The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H. is a 1981 literary and philosophical novella by George Steiner (pictured). The story is about Jewish Nazi hunters who find a fictional Adolf Hitler (A.H.) alive in the Amazon jungle thirty years after the end of World War II. The book was controversial, particularly among reviewers and Jewish scholars, because the author allows Hitler to defend himself when he is put on trial in the jungle by his captors. There Hitler maintains that Israel owes its existence to the Holocaust and that he is the "benefactor of the Jews". A central theme of The Portage is the nature of language, and revolves around Steiner's lifelong work on the subject and his fascination in the power and terror of human speech. Other themes include the philosophical and moral analysis of history, justice, guilt and revenge. Despite the controversy, it was a 1983 finalist in the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. It was adapted for the theatre by British playwright Christopher Hampton.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Portage_to_San_Cristobal_of_A.H.
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
American Revolutionary War: South Carolina militia repelled a British attack on Charleston. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sullivan%27s_Island
1841:
Giselle (Anna Pavlova pictured in the title role), a ballet by French composer Adolphe Adam, was first performed at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique in Paris. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giselle
1911:
The first meteorite to suggest signs of aqueous processes on Mars fell to Earth in Abu Hummus, Egypt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhla_meteorite
1978:
In Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Bakke, the U.S. Supreme Court barred quota systems in college admissions but declared that affirmative action programs giving advantage to minorities are constitutional. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regents_of_the_Univ._of_Cal._v._Bakke
2016:
Gunmen attacked Istanbul's Atatürk Airport, killing 45 people and injuring more than 230 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Atat%C3%BCrk_Airport_attack
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
stonewall: 1. (intransitive, informal) To refuse to answer or cooperate, especially in supplying information. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stonewall
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Hatred, as well as love, renders its votaries credulous. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau