The Manchurian Candidate: Difference between revisions
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''' ''The Manchurian Candidate'' ''', first published by McGraw-Hill in 1959, is the second and most famous novel by the American political novelist [[Richard Condon]]. The story of a American soldier brainwashed by Chinese Communists during the Korean War to be an unwitting political assassin, it was the basis for two films of the same name, in 1962 (by [[John Frankenheimer]]) and 2004 (by [[Jonathan Demme]]). The term "Manchurian candidate" has been in general use for some time now to describe a person who, impelled by some sort of exterior mind control, is programmed to carry out another person's agenda.<ref>Maureen Dowd, the ''New York Times'' columnist, for instance, has used it at least four times in ten years, including July 2, 2008, when she wrote, referring to [[John McCain]] and [[Barack Obama]], "In the warped imagination of some on the left and right, this is a race between two Manchurian candidates, the Vietnam Manchurian candidate and the Muslim Manchurian candidate." at [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=The_Manchurian_Candidate&action=edit]</ref> Along with some of Condon's other early works, such as [[The Oldest Confession]] and [[Some Angry Angel]], it was the inspiration for a relatively short-lived Condon cult.<ref>See two ''New York Times'' mentions at [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F0081EFB3A5910738DDDA80B94D0405B898AF1D3] and [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0B17FD3A5F107A93C4AB178ED85F408785F9] and one from the ''Detroit Free Press'' at [http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/198370-Any+God+Will+Do]</ref> | ''' ''The Manchurian Candidate'' ''', first published by McGraw-Hill in 1959, is the second and most famous novel by the American political novelist [[Richard Condon]]. The story of a American soldier brainwashed by Chinese Communists during the Korean War to be an unwitting political assassin, it was the basis for two films of the same name, in 1962 (by [[John Frankenheimer]]) and 2004 (by [[Jonathan Demme]]). The term "Manchurian candidate" has been in general use for some time now to describe a person who, impelled by some sort of exterior mind control, is programmed to carry out another person's agenda.<ref>Maureen Dowd, the ''New York Times'' columnist, for instance, has used it at least four times in ten years, including July 2, 2008, when she wrote, referring to [[John McCain]] and [[Barack Obama]], "In the warped imagination of some on the left and right, this is a race between two Manchurian candidates, the Vietnam Manchurian candidate and the Muslim Manchurian candidate." at [http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=The_Manchurian_Candidate&action=edit]</ref> Along with some of Condon's other early works, such as [[The Oldest Confession]] and [[Some Angry Angel]], it was the inspiration for a relatively short-lived Condon cult.<ref>See two ''New York Times'' mentions at [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F0081EFB3A5910738DDDA80B94D0405B898AF1D3] and [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0B17FD3A5F107A93C4AB178ED85F408785F9] and one from the ''Detroit Free Press'' at [http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/198370-Any+God+Will+Do]</ref> | ||
==Stylistic characteristics and Condonian quirks== | |||
* The novel offers first glimpses of many of the traits and stylistic tricks that were typical of Condon's later novels, among them, as the playwright [[George Axelrod]] once put it, "the madness of his similies, the lunacy of his metaphors". A selection of these from the opening pages: | |||
Revision as of 17:11, 13 November 2009
The Manchurian Candidate , first published by McGraw-Hill in 1959, is the second and most famous novel by the American political novelist Richard Condon. The story of a American soldier brainwashed by Chinese Communists during the Korean War to be an unwitting political assassin, it was the basis for two films of the same name, in 1962 (by John Frankenheimer) and 2004 (by Jonathan Demme). The term "Manchurian candidate" has been in general use for some time now to describe a person who, impelled by some sort of exterior mind control, is programmed to carry out another person's agenda.[1] Along with some of Condon's other early works, such as The Oldest Confession and Some Angry Angel, it was the inspiration for a relatively short-lived Condon cult.[2]
Stylistic characteristics and Condonian quirks
- The novel offers first glimpses of many of the traits and stylistic tricks that were typical of Condon's later novels, among them, as the playwright George Axelrod once put it, "the madness of his similies, the lunacy of his metaphors". A selection of these from the opening pages:
Reviewing one of his works in the International Herald Tribune, the well-known playwright George Axelrod (The Seven-Year Itch, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter), who had collaborated with Condon on the screenplay for the film adaptation of The Manchurian Candidate, wrote:
"The arrival of a new novel by Richard Condon is like an invitation to a party.... the sheer gusto of the prose, the madness of his similies, the lunacy of his metaphors, his infectious, almost child-like joy in composing complex sentences that go bang at the end in the manner of exploding cigars is both exhilarating and as exhausting as any good party ought to be."
From his 1975 novel, Money Is Love, comes a fine example of the "lunacy of his metaphors": "Mason took in enough cannabis smoke to allow a Lipan Apache manipulating a blanket over it to transmit the complete works of Tennyson." [3] The Manchurian Candidate offers:
"The effects of the narcotics, techniques, and suggestions... achieved a result that approximated the impact an entire twenty-five-cent jar of F. W. Woolworth vanishing cream might have on vanishing an aircraft carrier of the Forrestal class when rubbed into the armor plate."[4]
Just to get the edition I'm using into the References for future footnotes[5]
- "The sergeant's rage-daubed face would shine like a ripped-out heart flung onto stones in the moonlight" -- page 30
- "The sergeant's account of his past was ancient in its form and confusingly dramatic, as perhaps would have been a game of three-level chess between Richard Burbage and Sacha Guidy." -- page 31
- "...large glaucous eyes with very large whites, like those of a carousel horse pursued by the Erinyes, those female avengers of antiquity." -- page 32
- "It was not that Raymond was hard to like. He was impossible to like." -- page 33
- "His pose, had it been executed in oils, might have been called "The Young Duke among the Fishmongers." -- page 47
References
- ↑ Maureen Dowd, the New York Times columnist, for instance, has used it at least four times in ten years, including July 2, 2008, when she wrote, referring to John McCain and Barack Obama, "In the warped imagination of some on the left and right, this is a race between two Manchurian candidates, the Vietnam Manchurian candidate and the Muslim Manchurian candidate." at [1]
- ↑ See two New York Times mentions at [2] and [3] and one from the Detroit Free Press at [4]
- ↑ Time Magazine, "Liederkranz", a book review by John Skow, June 2, 1975
- ↑ The Manchurian Candidate, by Richard Condon, paperback edition, Signet, New York, November, 1962, fifth printing, page 261
- ↑ The Manchurian Candidate, by Richard Condon, paperback edition, Signet, New York, November, 1962, fifth printing