens in the cave when she sits on her tripod, she worries about her relationship with the gods - because her experience on the tripod is never consistent. To reassure her Ionides talks about Moses. In terms of a historical novel, that is way beyond the limits of my credulity, in terms of a novel playing at the boundaries of the religious and the rational minds I find it interesting. the implication I felt was that all organised religion is a polite, perhaps even well-meaning, sham. a bit of theatre that provides some comfort in exchange for the money and prestige that flows back to cynical professionals like Ionides, however all these temples with careful rites and observances sit awkwardly on top of dark caves or clefts in the rock in which women or men like the Pythia or Moses have profound experiences that society actually can't deal with very well the best they can do is cover over them and try to provide some order and structure around them.
The story is set in the period of Roman domination of Greece, the Pythia is described, perhaps without irony, as the freeist woman in Greece, but she herself sees freedom as a matter of degrees, she is literally in a gilded cage and is obliged to undergo the experience of being an Oracle and live with the consequences of it whether she wants to or not.
The published novel was the first draft while the second and third drafts were ignored, the title chosen from one of several that Golding had in mind. I'm left curious how Golding's creativity expressed itself in the unpublished drafts, but in a way the ambiguity of the papers left upon his death brings the mind back to the question of creativity and the weird dark cave at the heart of it.
October 3, 2025
It is the first century BC. Eighty-year-old Arieka, the priestess of Delphi, tells her story in the first person. Her nature did not bestow upon her the gift of her beauty, but she was endowed with extraordinary powers from a young age. She is tossed around like a beast (the fate of many women of the time) until her fate and powers drag her to Delphi, where she will become her new Oracle. Here, she discovers that the city is in contact, through carrier pigeons, with all the great clairvoyants of the world. Arieka's existence changes drastically: she now has an immense library that satisfies her learning needs. Through her mouth, both Dionysus and Apollo speak. The Greeks are perplexed: is there only one God with two mouths? Or does divinity have a dual nature?
March 30, 2020
Tamamlanmamış bir kitap ama ben o hissi almadım. Tek başına bakıldığında kitabın kaldığı yer kendi içinde bir son hissi de veriyor hani. Gayet iyiydi.
Kim bilir Golding bu yazdıklarının üzerinden kaç kez geçecekti? Ancak bize bu hali ulaştı ve gördüm ki düşündüğüm kadar ham halde değilmiş.
İlk 2 sayfa anlamayı biraz güçleştiriyor ancak sonrasında kitap su gibi akıp gidiyor. Bir kahin ve ateist bir rahip gibi karakterlere ev sahipliği yapan güzel bir esedi.
Tek bir şeye takıldım: çeviriye diyeceğim yok, ama bendeki 5.baskı olmasına rağmen kitabın özellikle başlarında bazı yazım hataları mevcuttu. İş Bankası ailesine pek yakıştıramadım.
Kitap, arka kapağında yazdığı gibi gerçekten de sahici bir kadın başkaraktere sahip. Adının anlamı "küçük barbar"olan bir kızın nasıl olup da Yunanistan'ın kahini olduğu hikayesini bence ıskalamayın.
Kim bilir Golding bu yazdıklarının üzerinden kaç kez geçecekti? Ancak bize bu hali ulaştı ve gördüm ki düşündüğüm kadar ham halde değilmiş.
İlk 2 sayfa anlamayı biraz güçleştiriyor ancak sonrasında kitap su gibi akıp gidiyor. Bir kahin ve ateist bir rahip gibi karakterlere ev sahipliği yapan güzel bir esedi.
Tek bir şeye takıldım: çeviriye diyeceğim yok, ama bendeki 5.baskı olmasına rağmen kitabın özellikle başlarında bazı yazım hataları mevcuttu. İş Bankası ailesine pek yakıştıramadım.
Kitap, arka kapağında yazdığı gibi gerçekten de sahici bir kadın başkaraktere sahip. Adının anlamı "küçük barbar"olan bir kızın nasıl olup da Yunanistan'ın kahini olduğu hikayesini bence ıskalamayın.
July 31, 2019
tabi yarım bir eser olduğu için bütünlükle bakamıyorsunuz ama çok güzel, iyi kurgulanmış bir eser. okurken yaşadığım ürperti çok değişik bir his, bir kitabın bana belirgin fiziki bir his vermesine bayılıyorum. inanç-şüphe arasında gidiş gelişler, mistizm çok güzel işlenmiş
March 5, 2015
I was going to give this book 4 stars, as it has clearly been published as a first draft and could have achieved greater things if Golding had gotten the chance to revise and develop it.
However, even though it hasn't reached its full potential, to me it is a five-star book. It is still going to be one of the best books I will read in 2015.
I was deeply impressed with the sensitivity and empathy Golding showed when writing in the voice of a young girl. This book is really about womanhood, and its contradictions, challenges and heartbreaks. There are some beautiful ideas in it that are unforgettable. Most predominant is the theme that women are "prized, but not rewarded" for their qualities, such as their beauty or virginity.
I'm still turning the book over in my mind and expect it will reveal some new insights to me as I continue to think about it. I highly, highly recommend it.
However, even though it hasn't reached its full potential, to me it is a five-star book. It is still going to be one of the best books I will read in 2015.
I was deeply impressed with the sensitivity and empathy Golding showed when writing in the voice of a young girl. This book is really about womanhood, and its contradictions, challenges and heartbreaks. There are some beautiful ideas in it that are unforgettable. Most predominant is the theme that women are "prized, but not rewarded" for their qualities, such as their beauty or virginity.
I'm still turning the book over in my mind and expect it will reveal some new insights to me as I continue to think about it. I highly, highly recommend it.
September 2, 2021
Yarıda kalmış olsa da tamamıyla yarıda kalmış hissi vermiyor. Yani yazarın üslubu bakımından aslında bitmiş gibi de.
Fakat yine de sonu ne şekilde olabilirdir diye meraklanıyor insan. Antik çağ tarihçisi olarak dönemin bazı doneleri gayet yerinde kurgulanmıştı, özellikle Pythia’nıj kendi konumuyla alakalı iç sesleri. Fakat mükemmeli aradığımdan mıdır bilinmez dört yıldız verdim.
Fakat yine de sonu ne şekilde olabilirdir diye meraklanıyor insan. Antik çağ tarihçisi olarak dönemin bazı doneleri gayet yerinde kurgulanmıştı, özellikle Pythia’nıj kendi konumuyla alakalı iç sesleri. Fakat mükemmeli aradığımdan mıdır bilinmez dört yıldız verdim.
March 25, 2015
This book did feel a bit incomplete and unfinished. Because it was incomplete and unfinished. Because the author died before he had a final manuscript. In spite of that, this book is brilliant.
First he gives an incredibly sympathetic portrait of a young girl. Then he perfectly portrays that young girl becoming the Pythia. And finally, through the narrative, of a believing woman who was used by the gods.
I have read this book at least four, probably five times, and every time I read it, I pick up on something new. The manuscript may just be a sketch, but it is a sketch by a master. And every time I read this book, I want to go back and re-read C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces.
First he gives an incredibly sympathetic portrait of a young girl. Then he perfectly portrays that young girl becoming the Pythia. And finally, through the narrative, of a believing woman who was used by the gods.
I have read this book at least four, probably five times, and every time I read it, I pick up on something new. The manuscript may just be a sketch, but it is a sketch by a master. And every time I read this book, I want to go back and re-read C.S. Lewis' Till We Have Faces.
September 26, 2020
Bom dia.
William Golding je one hit wonder, stejně jako třeba Koko Džambo nebo Help me doktor dick, tak jsem si posvítil i na jeho méně známé hity, jako třeba Dvojí jazyk.
