The Absolute at Large

I agree in part with both of the previous reviews. This was a very good book and Ill read more of Karel Capek. It has a very clever theme and is not only good fiction but a social commentary as well. However, I would buy the paperback instead of this hardback edition. It has obviously been photocopied and has many defects, including almost no periods at the ends of sentences, very strange spacing and a few duplicated paragraphs. Some pages were truncated at the edges (copy machine), and there were many extraneous marks. Note that the preview on Amazon is the paperback and does not display those defects. That being said, it was still readable. If you cant get a better print copy, get this one. It is still readable and the content more than makes up for the defects.

handsome reprint of this satiric science fiction classic by Capek

This is definitely worth adding to your reading list. The concept is quite unique. If every object is a portion of the great creation, then all objects contain an inherent remnant of the power/genius/God of creation. So what if a device, The Kaburator could consume matter entirely and in doing so release the Absolute held within it. And once the absolute is released into the world, what is its impact on us? This question and its answers are what Capek weaves into a very entertaining read. I highly recommend and can promise a great read.

“Everyone has the best of feelings towards mankind in general, but not towards the individual man. Well kill men, but we want to save mankind. And that isnt right, your Reverence. The world will be an evil place as long as people dont believe in other people.” ― Karel Čapek, The Absolute at Large As the Robots take over the world in Karel Čapek’s R.U.R., so the Absolute, that is, the God of Spinoza, the God imminent in all of nature, escapes and explodes from entrapment in gross material form by means of a newfangled invention, the Karburator, to take over the minds of all the humans on the face of the earth. Where will this God-infused human experience lead? As a way of answering this question, below are a number of the novel’s philosophical moments. And please keep in mind Karel Čapek’s stance of acceptance and pluralism, a recognition that each person has their own version of the truth, however slight that truth might be, and no one person possesses, however all-tight their logic might appear, access to the whole truth. The owner of a kid’s merry-go-round, a man by the name of Jan Binder, is overtaken by the effects of the Kaburator and founds his own mystical sect. I have a strong sense the author was thinking of another Jan, Czech mystic Jan Hus who rebelled against the Church one hundred years prior to Martin Luther and was subsequently burned at the stake for heresy. There’s also a Mr. Rejeck, whose beliefs and revelations echo 14th century Flemish mystic Jan van Ruusbroec. All in all, Karel Čapek doesn’t overlook many opportunities to portray the dire consequences of people and society lacking a grounding in mutual respect and tolerance. All varieties of religious phenomenon bursts out: illumination, miracles, levitations, and above all, religious faith. As history has proven, especially during those times of strong religious belief such as the Protestant Reformation in Europe during the 16th century, bloodshed is all too common. But, since this novel takes place in the 20th century, religious belief is linked in subtle and not so subtle ways to Fascism and Communism. At one point, one of the main characters refers to “mystical Communism.” In one chapter, a scholar links the Karburator’s influence to various religious phenomenon throughout history: animism, shamanism, the 16th century Anabaptists, superstition, witchcraft, occultism, mysticism and necromancy, the medieval Flagellants, the Crusaders and Millenarians. Thus, devastating violence is inevitable since it is one thing to have your own religious experience but when you try to force your beliefs on others – watch out! Put another way, if everybody is certain they have exclusive access to the absolute truth . . . well, is it any wonder this Karel Čapek features world-wide war. This short sci fi novel is a lively read. Highly recommended!

I love this book. I read it in college, and had to read it again. Book was in great shape, and I received it in a few days.

Written in the 1920s, this novel is set in the immediate future - the 1940s - where inventor Marek has just invented the Karburator. A sort of atomic engine, this features perfect combustion, where every scrap of matter is used: one kilogramme of coal, if it underwent complete combustion, would run a good-sized factory for several hundred hours. But despite the vast potential, Marek sells out to industrialist Bondy - he has become aware there is a massive price to pay... And here what starts out as a simple sci-fi story becomes a very clever look at war, politics and religion. Because as matter is combusted, it frees something else: Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that God is contained in all forms of physical matter, that He is, as it were, imprisoned in it. And when you smash this matter up completely, He flies out of it as though from a box ... immediately the whole cellar is filled with the Absolute. Its simply appalling how quickly it spreads. As religious mania takes over the world, and as the Absolutes powers have factories working constantly, creating more stuff than anyone can cope with, the economy is wrecked. And as different factions each promote their own take on the Divinity, it seems War is at hand... This is a really clever and thought-provoking work. Capeks view of a future War is certainly not far from what actually transpired; and his observations are very true: Everyone believes in his own superior God, but he doesnt believe in another man or credit him with believing in something good. People should first of all believe in other people and the rest would soon follow. The greater the things are in which a man believes, the more fiercely he despises those who do not elieve in them. And yet the greatest of all beliefs would be belief in ones fellow-men. A fairly quick read (168p) but both amusing in places and with a deeper message...

Great read.

Funny, but true? True, but funny.

Way too relevant!

First, buy the paperback instead of the photoprinted hardcover. Easier to read and much cheaper. Science fiction is at its best when well constructed with futuristic visions based on predicted fact and a novel point of view (no pun intended). The Absolute at Large was first published in the 1920s (remember Czech author Karel Capek was born in 1890), but uses remarkable futuristic telling that presages atomic fusion while commenting on the ethics and spread of power and mass production that Karel Capek saw in the technological and political revolutions occurring around him. In addition, he raises theistic-antitheistic arguments that are still going on today. And, lest I forget, he also includes comments on communism, national socialism, and free market capitalism. But the real kicker is that this book is funny. The novel is written with a tongue-in-cheek style that will often have you laughing out loud. Its only when you finish the book that you realize just how much philosophy was covered while you were having so much reading fun. Humorous science fiction wrapped in a thoughtful core - just the right thing for the thinking reader.