Bill and Bob's Excellent Adventure! (contd)

“Title Page” 

 

Now we know what you're thinking! (Bloody hell! Mind readers as well as geniuses!). The title page? Well it's mostly blank paper! This won't take long to analyse. Nothing much to comment on here!

But you'd be wrong! You haven't reckoned on our extraordinarily if not RADICALLY twisted minds!

Firstly take note of the very blankness of it! The complete absence of pixels to be found on most of this page. The sheer deficiency of black ink is a wonder to behold! Such a void almost sends us into the realms of ecstasy (OK we're laying it on a bit thick!).

We shall explain. In most hard copy editions of a book there is a blank page preceding the title page. It is called the “front-free endpaper” which is simply the free or loose half of the pasted-down double leaf that is found at the very beginning of a book. The other half of the leaf, the pasted down portion, is attached to the board. In other words is serves as part of the construction of the book. Now since the digital version of the Big Book possesses no such endpaper (for the rather obvious reason it doesn't need one) we're using the the title page instead to illustrate our point. OK! Geddit! Right. We'll move on. Now not infrequently when the punter (sorry!)... when the newcomer is first introduced to the Big Book the 'wise guy' (sorry!) …. the sponsor comes up with this really rather witty observation. They'll ask the new guy what he/she sees when looking at the “front-free endpaper”. Of course they'll say nothing. Or rather they'll say “Nothing”. At this admission the wise guy will smirk knowingly and observe: “Right! And you know nothing”, or words to that effect. In this fashion the 'wise guy' has established their credentials as …. well.....a 'wise guy' and the punter has been well and truly put in their place. Thus the hierarchy of wisdom has been established to remain forever unshaken! The 'wise guy' might then go on to add that the novice/greenhorn/tyro/rookie/newbie/tenderfoot/neophyte etc (take your pick – we rather like rookie!) when reading the remainder of the book should only read the black bits ie. the print, because there's nothing to be read BETWEEN THE LINES. Or to put it another way – there's no need for any INTERPRETATION. By this time the rookie has been reduced to a state of breathless admiration at the sheer wit and insight displayed by the 'wise guy', his or her new instructor.

Now some of you might have guessed from the general tone of the preceding exposition that we're not entirely convinced by this awe-inspiring demonstration of perspicacity. Firstly if the rookie hasn't read the book before it's a fair bet that their knowledge of it is going to be pretty close to zero - in which case the analogy holds. But if the implication is that they know nothing in general this probably isn't a very accurate assessment. Even the most sodden drunk will have acquired a few tricks of the trade along the way (in between 'black outs' that is). Secondly the notion that everyone when reading the Big Book will interpret it precisely in the same way (the implication behind reading only the 'black bits') is evidently nonsensical. We'll give you an example which blows this approach right out of the water - Step Three - “God as we understood Him”. This is an explicit invitation to interpret the phrase. It's even been italicised in the text to emphasise the point. In other words (and to completely labour the point) you are being encouraged to do directly the opposite to the aforementioned advice. In fact we might even say you are being obliged to 'read between the lines'. As Dr Bob said “no special interpretation” of the programme is required. But an 'individual' one is quite unavoidable.

(to be continued)

Cheerio

The Fellas (Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous) 

Caution: This curse (sorry!!) COURSE is not to be taken as AUTHORITATIVE nor is it to be regarded as DEFINITIVE in any way. Anyone found to be according it any undue status will be reported to the appropriate authorities (ie. GSO York or whoever) who will then do …. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! (quite rightly too we say!). Moreover any person discovered to be quoting from the aforementioned course will be TERMINATED with extreme prejudice!