V týhle knížce je hlavní hrdinka malá džambule, která je škaredá jak pytel brambor a tak ji zodpovědně vodlifrujou do nějaký světnice v Řecku, kde říká předpovědi počasí a tak. Hešteg Jolanda. Tohle se děje skoro celou knihu, zatímco hrdinka prochází řadami težkých chvilek, kterými jsme si prošli všichni, jako třeba repovat v hexametru. Svatopluk Čech by měl radost. No a na závěr se u Jolandy ve studiu začne bortit střecha, protože jsou tašky na kokot a mladá paní odjede do Athén orodovat za almužnu, a víc vám samozřejmě neprozradím, protože spojlery nejsou zadarmo. Třeba takovej zadní spojler na Ocatvii stojí 2600. Tak co jako?
Valilo to docela dobře, ale občas mě řecké reálie trochu motaly hlavu. Ale to je tím, že já Řecko obecně moc neumím. Budu si asi muset znovu pustit Tróju s Bradem Pittem.
6/10.
Naskle.
William Golding je one hit wonder, stejně jako třeba Koko Džambo nebo Help me doktor dick, tak jsem si posvítil i na jeho méně známé hity, jako třeba Dvojí jazyk.
V týhle knížce je hlavní hrdinka malá džambule, která je škaredá jak pytel brambor a tak ji zodpovědně vodlifrujou do nějaký světnice v Řecku, kde říká předpovědi počasí a tak. Hešteg Jolanda. Tohle se děje skoro celou knihu, zatímco hrdinka prochází řadami težkých chvilek, kterými jsme si prošli všichni, jako třeba repovat v hexametru. Svatopluk Čech by měl radost. No a na závěr se u Jolandy ve studiu začne bortit střecha, protože jsou tašky na kokot a mladá paní odjede do Athén orodovat za almužnu, a víc vám samozřejmě neprozradím, protože spojlery nejsou zadarmo. Třeba takovej zadní spojler na Ocatvii stojí 2600. Tak co jako?
Valilo to docela dobře, ale občas mě řecké reálie trochu motaly hlavu. Ale to je tím, že já Řecko obecně moc neumím. Budu si asi muset znovu pustit Tróju s Bradem Pittem.
6/10.
Naskle.
November 24, 2017
Bilinmeyen Tanrıya....
August 29, 2013
"Arieka, a Pítia, é um retrato convincente da experiência de uma mulher, coisa rara na obra de Golding, constituindo uma das suas melhores criações."
Trouxe este livro da biblioteca por acaso ... e simplesmente porque na capa dizia "Prémio Nobel" ... estava desesperada e nenhum livro me chamava à atenção e pensei ... se o autor ganhou um Nobel é porque tem de ser Muito Bom, agarrei no livro e requisitei-o. Bendita a hora em que o fiz!
Adorei o livro do princípio ao fim.
Mas tenho de admitir que algumas partes me passaram ao lado, não que não me tenha esforçado por entender, simplesmente não compreendia ... preciso de mais 'background' literário!
Penso que percebi a história ... uma rapariga dos tempos em que a Grécia era a Grande Civilização, torna-se no Oráculo de Delfos.
É muito interessante, porque ela (Araeka) vai mostrando um pouco da discriminação das mulheres na altura e da Magnificiência de toda a Civilização Grega.
Torna-se numa Pítia, uma mulher que é Oráculo, que é uma espécie de intermédio dos Deuses para falar com os Mortais, embora na história percebamos que isso não passa de uma falsidade. Iódines, Sacerdote de Apolo, acompanha Araeka e ensina-lhe tudo acerca do Oráculo, e como a Pítia não fala directamente com as pessoas, ele, Iónides, transmite o que a Pítia houve dos Deuses, no fundo, inventa o que convém ...
Ou seja, acabei o livro e achei que tudo aquilo era falso, uma junção de interesses, que não existiam deuses a quem recorrer, Araeka sente isso, diz que há um 'vazio' que os deuses lhe viraram as costas e no fim, já ela se conformou, já não lhe importa que Iónides invente as profecias ... Iónides acaba por morrer demente.
No fim, Araeka, pede para que quando ela morra não lhe façam nenhuma estátua (como era costume fazerem às Pítias) que lhe façam simplesmente uma lápide e escrevam "ao Deus Desconhecido".
Trouxe este livro da biblioteca por acaso ... e simplesmente porque na capa dizia "Prémio Nobel" ... estava desesperada e nenhum livro me chamava à atenção e pensei ... se o autor ganhou um Nobel é porque tem de ser Muito Bom, agarrei no livro e requisitei-o. Bendita a hora em que o fiz!
Adorei o livro do princípio ao fim.
Mas tenho de admitir que algumas partes me passaram ao lado, não que não me tenha esforçado por entender, simplesmente não compreendia ... preciso de mais 'background' literário!
Penso que percebi a história ... uma rapariga dos tempos em que a Grécia era a Grande Civilização, torna-se no Oráculo de Delfos.
É muito interessante, porque ela (Araeka) vai mostrando um pouco da discriminação das mulheres na altura e da Magnificiência de toda a Civilização Grega.
Torna-se numa Pítia, uma mulher que é Oráculo, que é uma espécie de intermédio dos Deuses para falar com os Mortais, embora na história percebamos que isso não passa de uma falsidade. Iódines, Sacerdote de Apolo, acompanha Araeka e ensina-lhe tudo acerca do Oráculo, e como a Pítia não fala directamente com as pessoas, ele, Iónides, transmite o que a Pítia houve dos Deuses, no fundo, inventa o que convém ...
Ou seja, acabei o livro e achei que tudo aquilo era falso, uma junção de interesses, que não existiam deuses a quem recorrer, Araeka sente isso, diz que há um 'vazio' que os deuses lhe viraram as costas e no fim, já ela se conformou, já não lhe importa que Iónides invente as profecias ... Iónides acaba por morrer demente.
No fim, Araeka, pede para que quando ela morra não lhe façam nenhuma estátua (como era costume fazerem às Pítias) que lhe façam simplesmente uma lápide e escrevam "ao Deus Desconhecido".
September 20, 2020
This was my first read of Golding. The Double Tongue is a short, fictional memoir of Arieka, chosen by Ionides to be the next Pythia (oracle) of Delphi at the start of its decline in fortunes, which coincided with the start of Roman rule of the area. While the manuscript for this book was found among Golding's papers at the time of his death in 2nd or 3rd draft form, it remained unfinished and was published as such.
I found the idea for this story to be very intriguing. However, because it was published in an unfinished state, while reading this book, I often found myself wishing that Golding would have had time to more fully develop the plot and the characters. I think it would have lead to a much richer story and a more fulfilling read.
I found the idea for this story to be very intriguing. However, because it was published in an unfinished state, while reading this book, I often found myself wishing that Golding would have had time to more fully develop the plot and the characters. I think it would have lead to a much richer story and a more fulfilling read.
January 15, 2021
This book is bizarre. It's well written, and I really liked Ionides. I'm not sure what to take away from it all, though. Is this a reflection on the hypocrisy of religion? Freedom and slavery are obviously major themes that are explored in Arieka's gender and Ionides' sexuality and political agenda. Silence and voice seem pretty meaningful also in a parallel way. This is the kind of book that you could take in many different directions in a classroom.
May 27, 2020
Yarıda kalmışlığı daha doğrusu yazarın tamamlamaya ömrünün yetmemesi bağlamında yarattığı eksiklik yüzünden 3 yıldız. Yoksa Delphoi ve Pytiası ile ilgili nefis bir kurgu.
Sondaki açıklamada pytianın serüveni bağlamında bitmiş sayılabileceği söylenmiş olsa da keşke yazarın tamamlamaya ömrü yetseydi.
