The word loneliness reminds me of some of the films I watched this year: Nomadland (2020), WandaVision (2021), Malcolm & Marie (2021) ... I feel that these films more or less show part of the word "loneliness."
The words of the book, the recent reading of "The Four Seasons of the Mountains" and "The Soul of Romance: Jean-Jacques Rousseau" have made me experience a different loneliness, these loneliness, or indifference, or desolation...
Overall, the most intuitive feeling of the word loneliness to me is that it is negative, a kind of sadness that no one cares about, but I also know that loneliness is much more than that. This "Biography of Loneliness" shows the different forms of loneliness and explores the history and meaning of loneliness from multiple angles.
This book is not only about the past and present lives of the word "loneliness", but also about celebrity biographies, literary works, current affairs... The content is rich, but not too dazzling. In the process of reading, I repeatedly thought of some works about loneliness outside the book, and compared them with the ideas in "The Legend of Loneliness", and got a lot of new insights, which was very interesting.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > a history of solitude</h1>
"The Tale of Loneliness" explores the history and meaning of loneliness in many ways, and some of its ideas are refreshing, such as the contrast between film and literature:
Cast Away (2000), based on the literary book Robinson Crusoe, tells a modern version of the story of a desert island. Unlike Robinson Crusoe, The Rest of a Desert Island emphasizes the inherent need for companionship, while Robinson Crusoe makes no mention of the protagonist feeling "lonely," even though he is often "alone." The Tale of Solitude further explores the differences and connections between "solitude" and "solitude":
From the mid-19th century onwards, the term "solitude" appeared less and less in publications. I think this decrease in frequency of use corresponds to the increasing use of "loneliness" as an abbreviation for the state of being alone and the experience of loneliness. Thus, the reduction in the use of the term "solitude" coincides with the more general use of the language of "solitude". —The Tale of Solitude, p. 28
In addition, the development of loneliness is also affected by various other factors, including demographic changes, urbanization and other factors, which are very complex.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="10" > biography</h1>
"Lonely Biography" is not only a biography of loneliness, but also involves celebrity biographies. The book has many novel perspectives, such as the discussion of Sylvia Plath's loneliness:
Although many people have written about Plath's work, her mental illness, and her marriage to the Yorkshire poet laureate Ted Hughes, few have talked about her loneliness, which has accompanied her almost throughout her life. —The Tale of Solitude, p. 46
"Lonely Biography" shows The Loneliness of Plath in front of the reader, and her legendary experiences and pain remind me of how the marriages of talented women are so similar in Marriage Story (2019) and Before Midnight (2013).
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="14" > keeping pace with the times: social media and old age loneliness</h1>
Social media in the 21st century is like a double-edged sword, "Is excessive use of social media a cause of loneliness among millennials, or is it the result of loneliness?" The fifth chapter of "Lonely Biography" explores this issue, which begins with a 2014 car accident tragedy, the culprit is social media (drivers use mobile phones to update social dynamics while driving), and there is an episode of the "Black Mirror" series dedicated to this theme to warn the world, which shows that people's calls for social media questioning are getting louder and louder today.
In addition, the development of social media also has a certain impact on the loneliness of the elderly, and the loneliness of the elderly is a topic that cannot be ignored:
Every elderly person who carries a life and story that is not humane is isolated from those around him, and is increasingly unaware of this isolation. —The Tale of Loneliness, p. 167
Regarding loneliness in old age, I think of Grey's parents in "Grey's Anatomy", and I think of the group portrait of the elderly portrayed in "Nomadland" (2020), this topic is not uncommon, it is a hot topic in contemporary society, "Lonely Biography" explores the history and meaning of old age loneliness from many angles, making people think deeply.
Later chapters also explore "home" and "loneliness", as well as "material" and "loneliness", with a novel perspective that is worth reading.