Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan is a subtle, moving book about espionage. There is a touch of oxymoron about that, somewhere. No-one is killed. There are no guns. No-one is shot, poisoned, dismembered or tortured, at least not physically, within these pages. There's plenty of anguish, however, but this is usually personal and more often than not self-inflicted. Sweet Tooth demonstrates that drama, excitement and suspense can be generated by a plot that puts people and their relationships at the fore. After all, intelligence is born of people's thoughts, and is rarely generated by bullets or car chases.

Sirena Frome (rhymes with plume) has been brought up with her sister by a Church of England Bishop as father, married to a rather frumpish wife. The background is dismissed quickly, but returns occasionally. Ian McEwan via Sirena tells us that it's not important. What is significant is Sirena's love of reading and associated ability to absorb texts at speed and, alongside that, her seemingly innate facility for mathematics. She just can't see the problems that others refuse. She ought to have studied English, but pragmatism choses the mathematics option and Cambridge embraces her, though not happily. She is no ordinary mathematician, as her university is soon to find out.

It must also be noted that Sirena Frome (rhymes with plume) was also a child of the sixties and has developed a liberal approach to and a distinct taste for sex. She is blonde, young and desirable, certainly not dumb. Wherever she goes, it seems not to take long before sensuality bubbles to a boiling surface.

And thus Sirena leads her author, Ian McEwan, into several relationships of varying frequency, quality and intensity. There's a bloke who realises, through her, that he prefers other blokes. There's an affair with an older man, a Cambridge tutor with a complex marriage and, as it turns out, other complexities as well. There is a colleague in her first job, facilitated by her complex older man, who gets nowhere with Sirena and leaves for pastures elsewhere. And there is Tom Hanley, a writer who develops a style that really hits the spot.

Sirena's relatively brief fling with the older Cambridge tutor leads to a recommendation that she should apply for a job with the Civil Service. And this is not to be any old filing clerk position, but something with one of those secret outfits, MI5, no less. The talk and gossip about the office and the papers concentrates on some weighty issues of the day - miners' strike, three-day weeks, Provisional IRA activities in Northern Ireland. As a woman, Sirena Frome believes she is probably at a disadvantage when the tasks are given out, with the big boys allowed to cherry-pick. They just don't take women seriously, it seems, and the jobs they get are jokes.

And Sirena does get a job - cleaning. It leads elsewhere and soon she finds herself at the forefront of intelligence work, reading. Questions arise by chance and, of course, in a world where no-one trusts anyone, there are never any answers, only suggested half-truths. Some of the pieces, however, start to fit, and the picture becomes familiar. A colleague tries it on, but it doesn't work out. He retreats, but skeletons are left in cupboards where we thought there was no furniture.

Sirena's reading is focussed, its aim to decipher, perhaps lead opinion. In the end, isn't intelligence about just that, what we think, what we assume? And who decides that? How is it that one career flourishes, leads to stardom and award, while others, apparently equally talented, wither and die, or at worst, stumble along in anonymity? Is this an area where intelligence services can usefully contribute? Is this a sensible question, given what we already know? And just which writers and works have benefitted in the past from virtual state sponsorship? Some will be revealed, suggested, at least.

This is where Tom Hanley appears. Academic, unlikely and unknown, he has produced some interesting work. It's not especially noteworthy, we might fell, but there is potential. Exactly where might that potential lead? And who might take up the cause to offer support, guidance, influence? And precisely what role might Sirena play?

And it is here that Sweet Tooth displays its remarkable subtlety. It examines the concepts of fame, appreciation, critical acclaim and success, and even the nature of creativity, itself, in surprising ways, never via the head-on anguish we have come to expect. When writers write, who is it that is in control of the process? If art is the imitation of life, what forces shape the reality we experience? When we say we believe something, or adopt an opinion, just how much of it is generated on our behalf so that we might adopt it as a package? And can values be promoted? Of course they can, but by whom, and for what reasons? And who picks up the pieces should the whole thing backfire?

Sweet Tooth continues its way, relating a plot that involves treachery, deceit, double-dealing and a shifting of alliances that might constitute betrayal. At the heart of everything is sex, personal relationships and self-interest, however. The story lives through a passionate relationship between the clandestine Sirena and her writer. Though she desires permanence, Sirena can never reveal exactly who she is to her lover. Can he be open with her?

