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The World of Violence
As a child, the brilliant mathematical prodigy Hugh Greene's two major influences were his eccentric old uncles, Nick and Sam. From Uncle Nick, Hugh learned a love of mathematics, which came to represent clarity and order, and from Uncle Sam he acquired an overwhelming fear of violence. Now seventeen and unsure of what to do with his life and whether life is even worth bothering with at all, Hugh finds his hatred of violence becoming even more intense when he witnesses a gang of brutal thugs beating an innocent man. Determined to protect himself, he purchases a gun and joins a pistol club. But when he becomes involved with a senseless shooting and gets mixed up with a group of criminals, including a sex murderer, Hugh will be forced to confront the question of whether his mathematics and philosophy have any relevance in a world of violence. . . .
- GenresFiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
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About the author
Colin Wilson
408 books1,291 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Colin Henry Wilson was born and raised in Leicester, England, U.K. He left school at 16, worked in factories and various occupations, and read in his spare time. When Wilson was 24, Gollancz published The Outsider (1956) which examines the role of the social 'outsider' in seminal works of various key literary and cultural figures. These include Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William James, T. E. Lawrence, Vaslav Nijinsky and Vincent Van Gogh and Wilson discusses his perception of Social alienation in their work. The book was a best seller and helped popularize existentialism in Britain. Critical praise though, was short-lived and Wilson was soon widely criticized.
Wilson's works after The Outsider focused on positive aspects of human psychology, such as peak experiences and the narrowness of consciousness. He admired the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow and corresponded with him. Wilson wrote The War Against Sleep: The Philosophy of Gurdjieff on the life, work and philosophy of G. I. Gurdjieff and an accessible introduction to the Greek-Armenian mystic in 1980. He argues throughout his work that the existentialist focus on defeat or nausea is only a partial representation of reality and that there is no particular reason for accepting it. Wilson views normal, everyday consciousness buffeted by the moment, as "blinkered" and argues that it should not be accepted as showing us the truth about reality. This blinkering has some evolutionary advantages in that it stops us from being completely immersed in wonder, or in the huge stream of events, and hence unable to act. However, to live properly we need to access more than this everyday consciousness. Wilson believes that our peak experiences of joy and meaningfulness are as real as our experiences of angst and, since we are more fully alive at these moments, they are more real. These experiences can be cultivated through concentration, paying attention, relaxation and certain types of work.
Colin Henry Wilson was born and raised in Leicester, England, U.K. He left school at 16, worked in factories and various occupations, and read in his spare time. When Wilson was 24, Gollancz published The Outsider (1956) which examines the role of the social 'outsider' in seminal works of various key literary and cultural figures. These include Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, William James, T. E. Lawrence, Vaslav Nijinsky and Vincent Van Gogh and Wilson discusses his perception of Social alienation in their work. The book was a best seller and helped popularize existentialism in Britain. Critical praise though, was short-lived and Wilson was soon widely criticized.
Wilson's works after The Outsider focused on positive aspects of human psychology, such as peak experiences and the narrowness of consciousness. He admired the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow and corresponded with him. Wilson wrote The War Against Sleep: The Philosophy of Gurdjieff on the life, work and philosophy of G. I. Gurdjieff and an accessible introduction to the Greek-Armenian mystic in 1980. He argues throughout his work that the existentialist focus on defeat or nausea is only a partial representation of reality and that there is no particular reason for accepting it. Wilson views normal, everyday consciousness buffeted by the moment, as "blinkered" and argues that it should not be accepted as showing us the truth about reality. This blinkering has some evolutionary advantages in that it stops us from being completely immersed in wonder, or in the huge stream of events, and hence unable to act. However, to live properly we need to access more than this everyday consciousness. Wilson believes that our peak experiences of joy and meaningfulness are as real as our experiences of angst and, since we are more fully alive at these moments, they are more real. These experiences can be cultivated through concentration, paying attention, relaxation and certain types of work.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 2, 2014
This is the story of the unique education and development of a young mathematics prodigy named Hugh Greene.
Eccentric relatives are responsible for Hugh's fiercely inquisitive spirit and for his habit of renunciation.
Upon meeting and forming a friendship with a reclusive young author, Hugh is introduced to the worlds of music, literature and philosophy.
It is this author's, Jeremy Wolfe's, rejection of the physical world that propels young Hugh towards Jeremy's cousin, Monty, a sensualist. It is through Monty's young mistress than Hugh has his first experiences of love and sex.
The element of violence is first revealed through Hugh's participation in a battle between neighborhood gangs of schoolboys.
Upon re-encountering a second-rate stage hypnotist and petty thief, Kaspar, Hugh is introduced to the criminal element.
He becomes obsessed with the concept of vigilantism and goes so far as to buy a pistol and join a local gun club.
He also takes an unusual interest in Kaspar's young accomplice who may be a sex criminal and acting under post-hypnotic suggestion.
Behind all this, Wilson expounds on his theory of evolutionary existentialism, of achieving a higher state of consciousness at will, widening the scope of awareness, and becoming more alive and awake than the normal man; steps on the path to what he sees as the next stage in the evolutionary process.
A prime example of early period Colin Wilson, I would recommend this novel to both fans and the uninitiated.
Eccentric relatives are responsible for Hugh's fiercely inquisitive spirit and for his habit of renunciation.
Upon meeting and forming a friendship with a reclusive young author, Hugh is introduced to the worlds of music, literature and philosophy.
It is this author's, Jeremy Wolfe's, rejection of the physical world that propels young Hugh towards Jeremy's cousin, Monty, a sensualist. It is through Monty's young mistress than Hugh has his first experiences of love and sex.
