conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide a plot for a book about Newts, Povondra, Captain entitled War with the Newts.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: War with the Newts: Only the last four of the book\'s 26 chapters deal with the eponymous war.\nThe rest of the book is concerned with the discovery of the Newts, their exploitation and evolution, and growing tensions between humans and the Newts in the lead-up to the war.\nThe book does not have any single protagonist, but instead looks at the development of the Newts from a broad societal perspective.\nAt various points the narrator\'s register seems to slip into that of a journalist, historian or anthropologist.\nThe three most central characters are Captain van Toch, the seaman who discovers the Newts; Mr Gussie Bondy, the industrialist who leads the development of the Newt industry; and Mr Povondra, Mr Bondy\'s doorman.\nThey all reoccur throughout the book, but none can be said to drive the narrative in any significant way.\nAll three are Czech.\nThe novel is divided into three sections or \'books\'.\nThe first section recounts Captain van Toch\'s discovery of the Newts on a small island near Sumatra, their initial exploitation in the service of pearl farming, the beginning of their spread around the oceans of the world, and the development of their speech and absorption of human culture.\nThe section closes with the founding of The Salamander Syndicate, an ambitious plan developed by Mr Bondy to redirect Newt resources away from the declining pearl industry and into larger hydroengineering projects.\nThough this is the close of the narrative development of this section, there is – oddly enough as it is positioned at the end of the section, but in the middle of the novel – a further appendix entitled \'The Sex Life of the Newts\'.\nThis examines the Newts\' sexuality and reproductive processes in a pastiche of academese.\nThe tone of the first section is generally light-hearted satire, in contrast to the darker tone of later parts of the story.\nČapek targets a range of human foibles, from the superficiality of Hollywood starlets, to the arrogance of then-prevalent European attitudes towards non-white races.\nThe second section concerns the development of the Newts from the founding of The Salamander Syndicate to the outbreak of the first hostilities between Newts and humans.\nIt contains only three chapters: one long one – by far the longest in the novel – bookended by two short ones.\nIn the first chapter mr Povondra begins collecting newspaper clippings concerning the Newts.\nThe long middle chapter then takes the form of a historical essay written at some unspecified time in the future.\nThe essay cites mr Povondra\'s clippings as its main source of historical evidence, and includes a number of footnotes and quotations from his collection.\nThe third chapter returns to the Povondra household a number of years after the events of the first chapter and introduces an early Newt-human conflict.\nThe final section reverts to the same form as the first section, but with a darker tone.\nIt relates a series of skirmishes between Newts and humans, eventually resulting in the outbreak of war when the Newts declare their need to destroy portions of the world\'s continents in order to create new coastlines and so expand their living space.\nČapek\'s satirical targets here are mainly nationalism (the British, French and Germans are all portrayed as irredeemably stubborn and nationalistic), German racial theories (see below), and the perceived inefficacy of international diplomacy.\nIn the penultimate chapter, the tone becomes didactic: \'We are all responsible for it\', declares Čapek\'s mouthpiece, mr Povondra\'s adult son.\nThe last chapter, entitled \'The Author Talks to Himself\' takes a metafictional turn.\nWith earth\'s landmass one-fifth destroyed and humanity offering little resistance, the chapter cuts away from the action to a conversation between two personas of the author, called the Author and the Writer.\nBetween them they map out the long-term history of the Newts: the Newts will all but destroy the Earth\'s landmass, leaving only a tiny clump of humanity to work for them in their factories.\nEventually they will form separate countries and destroy themselves by committing the same follies as humanity; humans will then inherit what remains of the earth; new continents will arise, and "America" will be dimly remembered as an Atlantis-like mythical land.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Add another sentence about \nHe, Newts, underestimating, assessing, related.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: War with the Newts: Only the last four of the book\'s 26 chapters deal with the eponymous war. \nThe rest of the book is concerned with the discovery of the Newts, their exploitation and evolution, and growing tensions between humans and the Newts in the lead-up to the war. \nThe book does not have any single protagonist, but instead looks at the development of the Newts from a broad societal perspective. \nAt various points the narrator\'s register seems to slip into that of a journalist, historian or anthropologist. \nThe three most central characters are Captain van Toch, the seaman who discovers the Newts; Mr Gussie Bondy, the industrialist who leads the development of the Newt industry; and Mr Povondra, Mr Bondy\'s doorman. \nThey all reoccur throughout the book, but none can be said to drive the narrative in any significant way. \nAll three are Czech. \nThe novel is divided into three sections or \'books\'. \nThe first section recounts Captain van Toch\'s discovery of the Newts on a small island near Sumatra, their initial exploitation in the service of pearl farming, the beginning of their spread around the oceans of the world, and the development of their speech and absorption of human culture. \nThe section closes with the founding of The Salamander Syndicate, an ambitious plan developed by Mr