The novel thus presents a story related from a distant future, a reminiscence of what might have been. Throughout, Ian McEwan's prose is nothing less than a joy, delicately transparent and arrestingly vivid at the same time. But, by the end, we are not even sure whose book has been written, or even who the real writer might have been. Until, that is, we immediately start it all over again. And then...

Philip Spires

Author of One On One, a romantic espionage thriller

http://www.philipspires.co.uk

Philip Spires is author of One On One, an espionage romance thriller set on an island in the South China Sea. Christine Gardiner has an assignment to interview Tom Cartwright. He has become the world's richest man by trading markets in a way that no-one understands. She has come to see if she can uncover his secrets. He has refused all previous media contact, but Christine and he share a past he wants to relive. There are questions that he too wants answered.

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What Fascinates Us in Macabre Stories? The Stories (and Life) of Edgar Allan Poe Provide a Clue

The Shadow, the Unconscious and Dreams

When I taught university students a variety of psychological classes, I always took pleasure in giving a seminar on "The Shadow, the Unconscious and Dreams". If you wonder, what's the relation of these three to one another, well, through your dreams you can get in touch with your shadow and unconscious and therefore become aware of yourself, of those parts in you which until now you have denied and rejected as part of "who you are". Then, when you are self-aware, you are more empowered to live your life to the fullest.

The "shadow" in each one of us

Whether we like it or not, in each one of us there is a "shadow"- those parts of us which we deny and reject as being part of us. These parts - characteristics, thoughts and emotions - are usually those which make us shamed, anxious, afraid and uncomfortable. These can be "negative" feelings - such as jealousy, cruelty, sexuality, aggressiveness, etc. - feelings which we think are not socially valued. These can also be personal characteristics which we possess yet prefer to deny as part of ourselves, such as controlling, stinginess, egoism, stubbornness, etc.

But as much as we reject these from being part of us, we nonetheless are attracted to and fascinated by stories (as well as films) which depict such feelings and characteristics.

Becoming aware of yourself, of those parts in you which you have denied and rejected as part of "who you are" is therefore a first step in being empowered to live your life to the fullest, as well as better able to develop successful personal and professional relationships.

The shadow as being reflected in Edgar Allan Poe's stories

When we understand the concept of the "shadow" we can then understand what makes the stories of Edgar Allan Poe so fascinating to us. They are macabre in nature; delve into the mysteries of our soul; depict episodes which make us fearful and anxious, on the one hand, yet motivate us to keep reading, hoping to "discover" what's happening, curious to know what the end will be.

Poe's life and stories
Some literary critics say that a "great writer" (a definition of "a great writer" is still being continuously debated... ) is one whose life was in a shamble. They mention authors such as the French writer Honoré de Balzac, the American writer Truman Capote and the Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun (famous for his book "Hunger").

Edgar Allan Poe, an American author (1809 - 1849) can certainly be included in this category. Dying at the young age of 40 his life was a continuous struggle with complex problems and relationships (it is interesting to note the similarity between Poe the writer to the Nederland's painter Van Gogh [1853 - 1890] who died at the age of 37 and, just like Poe, has had a hard life, part of which was attributed to his mental illness).

Peter Ackroyd's biography "Poe: A Life Cut Short"

The complexity of Poe's life is adequately described in Peter Ackroyd's biography "Poe: A Life Cut Short" (2009). Although written in a chronological order, it nonetheless begins with Poe's tragic death, the reason being that his death is, in some respect, a symbol of Poe's life as a continuous accumulation of one misery after another. Not only was Poe financially poor for most of his life, he was also "disillusioned" about his attempts at intimate relationships with women. It seems like his macabre psychological stories are a mirror to his own soul, reflecting his own misery (as well as mirroring the "shadow" which exists in each one of us).

Throughout his short life Poe was engaged with many "vocations": a soldier, a journalist, an editor, always busy producing stories after stories. But moving from one vocation to another, from one relationship to another, must have been intrinsically related to the inner stress by which he was engulfed.

Ackroy'd book is a fascinating chronological account of Poe's life vis-à-vis the societal-cultural times in which he lived. Fascinating as well is the realization that the miseries Poe has endured throughout his life are not unique to his times: other human beings throughout history have suffered and might still be suffering a similar existence. What makes Poe unique, though, is his virtuosity as a writer, his diversity of style and themes, which Peter Ackroyd has so artistically painted in front of our eyes.

Poe's tormented soul, his complex relationships with women - due to his complex relationships with himself! - his gambling and alcohol problems are coming to life in Ackroyd's book, a page-turner biography, depicting a complex personality which is in a constant struggle with its inner as well as outer world, to the bitter end...
Poe's "demons" and "shadow" have not only tormented him all his life, but, being an artist, came to life in his many stories. In such he, as a writer, might have been different from many of us who are not artists in nature and do not have the means to express our own shadow and demons. Being unable to express these is driving many of us to reject them, denying their existence in us. Nonetheless, they often surface uncontrollably and without our awareness (for example: in our projections and judgements), therefore harming our relationships.

We are better equipped to deal with our own issues than Poe was

Poe might not have had sufficient means to deal with his complex psychological issues, except to express them in his writings (not always being aware of the fact that his writings reflect his own issues). We, on the other hand, living in the 21st century, might be better encircled with various means by which we can become aware of our own shadow, demons and psychological issues, learn how to cope with them and become able to stop them from tormenting us, thus moving on to developing a quality life and healthy relationships.

Doron Gil, Ph.D., an expert on Self-Awareness and Relationships, is a university teacher, workshop leader, counsellor and consultant, and the author of: "The Self-Awareness Guide to a Successful Intimate Relationship. The book includes more than 200 real-life anecdotes illustrating how to become conscious and empowered to develop a healthy and satisfying intimate relationship: http://www.amazon.com/Self-Awareness-Guide-Successful-Intimate-Relationship/dp/143925141X/

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New World Order Conspiracy Theory

The new world order is a conspiracy theory that tends to explain the emergence of a one world government sometime in the future. These conspiracies have culminated to other connections especially the end of the world theory. The common subject on the new world order is however related to a power elite group of people functioning in secrecy to eventually take over the world where the sovereign nations or states will be no more. These ideologies are encompassed by the procedural performance of history into addressing certain matters of economy, governance and politics in addition to wars as well as finance. The new world order has had different conspiracies over the years. In the 1990s, the entire belief was related to the end of times and an anti-government rights group from the United States. The end of the world conspiracy was interrelated with the coming of the Antichrist. The antichrist is said to rule the nations by fulfilling the writings in the Bible.

The term the new world order is not that old and neither is it that new. In the early 20th century, various statesmen used this term to refer to a new age of politics where power will be cost shared to equal balances. Other unfounded fears that culminated to the emergence of these conspiracies were for example the illuminati, free masons and the Jews getting connected to a new world conspiracy that would eventually turn catastrophic according to skeptics. The illuminati for example were as a result of a German socialist who intended to teach rationalism in mystery schools. The major objective of this group was also connected to revolutionaries of the world leadership and the upbringing of new ruling techniques. In many of the theories that connect the antichrist to the end of the world, it is said that the he will be the last pope. This is a conspiracy theory that continuously became common in the early 21st century as opposed to the fact that the antichrist may also be the leader of the European Union or the secretary general of the United Nations.

The illuminati was a conspiracy that was said to have ended in 1785 however it appears as if there are traces that lead back to this cabal even of late. Back in 29th may 1954 at hotel de Bilderberg in Netherlands, a conference was held that lasted for three days. The meeting was supposed to bring two continents together with a plan to promote antilanticism. During this time, the set objective was supposed to better understanding between the United States and Western Europe. Since 1954, Bilderberg group became common and every year, they hold a meeting referred to as the Bilderberg conference to promote the two markets. The club is usually made of about 140 notable guests who come in without invitation. The question is, are these groups having these meetings with a hidden agenda? Is this the coming age that was conceptually spoken about by key figures in the past like Woodrow Wilson? Is the new world order finally here? Well, the only thing we can add on is that time will tell.

For FREE ebooks, videos, downloads, news and articles on esoteric knowledge, spirituality, the paranormal, conspiracies, new age, 2012 and the new world order come to:

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Conspiracy Theory Junkies

There are plenty of Conspiracy theories that occur from events that have happened and then the theories evolve from one source or another and take on a life of their own.

