ldquo;This is the saddest story I have ever heard.rdquo; So begins Julian Mitchellrsquo;s stage adaptation of Ford Madox Fordrsquo;s classic novel; The Good Soldier; a tale of deceit; delusion; and disintegrating marriage in pre-war Britain. Two seemingly upstanding couples find their friendships enveloped by scandal and tragedy; as the faccedil;ade of wealth and privilege falls away and details of their indiscretions emerge.A fascinating new stage adaptation from an award-winning writer.
#4402844 in eBooks 2002-08-08 2002-08-08File Name: B00AO4EW0Q
Review
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful. One of a KindBy Eric StuevilleASSIMILATE by S. Alexander Reed has written a solid history of industrial music. The much maligned "industrial" moniker is addressed by the players involved and queried by an astute researcher. This is probably the first comprehensive study of Industrial music presented on a wide scale (at least; the first Ive read). In addition to multi-page discussions of fan favorite industrial/electronic songs like "Mindphaser" by Frontline Assembly; cultural ramifications of the industrial genre are addressed. As an aside; Ive from time to time wondered about some of the racial; political; and sexual implications made by this awesomely demonstrative form of music and Reeds book does not shy away from these subjects. Reed embarks on rich exploration of the roots of industrial via literature; philosophy; and film and provides compelling histories of the origins of Skinny Puppy and the rise and fall of the seminal WaxTrax! label. Reed pushes into the next wave; discussing recent favorites such as Covenant and VNV Nation. This is a thoughtful summation by a readily apparent fan and capable author. If the text suffers; it is in its pursuit of academic defense which should not diminish its veracity; just that the narrative can drag and apparent points are made redundant. However; that criticism should not dissuade you from a definitive discussion of "industrial"/ hard electronic music11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Strong on concepts and early history; weak on later developmentsBy Pope GuiltyThis is an excellent book which is far more interested in the hows and whys of industrial music than it is on chronicling it. The author lays out the philosophies and theories that underlie and animate industrial; giving the genre the serious theoretical treatment it deserves. The history of industrial music that is given is focused quite firmly on the early years; and the history starts to really suffer around 2000 or so; as the mass popularity of industrial rock faded. I got the impression that the "history" in the title was very much in service to the "critical"; rather than being an equal partner. That said; I dont want to oversell it- this isnt "Please Kill Me"; that history of punk rock which has the Ramones show up late in the book and pretends that punk rock was nearly over at that point- but if you want information about the last ten years of industrial music aside from futurepop; you wont find it here.With that caveat; however; I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anybody with an interest in the subject.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Superb review of Industrial culture and musicBy J. T. GotsickThis is a thoroughly researched; well written; and comprehensive survey of Industrial Culture; especially the music that brought so many of us into it. Its unique in my experience that someone treats a fringe cultural movement like this with such care and objectivity. I can only assume this was a labor of love for the author; and he deserves high praise for his accomplishment. I lived through much of the early days of the movement; but he filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge; and lead me to a few new finds.