Arrival and Departure

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1 Arrival and Departure Arthur Koestler PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 1

2 Arrival and Departure Arthur Koestler Arrival and Departure Arthur Koestler Arrival and Departure Details Date : Published 1976 (first published 1943) ISBN : Author : Arthur Koestler Format : Paperback 190 pages Genre : Fiction, War, Novels, Classics, Cultural, Germany, European Literature, Hungarian Literature, World War II, Literature Download Arrival and Departure...pdf Read Online Arrival and Departure...pdf Download and Read Free Online Arrival and Departure Arthur Koestler PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 2

3 From Reader Review Arrival and Departure for online ebook Edward says Arrival and Departure is a deeply contemplative novel, though its concerns are too much rooted in the specific questions of mid-twentieth Century European politics to be of much relevance today. There are some interesting ideas explored around culpability, and cause and effect, but these are not enough to sustain the novel. Aviva Rosman says A fantastic book - about World War II, the Holocaust, and political torture, but also about why we do the things we do. Beautiful, simplistic, occasionally reductive, both specific and allegorical. Here was my favorite quote. "Yes, he submitted with open eyes, more 'in spite of' than 'because of.'...the first time he had set out in ignorance of his reasons; this time he knew them but understood that reasons do not matter so much. They are the shell around the core; and the core remains untouchable, beyond the reach of cause and effect." Hadrian says A bit lackluster when compared to Darkness at Noon. I like the sense of atmosphere Koestler is aiming for, but sometimes it seems hamfisted. I thought this book was a bad translation at first, but it seems it was originally written in English. Darkness at Noon is much better. Go for that. Banbury says The rating of three stars on this book does not reflect the book uniformly, but rather is an averaging because some parts are really good, and some parts are really disappointing. It is a good bildungsroman in that the hero of the story comes to know the way the world works, where he fits into it, and what his proper actions should be. However, that he finds it out in large part by the Freudian analysis by a large woman is gimmicky and cliched. The mid-twentieth Century male illusion that an ideal woman really wants to be raped by a man (so long as he is not too bad looking) and that she will thereafter fall in love with him (but not demand he love her) is on display and shows the author's misogyny, and is too simplistic. The really good parts are the way the hero plays off the stories of history and literature. There are Biblical echoes of Cain and Abel in the recounting of his brother's injury; a bit of the hero being a knight on a crusade in dream of a man in a mail suit with a cross; Hints of both Milton's Paradise Lost and Hobbes's Leviathan in the name of one of the ships (the other ship called "Speranza" referring to youthful diffuse hope). Ultimately, it is a book against the forces of modern collectivization, and standing for the noble loneliness of the individual who stands against those forces. PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 3

4 Kris McCracken says The third novel of a loosely-related trilogy that explores the conflict between morality and expediency and the ruptures that this conflict brings in the context of one's own nature and ideological standpoint. If you can suppress the urge to toss it aside through some extremely dubious thoughts on sexual consent and seduction, it's a great exploration of a tricky subject. B+. John says I enjoyed the start of the book even though I did not like the disguise the author seemed be so determined to keep up about so many things, like what country they were in. The entire middle of the book seems so unreal to me and the ending anticlimactic. Will try the other book by this author as it got better reviews. Marianne Søiland says Peter Slavek, tidligere medlem av kommunistpartiet i Ungarn, har klart å rømme fra hjemlandet sitt og kommer til "Neutralia", et nøytralt land basert på Portugal. Før han kom seg unna fikk han selv føle de skrekkelige uhyrlighetene som var i ferd med å oversvømme Europa i krigens kjølvann. Peter ble nemlig torturert nesten til døde for sitt engasjement i den sosialistiske revolusjonen, og han sliter med mareritt og psykiske problemer som ettervirkninger av dette. I "Neutralia" treffer han på en psykiater som han kjente som barn. Han møter også Odette, en ung og vilter og hjemløs pike, og blir vilt forelsket i henne. Peter blir imidlertid dradd mellom politikk og kjærligheten til Odette og får til slutt et mentalt sammenbrudd som også paralyserer den ene foten hans. Han begynner å gå i terapi hos Dr. Bolgar, og hun finner "røttene" til Peter's mentale tilstand, en rekke traumatiske hendelser fra hans yngre dager i tillegg til torturen i hjemlandet i løpet av krigens første par år. Hvordan klarte Peter å holde ut den fryktelige torturen han ble utsatt for? Hva skjedde egentlig i barndommen som har gjort ham så mentalt ustabil? Og, vil nå egentlig reisen til USA være løsningen på problemene? Min evaluering Mai er visst blitt måneden for utvidelse av mitt litterære perspektiv! Igjen en annerledes bok, en bok hvor forfatteren tydeligvis er fasinert av de psykologiske resultatene av fangenskap og tortur. Hva gjør at en person knekker eller holder ut det ene skremsels-scenariet etter det andre? Boka viser en god innsikt i den menneskelige psyke og vi får et godt bilde av Peter og de mentale utfordringene som han er blitt og stadig blir utsatt for. Boka handler lite om selve krigen og er mer fokusert på to parallelle dialoger. Den ene mellom Peter og Dr. Bolgar om hans mentale tilstand. Den andre om politiske teorier og filosofier som var populære blant liberale, europeiske intellektuelle på den tiden. Selv om emnene som tas opp er spennende i seg selv så synes jeg ikke at boka er veldig engasjerende. Den blir noe tam og blir ikke så detaljert som jeg etterhvert ønsket at den skulle være. Det skrapes kun i overflaten på interessante temaer som jeg trodde ville bli enda mer belyst. Ei grei nok bok, ganske atmosfærisk, men kanskje noe utdatert? PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 4