Sondaki açıklamada pytianın serüveni bağlamında bitmiş sayılabileceği söylenmiş olsa da keşke yazarın tamamlamaya ömrü yetseydi.
September 8, 2021
Ein wirklich Lesenwertes Buch nach den Aufzeichnungen des Nobelpreis-Trägers William Golcing.
Für alle, die mal etwas ganz anderes lesen möchten, als das, was sie sonst immer lesen.
Sie werden überrascht sein, wie ein Buch über die letzte Pytha, welche im Dienste des Orakel von Delphi stand, fesseln kann.
Für alle, die mal etwas ganz anderes lesen möchten, als das, was sie sonst immer lesen.
Sie werden überrascht sein, wie ein Buch über die letzte Pytha, welche im Dienste des Orakel von Delphi stand, fesseln kann.
January 25, 2024
It's unfinished, but authors are rarely good at finishing books so I don't see why that matters. This first draft has more Expressionism than Golding's tidy, finished books. Either way, I've only enjoyed Golding. His writing is pulpy for a Nobel winner. It's not as lapidary as Penelope Fitzgerald's or Muriel Spark's. His books are historical or speculative and mostly explore what's ugly and beautiful about people and the ground they live on. His characters are the cynical men who might head up an English spy novel. But here the leads are a young woman and a gay man, who are nevertheless given a spy's licence not to apologise. Shall we go to Greece, btw?
Read
December 27, 2024Written with Golding’s clarity with a lot of interest ideas. It’s impossible to rate something that wasn’t finished by the author himself, and I put a lot of the book’s lack of oomph to this. A fun read and ultimate respect to a legend.
February 11, 2021
Tamamlanmamış bir kitap olarak bakarsam eğer kurgusu biraz zayıf. Yine de yunan dünyasının biricik kehanet merkezi delfi'nin çöküşünü okumak farklıydı.
April 30, 2023
Antik Yunan hikayesi, Delfi’nin çöküşünü ele alıyor. Beni çok içine çekemedi belki ağırlıklı dini olduğu için olabilir. Yarım kalmış bir eser aynı zamanda, William Golding’in ömrü tamamlamaya yetmemiş ne yazık ki.
January 24, 2019
It took me a while to write this review down, as I have mixed feelings about this novel.
I found "The Double Tongue" at a second-hand bookshop in Glasgow and, since I loved Golding's "Lord of the Flies" to the point that I literally devoured it in a couple of days, I just decided to buy it and give it a go. I didn't read any reviews nor opinions, I just blindly followed my heart.
The plot is pretty simple: Arieka, a bright young Greek lady, is recruited by the Delphi temple to become the new Pythia, the most famous oracle in the ancient Greece.
What I found in the "Lord of the Flies", its simple yet stunning narration and depth, can't be found in The Double Tongue: the narration is a mixture betweeen an autobiography and a stream of consciousness, the vocabulary is difficult and intricated and sometimes it's hard to follow the flow of thoughts the author expresses via Arieka's narration. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I think it is important for the reader to challenge his/her reading skills, however in this case I arrived to the last page of the novel with a sense of disorientation: I couldn't quite grasp what the story was about and what was its point.
I took some months to re-elaborate the book and I came to this conclusion, which is genuinely mine and not supported by any academical research nor web article or review (which I didn't read anyway). This book is about two main topics: the identity of women, and in particular the lack of autodetermination possibilities for this side of the gender battle, and the complete absence of the divine, in a climax of pure disenchanted materialism.
[Women identity and autodetermination]
In the character of Arieka, we see a young and pure woman struggling with her identity: as a child, she didn't quite grasp why she was treated differently from the opposite sex, as she couldn't even understand the differentiation between genders in the first place; growing up, she somehow accostums her behaviour towards a pre-determined scheme her parents want her to fit into.
She understands she needs to be silent and obedient but, above all, she learns the hardest way she is not the master of her own fate: her attempt to escape from the marriage her father decided for her ends in failure, and she is brought back home where, according to the ancient Greek's costumes, she is refused for being a rebel and lascivious woman.
It's Ionides Peisistratides, a deeply eclectic character, who saves Arieka from her family's and society's neglection: being the high priest of Apollo at the temple of Delphi, and being also Arieka's father friend, he adopts her and bring her to Delphi with the promise of making her the new Pythia, priestess of Delphi and oracle. Arieka can't discuss this decision and she can only obediently agree with what the men of her life decide for her.
Becoming the new Pythia, Arieka feels like she can finally express herself as an oracle: she actively looks for the Gods' presence and tries really hard to deliver their message to those who are looking for answers, but even in this circumstances she can't achieve her goals, as the Gods won't speak to her and Ionides would provide her with the right words to use when oracling.
[Absence of the divine]
Arieka is a genuine person, she is both curious and pious, however her life is riddled with experiences that bring her to a complete disenchantment: all her attempts to look for the Gods and to hear their voices fail miserably.
The lack of a spiritual response to the protagonists' daily struggles as both a woman and an independent thinker have a big impact on her soul and body: where, being a woman in ancient Greece, Arieka can't express her thoughts and pursue her desires, where she is looking for answers or to give answers to others, the divine stays silent, shutting at least any kind of hope or belief in both spiritualism and human society.
The final picture the reader gets from these elements and from the feminine voice so well expressed by Golding's narration is a crude one: there's no hope for women, in such a society, to find their dimension folllowing their vocations in the case those fall outside of the role society has depicted for them.
A quite difficult novel to get through, above all if you are not a native English speaker, but which never fails to give loads of food for the mind to linger on.
I found "The Double Tongue" at a second-hand bookshop in Glasgow and, since I loved Golding's "Lord of the Flies" to the point that I literally devoured it in a couple of days, I just decided to buy it and give it a go. I didn't read any reviews nor opinions, I just blindly followed my heart.
The plot is pretty simple: Arieka, a bright young Greek lady, is recruited by the Delphi temple to become the new Pythia, the most famous oracle in the ancient Greece.
What I found in the "Lord of the Flies", its simple yet stunning narration and depth, can't be found in The Double Tongue: the narration is a mixture betweeen an autobiography and a stream of consciousness, the vocabulary is difficult and intricated and sometimes it's hard to follow the flow of thoughts the author expresses via Arieka's narration. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I think it is important for the reader to challenge his/her reading skills, however in this case I arrived to the last page of the novel with a sense of disorientation: I couldn't quite grasp what the story was about and what was its point.
I took some months to re-elaborate the book and I came to this conclusion, which is genuinely mine and not supported by any academical research nor web article or review (which I didn't read anyway). This book is about two main topics: the identity of women, and in particular the lack of autodetermination possibilities for this side of the gender battle, and the complete absence of the divine, in a climax of pure disenchanted materialism.
[Women identity and autodetermination]
In the character of Arieka, we see a young and pure woman struggling with her identity: as a child, she didn't quite grasp why she was treated differently from the opposite sex, as she couldn't even understand the differentiation between genders in the first place; growing up, she somehow accostums her behaviour towards a pre-determined scheme her parents want her to fit into.
She understands she needs to be silent and obedient but, above all, she learns the hardest way she is not the master of her own fate: her attempt to escape from the marriage her father decided for her ends in failure, and she is brought back home where, according to the ancient Greek's costumes, she is refused for being a rebel and lascivious woman.
It's Ionides Peisistratides, a deeply eclectic character, who saves Arieka from her family's and society's neglection: being the high priest of Apollo at the temple of Delphi, and being also Arieka's father friend, he adopts her and bring her to Delphi with the promise of making her the new Pythia, priestess of Delphi and oracle. Arieka can't discuss this decision and she can only obediently agree with what the men of her life decide for her.
