Thinks

Rating:
Summary: Another university-novel from David Lodge
Review: "Basically I'm a coward: I lack the courage of my unbelief". This phrase, for me, was the gist of this book. "Thinks" is about the ongoing struggle between science & religion. It is presented as a love story between a cognitive scientist, Ralph Messenger, & a novelist, Helen Reed, who is teaching creative writing, for one semester, at the university where Messenger works. The two meet, they start talking, they soon realize that their worldviews differ, but this difference makes their arguments interesting & heated. Their basic topic of discussion is this: is the mind separate from the body, as Descartes famously declared? or is the mind a part of the body, no more, no less, which necessarily ends with the body's death?

This argument about the existence (or not) of a soul separate from the body, is at the heart of philosophical discussions, since Descartes put the subject on the table. One could say it still hasn't been solved, although with each step science takes, religion (& dualism) loses ground. It's interesting that in this book Helen Reed doesn't really represent the religious, dualist point of view: she is basically an unbeliever, who (as she says in the quote I mentioned before) doesn't want to totally give in to science & to atheism: she wants to keep a piece of her soul to herself, one could say!

David Lodge's books have always been a delight to read, & also a good starting point for different discussions. He is probably the most well-known writer of life on campus, of the "university novel" if I could call it that. This time, the place is the (made up) university of Gloucestershire, in the UK, & specifically, the cognitive science department. As usual, with university life come scandals, infidelities, secrets, but also friendships, love-affairs, & most of all: long-winded, passionate, juicy, heated discussions. Helen Reed & Ralph Messenger are not merely two people who are passionate about each other's body, they are also two people who are passionate about each other's mind. And as lovers of the mind it is that they make their most interesting connection.

Rating:
Summary: Another intelligent novel for Lodge fans
Review: "Thinks" continues Lodge's winning streak of intelligent, amusing and thought-provoking novels set in academia. The characters are new although there is at least one cameo appearance from "Nice Work".

"Thinks" has more intellectual content than his prior novels. Lodge seems keen to challenge his readers and a review of contemporary philosophical thought on the topic of consciousness achieves that objective.

Any fan of Lodge will enjoy this latest addition. Newcomers to Lodge may find "Nice Work" or "Small World" more approachable and wish to return to "Thinks" later when they have a taste for Lodge's writing.

Rating:
Summary: A dull and frustrating novel with unconvincing characters
Review: Although I enjoy academic novels, and as a cognitive scientist, it is amusing to see references to it in literature, particularly when they're largely accurate, this book was sufficiently poor that I was unable to complete it. It's filled with poorly-framed expository segments, the male major character, Messenger, is an entirely unsympathetic and unpleasant person, and the female major character, Helen, although somewhat more interesting, is unfathomably and annoyingly attracted to Messenger. The writing is poor, the subplots unsubtle, and the themes confused. Not recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Not the Debate I Expected
Review: Although it is a fun story, I was expecting a more developed debate between the cognitive scientist and the novelist. I learned of Thinks in a New Scientist magazine review and was a bit let down by the brief philosophical presentation.

Rating:
Summary: Collision avoidance
Review: David Lodge by his own admission has been writing novels since he was 17. He's in his sixties, now, and is a master of the craft. He has produced coming-of-age novels, comic romps, academic novels, comical and bittersweet stories of yearning and loss - along with a variety of other conventional and experimental works. He has a big heart. In addition he is a prolific critic and essayist. He is great at parody, and has firm and interesting opinions regarding Catholicism, academia, modernity, the writing life, sex, death, relationships between friends, spouses, and lovers - among many other things.

"Thinks" is both an academic novel and a comedy of manners - containing elements of all of the above. Within a plot both complicated and much too simple the fictitious University of Gloucester provides the setting for the events. A bright, sexually and intellectually restless - and highly verbal - married but chronically adulterous scientist, Ralph Messenger (a dead ringer for Lodge himself, down to each facial feature) meets a younger female writer-in-residence at the school. She is a grieving widow, feeling out of place, away from her home in London, and out of sorts. They close in on one another and pull away - throughout the novel. It's a troubling (and troubled) dance.

The story unfolds by means of the transcripts of Messenger's stream-of-consciousness on-the- fly musings into a tape recorder. (In perfect Lodgeian fashion, Messenger self-consciously edits the transcripts.) Messenger fancies himself a modern, but is confounded by some of modernity's trappings. In alternate chapters, the diary entries of Helen Reed, a novelist of some acclaim and considerable self-awareness, are used to let us in on her thoughts and feelings.

So what's the problem? Messenger is a familiar man: we've watched him in action in other novels of Lodge's. Unfortunately in this one he possesses much less of the the tenderness, the heartrending confusion, and (sometimes comical) sexual frustration and/or energy - and vulnerability - that made so many of Lodge's previous protagonists so irresistibly appealing. In addition, Messenger/Lodge's self-referencing begins to seem precious. Characters from past novels (including Robyn Penrose from "Nice Work") make cameo appearances that seem almost token.