Most of the conspiracies involve a famous person place or thing. The first rule is that it must be a subject that a lot of people have a passion for, either pro or con. Something the public has a lot of hate or love for. In other words; A lot of emotion is a large component of the ingredient that stirs one up inside. A story that becomes a conspiracy theory might have been in the news and has literally captivated the masses. It can be an individual like Marilyn Monroe, She captivated the hearts and minds of America. We hated to see OUR beautiful Marlin Monroe suddenly and UN-expectantly taken from us, after all, how could she just die like the rest of us lowly humans? She was bigger the life. There must have been something behind her death don't you think?

When you think of strength you think of steel, Like Superman. Steel is real hard to bend. I can smash aluminum pretty easily but steel is very strong so when you think of steel melted and flowing like a milkshake it just doesn't register in your mind. So when some think of 9/11 you can't seem to grasp the idea of the World Trade Buildings coming down because the steel support beams melted from the very hot burning Jet fuel. There just has to be another reason why they came down, like maybe a bomb blew them up, or worst; Bush planned it all. I personally don't think the later. But that's a conspiracy theory.

The unexplained can certainly stir ones imagination up. Like," Are we alone in this universe"? Have you ever seen a UFO streaking across the night sky? Some people even tell us how they were abducted and put on an operating table and probed.

What about the H1N1 and the swine flu outbreak? were they released onto society on purpose by some Illuminati or secret skull and Bone society out to depopulate the world. How about the plans for a One World Order? Global warming? is it fact or fiction? Were the statistics manipulated to look like the earth is warming? many scientist secretly don't believe the earth is warming.

Conspiracy theories will continue to develop as long as big events and people are in the mix and there are Conspiracy theory Junkies who like to read about them like you and I.

Kelly Crepeault, the world is full of the unknown. I like to expand my mind and explore all angles of a story. The known and the unknown. [http://www.conspiracytheories247.com]

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The Great Conspiracy Theory Hoax

There is much talk about Conspiracy and the dark motives of world leaders. But, conspiracy theorists are noticeably silent about be the most widespread and virtually unassailable conspiracy. This great conspiracy lies at the root of all our problems.The greatest conspiracy every human being is exposed to, at birth, is the idea that we are the personality. That our body, our emotions and intellect define us. Rare is the person who discovers, within their lifetime, that in fact they have subtle bodies and a spirit. That they are more than the personality.

If we only acknowledge the personality, it inevitably leads to acquisitiveness, greed, violence. We can see this in our individual lives as well as globally. Countries hold secrets that they wish to keep from their 'enemies' and even from those who are ostensibly their friends because they want to protect their interests.

Conspiracy theorists mention the Illuminati, a secret group or 'shadow government' who, allegedly are determined to create a new world order in which the general populace will be subjected to their rule. This group apparently has its roots in the past as well as the present. Many prominent people who have great financial clout, are said to be found amongst its members.

Leaving aside the discussion as to whether these theories hold water or not, the fact is that Cosmic Intelligence is far more powerful than any group on earth. To paraphrase Jesus' words, when he was threatened by his enemies with death, he said 'You can have no power over me unless God or the Invisible world, allows you to'.

Cosmic Intelligence is supreme. There is a plan for the evolution of the planet and if we wander too far from it, then Cosmic Intelligence with put us back on track in no uncertain terms. Civilizations have disappeared in the past if they erred too far.

As Hermes Trismegistus said 'That which is above is like that which is below'. Above and below are also within and without, he was talking about consciousness. So long as humanity, collectively, has the germ of greed, desire for power over others and the pursuit of status, then there will be people on earth who manifest these qualities. The outer world is the reflection of the inner world.

So you could say that countries get the leaders they deserve. A President or a Prime Minister, is a reflection of the sum total of the consciousness of the country. So if a country upgrades its collective consciousness, it will manifest a more evolved leader.

It is not that useful to continually dwell on conspiracy theories. They can be a distraction from the real work humans are called to do. The shattering of our collaboration with the forces of the world and the identification with our true Self, our Spirit is, a conspiracy that is worth challenging.

Duncan Sequeira

For more articles on contemporary spirituality, check Duncan's site at http://www.aquariusteaching.com

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