Becoming the new Pythia, Arieka feels like she can finally express herself as an oracle: she actively looks for the Gods' presence and tries really hard to deliver their message to those who are looking for answers, but even in this circumstances she can't achieve her goals, as the Gods won't speak to her and Ionides would provide her with the right words to use when oracling.
[Absence of the divine]
Arieka is a genuine person, she is both curious and pious, however her life is riddled with experiences that bring her to a complete disenchantment: all her attempts to look for the Gods and to hear their voices fail miserably.
The lack of a spiritual response to the protagonists' daily struggles as both a woman and an independent thinker have a big impact on her soul and body: where, being a woman in ancient Greece, Arieka can't express her thoughts and pursue her desires, where she is looking for answers or to give answers to others, the divine stays silent, shutting at least any kind of hope or belief in both spiritualism and human society.
The final picture the reader gets from these elements and from the feminine voice so well expressed by Golding's narration is a crude one: there's no hope for women, in such a society, to find their dimension folllowing their vocations in the case those fall outside of the role society has depicted for them.
A quite difficult novel to get through, above all if you are not a native English speaker, but which never fails to give loads of food for the mind to linger on.
July 8, 2022
Kitabı İngilizce okudum arada Türkçe çevirisine de baktım. Başlarda çok net olan hikaye ilerledikçe biraz bulanıklaştı benim için. En enteresan gelen şey din adı altında yapılan kehanet aktivitelerini yürüyen kişilerin ateist/agnostik olmaları geldi. Ve bunu kullanarak para kazanmaları. Devir değişse de din üzerinden para kazanmak değişmiyor.
Düşük puan vermemin sebebi benim için bulanık kalması oldu…
Düşük puan vermemin sebebi benim için bulanık kalması oldu…
December 13, 2016
Golding's first and most famous novel was the visionary Lord of the Flies (1954), which I had the good fortune to study at GCSE. Golding's last novel was the little-read Double Tongue, left in draft form at the time of his death in 1993.
Golding had a lifelong interest in ancient Greece and could read ancient Greek but he never wrote about it until The Double Tongue. It's set at the time of the decline of Greece in its final, classical, period, when the Roman Empire was expanding, absorbing the culture and art of Greece, and using military might to become the dominant superpower of the time. There's quite a lot about this, in an underdeveloped plot about a Greek rebellion against Roman rule.
We are told the story of Arieka, a plain and unwanted girl from a rich family who gets adopted as the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. Her job is to become possessed by the god Apollo and deliver prophetic answers to people's questions. Perhaps surprising, considering this solemn-sounding setting and subject matter, the tone of the novel is humorous.
The writing is not a model of clarity, especially in the first quarter, in which the story struggles to be told. Thankfully the style finds its legs and smoothens out somewhat after that. But there are still problems with narrative clarity. Minor characters pop up unexplained and then disappear with too little ado. Things that should be there aren't. For example, we are told that Arieka learns to speak in hexameter form to convince questioners of her authenticity. But it would be good to see some examples of this. I feel it's something Golding would have included had he finished it. Things need fleshing out. Characters seem hollow, the whole just a little too light. The novel falls strangely flat and lifeless, despite being interesting.
What's The Double Tongue about? The high priest who is in charge of the temple doesn't believe in the gods and fabricates prophesies. Arieka does believe, or at least she does at first. Later, her position seems ambivalent. It's about faith, then, to some extent. The nature of freedom is another theme. There's also some feminism going on, I think. And then there's that political thread, about the rise of and rebellion against Rome. But all of this doesn't quite crystallise. It's just not quite there.
For all its unsatisfactoriness, it is, as I say, an interesting novel, and did at least serve to reawaken my interest in Greek literature, religion and culture. I found myself flicking through a British Museum picture book on it, looking at the photos of all those heroic statues and ruined temples and amphitheatres. And I might just have to reread Homer now. Or perhaps one of the many apparently fine novels that Golding did actually finish.
Golding had a lifelong interest in ancient Greece and could read ancient Greek but he never wrote about it until The Double Tongue. It's set at the time of the decline of Greece in its final, classical, period, when the Roman Empire was expanding, absorbing the culture and art of Greece, and using military might to become the dominant superpower of the time. There's quite a lot about this, in an underdeveloped plot about a Greek rebellion against Roman rule.
We are told the story of Arieka, a plain and unwanted girl from a rich family who gets adopted as the priestess of Apollo at Delphi. Her job is to become possessed by the god Apollo and deliver prophetic answers to people's questions. Perhaps surprising, considering this solemn-sounding setting and subject matter, the tone of the novel is humorous.
The writing is not a model of clarity, especially in the first quarter, in which the story struggles to be told. Thankfully the style finds its legs and smoothens out somewhat after that. But there are still problems with narrative clarity. Minor characters pop up unexplained and then disappear with too little ado. Things that should be there aren't. For example, we are told that Arieka learns to speak in hexameter form to convince questioners of her authenticity. But it would be good to see some examples of this. I feel it's something Golding would have included had he finished it. Things need fleshing out. Characters seem hollow, the whole just a little too light. The novel falls strangely flat and lifeless, despite being interesting.
What's The Double Tongue about? The high priest who is in charge of the temple doesn't believe in the gods and fabricates prophesies. Arieka does believe, or at least she does at first. Later, her position seems ambivalent. It's about faith, then, to some extent. The nature of freedom is another theme. There's also some feminism going on, I think. And then there's that political thread, about the rise of and rebellion against Rome. But all of this doesn't quite crystallise. It's just not quite there.
For all its unsatisfactoriness, it is, as I say, an interesting novel, and did at least serve to reawaken my interest in Greek literature, religion and culture. I found myself flicking through a British Museum picture book on it, looking at the photos of all those heroic statues and ruined temples and amphitheatres. And I might just have to reread Homer now. Or perhaps one of the many apparently fine novels that Golding did actually finish.
April 29, 2022
Περνούσα προχθές έξω από το βιβλιοπωλείο στην παραλία της Νάξου.
Μπήκα πολύ αποφασισμένη να μην αγοράσω βιβλίο, απλά να χαζεψω λίγο και να πάρω ένα στυλό που χρειαζόμουν.
Είχα επίσης αποφασίσει ότι, αν έπαιρνα βιβλίο, θα έπαιρνα ένα πολύ συγκεκριμένο, απλά για να μην βγω με άδεια χέρια.
Γενικά είμαι πολύ αποφασιστικός άνθρωπος όπως φαίνεται..
Κι εκεί που χάζευα βιβλία κι έφτιαχνα νοητές λίστες στο μυαλό μου, αυτό το βιβλίο μου μίλησε. Μου είπε ότι πρέπει να το πάρω, ότι μου ανήκει κι ας μην το ξέρω ακόμα.
Γενικά δε μου συμβαίνει πλέον συχνά αυτό. Να θέλω τόσο πολύ ένα βιβλίο επειδή απλά το είδα.
Κι έτσι η αποφασιστικότητα πήγε περίπατο (καλά ήταν προδιαγεγραμμένο απλά θεωρητικά προσπάθησα).
Και μετά πήγα στην παραλία και το διάβασα.
Η Διπλή Γλώσσα είναι το τελευταίο μυθιστόρημα του νομπελίστα William Golding που εκδόθηκε μετά τον θάνατό του.
Ο Golding είναι κυρίως διάσημος για τον Άρχοντα των Μυγών, ένα βιβλίο στο οποίο δεν εμφανίζεται κανένας γυναικείος χαρακτήρας. Κι είπε να κάνει την αλλαγή στην Διπλή Γλώσσα.
