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Developing that point (from Nicholas Car) by quoting Quentin Schulze (Calvin College) after noting that filter failure is as responsible as sheer undeniable information glut:“informationism… a non-discerning, vacuous faith in the collection and dissemination of information as a route to social progress and personal happiness… the is over the ought, observation over intimacy, and measurement over meaning.”

A great point about how we have trained ourselves to _want_ to be distracted by ‘information’ that is barely more than ‘data’, and doesn’t come up even to ‘knowledge’ let alone ‘wisdom’. We have mistakenly adopted information as our highest good [in the arena of communication, and even of thought!]

Captivating in parts… in hindsight not all shaggy dog stories seem with the effort, though

“Driving the gentle country lanes of England, where a stray sheep taking a gentlemanly stroll was the gravest risk one might face, has made her forget the danger of kangaroos at dusk” This is definitely the England of fiction: meanwhile in the real world, cows, hardcore cyclists, Kensington tractors, real tractors, careless walkers, and plenty of arrogant drivers of vehicles large and small are all over the lanes

Long, but beautifully written.

Too much pluperfect tense. Protagonist is always wandering round remembering stuff that happened to her as a child or five years ago, etc. and author uses this to build the character (I presume) rather than have them act and speak distinctively. A bit flat.

Long

Long