5 Annalisa says What an odd book this was. I gather it is semi-autobiographical, about Koestler's experience as a refugee in the middle of WWII. The country he lands in as a refugee he calls "Neutralia". I found the name so distracting as I was continually looking for clues about what country it could be. Turns out it was based on portugal where Koestler did actually land. At any rate, despite it's oddness, it was an interesting portrait of a person in limbo awaiting news of his fate at the hands of the authorities. I just wish he hadn't disguised everything. Perhaps he did that to try and neutralize any bias from his audience, or to raise the book to a higher plane, but I found it detracted from the potential power of the story. Paradoxe says Σας?χει τ?χει κ?ποτε να π?τε επ?σκεψη και να σας καλ?σουν στο τραπ?ζι, µ?να πενταν?στιµο γε?µα, φτιαγµ?νο µε τα πιο απλ? υλικ?;?τσι ε?ναι κι ετο?το το βιβλ?ο: απ την πρ?τη σελ?δα προσκαλε? σε κ?σµο ταπειν?ν λ?ξεων που συνθ?τους εικ?νες. Το τ?λος των προτ?σεων οργαν?νει παραστ?σεις, αθ?ες σε µια Ουδετερ?α, ικαν?ς να επισ?ρουν αβ?σταχτες ποιν?ς οπουδ?ποτε αλλο?. Εκε? που ε?ναι?γκληµα να?χεις καλ?ς προθ?σεις ως δε?γµα αδυναµ?ας και σχηµατ?ζουν τσιγκ?λια που σε πν?γουν µε τα λ?θος γιατ?. Εκε? που τα π?ντα του κ?ποτε θα χαρακτ?ριζαν την Ελευθερ?α και τη ηµοκρατικ? Ηθικ?, ε?ναι εγκλ?µατα µαλθακ?τητας. Μα δεν ε?ναι µ?νο µ?να που γενν? εικ?νες το βιβλ?ο, γενν??ντονα συναισθ?µατα, σκ?ψεις,?σως κι ακρα?α: λαγνε?α για µια µικρ? Γαλλ?δα, συγκ?νηση απ τα λ?για µιας πρ?ην φοιτ?τριας, µ?νος ικαν? να πλακ?σω τη Σ?νια στις σφαλι?ρες στη σελ. 25. Γρ?φει δυνατ?, αλ?τικα, λυρικ?. <<Το µ?νο που?θελε?τανε να καθ?σει κοντ? της στο αν?κλιντρο και να της χα?δ?ψει τα µαλλι?, µα το?τη η πεθυµι? του?ταν τ?σο δυνατ?, που?ταν ικαν?ς να χρησιµοποι?σει β?α, να την πον?σει µ?νο και µ?νο για να?χει το δικα?ωµα να της χα?δε?ει τα µαλλι? και να νι?θει τις φλ?βες να χτυπο?ν στο λαιµ? της >> Τι?ταν η Ισπανικ? ιαθ?κη; Μια αναµον? στη διαδροµ? για β?βαιο θ?νατο, στην αναµον? που φορ?ς σκοτ?νει µ?σα σε θηλι?ς παραφροσ?νης. Τι ε?ναι η Σταυροφορ?α χωρ?ς σταυρ?; Μια αναµον? στη διαδροµ? για αποδοχ? συµµετοχ?ς, στο θανατηφ?ρο παραλογισµο? πολ?µου απ τη σωστ? πλευρ?. Και τ?ποτα δεν απαγορε?εται σε το?τη την αναµον?, εκτ?ς απ το συµβιβασµ? µε το παρ?ν κι ας ε?ναι αληθιν?τερη η δαγκωνι? εν?ς φρο?του απ το µ?λλον και νοστιµ?τερη απ το παρελθ?ν και πιο πραγµατικ? απ τις ψευδαισθ?σεις του. Ε?ναι?µως και κ?τι περισσ?τερο: η ανατοµ?α του ανθρ?πινου πηγαδιο? µε τα π?θη, τις αναµν?σεις, τα κατ?λοιπα του και πως για κ?θε β?µα προς µια κατε?θυνση πρ?πει πρ?τα ο κουβ?ς ν αν?βει γεµ?τος καθαρ? απ? ιλ?, νερ?. <<?πως σου?λεγα τα τελευτα?α επτ? βαγ?νια ε?χαν Εβρα?ους. Με?λλα λ?για, δυο φορτ?α Χρ?σιµους Εβρα?ους που τους π?γαιναν να σκ?ψουν στα οχυρωµατικ??ργα και π?ντε φορτ?α?χρηστους Εβρα?ους, γ?ρους κι αρρ?στους, που τους π?γαιναν για να τους σκοτ?σουν.?στερα PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 5

