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ButterflyAttack t1_iuf13fk wrote

Reply to comment by anunderdog in Revealed: TE Lawrence felt ‘bitter shame’ over UK’s false promises of Arab self rule by Aboveground_Plush

I didn't find it tedious at all. Fascinating look at the period, the war, the overlapping of cultures, and Lawrence's own flawed and lacerated self. Just IMO, but wanted to make the point that it's worth reading.

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anunderdog t1_iuf29wl wrote

Absolutely it's worth reading, I in no way meant to imply otherwise!

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BorisTheMansplainer t1_iufgspk wrote

Right. How can you find a book with a scene where the author rearranges bodies in the moonlight tedious? The entire thing was engrossing and often quite haunting.

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Tiako t1_iuflh8g wrote

I could imagine someone expecting a simple war memoir would find it a tough read, but if you want a somewhat fictionalized account of a very strange Englishman who was really Working Through Stuff then it is a strong recommendation.

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Ripheus-33 t1_iughd59 wrote

Sounds fascinating but why did you capitalize Working Through Stuff, is that a reference to something in the book?

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Teantis t1_iugjiom wrote

He had PTSD really bad people think and may or may not have been raped by Turkish soldiers along with all the other bad shit he went through. He was known for being pretty weird after wwi also.

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Ripheus-33 t1_iugvivc wrote

Oh my gosh, that’s so sad

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ELI-PGY5 t1_iuh65hw wrote

I’m 80% sure the Turkish soldier thing is Lawrence’s homoerotic slash fiction, so don’t feel too bad for him. Controversial area, there is some decent scholarship on this issue.

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hellraisinhardass t1_iugp9tn wrote

I too found parts of it very tedious. Some of his writing, particularly descriptions of the sights, sounds and even smells of the desert and war are some of the best ever written. But his mixes in entire chapters of political discussions and observations about the interactions between different tribes and colonial powers that are almost impossible for a causal reader to choke down.

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cogwerk t1_iuhqnnj wrote

Would you be able to recommend a general history for some accurate background? I want to place personal accounts and autobiographies in context, and I loved the film and want to dig into this

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ButterflyAttack t1_iuifjgn wrote

I'm afraid I'm a fairly promiscuous reader rather than an expert. I usually have multiple books on the go at any one time and flit across genres and periods. Perhaps /r/askhistorians may be able to recommend something.

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cynicalspacecactus t1_iui0vla wrote

I can hardly believe that someone who has actually read the unabridged book in print to have not found much of the book tedious. Much of the 700+ page text is hard to track as names for Arab persons TE encountered are introduced throughout the book but the ones that have already been introduced are not kept constant. Long passages are then composed of flowery descriptions of high level descriptions of conversations, between persons referred to with non-constant names.

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ButterflyAttack t1_iuif42q wrote

I've actually read it several times. Certainly I preferred to return to some parts more than others but I didn't find it at all tedious. TBF I also really like Moby Dick, which many people seem to feel is unreadable - so maybe I'm something of an outlier.

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cynicalspacecactus t1_iuiig5x wrote

Fair enough. I read it halfway twice before getting through it from the beginning on the third attempt. It is a beautifully written book and I dont think I've ever read a work written with a similar character, even if it did sometimes have a hard time holding my focus.

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