From Bacon to Boredom

The New Atlantis

I read these 40 pages as fast as I could. They left me feeling less than satisfied. It felt like 5 or more hours of reading instead of the 1 hour it actually took. I struggle to hold on to my belief that each book I read has meaning. Some just don’t speak to me. This is one of the silent books.

It sits there. It does nothing else. I turn the pages. I see the typing. I see the sentences. I see pages in a book. I don’t feel any of it. I don’t even imagine anything in my mind. This book is the least stimulating so far. 

I would like to say that I finished it and felt numb. But that would not be accurate. I finished it feeling like it was a waste of my time. This is probably not the case for everyone. I am not typing this with the hopes that you, whoever you are out there, will not read it. Give it a try. You may enjoy it. The book simply did nothing for me.

That being said, here are some quotes I found. I did not find them interesting so much as I merely found them while looking at the pages:

“Besides we are come here among a Christian people, full of piety and humanity.” (8) Really? I have met quite a few Christian people in my time. I can definitely say that not all of them are full of piety and humanity. Honestly, probably most of them aren’t. Most of them are full of righteous selfishness. If I landed on an island of Christian people I would start swimming away, no matter how great the distance I would have to swim. Or, I would start killing them before they could kill me. Please try and tell me nothing violent has ever come of Christian people being pious and humane. The words don’t really go together in a sentence.

“We make them also by art greater much than their nature” (33) Ah, nature and art. Art the great impersonator of nature. Permanence. Beauty. Truth. Wait, he’s talking about an orchard and some trees and shrubs and shit. Never mind.

“I give thee leave to publish it, for the good of other nations” (40). Oh, thank you so much Mr. Bacon. [Um, sarcasm should be oozing off that last sentence but I cannot figure out how to make slimy letters.]

I should be fair. I preach fairness. I do not think that Christianity is dangerous. I do not think that the Bible is dangerous. Christians, on the other hand, are a different story. History will make the argument for me. Bacon and his Atlantis informs me they can also be exceptionally boring.

I could discuss the science and the Baconian Method. But that would kill a good rant. And nothing feels better than getting a solid rant out.