He communicates his point well. I think he is promoting a theme to think for yourself and don't blindly accept 'off the shelf' or pre-packaged answers without review.
Quite true what he says all of 40+ years ago. Thank God he didn't live to see what we have today: "Intellectuals" who haven't read a book since university days; "musicians" who can't tell you what key they're playing in; journalists (no need here for sneer quotes) who don't know who Mencken was. We are doomed.
Not everything he says here is wrong, in fact the majority is bloody right. Some of the commenters seem slightly insecure. Whilst he is generalising, you only have to look around to see fickle youth spurting cliche after cliche. I'm 21 and have been frustrated with my age group since early teen-hood.
Poor Burgess -- he's a brilliant writer and a very intelligent man -- but perhaps not as briliant or intelligent as he thought he was. Still, that's some real professional- sounding bullshit.
Burgess - [was] " perhaps not as brilliant or intelligent as he thought he was"
yes and what you see here is a performance not discussion and that was the case outside of the piece to camera. It gave rise to the verb "to Burgess" meaning to bullshit -Burgess would call it extemporize una fantasia.
I think this was a common opinion of many established writers during the 60's, vis a vis the ubiquity of the beatles and the emerging influence of pop music. For artists who grew up assuming Genius was personified by Mozart, Shakespeare, and in Burgess' case Joyce, it must have irked them to suddenly hear these mere musicians being revered in the same way. Its quite sad really that a great mind like Burgess' could seem to become anachronistic or irrelevant as the culture changes around him
Middle aged entrepreneurs and exploiters like his publishers per example. Close to God? What a curious thing to say. How "close to God" is or was the popular novel? I've never seen an interview with Burgess were he wasn't having a sh*t-fit about some trifle or other. Shame none of his music is available. I heard some of it on Radio 3 once. It was fantastic.
I love this man's haircut. I want one like that
FractalBolt 3 months ago
English people always say the word Bloody...
like americans say very.. LMAO
OhWowLovelyXx0 10 months ago
He communicates his point well. I think he is promoting a theme to think for yourself and don't blindly accept 'off the shelf' or pre-packaged answers without review.
'
overhere2000 10 months ago 2
Personally, I think he nails it on the head here...
But bear in mind, the persona of "Anthony Burgess" was one of pompous erudition and, allegedly, not at all like the real John Wilson.
eddiewillers1 10 months ago
Quite true what he says all of 40+ years ago. Thank God he didn't live to see what we have today: "Intellectuals" who haven't read a book since university days; "musicians" who can't tell you what key they're playing in; journalists (no need here for sneer quotes) who don't know who Mencken was. We are doomed.
davevanbonk 1 year ago 15
@davevanbonk best.quote.ever.
juresaiyan 4 months ago
yes! finally a sensible comment
this little bit of speaking hit me like a ton of bricks when i first it
i love the beatles and pop music, but there is another side of the coin
a side which burgess saw very clearly.
alltok 1 year ago 4
Not everything he says here is wrong, in fact the majority is bloody right. Some of the commenters seem slightly insecure. Whilst he is generalising, you only have to look around to see fickle youth spurting cliche after cliche. I'm 21 and have been frustrated with my age group since early teen-hood.
Clivepom 1 year ago 9
@Clivepom Myself as well friend, I relate to people a decade or two older than me far more than anyone my age.
Jkfilms7 8 months ago
can be said even more about the current fat esurient american youth. i'd be the exception
xtrmsprts 1 year ago
Poor Burgess -- he's a brilliant writer and a very intelligent man -- but perhaps not as briliant or intelligent as he thought he was. Still, that's some real professional- sounding bullshit.
hotbohemianpotato 1 year ago
@hotbohemianpotato You Write:
Burgess - [was] " perhaps not as brilliant or intelligent as he thought he was"
yes and what you see here is a performance not discussion and that was the case outside of the piece to camera. It gave rise to the verb "to Burgess" meaning to bullshit -Burgess would call it extemporize una fantasia.
IrishClaudius 1 year ago
I think this was a common opinion of many established writers during the 60's, vis a vis the ubiquity of the beatles and the emerging influence of pop music. For artists who grew up assuming Genius was personified by Mozart, Shakespeare, and in Burgess' case Joyce, it must have irked them to suddenly hear these mere musicians being revered in the same way. Its quite sad really that a great mind like Burgess' could seem to become anachronistic or irrelevant as the culture changes around him
haribo687 1 year ago
@haribo687 : this response makes me feel that we are in real trouble.................
ColmOSullivanRed 1 year ago
Middle aged entrepreneurs and exploiters like his publishers per example. Close to God? What a curious thing to say. How "close to God" is or was the popular novel? I've never seen an interview with Burgess were he wasn't having a sh*t-fit about some trifle or other. Shame none of his music is available. I heard some of it on Radio 3 once. It was fantastic.
xwsftassell 2 years ago
@xwsftassell In his later years he actually denounced his famous novel.
NeverAloneForever 1 year ago
Anthony Burgess doesn't seem to realise here that his remark on the massive clichés of the media and pop songs is a cliché in itself.
videoclog 2 years ago
@videoclog They weren't at the time.
Jazalicious 1 year ago
Pomposity defined, bless him.
CaptOgdenGaboon 2 years ago