The element of violence is first revealed through Hugh's participation in a battle between neighborhood gangs of schoolboys.
Upon re-encountering a second-rate stage hypnotist and petty thief, Kaspar, Hugh is introduced to the criminal element.
He becomes obsessed with the concept of vigilantism and goes so far as to buy a pistol and join a local gun club.
He also takes an unusual interest in Kaspar's young accomplice who may be a sex criminal and acting under post-hypnotic suggestion.
Behind all this, Wilson expounds on his theory of evolutionary existentialism, of achieving a higher state of consciousness at will, widening the scope of awareness, and becoming more alive and awake than the normal man; steps on the path to what he sees as the next stage in the evolutionary process.
A prime example of early period Colin Wilson, I would recommend this novel to both fans and the uninitiated.
October 8, 2019
تتحدث الرواية عن "هيو غرين" المهووس بعلم الرياضيات، حيث يمثل هذا العلم بالنسبة إليه الوضوح والنظام. غير أن حادثة اعتداء إحدى العصابات المسلحة وارتكابها لأعمال عنف أمامه يكسبه خوفاً غير مسبوق، مصمماً على حماية نفسه من الآخرين بشرائه للأسلحة وانضمامه إلى نادي للتدريب على التصويب واستخدام المسدس. غير أنه شيئاً فشيئاً ينجرف إلى عالم العنف، ويتحول فيها هذا الخوف إلى شعور متواصل بإرهاب الآخرين ورعبهم مؤدياً به إلى الاختلاط بمجموعة من المجرمين، ومتعاطي المخدرات وبساديين، حيث يقوده هذا الانخراط إلى مواجهة مسائل فلسفية وإنسانية كبيرة:
هل للفلسفة والعلم أية علاقة بعالم العنف؟ ما هي الأيديولوجيات السياسية، وكيف يتحول العنف إلى أفكار؟ وكيف يمكن للأفكار أن تنتج الجريمة؟ هذه الرواية هي واحدة من أهم الروايات التي أصدرها الكاتب الكبير كولن ويلسون، وقد بيعت منها مئات الآلاف من النسخ، وقالت عنها صحيفة "صنداي تايمز" البريطانية إن هذه الرواية هي واحدة من أجلى الروايات التي تمزج الخيال بالواقع، وعالم الجريمة بالفلسفة وحب الرياضيات بعالم العنف".
هل للفلسفة والعلم أية علاقة بعالم العنف؟ ما هي الأيديولوجيات السياسية، وكيف يتحول العنف إلى أفكار؟ وكيف يمكن للأفكار أن تنتج الجريمة؟ هذه الرواية هي واحدة من أهم الروايات التي أصدرها الكاتب الكبير كولن ويلسون، وقد بيعت منها مئات الآلاف من النسخ، وقالت عنها صحيفة "صنداي تايمز" البريطانية إن هذه الرواية هي واحدة من أجلى الروايات التي تمزج الخيال بالواقع، وعالم الجريمة بالفلسفة وحب الرياضيات بعالم العنف".
January 18, 2018
This is a highly readable work of speculative philosophical fiction, Colin Wilson at his best. Wilson explores the worlds of violence, sex, philosophy, mathematics, etc.—the many worlds of Outsiders, those who have this acute feeling about the meaning of life and the universe. Wilson explores both the negative existentialism of nausea and lack of meaning and the optimistic existentialism of intentionality and choice of freedom via exercising the man’s inner ability.
November 11, 2019
The opening had me hooked. I was excited and intrigued. But it was a bit detached and philosophical. It felt like this was going to eventually stop, and the author would say, "Now that I've caught you up, let me tell you the story."
That never happens. This is a novel of ideas. It feels somewhat like Wilson read Camus' "The Stranger" and said, "I need to address this."
Wilson, according to Wikipedia, identified himself as a "positive existentialist". And this book tries to address the issues held in this statement: "If life has no meaning, how do we give it meaning?"
Parts of the book are ugly and immoral, by modern standards. All sorts of terrible acts are treated with a detached, mathematical approach. Unlike in The Stranger, the main character is never really portrayed as mentally ill or psychotic.
About two thirds of the way through the book, it seemed to lull. I got bored. But then things happen and the book finally comes to a somewhat satisfying conclusion. Sort of.
I read this because I have become somewhat obsessed with Colin Wilson. I read "The Occult" -- which is a very weird and somewhat gullible 800 page book about occult phenomenon. But if I can read 800 pages, the writer must have some skills.
He does, but those skills wobble a bit in this book. Parts of it are fun, if extremely detached.
That never happens. This is a novel of ideas. It feels somewhat like Wilson read Camus' "The Stranger" and said, "I need to address this."
Wilson, according to Wikipedia, identified himself as a "positive existentialist". And this book tries to address the issues held in this statement: "If life has no meaning, how do we give it meaning?"
Parts of the book are ugly and immoral, by modern standards. All sorts of terrible acts are treated with a detached, mathematical approach. Unlike in The Stranger, the main character is never really portrayed as mentally ill or psychotic.
About two thirds of the way through the book, it seemed to lull. I got bored. But then things happen and the book finally comes to a somewhat satisfying conclusion. Sort of.
I read this because I have become somewhat obsessed with Colin Wilson. I read "The Occult" -- which is a very weird and somewhat gullible 800 page book about occult phenomenon. But if I can read 800 pages, the writer must have some skills.
He does, but those skills wobble a bit in this book. Parts of it are fun, if extremely detached.
December 8, 2014
Long time since I read something so extremely good. Total identification.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews