Chasing The Dragon

Evening all.

I have spent the past few days utterly incapacitated with a severe bout of flu. Thus affording me the opportunity to fester on my sofa (which by now friends is extremely well-festered) and finish a couple of things I started a long time ago. Namely Kafka's "The Trial" and ABC's hit television series, "Lost".

These might seem like two ends of the artistic spectrum. However, the reason I have decided to comment on these two works in the same context is because the both have very similar qualities. Both are very high-culture pieces (there's a phrase I never thought I'd use when describing a primetime TV show) and both are masterworks in the subtle art of not really telling us anything, but telling us just enough to keep us intrigued. It is a term that narcotics users refer to as 'chasing the dragon'.

Franz Kafka - Mad as a Hatter

Let's start with "The Trial" because this got my goat much more than Lost. You see, when I pick up a novel under the pretense that it is a work of literary genius, or even under the pretense that it's simply a novel, I, at the very least, expect the sodding thing to be finished. Kafka had no such expectation. So I was left scratching my head, feeling rightfully violated yet eerily muttering the words "that was pretty good" in my head. This despite the fact that literally NOTHING is explained.

Or is it?

Maybe I've been raised on a diet of mainstream cinema and lowest common denominator television, spoon-fed resolutions to every story that's ever crossed my path? Maybe the depth and hidden meaning to what's going on eluded my feeble mind? Or maybe it was just shite? Who knows? Either way, something told me that I enjoyed the experience...whatever that's worth. It's always tough broadening the mind I suppose.

The same can certainly be said of "Lost". However I am not do not in the slightest feel cheated of a resolution. The only feeling I'm left with upon finally finishing the 6th series is to bow to it's sheer brilliance. By far the best television show I've ever invested in (well, actually the only show I've ever invested in). It too ended up being surprisingly high-concept, extremely well written and absolutely beautifully acted (save a few truly cringeworthy 'Sawyer moments'). I'm not ashamed to say the ending made me draw a tear or two, because such is the beauty of having such a character driven, long-form narrative that you actually end up caring about these people. Yes, the 'smoke monster' was stupid, no I don't have a clue what the Dharma Initiative is or was and no, I don't quite fully understand the dog thing at the end either (other than bringing the story full circle and choking me right up, once again!). However, I can safely say that Lost is one of the best works I've ever experienced in any form and one I would definitely watch again sometime in the future.

Oh and, as a side note, if you ever get to read one of the scripts, I would highly recommend it. Only because it reads like it was written by a drunken 19-year old frat-boy.

Sample Line: "We move past a young girl, 20, screaming like a motherfucker".

Sample Line #2: "Jack is running, really FUCKING FAST"

Hilarious.

I'm off to drink some medicine and ponder my existence.

Peace,

JB.