tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073948304625181907.post1795125783465936553..comments2023-12-22T06:35:13.217-05:00Comments on The Stars at Noonday: There's Nothing in Why: Robert Aickman's "The View"Brendan Moodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18029384135423483043noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073948304625181907.post-83369975547453536812017-02-13T11:00:32.550-05:002017-02-13T11:00:32.550-05:00That's a fascinating and very persuasive readi...That's a fascinating and very persuasive reading. Carfax's mysterious aging becomes perhaps a metaphor for the artist's sufferings in pursuit of the elusive masterpiece, the sense of fruitlessness that can come when one looks back and feels he has not reached his potential. And yet there is always the hope that it will happen one day.Brendan Moodyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00658333212894698339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073948304625181907.post-33669297661944444712017-02-13T10:50:40.475-05:002017-02-13T10:50:40.475-05:00I interpreted much of the framework of this story ...I interpreted much of the framework of this story as representing the creative conflict necessarily endured by any artist (in the widest possible sense) in melding the inspiration of the subconscious dream landscape with the quotidian demands of making physical progress with a work of art, whether fine art, music or literature: Carfax constantly falls to self-indulging himself in over-analysing the worthiness of his efforts, whilst Ariel, his loyal muse, sympathetically endeavours to continue providing him with a truly meaningful context - until, inevitably, Carfax over-analyses the situation to such a degree that the enchantment must evaporate: 'Now he believed her truly unable.' But I think that, even though Carfax doesn't realise it, the finale of the story resonates on a not altogether pessimistic note for him: he may yet get a chance to slay the king of the sacred grove, whose spirit he has lured away from the safety of the island. Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073948304625181907.post-81937890181158856962012-12-21T05:33:27.936-05:002012-12-21T05:33:27.936-05:00I am on an Aickman binge at the moment. I think yo...I am on an Aickman binge at the moment. I think you are right to group these four stories together, but I could not disagree more that they are all straightforward and leave little to explain. "The Stains", in particular, has far more going on than originally meets the eye, especially in terms of allusions to colonial history and politics. I recommend what has been written about this story over at The Mumpsimus (not my blog, by the way) - very illuminating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8073948304625181907.post-23011452716875891482012-01-18T07:28:40.250-05:002012-01-18T07:28:40.250-05:00Hi, so glad to find your Blog. Plenty of horror mo...Hi, so glad to find your Blog. Plenty of horror movie review Blogs, but don't seem to find many Blogs that focus on weird tales/supernatural fiction and the like. The first Aickman story I ever read was The Trains in We Are for the Dark (loved it) and am slowly reading through Cold Hand in Mine and Wine Dark Sea right now. Take care.keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02132912592685332245noreply@blogger.com