Η ηρωίδα και αφηγήτρια είναι γυναίκα. Κι όχι μια οποιαδήποτε γυναίκα. Είναι η Πυθία. Η πρώτη κυρία της Αρχαίας Ελλάδας. Το στόμα του θεού.
Η Αριήκη (σημαίνει η μικρή βάρβαρη), δεν είναι όμορφη. Έχει όμως (ή λέγεται πως έχει) το χάρισμα. Κι αυτό το χάρισμα την οδηγεί (ή μήπως εκείνη οδηγεί τον εαυτό της;) στο μαντείο των Δελφών.
Η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται ήδη κάτω από ρωμαϊκή κατοχή. Τα παλιά ήθη κι έθιμα βρίσκονται σε κρίση. Βρισκόμαστε μερικούς αιώνες μακριά από τον τελευταίο χρησμό, όμως τα σημάδια φαίνονται.
Παρακμή σκεπάζει το αρχαίο μαντείο. Οι ζημιές πολλές και το χρήμα δεν ρέει άφθονο. Και φυσικά δεν είναι όλοι ευχαριστημένοι με τον κατακτητή.
Η Διπλή Γλώσσα είναι ένα βιβλίο ενηλικίωσης. Η ηρωίδα του ξεκινάει από μικρή και φτάνει σε βαθιά γεράματα. Βιώνει την πατριαρχεία με τον χειρότερο δυνατό τρόπο, αλλά επιβιώνει. Βιάζεται από τον θεό της, αλλά συνεχίζει να πιστεύει. Μέχρι να στερέψει το λάλλον ύδωρ εντός της. Και να στρέψει το βλέμμα στον Άγνωστο Θεό. Στην ελπίδα για το καλύτερο που πάντα οι άνθρωποι έχουμε μέσα μας.
Θέλω να προσφέρω εδώ ότι το βιβλίο έχει μια εξαιρετική εισαγωγή στην συγκεκριμένη ελληνική μετάφραση που πραγματικά άξιζε τον κόπο.
Επίσης η έκδοση στην οποία αναφέρομαι είναι των εκδόσεων Διόπτρα σε μετάφραση της Ρηγούλας Γεωργιάδου.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6BI_RrH...
Μπήκα πολύ αποφασισμένη να μην αγοράσω βιβλίο, απλά να χαζεψω λίγο και να πάρω ένα στυλό που χρειαζόμουν.
Είχα επίσης αποφασίσει ότι, αν έπαιρνα βιβλίο, θα έπαιρνα ένα πολύ συγκεκριμένο, απλά για να μην βγω με άδεια χέρια.
Γενικά είμαι πολύ αποφασιστικός άνθρωπος όπως φαίνεται..
Κι εκεί που χάζευα βιβλία κι έφτιαχνα νοητές λίστες στο μυαλό μου, αυτό το βιβλίο μου μίλησε. Μου είπε ότι πρέπει να το πάρω, ότι μου ανήκει κι ας μην το ξέρω ακόμα.
Γενικά δε μου συμβαίνει πλέον συχνά αυτό. Να θέλω τόσο πολύ ένα βιβλίο επειδή απλά το είδα.
Κι έτσι η αποφασιστικότητα πήγε περίπατο (καλά ήταν προδιαγεγραμμένο απλά θεωρητικά προσπάθησα).
Και μετά πήγα στην παραλία και το διάβασα.
Η Διπλή Γλώσσα είναι το τελευταίο μυθιστόρημα του νομπελίστα William Golding που εκδόθηκε μετά τον θάνατό του.
Ο Golding είναι κυρίως διάσημος για τον Άρχοντα των Μυγών, ένα βιβλίο στο οποίο δεν εμφανίζεται κανένας γυναικείος χαρακτήρας. Κι είπε να κάνει την αλλαγή στην Διπλή Γλώσσα.
Η ηρωίδα και αφηγήτρια είναι γυναίκα. Κι όχι μια οποιαδήποτε γυναίκα. Είναι η Πυθία. Η πρώτη κυρία της Αρχαίας Ελλάδας. Το στόμα του θεού.
Η Αριήκη (σημαίνει η μικρή βάρβαρη), δεν είναι όμορφη. Έχει όμως (ή λέγεται πως έχει) το χάρισμα. Κι αυτό το χάρισμα την οδηγεί (ή μήπως εκείνη οδηγεί τον εαυτό της;) στο μαντείο των Δελφών.
Η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται ήδη κάτω από ρωμαϊκή κατοχή. Τα παλιά ήθη κι έθιμα βρίσκονται σε κρίση. Βρισκόμαστε μερικούς αιώνες μακριά από τον τελευταίο χρησμό, όμως τα σημάδια φαίνονται.
Παρακμή σκεπάζει το αρχαίο μαντείο. Οι ζημιές πολλές και το χρήμα δεν ρέει άφθονο. Και φυσικά δεν είναι όλοι ευχαριστημένοι με τον κατακτητή.
Η Διπλή Γλώσσα είναι ένα βιβλίο ενηλικίωσης. Η ηρωίδα του ξεκινάει από μικρή και φτάνει σε βαθιά γεράματα. Βιώνει την πατριαρχεία με τον χειρότερο δυνατό τρόπο, αλλά επιβιώνει. Βιάζεται από τον θεό της, αλλά συνεχίζει να πιστεύει. Μέχρι να στερέψει το λάλλον ύδωρ εντός της. Και να στρέψει το βλέμμα στον Άγνωστο Θεό. Στην ελπίδα για το καλύτερο που πάντα οι άνθρωποι έχουμε μέσα μας.
Θέλω να προσφέρω εδώ ότι το βιβλίο έχει μια εξαιρετική εισαγωγή στην συγκεκριμένη ελληνική μετάφραση που πραγματικά άξιζε τον κόπο.
Επίσης η έκδοση στην οποία αναφέρομαι είναι των εκδόσεων Διόπτρα σε μετάφραση της Ρηγούλας Γεωργιάδου.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6BI_RrH...
October 5, 2019
I didn't see it on first read, but even unfinished as it is (and what the editors present within these pages is the first draft, not Golding's more developed second draft), this is one of the author's best and most beautiful novels. Arieka is his most attractive narrator, open and direct and wise like somebody from Le Guin, and Ionides, Arieka's true beloved (and there's a marvelous, if subdued, picture of a long-term marriage here), is one of Golding's most striking and memorable characters. What I found most enjoyable this time, aside from the pitch-perfect simplicity of the language and Golding's basically incomparable facility with the drawing of images and scenes, was the grand living colloquialism of the frequent and abundantly long dialogues. Such modern English in the mouths of characters from such an ancient time, and yet the result couldn't be warmer, or less stilted.
March 11, 2024
Delphi kâhini olmak üzere seçilen Areika'nın hikâyesi. Anlatım dili yüzünden konuya ne kadar bağlıysam olaylardan bir o kadar kopuk hissettim, okurkenki ruh hâlimin etkisidir de belki bilmiyorum ancak kitaptaki yazımın (belki çeviridendir de emin değilim) bana uymadığını düşünüyorum. İncelediğim kadarıyla yaygın olmayan bir görüş ama bana kalırsa yazarının kitap bitmeden hayatını yitirmiş olması sonu kaçınılmaz olarak etkilemiş, ayrıca erkek tarafından yazılan kadın baş karakter esintisi aralıklı olarak çarptı. Yine de kadının o dönemdeki yeri ve gelebileceği en güçlü konumlardan biri olan kâhinin dâhi tanrılar veya konumu aracılığıyla piyonluğunu göstermek açısından başarılı, o kısımları ilgi çekici buldum.
June 10, 2016
Charming and light, with a very engaging narrative voice - but this novel was left unfinished at Golding's death and it shows it. Disjointed and brief, it feels like a sequence of vignettes and an experimentation in character rather than a full-fledged novel. Having said that, there's still a lot to enjoy here.
For a full review please head over to my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2016/06/10/t...
For a full review please head over to my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2016/06/10/t...
January 6, 2012
It was a nice idea to make a novel about how ancient priests and priestess were feeling and thinking. Too bad that the novel is not finished, because I am sure it had addition charm. This way the novel is interesting, but nothing more.
February 9, 2016
Oldukça etkileyici bir Antik roman haline gitirilmis, son derece güzel kurgulanmış. Başarılı bir eser olduğunu düşünüyorum. Tavsiye ederim.
August 16, 2018
Cartea asta nu ar fi trebuit să vadă lumina tiparului. Nu pentru că nu ar fi bună, ci pentru că nu a apucat să fie ,,binecuvântată” de către autorul ei. Nu e terminată. E ca o casă cu fundația abia uscată, cu acoperișul încă urcat pe schele. Te-ai muta într-o astfel de casă în mijlocul lui ianuarie? Eu nu.
William Golding a murit înanite să apuce să-și aducă cartea la nivelul de ,,pregătit pentru editură”. Mi se pare aproape o încălcare a sanctității dintre autor și lucrarea sa, publicarea fără ca William să poată ajunge să-și ia rămas bun de la ea. Și mai rău e că motivele sunt prea puține pentru a alcătui scuze credibile. William Golding devenise încă din timpul vieții cunoscut, datorită romanului Împăratul Muștelor, iar această publicare post-mortem sugerează, printre altele, disperarea unei recunoașteri, ce nu aparținea autorului ci a celor persoane ce aveau de câștigat ceva de pe urma lui și care clar au pus mai presus foloasele decât respectul memoriei sale.
Conținut
Dublu limbaj e neterminată. E o cărticică chiar bună de parcurs dacă cineva e interesat să urmărească cum se dezvoltă un manuscris, o primă încercare în scriere a ceva, în care autorul își întinde ideile în cuvinte ca ceea ce îi e în cap să poată aparține mediului palpabil, în cerneală și hârtie ( în cazul lui; a scris și a trăit pe la mijlocul secolului al XX lea) capabil apoi să fie trecut prin filtrul editării și a altor modificări de genul.
Cartea este o relatatre la persoana întâi a preotesei lui Apollo pe nume Arieka ( care în greacă ni se spune că înseamnă mică sălbatică). Acțiunea se petrece undeva prin anii de grație a imperiului roman când Iulius Caesar deja începea să întruchipeze o legendă vie, iar Grecia împlinea câteva decenii de când îngenunchiase în fața romanilor. Arieka își povestește viața, de mică fată în casa părinților ei, până la drumul parcurs spre a deveni preoteasă în templul lui Appolo și mai mult de atât, devenind Prima Doamnă a oracolului din Delphi (prin ea ajungeau să vorbească zeii).
Sună bine, nu? Plus, în carte se menționează câteva gânduri despre menstruație (atât de rar întâlnit subiect mai ales în cărțile scrise de autori bărbați pe la mijlocul secolului trecut) și ceea ce înseamnă să fi o fată în acele timpuri. Tocmai pentru că această carte promite atât de multe apare și frustrarea în legătură cu publicarea ei. Lumea nu a pierdut atât prin faptul că nu avea această carte pe cât a pierdut din cauză că povestea Ariekei nu și-a putut atinge adevăratul potențial. Simt regret pe vârful limbii, iar gingiile îmi apasă amarul între obraji. Aici apar teme precum, dezrădăcinarea, căderea unei lumi, dezbinarea unei culturi, pierderea de idoli și multe altele ce ar fi putut cu siguranță fi dezvoltate întru și spre adevărata înflorire.
De ce mă plâng? Cât de rău chiar poate fi?
Nu știu pe cât de cunoscut e termenul de pimp în română, dar sugerează un om (de obicei bărbat) care e ,,managerul” unui grup de prostituate care trebuiesc să-i dea la sfârșitul zilei o cantitate din banii câștigați. Un proxenet, dacă se cuvine asocierea. Tipul ăsta pe nume Ionides face ce nu face și de fiecare dată când apare nu mă pot gândi că nu ar fi unul.
Când Arieka ajunsese să aibă ,,prima sângerare” a fost considerată femeie și deci pregătită să ușureze povara familiei sale luându-și un soț. Era fiica unui fermier, de pe marginea Delphiului, iar singurul vecin pe care îl avea în preajmă la distanță de kilomtri era familia lui Ionides. Acest personaj avea un băiat. Se fac negocieri între părinți pentru copii să se mărite. Arieka face ce nu face, dar ca rezultat mariajul dintre ea și fiul lui Ionides e rupt. Atunci, Ionides prieten bun al tatălui ei vine și îi propune tatălul să o dea pe Arieka spre templul din Delphi. Ar câștiga bani de pe urma ei. Tatăl e de acord. Arieka pleacă la templu însoțită de Ionides, care se pare că e și el preot pe acolo. În fine, cel mai probabil intenția nu a fost de a-l face să fie un personaj libidinos și slinos ( de aceea plângerea privind publicarea) dar în vreo o sută și ceva de pagini e toată relația asta bizară între Arieka și Ionides, pe care nici autorul nu părea să știe exact ce să facă din ea, care are un deznodămât previzibil. Nu o pune pe Arieka să se prostitueze, exact, dar mult nu pare să mai fie. Iar asta nici nu e descris într-un mod inteligent, adică nici măcar nu asta e intenția despre ceea ce trebuie să fie respectivul personaj. Ionides trebuia să fi fost mai mult o figură paternă decât orice altceva (spre asta părea să țintească autorul).
Concluzie
Aș citi altceva în timpul în care ia să fie parcursă Dublu limbaj.
William Golding a murit înanite să apuce să-și aducă cartea la nivelul de ,,pregătit pentru editură”. Mi se pare aproape o încălcare a sanctității dintre autor și lucrarea sa, publicarea fără ca William să poată ajunge să-și ia rămas bun de la ea. Și mai rău e că motivele sunt prea puține pentru a alcătui scuze credibile. William Golding devenise încă din timpul vieții cunoscut, datorită romanului Împăratul Muștelor, iar această publicare post-mortem sugerează, printre altele, disperarea unei recunoașteri, ce nu aparținea autorului ci a celor persoane ce aveau de câștigat ceva de pe urma lui și care clar au pus mai presus foloasele decât respectul memoriei sale.
Conținut
Dublu limbaj e neterminată. E o cărticică chiar bună de parcurs dacă cineva e interesat să urmărească cum se dezvoltă un manuscris, o primă încercare în scriere a ceva, în care autorul își întinde ideile în cuvinte ca ceea ce îi e în cap să poată aparține mediului palpabil, în cerneală și hârtie ( în cazul lui; a scris și a trăit pe la mijlocul secolului al XX lea) capabil apoi să fie trecut prin filtrul editării și a altor modificări de genul.
Cartea este o relatatre la persoana întâi a preotesei lui Apollo pe nume Arieka ( care în greacă ni se spune că înseamnă mică sălbatică). Acțiunea se petrece undeva prin anii de grație a imperiului roman când Iulius Caesar deja începea să întruchipeze o legendă vie, iar Grecia împlinea câteva decenii de când îngenunchiase în fața romanilor. Arieka își povestește viața, de mică fată în casa părinților ei, până la drumul parcurs spre a deveni preoteasă în templul lui Appolo și mai mult de atât, devenind Prima Doamnă a oracolului din Delphi (prin ea ajungeau să vorbească zeii).