6 ?ταν δυο βαγ?νια µε πολιτικο?ς κρατο?µενους, σαν το δικ? µας κι?λλα δυο βαγ?νια µε ν?ες γυνα?κες που τις π?γαιναν σε στρατιωτικ? µπορντ?λα: το?να για αξιωµατικο?ς, το?λλο για υπαξιωµατικο?ς και στρατι?τες.?στερα,?ταν?λλα?ξι βαγ?νια, µε ανθρ?πους που τους π?γαιναν να δουλ?ψουν σε εργοστ?σια,? σε στρατ?πεδα. Γι αυτ? τα?λεγαν Τρα?να Μικτο? Φορτ?ου >>. << Εκε?νες οι στριγγλι?ς σου?σκιζαν το µυαλ? και σ?καναν να τρ?µεις και να σπαρ?ζεις και να θες κι εσ? να στριγγλ?σεις µ?ση δ?ναµη ε?χες και ν αρχ?σεις να χοροπηδ?ς και να βαρ?ς το κεφ?λι σου >>. << ε µπορο?σε να φανταστε??τι η σ?ρκα µπορο?σε να νι?θει τ?τοιο θανατηφ?ρο π?νο κι?µως να επιζε? και να τον νι?θει και να τον ξανανι?θει.?στερα ο π?νος?µοιαζε να?χει περ?σει απ? τη ρ?χη του στο µυαλ? του.?κουσε τον εαυτ? του να ξεσπ?ει σε στριγγλι?ς,?νιωσε την ουροδ?χο κ?στη ν αδει?ζει και το στοµ?χι ν ανακατε?εται και να ξερν?ει. Σε κεραυνο?ς και σιωπ?ς, σκ?σιµο του πετσιο?, σπασµο? ασφυξ?ας και το βρ?µικο σφουγγ?ρι στο στ?µα για να τον κ?νουνε να σωπ?σει >>. Ποιος χρει?ζεται αν?ητες δυστοπικ?ς µυθιστορ?ες φαντασ?ας?ταν πραγµατικ? υπ?ρξαν?νθρωποι που στ?ριζαν?ρθιο τον παρ?ξενο σταυρ? µε τα γυριστ??κρα; κι ακ?µη το κ?νουν. Αν θες συναναγν?στη να µ?θεις κι εσ? τι?ταν ικανο? να κ?νουν δε σου β?ζω?λλα αποσπ?σµατα αληθιν? εφιαλτικ?, να τα διαβ?σεις µ?νος σου. Θυµ?σου µ?νο,?ταν το κ?νεις πως αυτ? γ?νονταν σε δικο?ς τους. Φαντ?σου λοιπ?ν, εκε?νους που δεν?ταν Κ?ποτε, ε?χα?να ατ?χηµα. Σκ?στηκε το δ?ρµα µου. Ο π?νος κι ο τρ?µος?ταν απερ?γραπτοι. εν π?στευα?τι ε?χε παραπ?ρα,?σπου ε?δα?να γιατρ? να χ?νει το γαντοφορεµ?νο χ?ρι του µ?σα απ το δ?ρµα του χεριο? µου, για να βγ?λει κοµµ?τια σοβ?, πριν µε ρ?ψει. Φαντ?σου να στο κ?νουν ξαν? και ξαν?,?χι επειδ??τυχε, επειδ? Μα υπ?ρχουν και µεγαλ?τερα µαρτ?ρια: µια θελκτικ? φων? σ?να σ?µα ερωτικ? που τη στιγµ? κρυστ?λλωσης του στο νου σου, καταρι?σαι να βγ?ζει?να?να τα γραν?ζια σου κι?στερα να τα πετ? αν?κατα, αφ?νοντας σε να βρεις τη σειρ?,??χι. Κι?πειτα αρχ?ζει ο τρ?µος: ε?ναι η τ?λµη κι η αντοχ? αξ?ες κινο?µενες απ? µια καλ? φυσιολογ?α, ε?τε πε?σµατα µιας παν?ρχαιας αυτοτιµωρ?ας για?λες τις φανταστικ?ς ενοχ?ς, µα?χι για τις πραγµατικ?ς; Ποιος γ?νεται?ρωας και ποιος σπ?ει; Μ?σα µας, το καλ? και το κακ?, η επ?γνωση και η ασ?φεια, η συνειδητ?τητα και το ψυχ?ρµητο. Υπ?ρχει πιο µεγ?λος εφι?λτης απ τα σκοτειν? µ?ρη που η λογικ? αντ?φαση κοιµ?ται σ?να κρεβ?τι παρτο?ζας µε το χαρακτ?ρα και τη βο?ληση; Κι?ταν πια στ?κεις καταξεσκισµ?νος να µη µπορε?ς να βρεις τη θ?ση των δαχτ?λων και των σπλ?χλων, τι θε?ρεστη χ?ρη να συναντ?σεις το ολοκληρωµ?νο κακ?; Κι αν µετ? ψυχορραγ?σεις αποστρ?φοντας το βλ?µµα µπρος στην επ?γνωση του καλο? απ το κακ?, υπ?ρχει π?ντοτε η ιαστρ?βλωση, η ι?κριση και η τελικ? ι?ψευση. Γιατ? φ?λε να τα περ?σεις?λα αυτ??ταν µπορε?ς απλ? να περ?σεις σε µια ν?α Ουδετερ?α που κρ?ζει ιδανικ? στα χαρτι? και πουλ? ν?ον και προπαγ?νδα µιας ν?ας τυποποιηµ?νης τεχνοκρατ?ας;?σως γιατ? µ?σα στη φρ?κη και στην απελπισ?α µπορε? να γεννηθε? εκε?νο το ε?δος οµορφι?ς που ε?ναι για?λους κι?χι για κ?ποιους. Μπορε? να γεννηθε? µ?σα απ την απαντοχ?, να PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 6

