Talk:Darkness at Noon

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I noticed that the plot summary I wrote was deleted (someone said that it wasn't a summary and wasn't encyclpedic). I'm okay with this but would love some clarification as to what exactly was wrong with the summary and if there is anything I can do to make it more serviceable. 65.78.16.117 16:53, 10 July 2007 (UTC) tasha

The plot summary needs some better analysis, and closer reading. It is wrong. --66.75.137.125 21:31, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Original language this book is dumb that this book was written in German. Apparently the Modern Library 100 list editors didn't realize this and accidentally included Darkness at Noon among their list of English-language novels. Is this true? Can anyone verify this and add this info to the article? --Polynova 06:42, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)

The point is a little moot - Koestler moved to England and the novel became available in English in 1940 I recollect. (I have a very early Penguin copy somewhere and I'll check the flysheet.) Linuxlad 14:42, 14 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Here's what he said about it (in the preface to my translation by Daphne Hardy): "...I was again arrested (by the French police) [March 1940] and the original German version of the book was lost. But by that time the English translation had been completed. It was dispatched to London ten days before the German invasion of France started, and the book had another narrow escape..." So evidently it was written in German, but that version doesn't survive. Antandrus 19:04, 14 Nov 2004 (UTC)

My recollection (to confirm) was that a key point in making Rubashov confess is the interrogator's convincing him that he _could_ have performed the suggested crimes - ie thought-crime! Same argument as used on Winston Smith in 1984 IIRC. Linuxlad 19:45, 16 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Title

I added a comment on the title, (namely that 'Darkness at Noon' is what a prisoner would often see - ie the man has lost the light) which another user has deleted as erroneous (how?) and unhelpful . I agree it's trite, but it's no more wrong than the dialectical psycho-babble that precedes it (why these opposites? why does the title have immediate power in a way the french title does not?) I offer for reasonable debate!Linuxlad

The reason I said it was erroneous is because it's incorrect to infer that prisons are often "dark at noon". I can't imagine why they would be. If the specific type of prison that Rubashov occupied was justifiably dark much of the day there wouldn't be a problem, but to just say "people who are imprisoned will often endure darkness at noon" is vague and overbroad. I appreciate your intention to interpret meaning in the title of the book, however I'm doubtful that that was the true intended meaning of the title. I think what is really needed to solve the issue would be to find some reliable references. I'm sure there are books out there on Koestler that would give better insight into this. As for the "psycho-babble", though I'm in no position to justify the other parts of the article, I think pointing out the paradox of darkness and daytime seems at least somewhat reasonable. - PullUpYourSocks 1 July 2005 18:56 (UTC)

there is a german article about the book called "sonnenfinsternis". i just wanted to say, myve someone can install a link

Hey fellas to settle your debate over the meaning behind the title, the answer is pretty simple, a credo of the Russian Revolution was that of the Burning Sun at Noon. Meaning a new Russia would be reborn by the mid-day sun, however as is discovered in the novel there is no rebirth only a replaying of old Russia, hence the "darkness" at noon.

[edit] War propaganda?

Considering the authors background, time of release and content, would this be war propaganda against the USSR?

Not Propaganda. Simply the truth. --80.98.80.131 (talk) 15:13, 22 February 2008 (UTC)