Sună bine, nu? Plus, în carte se menționează câteva gânduri despre menstruație (atât de rar întâlnit subiect mai ales în cărțile scrise de autori bărbați pe la mijlocul secolului trecut) și ceea ce înseamnă să fi o fată în acele timpuri. Tocmai pentru că această carte promite atât de multe apare și frustrarea în legătură cu publicarea ei. Lumea nu a pierdut atât prin faptul că nu avea această carte pe cât a pierdut din cauză că povestea Ariekei nu și-a putut atinge adevăratul potențial. Simt regret pe vârful limbii, iar gingiile îmi apasă amarul între obraji. Aici apar teme precum, dezrădăcinarea, căderea unei lumi, dezbinarea unei culturi, pierderea de idoli și multe altele ce ar fi putut cu siguranță fi dezvoltate întru și spre adevărata înflorire.
De ce mă plâng? Cât de rău chiar poate fi?
Nu știu pe cât de cunoscut e termenul de pimp în română, dar sugerează un om (de obicei bărbat) care e ,,managerul” unui grup de prostituate care trebuiesc să-i dea la sfârșitul zilei o cantitate din banii câștigați. Un proxenet, dacă se cuvine asocierea. Tipul ăsta pe nume Ionides face ce nu face și de fiecare dată când apare nu mă pot gândi că nu ar fi unul.
Când Arieka ajunsese să aibă ,,prima sângerare” a fost considerată femeie și deci pregătită să ușureze povara familiei sale luându-și un soț. Era fiica unui fermier, de pe marginea Delphiului, iar singurul vecin pe care îl avea în preajmă la distanță de kilomtri era familia lui Ionides. Acest personaj avea un băiat. Se fac negocieri între părinți pentru copii să se mărite. Arieka face ce nu face, dar ca rezultat mariajul dintre ea și fiul lui Ionides e rupt. Atunci, Ionides prieten bun al tatălui ei vine și îi propune tatălul să o dea pe Arieka spre templul din Delphi. Ar câștiga bani de pe urma ei. Tatăl e de acord. Arieka pleacă la templu însoțită de Ionides, care se pare că e și el preot pe acolo. În fine, cel mai probabil intenția nu a fost de a-l face să fie un personaj libidinos și slinos ( de aceea plângerea privind publicarea) dar în vreo o sută și ceva de pagini e toată relația asta bizară între Arieka și Ionides, pe care nici autorul nu părea să știe exact ce să facă din ea, care are un deznodămât previzibil. Nu o pune pe Arieka să se prostitueze, exact, dar mult nu pare să mai fie. Iar asta nici nu e descris într-un mod inteligent, adică nici măcar nu asta e intenția despre ceea ce trebuie să fie respectivul personaj. Ionides trebuia să fi fost mai mult o figură paternă decât orice altceva (spre asta părea să țintească autorul).
Concluzie
Aș citi altceva în timpul în care ia să fie parcursă Dublu limbaj.
January 8, 2021
La doppia voce è un libro postumo, tratto da cio' che Golding lascia alla sua morte (1993): due stesure complete (stava iniziando la terza stesura, quella che con ogni probabilità sarebbe diventata la definitiva), una serie di appunti ed un diario. è proprio grazie a quest'ultimo documento che famiglia ed editore riescono a risalire a quella che poteva essere l'idea finale e danno alle stampe la stesura che piu' le si avvicinava. Ne risulta un Golding certamente piu' laconico, scarno rispetto a quello che conosciamo sul tratteggio dei personaggi, non per questo meno incisivo. In tutta onestà è l'unico libro di Golding che amo.
''Luce abbagliante e calore, indifferenziati, tesi a sperimentare se stessi.
Ecco! Ce l'ho fatta. Il meglio che posso, perlomeno.
Ricordo.
Un ricordo prima del ricordo?
Il tempo non c'era, nemmeno in forma implicita. ... ''
Primo secolo avanti Cristo.
è Arieka, ormai ottantenne, che racconta la sua vita, iniziando dal primissimo lampo di coscienza.
Figlia di un nobile focese, possidente terriero, ''protettorè' (o ''possessorè'), assieme ad altri nobili locali, dell'Oracolo della ricchissima Delfi, in quanto femmina e per giunta bruttina, è trattata alla stregua di una bestiola. L'importante è passare inosservata, essere invisibile; spesso non le riesce e si palesa, si ''mette in mostrà' parlando davanti a tutti o .... riportanto in vita dei pesci già fritti.
"Qualche volta devo anche essere stata felice. Secondo me le femmine sono create per essere felici per qualche tempo, durante l'infanzia...''
La sua via di fuga è Ionides Peisistratides, Sacerdote Supremo di Apollo, che la chiede per il Tempio dell'oracolo delfico. Ottima soluzione per tutti: per il padre che si libera di una femmina scomoda e brutta, per lei che avrà una libertà ineguagliabile, per Ionides che potrà educare sin da bambina la futura Pizia.
La vita cambia drasticamente. A disposizione della sua sete di sapere c'è una delle biblioteche piu' ricche di testi dell'epoca. La Pizia dovrà parlare in esametri e per farlo dovrà conoscere Omero, Sofocle, Saffo, Pindaro ...
Sbigottita scoprirà che Delfi è in continuo e costante contatto, tramite piccioni viaggiatori, con gli Oracoli piu' importanti del mondo conosciuto, fino a quello di Siwa in Africa. Uno scambio di informazioni che serve ad ''aiutare il dio'', possibilmente contro i conquistatori romani che amano le arti greche, ma disprezzano chi le ha fatte fiorire.
Vivrà con Ionides, miscredente per paura, una sorta di matrimonio morale, condividendone i dubbi, le ricchezze ed i giochi di potere e ribellandosi alle sue richieste di emettere vaticini ''addomesticatì'.
Alla sua morte eredita la chiave di quella porta che, nella caverna sacra, divide l'antro della Pizia dal mondo del dio, il mondo terreno dall'immensa incognita. Eredita anche la facoltà morale di aprire quella porta, di affrontare una volta per tutte quelle forze misteriose che l'hanno stuprata, che hanno scosso il suo corpo e spaccato con le loro voci la sua bocca troppo piccola per contenerle. Ma si ritroverà davanti ad una parete di roccia. Il dio non c'è, se n'è andato, le ha voltato le spalle.
Particolarità del testo sono i numerosi termini inglesi ed yiddish, lasciati ovviamente invariati nella traduzione di Mario Biondi. Si parla di Pizia Senior e Junior, o di First Lady nei riguardi di Areika; per chiacchiere, chiasso viene usato il termine yiddish ''shemozzlè'; Ionides è definito un "very important person". Vocaboli fuori dalla storia e dal tempo che rendono, pero', vivo ed attuale il testo e catturano l'attenzione del lettore spostando verso il lato ironico, dolorosamente ironico di tutta la vicenda.
La dolorosa ironia della sorte stessa della protagonista, unica donna libera del suo tempo in quanto Pizia, ma in effetti come tutte le altre "usata dagli uomini come strumento da suonare".
La dolorosa ironia della ricerca spasmodica del dio o degli dei, che se invocati voltano le spalle e se decidono di mostrarsi lo fanno in modo tanto violento o si accalcano nel suo corpo tanto da strapparle l'urlo:
''Una voce, o l'altra!''
La dolorosa ironia nella domanda che implora: qual'è la verità? Dopo aver passato tutta la vita a dar la voce ad un dio, è possibile chiedere al dio se veramente esiste?
La stessa dolorosa ironia che le fa dire con le parole di Platone:
''Ero schiava del dio o dell'idea di dio.''
Una dolorosa ironia non sanata e non risolta chiude anche il libro: all'arconte di Atene che, in onore della sua lunga carriera voleva erigerle un'immagine in pietra tra gli altari del Campo di Marte, ella risponde chiedendo di costruire un semplice altare con l'iscrizione ''Al dio sconosciuto''.