7 χαραχτε? µε απ?γνωση δρ?µος αγ?πης?ξιος?λων κι?χι µιας στρατι?ς που γυρν? στον κ?σµο και σκοτ?νει εν ψυχρ? µε εκλογικευµ?νες διαστρεβλ?σεις. Γιατ? µ?σα στη φρ?κη δικαιο?σαι απελπισµ?να, ονειροπ?λα, ζωνταν?, να πεις αυτ? σε µια γυνα?κα: << Ξ?ρεις τι τρ?νταγµα ε?ναι για τον?ντρα να βλ?πει τη γυνα?κα που αγαπ?ει να γδ?νεται µπροστ? του για πρ?τη φορ?; Βλ?πει κανε?ς τη γν?ριµη µορφ? προσαρτηµ?νη σ?να κορµ? που του ε?ναι ξ?νο, σ?να κορµ? µε το οπο?ο δεν?χει επ?σηµα γνωριστε?. Κι?ταν το δεις µ?σα στο πλα?σιο της γ?µνιας, ακ?µα και το?τη η µορφ? αλλ?ζει και σε κοιτ?ει παρ?ξενα.?µως, το πιο ενοχλητικ? ε?ναι πως το?το το γυµν? κορµ? ε?ναι απρ?σωπο. Στις φαντασι?σεις, το βλ?πει κανε?ς τυλιγµ?νο, µε κ?ποιο εσ?τερο µυστ?ριο και τ?ρα αποκαλ?πτεται πως?λλο δεν ε?ναι παρ??να γλυπτ? που αναπν?ει.?στερα ανακαλ?πτει την?λλη εκε?νη πρωτ?γονη µορφ? που?χει για µ?τια τις θηλ?ς των βυζι?ν που κοιτ?νε µε την απ?µακρη απ?κοσµη θωρι? τους. Στην αρχ? σου φα?νεται απ?θανο και απ?στευτο.?στερα?µως σιγ? σιγ? συµφιλι?νεσαι και µ αυτ? τη δε?τερη µορφ? >>. Γιατ? κ?τι τ?τοιο δεν ε?ναι δικα?ωµα του ελε?θερου µ?νο να γευτε?,? του δυνατο?, µα και του φυλακισµ?νου, του αδ?ναµου, εκε?νου που πρ?κειται να πεθ?νει σε µια Ουδετερ?α και µ?σα σ?να π?λεµο, γιατ? καθ?νας το αξ?ζει. Και καν?νας δεν?χει το δικα?ωµα να το π?ρει. Jim says I'm not sure if I read this before or after Last of the Just but I think they're the only books I've read about the Holocaust. In this book we know the hero has survived and is physically well but the book is about the struggle he goes through on the inside. Shane says The battle in this book is really between deeply held beliefs and rationalization. Peter Slavek, a tortured ex-communist, escapes from what I can only take to be the Nazi regime (labels are never given to either party), stows away on a ship and swims ashore to a state called Neutralia (which I took for Portugal or France, perhaps) where is taken in charge by an older woman, Sonia, a psychotherapist and friend of his family. Walking the streets of Neutralia while waiting for a visa to join the British army and get back into the battle, he meets and falls in love with a fellow refugee, Odette, who is planning to head off to America. Suffering a nervous breakdown due to Odette's abrupt departure after a ten-day love-fest, Peter is rehabilitated by Sonia through a rigorous process of psychotherapy, where his ills are related back to the guilt over the death of his brother, a guilt that causes him to throw himself into difficult causes, like fighting wars, and enduring torture. Having rationalized his drives, Peter decides to follow Odette (and Sonia who also leaves for America after Peter s physical and mental recovery is complete). However, the battle in Peter s mind, between his ethical belief and taking the easy way out, is still raging, PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 7

