DaJudge
March 9th, 2008, 02:39 PM
Denver Post
book reviews
Science Fiction
By Fred Cleaver
Article Last Updated: 03/08/2008 04:38:00 AM MST
The Philosopher's Apprentice, by James Morrow, $25.95).
One argument has it that science fiction began with second-century Greek
Lucian of Samosata. A more popular theory traces the field back to Mary
Shelley and "Frankenstein." Lucian created extravagant absurdities to
satirize Greek philosophy. The new and improved Lucian is James Morrow.
In his new novel, Morrow, of Pennsylvania, creates a wild version of
"Frankenstein" to take on several thousand years of philosophy and religion.
Mason Ambrose walks out on academic philosophy during the defense of his
thesis titled "Ethics from the Earth." The lost degree is no matter when
Mason is offered a dream job as a private philosophy tutor on a tropical
island.
Londa Sabacthani's mother tells him Londa injured her head and has
forgotten her childhood. Mason's job is to teach morality to this brilliant
teenage girl with no experience of right and wrong.
Between the philosophy theater games he uses to teach Londa, Mason
explores more of his tropical home. He finds a younger version of Londa who
has also lost her past. She has a pair of tutors, and with their help, Mason
finds the secret of the island and the girls' creator. He almost walks away in
outrage but stays to drink mango lager and explain Heidegger.
When Mason leaves the island and Londa, he tries to remake his life running
a used-book store. Londa becomes a brilliant biologist and a celebrity with
many devoted acolytes. She draws the wrath of the devout who are able
to use the technology that created her to make full-grown clones of
aborted fetuses who return to confront their nonparents.
Mason enters another stage as a powerless observer when Londa brings a
philosophy exercise alive on a rebuilt Titanic.
Morrow's world is one where ideas matter so much they come lurching to
life as intellectual Frankenstein creatures. In "The Philosopher's Apprentice,"
they are wickedly hilarious ? and then they can break our hearts and scare
us silly.
book reviews
Science Fiction
By Fred Cleaver
Article Last Updated: 03/08/2008 04:38:00 AM MST
The Philosopher's Apprentice, by James Morrow, $25.95).
One argument has it that science fiction began with second-century Greek
Lucian of Samosata. A more popular theory traces the field back to Mary
Shelley and "Frankenstein." Lucian created extravagant absurdities to
satirize Greek philosophy. The new and improved Lucian is James Morrow.
In his new novel, Morrow, of Pennsylvania, creates a wild version of
"Frankenstein" to take on several thousand years of philosophy and religion.
Mason Ambrose walks out on academic philosophy during the defense of his
thesis titled "Ethics from the Earth." The lost degree is no matter when
Mason is offered a dream job as a private philosophy tutor on a tropical
island.
Londa Sabacthani's mother tells him Londa injured her head and has
forgotten her childhood. Mason's job is to teach morality to this brilliant
teenage girl with no experience of right and wrong.
Between the philosophy theater games he uses to teach Londa, Mason
explores more of his tropical home. He finds a younger version of Londa who
has also lost her past. She has a pair of tutors, and with their help, Mason
finds the secret of the island and the girls' creator. He almost walks away in
outrage but stays to drink mango lager and explain Heidegger.
When Mason leaves the island and Londa, he tries to remake his life running
a used-book store. Londa becomes a brilliant biologist and a celebrity with
many devoted acolytes. She draws the wrath of the devout who are able
to use the technology that created her to make full-grown clones of
aborted fetuses who return to confront their nonparents.
Mason enters another stage as a powerless observer when Londa brings a
philosophy exercise alive on a rebuilt Titanic.
Morrow's world is one where ideas matter so much they come lurching to
life as intellectual Frankenstein creatures. In "The Philosopher's Apprentice,"
they are wickedly hilarious ? and then they can break our hearts and scare
us silly.