''Luce abbagliante e calore, indifferenziati, tesi a sperimentare se stessi.
Ecco! Ce l'ho fatta. Il meglio che posso, perlomeno.
Ricordo.
Un ricordo prima del ricordo?
Il tempo non c'era, nemmeno in forma implicita. ... ''
Primo secolo avanti Cristo.
è Arieka, ormai ottantenne, che racconta la sua vita, iniziando dal primissimo lampo di coscienza.
Figlia di un nobile focese, possidente terriero, ''protettorè' (o ''possessorè'), assieme ad altri nobili locali, dell'Oracolo della ricchissima Delfi, in quanto femmina e per giunta bruttina, è trattata alla stregua di una bestiola. L'importante è passare inosservata, essere invisibile; spesso non le riesce e si palesa, si ''mette in mostrà' parlando davanti a tutti o .... riportanto in vita dei pesci già fritti.
"Qualche volta devo anche essere stata felice. Secondo me le femmine sono create per essere felici per qualche tempo, durante l'infanzia...''
La sua via di fuga è Ionides Peisistratides, Sacerdote Supremo di Apollo, che la chiede per il Tempio dell'oracolo delfico. Ottima soluzione per tutti: per il padre che si libera di una femmina scomoda e brutta, per lei che avrà una libertà ineguagliabile, per Ionides che potrà educare sin da bambina la futura Pizia.
La vita cambia drasticamente. A disposizione della sua sete di sapere c'è una delle biblioteche piu' ricche di testi dell'epoca. La Pizia dovrà parlare in esametri e per farlo dovrà conoscere Omero, Sofocle, Saffo, Pindaro ...
Sbigottita scoprirà che Delfi è in continuo e costante contatto, tramite piccioni viaggiatori, con gli Oracoli piu' importanti del mondo conosciuto, fino a quello di Siwa in Africa. Uno scambio di informazioni che serve ad ''aiutare il dio'', possibilmente contro i conquistatori romani che amano le arti greche, ma disprezzano chi le ha fatte fiorire.
Vivrà con Ionides, miscredente per paura, una sorta di matrimonio morale, condividendone i dubbi, le ricchezze ed i giochi di potere e ribellandosi alle sue richieste di emettere vaticini ''addomesticatì'.
Alla sua morte eredita la chiave di quella porta che, nella caverna sacra, divide l'antro della Pizia dal mondo del dio, il mondo terreno dall'immensa incognita. Eredita anche la facoltà morale di aprire quella porta, di affrontare una volta per tutte quelle forze misteriose che l'hanno stuprata, che hanno scosso il suo corpo e spaccato con le loro voci la sua bocca troppo piccola per contenerle. Ma si ritroverà davanti ad una parete di roccia. Il dio non c'è, se n'è andato, le ha voltato le spalle.
Particolarità del testo sono i numerosi termini inglesi ed yiddish, lasciati ovviamente invariati nella traduzione di Mario Biondi. Si parla di Pizia Senior e Junior, o di First Lady nei riguardi di Areika; per chiacchiere, chiasso viene usato il termine yiddish ''shemozzlè'; Ionides è definito un "very important person". Vocaboli fuori dalla storia e dal tempo che rendono, pero', vivo ed attuale il testo e catturano l'attenzione del lettore spostando verso il lato ironico, dolorosamente ironico di tutta la vicenda.
La dolorosa ironia della sorte stessa della protagonista, unica donna libera del suo tempo in quanto Pizia, ma in effetti come tutte le altre "usata dagli uomini come strumento da suonare".
La dolorosa ironia della ricerca spasmodica del dio o degli dei, che se invocati voltano le spalle e se decidono di mostrarsi lo fanno in modo tanto violento o si accalcano nel suo corpo tanto da strapparle l'urlo:
''Una voce, o l'altra!''
La dolorosa ironia nella domanda che implora: qual'è la verità? Dopo aver passato tutta la vita a dar la voce ad un dio, è possibile chiedere al dio se veramente esiste?
La stessa dolorosa ironia che le fa dire con le parole di Platone:
''Ero schiava del dio o dell'idea di dio.''
Una dolorosa ironia non sanata e non risolta chiude anche il libro: all'arconte di Atene che, in onore della sua lunga carriera voleva erigerle un'immagine in pietra tra gli altari del Campo di Marte, ella risponde chiedendo di costruire un semplice altare con l'iscrizione ''Al dio sconosciuto''.
February 28, 2019
I've reviewed two books of William Golding already and both of them were complex analyses of the human nature. This little novel, The Double Tongue, is similar in complexity. A note at the beginning of the text is explaining perhaps best why Golding's books are so great in details. You see, the novel was published posthumously, after a draft of it was found in Golding's belongings. He has already finished the book once, wrote another version and had started on another draft. No wonder his books were so reflective and self referential and connected to so many other works of literature or philosophy.
About the content, it is rather interesting, as it details the story of a girl in ancient Greece, just before Romans started dominating the country, who becomes the Delphi Pythia. The story quickly goes to the decorative role a "well bred" female would have had in those days, carefully instructed how not to draw attention, kept in total ignorance, all for the moment when she would be offered to a husband. After attempting escape from this fate, the only option her father has to "do with her" is to give her to a priest of Delphi called Ionides. Thinking she was going to become a servant of the temple, sweeping floors, she becomes the oracle. This is used to analyse concepts as religious sentiment, political use of faith and to describe the parallel system used in this world of superstition and showbiz.
I thought that it was a really short story. Told from the point of view of an octogenarian woman, it dwells on the adolescence, the initial shock of coming to Delphi, but very quickly skips entire decades to bring the conclusion. The title is relating to both the Python that the god Apollo killed in the Delphi cave, which gave him the forked tongue that said two things at once, but also to the double system of religious ecstasy backed by very real intelligence networks and the duplicity of people who either declare themselves religious while lacking the sentiment or the other way around . The story is inspired by Ion of Euripides and the ending is revealing only to a select few who understand the reference to a passage of the Bible (see here and here).
I can say that I liked the novel. It wasn't a "wow" thing like in the case of Lord of the Flies, nor did it cause me to feel more enlightened with the final reveal. Being that short and the last novel of Golding, there is really no reason not to read it.
About the content, it is rather interesting, as it details the story of a girl in ancient Greece, just before Romans started dominating the country, who becomes the Delphi Pythia. The story quickly goes to the decorative role a "well bred" female would have had in those days, carefully instructed how not to draw attention, kept in total ignorance, all for the moment when she would be offered to a husband. After attempting escape from this fate, the only option her father has to "do with her" is to give her to a priest of Delphi called Ionides. Thinking she was going to become a servant of the temple, sweeping floors, she becomes the oracle. This is used to analyse concepts as religious sentiment, political use of faith and to describe the parallel system used in this world of superstition and showbiz.
I thought that it was a really short story. Told from the point of view of an octogenarian woman, it dwells on the adolescence, the initial shock of coming to Delphi, but very quickly skips entire decades to bring the conclusion. The title is relating to both the Python that the god Apollo killed in the Delphi cave, which gave him the forked tongue that said two things at once, but also to the double system of religious ecstasy backed by very real intelligence networks and the duplicity of people who either declare themselves religious while lacking the sentiment or the other way around . The story is inspired by Ion of Euripides and the ending is revealing only to a select few who understand the reference to a passage of the Bible (see here and here).
I can say that I liked the novel. It wasn't a "wow" thing like in the case of Lord of the Flies, nor did it cause me to feel more enlightened with the final reveal. Being that short and the last novel of Golding, there is really no reason not to read it.
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