8 and finally gets the better of him. Peter makes a completely different and an altogether unsurprising life decision. I found this a gripping story. There are many forces at play here: the sexual tension between Peter and Sonia, between Sonia and Odette and between Peter and Odette, is palpable; the scenes of torture and of the killing of prisoners is grimly recorded and riveting to read, distasteful though they may be; even the clinical discussions on guilt and its implication on the physical body was a revelation to me. What was most revealing is how the body and mind behave under torture. Lines like, "Pain has its limits, fear has none" or, "Martyrdom is the vanity of the weakling" speak volumes in themselves. This was also the first of the trilogy that Koestler wrote in English and despite some anachronistic words, the imagery and scene setting, the characterization and the tension are very well drawn. A good read for the nonsqueamish. Petra says An interesting and thought provoking book on choices, moral commitment, the individual's needs vs the "greater" needs and why one may be the person one is. Peter Slavek escapes from a regime of torture and terror, finds himself in a neutral country while he waits for a visa. His first wish is to go to England and help fight; the other option is to go to America where he'll be safe from war and all it holds. While he waits for first one visa, then the other, he contemplates how his thoughts & ideas formed in early life, how his ideas were/were not altered during the torture he endured, his commitment (or not) to a cause, his ability & willingness to see it through (England) or live a happier life (America). Does one follow one's beliefs or does one take the easier way out? How much compromise does that require, what is the price to one's soul? A small book with big ideas. Well written. Shahed says?????? ???? -???????? 1347 Yeliz Ulucay says Kitab?n kahraman? Peter'dan çok etkilendim. Jan-Maat says The style of this novel feels far less adroit than the earlier Darkness at Noon, and it is certainly far less popular, but thematically the two belong together as a literary exploration of the political choices available in the 1930s. While communism, in it's Stalinist Orthodox form, required Rubashov to accept martyrdom - for the good of the cause. In this novel the hero has escaped, after imprisonment and torture, from the far right PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 8

9 authoritarian government in Hungary to a neutral country, a fact helpfully made clear to us by Koestler by naming it "Neutralia". Eventually, after psychoanalysis and a period in a love triangle, the hero escapes neutrality for an alternative to both Communism and Fascism. It is after all a book written in 1943 when there was an active alternative to both open to a fictional young man. Implicitly his neutrality before reaching a decision is not only political but also psychological, and he relates a dream (or maybe a 'dream') to his analyst of a Pythagorean figure suddenly realising that his obsession with triangles was subconsciously caused by being in a love triangle. In this dream his insight means that he doesn't go on to develop his theorem (view spoiler), the suggestion is, and here I suppose we get back to the politics of the 1940s and beyond, that our nervous delusions formed to distract us from the truths we don't want to acknowledge are useful, they are creative - forming the world the around us, while our insights merely allow us to live in truth (view spoiler). What might be most interesting about this book, and this maybe Koestler subconsciously proving his own point here (view spoiler), is that Darkness at Noon which is a pure fictional invention on Koestler's part (view spoiler) is the more successful novel than Arrival and Departure which is semi-autobiographical. PDF File: Arrival and Departure... 9