Helen Reed's diary entries are not sufficiently believable- for they are often wooden, much too full of tedious description of the obvious - and usually lacking in any trace of the register of a diary. She doesn't seem to be writing for herself, but for Lodge's presumed audience. This is a real problem in this novel.

The story entertains by means of plotting and timing. As usual from David Lodge there is wit and parody, self-consciousness without narcissism, humor and foolishness, desire and the reasonable wish to connect - occasionally running amok. In addition there is Lodge's basic decency toward all. I had hoped for more, though, from such a capable mind - and wonderful writer.

Rating:
Summary: David Lodge is back on track.
Review: David Lodge has always been a bit of a "cult" writer. some of his other recent books were disappointing but Thinks... is a welcome return to form.
The book centers around the Ralph Messenger , a cognitive scientist at a British university and Helen Reed a recently widowed writer who is also on campus. Lodge is masterful with his characters and draws out the sexual tension between them.
Along the way Lodge provides a decent insight in to modern cognitive science theories (I've done some work in the field myself and Lodge presents theories accurately without becoming to technical).
Lodge works his magic with the characters building up a complex layered relationship . The book is filled with a dry humor and the academic setting serves as a interesting backdrop. It seems that Lodge's better books tend to be set against an academic background.

Rating:
Summary: Colorful look at sexual academics
Review: David Lodge has found a rich vein to mine. From his very wonderful "Changing places" and "Small world", Lodge has demonstrated a marvelous insight into university life. As others have noted, his earlier works are more complex and hilarious. "Thinks" is more cerebral.

With the University of Glouscester's Ralph Messenger, a cognitive scientist, Lodge broadens his venue, usually the more traditional, humane arts of English litrature. Meeting the new novelist-in-residence, Helen Reed, Messenger is able to engage in a dialog about cognition and literature, while both of the players publically and privately acknowledge that this is a seduction. Messenger seems to be overwhelmingly charming and addicted to the next available sexual conquest. Even his almost laser-like pursuit of Helen is sidetracked, if only momentarily, by a trivial pursuit, but this also allows Lodge to plague Messenger with a number of challenges as the conquest comes to its expected conclusion. Lodge also tidies up a bit at the end. Alls well that ends well.

English new universities have more personality than one might think, if only in the characters, if not the architecture.

Rating:
Summary: Midsummer-night's Dream for baby boomers
Review: David Lodge himself points out in Thinks that there are only a finite number of plots, and he has chosen the most common: boy meets girl, or in this case, narcissistic cognitive science professor meets Anita Brookner-heroine-like novelist. The results are intriguing enough that I recommend this book, just do not expect Lodge's customary pell-mell style of uncontrolled hilarity or angst driven quests for truth. These characters are already secure enough in their lives that now it's just a matter of fine tuning.

As Ralph Messenger pursues visiting creative writing teacher Helen Reed (I don't think it would be giving anything away to mention that their first kiss is practically in the Garden of Eden), he also regales us with facts about the field of consciousness. But more fun is the student essay mimicking studies of bat consciousness written in the style of Samuel Beckett. Most of Messenger's thoughts are presented in a stream-of-consciousness form while hers are journal entries, both styles that I found to be easily readable. What bothered me more was the feeling that the many discussions of artificial intelligence wound up serving as a red herring to the real theme, which has more to do with the state of personal morality in our relativistic age than with whether or not a machine can imitate human life.

In the course of the slowly wending plot of will- they -or -won't- they adultery, Lodge has time to describe in accurately nuanced detail a university setting complete with academic interests, faculty parties, architecture, families and conferences, each element honed closer than he's ever honed before. That is the gentle magic of Thinks; Lodge has taken a simple plot, added postmodern elements of style and content and then, if you accept the few contrivances that make the plot work, won us over with an unexpectedly satisfying ending. In an age when religion, law and society no longer provide sanctions against possible immoral actions Lodge has found a way to set his characters down on solid ground.

Rating:
Summary: Ruined by Lodge's obsession with sex
Review: Every time the philosophical debate starts to get really interesting, Lodge interrupts it for a sexual pursuit, encounter, or reverie. The quality of the writing about sexual matters is about on the same level as Harold Robbins. In short, Lodge betrays his real talent and wit [as shown in prior books] to bring us a trite, repetitious display of middle-aged male fantasizing......this book is an utter waste of time.

Rating:
Summary: Fun Read--The Critics got this one Right!
Review: Far better than Francine Prose' "Blue Angel", with "Thinks..." the critics, often like sheep, simply praising one another, got this book right. It's great, absorbing, never boring by a creative experimental and master story teller. Read this ASAP... 5 Stars from a compulsive reader... Perfect for summer fare.