Comments about “The History Man”
Outdated Tripe
I have seldom read as unsympathetic, unloving,
and unenjoyable novel as Bradbury's 'The History
Man'. The author, with his unrelenting pushing of irony and pages-long tracts of
dialogue, has created a narrative voice which makes you feel neither empathy
nor hatred towards a single character.
As other reviewers have hinted at, but not said explicitly, the book is
hideously of its time, and totally irrelevant to the modern reader. All great
art speaks towards a timeless quality within ourselves;
all 'The History Man' speaks towards is a general dislike for 70's marxists and hippies.
Posted by S. J.
Hawthorne
In July, 3 2007
Still relevant in
the 21st century
Bradburys work was
undoubtedly more relevant when it was written, and it must have been a daring
attack on the radical side of student life when it came out. While now somewhat
dated - some of the references have been obscured by time - this novel still
possesses the power to attract and compel the reader.
The History Man is about Howard Kirk - a sociology lecturer at
a modern university. The book mainly concentrates on Kirks life and
relationships over a single term, but with many references to his past -
especially his relationship to his wife. Kirk is a radical sociologist, daring
everyone else to be radical, confronting their conformity and lecturing all he
meets about challenging their social norms. As the book goes on, he is revealed
as a twisted individual who believe his rhetoric only as it applies to others.
He manipulates his way through the book, using every tool at his disposal (inclduing sex and politics) to ensure his position remains
secure. And in that we see the main irony of the book - the so-called radical rebel
desires nothing more than to remain comfortable in the social niche he has
created for himself.
Bradburys style is an
uncompromising one, with long paragraphs of text that do not help the
comprehension of the novel. However, it is very readable and Kirks
manipulations draw you through the book. It has the potential to be a very dry
topic - but Bradbury's wry and ironic wit pervades the book making it a
pleasant read.
Posted by “pandion1”
In Dec, 8 2003
A beautifully
written campus novel
It is sad that Malcolm Bradbury passed away last year, as it
means that there will no longer be any more novels like this. If you know David
Lodge's novels and like them, then you will love "The History Man".
Somehow Malcolm Bradbury managed to dig a bit deeper into the characters that
he wrote about leaving a sense of having known them, whether it be Howard Kirk
in this book or Doctor Criminale in his later book of
the same name. With both of these books I felt a profound loss when I came to
the end - I wanted the book to go on and on.
Posted by “N.L.Esq”
In May, 16 2001
Superb Portrait of a
Monster in Academia
A quarter of a century may have passed but Bradbury's work is
still a brilliant - if now criminally neglected - portrait of the academic world.
Set in a thinly disguised version of the University of East Anglia in Norwich
in 1972 the novel depicts the life and activities of the popular but ultimately
monstrous Sociology lecturer and Marxist poseur Howard Kirk. At times hilarious
in its portrayal of the Kirks' thoroughly modern marriage and in detailing the
appallingly tedious minutiae of office meetings the novel is at its most
compelling in its portrayal of Kirk's ruthless thwarting of unfortunate and
unfashionable Tory boy George Carmody 'the only
student in the university with a trouser press' as Kirk cynically pigeonholes
him. Although perhaps dated in its depiction of an academic world where talk of
"reactionaries" and espousal of Marxism was far more commonplace than
it is today, the novel nevertheless remains a powerful lesson as to the dangers
of allowing one philosophy to overwhelmingly dominate in any environment
(lecturer and student alike crudely dismiss all views not to their liking as
"reactionary" or "fascist") and also of the dangers of the
potential for abuse of power by individuals in everyday life. An enjoyable academic classic to rank alongside the best of
Kingsley Amis or David Lodge.
Posted by an Amazon
Costumer
In Sep, 15 2000
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