This Is Memorial Device - Oct 2019 Book Group discussion thread

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Diogenes Nov 2019 10:00am, 3 Nov 2019 41,910 posts	0 Diogenes 23. A diversion down a cul-de-sac in a van full of misfits. Diogenes talks about the time he spent lost with Ross Raymond in the Airdrie underground scene. I was introduced to Ross at some kind of party in Coatbridge. It was in a flat above a shop that had just two rooms and a skanky bathroom. I was in the kitchenette which was almost empty while most of the others were in the bedroom with the door firmly shut. McG introduced me to Raymond saying “this is Ross, I think you’ll have a lot in common” and then disappeared. The party was a dead loss so Ross and I also left and headed to an all-night cafe nearby. I hate to admit this, because I like to think I am open-minded, but from the get-go there was something about him I just didn’t like. He didn’t look like the sort of person I wanted to be friend’s with - and besides, I’ve never liked the name Ross. But McG was right about one thing, we did have a lot in common, especially where music was concerned, but the longer we talked the more I realised that Ross was one of those obsessives who goes on far too deep about everything, sees signifiers in absolutely, and contributed nothing. He was an observer, not a participant, a tiny parasite feeding off small fish. To him, who had never been anywhere else, the Airdrie underground was a place of magic and wonder. How could all these amazing creative, weird, deviant people come out of one place? It was a good question. The answer he came up with was almost entirely wrong. To some extent it was true that the bleak and barren town had bred a restless, self-destructive urge to create, to turn one’s own life into art and art into life, but most of the output was as hopeless as the towns from which it came. Few escaped and msny killed themselves trying, drugs, alcohol and mental health taking their toll. One who did escape was a guy named David. He was the younger brother of someone on the edge of the scene. He was only known to us because of his reputation for cruelty to animals and his legendary pornography collection. He left in his mid-teens and no one new where, although it was widely accepted he was locked away in the interests of public safety. Others said he gone to London where he’d blend in better. Me, I think he’s still in Airdrie, living in his fictional version of the town with the punks and artists and porn stars of his fantasies.
Serendippily Nov 2019 10:42am, 3 Nov 2019 14,805 posts	0 Serendippily applauds
Diogenes Nov 2019 1:22pm, 3 Nov 2019 41,913 posts	0 Diogenes [sorry, written in a hurry in the car before Joe’s football, hence all the typos and missing words. I gave it a 6 because I really did connect with the 80s music scene and the people trying too hard to be meaningfully alternative]
westmoors Nov 2019 12:31pm, 8 Nov 2019 3,590 posts	0 westmoors Just finished this. Found it a real slog. Never got into it. Too disjointed for me. Now to read what everyone else thought.
westmoors Nov 2019 12:41pm, 8 Nov 2019 3,591 posts	0 westmoors Brilliant Dio. Have to admit I didn't read the appendices. I was thankful to reach the end of the main book. Gave it a 3! Nice to know I wasn't the only one that struggled with the different narrators.
McGoohan Jan 2020 1:42pm, 5 Jan 2020 42,822 posts	0 McGoohan 5/10 for the book, but 10/10 for Dio's pastiche above
Serendippily Jan 2020 2:17pm, 5 Jan 2020 15,588 posts	0 Serendippily ^^ that
Night-owl Feb 2020 9:40am, 29 Feb 2020 33,457 posts	0 Night-owl I surrender Did about 60 pages I cannot go further Can't even give it a star I'm sorry
McGoohan Feb 2020 9:43am, 29 Feb 2020 43,624 posts	0 McGoohan Wonders if quimby has finished this yet...
Night-owl Feb 2020 9:48am, 29 Feb 2020 33,458 posts	0 Night-owl I am really really sorry