u/mnddnkp

"the young must be chronicled as quickly as the old" reminds me of the AP Dhillon's docu-series

shugal mela

“We did not stop at polluting the climate to watch cat videos, we now also stream videos for our cats to watch.” (silent meow of pure betrayal)

In the world of fast fashion, conspicuous consumption and the digital expansion of cyberspace, the thought experiment of stopping shopping in itself is very exhilarating to read. The million-dollar question, ‘whether a deconsumer economy can actually help sustain a better overall life ahead’ has been answered in affirmative by MacKinnon through this book. But towards its end we get to know, surely this won't be an easy task.

The journey of the book reveals how the world accommodates its consumption patterns after it stops shopping, ‘what actually happens in the initial few days or weeks?’, ‘does the economy actually collapse?’ and ‘how do we adapt and transform ourselves to a simpler life for the rest of our lives?’ MacKinnon draws a parallel between the most daunting economic downturns of history and its impact on consumer spending. He makes these downturns his ‘base’ to portray when we were closest to actually practising deconsumption and how we survived through them. And interestingly he makes the recent 2020 pandemic a part of his study to further substantiate the consumer dilemma of consuming less.

The enthralling case studies of Finland, Japan, South Africa etc. corroborates books's main argument and helps us better understand the different cultures as they relate to the spectrum from overconsumption to involuntary simplicity.

I really like that the book triggers self-reflection throughout its chapters. The change the book demands is one's bold acknowledgement of effectively imbibing the ‘affluence without abundance’ mindset that further impacts one's intrinsic values in entirety. It also carries this idea that ‘how much’ each one of us consume now matters more than ‘how many’ of us there are on the planet.

Apart from the good of anti-consumption he also pours out the frustrations and conflicts that may arise if humans started consuming considerably less.

However, without providing any hard solutions to the problem, MacKinnon takes the balanced stance on simple living but conforms to how it is destined to be a minority ethic only–

”When it comes to reducing consumption you can be the change you want to see in the world, but it will not change the world. A world that stops shopping is not something we will do, but something we have to make.”

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is quite dense. Woolf, being one of the pioneers of ‘modern literature’ familiarizes us with her unique style of writing through which she unravels the consciousness of the characters in her novels. The same is the case here as well. The book talks how the passage of time is perceived by the Ramsay family and their guests. The transitioning between the interior monologue of the characters back and forth, is highly impressive yet intimidating.

Again it's not a cozy read, and a gripping plot is what this novel definitely doesn't offer, it is in fact way too simple. The story follows the Ramsay family during their visit to their summer house near a lighthouse in Scotland. Little James Ramsay wants to go to the lighthouse. His mother, Mrs. Ramsay lovingly says they probably can go tomorrow. His father, Mr. Ramsay coldly says the weather will be bad, so they cannot. This creates emotional tension.

The novel is also regarded as autobiographical in nature, not factually but emotionally. Woolf used many experiences, emotions and family relationships from her own life. The characters of Mr. & Mrs. Ramsay is largely inspired from Woolf's own parents. Lily Briscoe, a character in the novel, coincides with Woolf herself who's indeed an artistic woman struggling to create meaningful art in a male-dominated society.

I would therefore like to mention some tips that worked for me to get through the book with some ease:

1. I had to re-read the first ten pages or first couple chapters again and again to get hold on what's actually going on with the plot, and it might happen with you as well and you might also decide to drop the book but I'll say that just get past the first forty pages anyhow. Listening to the audiobook while reading the physical copy worked wonders here.

2. Also don't try to read it very slowly just to get familiar with everything that's going on, grasping everything on the linear level isn't needed at all. Just flow with the prose.

3. Try reading the synopsis first, for the chapters you're going to read. It helps to know if any new character is introduced and what little happens to whom, as knowing the story beforehand here won't prove as a spoiler.

Interested to know other people's thoughts on Woolf.