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Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

#104: Jan. - Feb. 2012 (Fiction)
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Damifino
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Hi Lindad, I am enjoying the book. Well I don't like the content of course but it sure is thought provoking that's for sure.

I can only read one book at a time so it may not be as fast as others could read it.

I read quite a bit on Saturday at work (sshhhh) and it may of been too much for this old noggen to take. I kept thinking about it through out the night at home.

Yesterday while visiting friends, ankle bracelets came up. I asked the 2 fella's if they thought that convicted and released sex offenders here wore the monitor. They didn't know. And then I started asking them if they thought sexual offenders could be rehabilitated. You could sure tell they really felt uncomfortable about the whole conversation and basically wanted to change the subject. Which they did.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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lindad_amato wrote: What do you think of the relationship between the Prof. and the Kid at this point? I'm still not trusting the Prof. He seems to be mocking the Kid.
Sorry I just realized I didn't answer your question. I don't know what to think of the Professor at this point. I thought he was a sleaze ball while reading about him with his wife. She wants to know his history, his background and the things he has done prior to meeting her. And he's not budging. Which seems totally out of line. And I may even go so far as to say out of character.

He apparently wants to help people. He helps build homes for the homeless.

I really wanna know more about the Professor. In part 2 chapter 5 it is said that "his inner body and its needs are his secret life, which by and large he keeps locked away even to himself". Also I want to know why he dodged the draft. It wasn't because he was fat or a fag.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Damifino wrote: Yesterday while visiting friends, ankle bracelets came up. I asked the 2 fella's if they thought that convicted and released sex offenders here wore the monitor. They didn't know. And then I started asking them if they thought sexual offenders could be rehabilitated. You could sure tell they really felt uncomfortable about the whole conversation and basically wanted to change the subject. Which they did.
I don't think this reaction is surprising. Rehabilitation of sex offenders is not a topic most people would be comfortable chatting about in a casual group, but I think if we did talk more about it, there might be less unreasonable fear and as a result, more rational and humane ways of dealing with offenders.

We find out a lot more about the Professor and the Kid in Part III. I don't particularly like either of them but I do feel sorry for the Kid. I think he got the book thrown at him and that it was excessive. Overall, I just find the Professor kind of creepy. The strangeness of their relationship, if it can be called that, reveals a lot about how awkward and uncomfortable this sex offender subject matter is, at least to most people.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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I would be curious to know who reads this book more. Men or women.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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I would be interested in knowing that myself Damifino. I find Banks writing style to be excellent and because of this I was able to finish the book. Right now I am reading "Coudsplitter" by Banks, and his writing oftentimes is beautiful. Banks is a writer who can be powerful and effective writing about some difficult topics.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Suzanne had mentioned the lack of names possibly being used by Banks as a way to drum up sympathy for the men. I think this is definitely a point Banks is making, but I also find it interesting that Kid mentions the new names as liberating. I wonder if maybe the new names may be, in a way, holding them back. They have been stripped of their identities and seem to be relegated to second-class status as Suzanne also mentions. Have these men served their time, as they appear to still be serving it? Is there some other treatment for these men or service society should be giving them, or is the only concern we should have protecting people from possible reoffense of these people?

These men also have very little power in their lives. This is the reason, that I see, they take to the idea of cleaning up the Causeway so readily. They are now being empowered to take on responsibilities that have been taken from them by their previous behaviors. It will be interesting to see how their society turns out and whether the greater town and police accept this new settlement.

I feel like most people like tip change the subject as well when speaking about sex offenses, especially whether they can be rehabilitated. I am not sure of this myself. It is probably easier to ignore the topic than to think about one's own prejudices and potential negative feelings of another human being.

I am quite interested on where the story will go with these men and whether any of the men will reoffend, especially since it is a "law" of the settlement.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Suzanne wrote:I would be interested in knowing that myself Damifino. I find Banks writing style to be excellent and because of this I was able to finish the book. Right now I am reading "Coudsplitter" by Banks, and his writing oftentimes is beautiful. Banks is a writer who can be powerful and effective writing about some difficult topics.
Cloudsplitter is one of my all time favorites. I agree, his writing is often beautiful and in Cloudsplitter that is very apparent. I would be interested in discussing it at some point.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Tigerlily,
you raise an interesting point. The men seem to be quick to take up some positive activity. I wonder if it will be sustained. It's difficult enough to keep a well organized social system functioning. Well see how this micro-society goes.
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Re: Lost Memory of Skin, Prt. 3, chapters; 1-4

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Lindad, it may be especially difficult to keep the current positive society going as they add more and more people. They will need more security and Kid may have to get tougher on who is let in even though there appears not be any other place for these individuals to go.
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