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The War With the Newts
The War With the Newts | Karel ?apek
8 posts | 15 read | 17 to read
Every so often a book comes along that leaves you dizzy with wonder that you havent read it before. The plot of the book, the conclusion of which is revealed in the title, takes us through a history of mans discovery of an advanced species of newt on an island right on the equator, a bit to the west of Sumatra, a species whose ability to learn quickly and use tools makes them ideal workers for the global pearl industry. ?apek shows shows off, I suppose his dazzling range, in chapters which lampoon everything pop-cultural from Hollywood starlets to the modern media: It was a newspaper mans dog days when nothing, absolutely nothing, happens, when there are no politics, and not even a European crisis. Throughout the book, underneath the stylistic tricks the real subject of ?apeks scorn is modern commerce and capitalism. So its science fiction, comedy, satire, social commentary, warning, a scrapbook of pastiche War with the Newts has pretty much everything. Highly recommended!
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kwmg40
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Pickpick

This classic 1936 sci-fi work is a brutally cutting satire. In the story, humans capture and enslave an intelligent breed of newts, but eventually the tables are turned on them. Čapek uses the relationship between the humans and the newts to make fun of and expose the ugliness of colonialism, the Nazi regime and segregation in America.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#192025 #1936 @Librarybelle
#1001

BarbaraBB Interesting. Still need to read this one. 2y
Librarybelle I read this one awhile ago…it was interesting. Good choice! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
46 likes3 comments
blurb
latepaul

Are you a bitter ender?

In theory I'm not but having reached > 50% in my current read I feel I want to finish despite not loving it.

Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🤗😎 5y
latepaul Thanks 5y
10 likes2 comments
review
Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Mehso-so

A cautionary tale that hits a little too close to home, Capek writes a satirical look at the rise of newts in the world. It‘s almost hard to believe that he‘s writing at the turn of the 20th century with the revolutionary thoughts he has. Parts of this were spellbinding; other parts really dragged. But, I think the overall message from this resonates long after the book is closed. #1001bookswap #GroupJ

76 likes1 stack add
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Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Calling time for the #readathon . I had hoped to read 12 hours, but still I‘m pleased. I also read a total of 537 pages, so very happy with that. And, hopefully another day to relax and read! Thanks for another fun readathon, @DeweysReadathon !

Mollyanna Woohoo! Great job 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
74 likes2 comments
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Librarybelle
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Ending my #readathon for the evening. Sleep calls! #1001bookswap

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MrBook
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall
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Today's author spotlight: Karel Čapek! He died in 1938 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, at 48. He was a playwright, novelist, essayist, publisher, photographer, and art critic. His biggest claim to fame is coining the term "robot" in the tagged book. Though never winning, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven(!) times. He has several awards named after him. He was instrumental in PEN Club formations. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

Godmotherx5 Seven times before age 48?!?? I less than four years to get cracking. 7y
75 likes1 stack add1 comment
quote
GoneFishing
War with the Newts | Karel ?apek, M. Weatherall, R. Weatherall

It suddenly occurred to me that every move on the chessboard is old and has been played by somebody at some time. Maybe our own history has been played out by somebody at some time, and we just move our pieces about in the same moves to strike in the same way as people have always done.

Lynnsoprano I only know Capek as the founder of the Unitarian Universalist flower communion. I definitely need to read this. 8y
Lynnsoprano Oops, wrong Capek--Norbert, also Czech, was the one I was thinking of. 😊 8y
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