Satan in the suburbs, and other Stories

In his typical ironic/sarcastic style, B. Russell wrote a bundle of brilliant and very `serious jokes', while in the meantime venting his in depth views on the world, life and mankind. His views are now more relevant than ever before. Themes `Satan in the Suburbs' exposes the evil spirit in (of) the world and `The Corsican Ordeal of Miss X' the destructive dictates of honour. In `The Infra-Rediscope', a secret committee is plotting a complete domination of the world, while `The Guardians of Parnassus' unveils the hypocrisy of the secret sinners and `Benefit of Clergy' clever deceit. The World, Power For one of B. Russell's protagonists, `the prince of the world has a malignant mind and a cold destructive intellect. Why is his wickedness so successful? Because in many (human beings) lurks the hope of splendid sin, the wish to dominate and the urge to destroy.' The power of finance is not the only great power in the modern world, because there are also the press, advertising and science. The newspaper `The Daily Lightning' is one of these great powers, while advertising (manipulation) can `rouse to frenzy the passions of the public' for or against anything. Those who search for unchallenged superiority don't care if mankind is better or worse off. `Private gains and private power are their sole aims. Lies, deception and terror are their means.' (!) Life, mankind, hypocrisy For one of B. Russell's protagonists, it is not only man that is rapacious and cruel. Life itself is cruel, since it can only live by preying upon other life. `Mankind is a mistake. I cannot understand how God can have tolerated so long the baseness of those who boast blasphemously that they have been made in His image.' Moralists are blatant hypocrites: `the national value of his work compelled the moralists to pretend ignorance.' Also, `there are some very wicked women in the world and some very boring men.' `Few women would have the nerve to claim great beauty, and only a small proportion of these would at the same time claim impeccable virtue.' Ultimate question In this wicked world, it is no wonder that B. Russell poses the ultimate question, `whether there will ever be in the world more than two sane people.' To read B. Russell's outspoken work written by a superb free mind is a formidable delight in a world infested by the endemic vulgarity of the actual media. Not to be missed.