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I checked Going Solo out because it is a second Roald Dahl memoir that picks up where Boy ends, and details Dahl's time spent in the RAF during wwii. This book is quite good, but not magical like Boy. I read/listened to like 6 books of the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik earlier this summer and while that takes place in the napoleonic wars it was coming to mind reading Going Solo because there was aerial fighting in a large scale war in both (dragons and planes). Reading this made me think of how infantilizing it is to be in college now bc it's like a training ring for adulthood or some shit ???? it's like the modern image of the 21 year old is a drunk skipping class or having a kid (derogatory), but all the 21 year olds I know are like severely not that. After hearing about the behavior of my sister's peers however (16) I'm slightly terrified I'm in a bubble of outliers and there is indeed a large population of america living out the college youth weird legend or whatever. Anyway, all this comes to mind bc at one point in Going Solo Roald Dahld age 22 is driving across desolate desert alone in a car that has a maximum speed of 35 mph, a road that is a hardened strip of sand and invisible at night (he does not have working headlights), and he had a wonderful time. At one point his car stops working and he realizes it is too hot for the radiator to work so he'll have to time his drive to his destination to avoid the darkness and the peak heat of the day, and then he does and it's fine!!! I felt reading these memoirs that we are so anxious and perfectionist and disturbingly removed from nature that we're certain disaster is imminent (probably from the fucking News).
When Roald Dahl was my age he was living on the cutting edge of technology and while a large factor of the quality of his life was the fact they were very wealthy, there is a distinct contrast between the way technology affected his quality of life and the way it affects mine; While I live in a world saturated with technology, it's by and large Not Ideal Technology. Ideal Technology is technology that improves a task/your life without any excess or inconvenience of use. Computers, phones, tvs, and cars are all phenomenal awesome technology, but the ones we have fucking suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My computer has spy reporter ware embedded in its deepest depths (and good luck repairing these things), and for some reason a touchscreen and a camera. My phone spies on me so hard it's too intense to encompass here but the targeted ads should be capitally criminal, and it costs one thousand dollars and lasts three years and the third year is like hospice. My tv has ads EVERYWHERE and a fucking microphone in the remote ??? The ads in television the format are insanely prolific (unless you pay a fat premium), and why in God's name does netflix autoplay loudass previews? I find the car to be the most deeply insulting evolution of all; we have made cars safer, quieter, and more fuel efficient. We have for some reason also made the most gigantic pickup trucks ever the number one cars in america (they get 14 mpg, like a jeep [another dogshit car]) and changed the shifter to a dial or perhaps buttons. Cars got better and so much WORSE!!!! The transmissions are fucked they're half plastic the parts situation is insane and they cost FIFTY THOUSAND FUCKING DOLLARS!!!!! Our technology is bloated and unpleasant with a gridlocked collusive monopolied market and for some (data harvesting) reason all technology is Smart. The time Roald Dahl grew up in was one in which all technology was cutting edge, designed to be long-lasting and maintainable, and the niches filled first in technology development greatly improved their lives. No one can invent the horseless carriage or the refrigerator anymore, so I'm stuck in a plastic temu garbage online shopping hellscape while Dahl bought a motorcycle for £18 and not a single person in the world knew about it. Whatever patriot act targeted ad amazon dystopia we've been sold, it cost our personal freedom to have a screen on the fridge and it's not even useful.
Great book !