Bondy to redirect Newt resources away from the declining pearl industry and into larger hydroengineering projects. \nThough this is the close of the narrative development of this section, there is – oddly enough as it is positioned at the end of the section, but in the middle of the novel – a further appendix entitled \'The Sex Life of the Newts\'. \nThis examines the Newts\' sexuality and reproductive processes in a pastiche of academese. \nThe tone of the first section is generally light-hearted satire, in contrast to the darker tone of later parts of the story. \nČapek targets a range of human foibles, from the superficiality of Hollywood starlets, to the arrogance of then-prevalent European attitudes towards non-white races. \nHe also skewers the self-assuredness of science; scientists are repeatedly seen underestimating the capabilities of the Newts and falsely assessing other related issues, always in full confidence of the validity of their claims. \nThe second section concerns the development of the Newts from the founding of The Salamander Syndicate to the outbreak of the first hostilities between Newts and humans. \nIt contains only three chapters: one long one – by far the longest in the novel – bookended by two short ones. \nIn the first chapter mr Povondra begins collecting newspaper clippings concerning the Newts. \nThe long middle chapter then takes the form of a historical essay written at some unspecified time in the future. \nThe essay cites mr Povondra\'s clippings as its main source of historical evidence, and includes a number of footnotes and quotations from his collection. \nThe third chapter returns to the Povondra household a number of years after the events of the first chapter and introduces an early Newt-human conflict. \nThe final section reverts to the same form as the first section, but with a darker tone. \nIt relates a series of skirmishes between Newts and humans, eventually resulting in the outbreak of war when the Newts declare their need to destroy portions of the world\'s continents in order to create new coastlines and so expand their living space. \nČapek\'s satirical targets here are mainly nationalism (the British, French and Germans are all portrayed as irredeemably stubborn and nationalistic), German racial theories (see below), and the perceived inefficacy of international diplomacy. \nIn the penultimate chapter, the tone becomes didactic: \'We are all responsible for it\', declares Čapek\'s mouthpiece, mr Povondra\'s adult son. \nThe last chapter, entitled \'The Author Talks to Himself\' takes a metafictional turn. \nWith earth\'s landmass one-fifth destroyed and humanity offering little resistance, the chapter cuts away from the action to a conversation between two personas of the author, called the Author and the Writer. \nBetween them they map out the long-term history of the Newts: the Newts will all but destroy the Earth\'s landmass, leaving only a tiny clump of humanity to work for them in their factories. \nEventually they will form separate countries and destroy themselves by committing the same follies as humanity; humans will then inherit what remains of the earth; new continents will arise, and "America" will be dimly remembered as an Atlantis-like mythical land.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the first three paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: War with the Newts
  Nevertheless, the eminent scientist continued reassuringly, there was no reason to take seriously any fears of imminent volcanic activity in the affected area; the supposed craters ejecting mud were nothing but eruptions of swamp gases associated with the Vermilion fissure. It would not be surprising if huge underground gas bubbles existed in the Mississippi alluvium: these might explode on contact with the air and throw up hundreds of tons of water and mud. Naturally, Dr W. R. Brownell repeated, a definitive explanation would have to await further developments.
  While Brownell's prognostications of geological catastrophes were running through the rotary presses, the Governor of the state of Louisiana received from Fort Jackson a telegram with the following text:
  REGRET LOSS OF HUMAN LIVES STOP WE TRIED TO AVOID YOUR CITIES BUT DID NOT EXPECT REBOUND AND IMPACT OF TIDAL WAVE AFTER EXPLOSION STOP HAVE ASCERTAINED THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SIX FATAL HUMAN CASUALTIES ALONG ENTIRE COAST STOP ACCEPT DEEP SYMPATHY STOP CHIEF SALAMANDER STOP HELLO HELLO THIS IS FRED DALTON CALLING FROM FORT JACKSON POST OFFICE THREE NEWTS HAVE JUST LEFT HERE: ARRIVED AT POST OFFICE TEN MINUTES AGO HANDED IN TELEGRAM WHILE AIMING PISTOLS AT ME BUT HAVE GONE NOW HIDEOUS CREATURES PAID UP AND RUSHED INTO WATER CHASED BY DOCTOR'S DOG SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO WALK ABOUT TOWN OTHERWISE NO FURTHER NEWS GIVE MY LOVE AND KISSES TO MINNIE LACOSTE FRED DALTON TELEGRAPHIST
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide three more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Minister Deval (a native of Bayonne and Deputy for Bayonne): 'So that your Newts can turn a piece of France into the sea-bed? Never! Never!'
  Dr Rosso Castelli: 'France will come to regret those words, sir. Today we were still offering a purchasing price.'
  At the next sitting the subject under discussion was a major international package offered to the Newts: instead of their unacceptable destruction of old, densely populated continents they should construct new coasts and islands for themselves; in that event ample credits would be offered to them, and the new continents and islands would be recognised as their independent and sovereign state territory.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Provide the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Povondra junior practically had to carry his father up the steps. 'Get his bed ready, Mum,' he hurriedly whispered in the door. 'Got to get dad into bed, he's sick.'
  And now Papa Povondra was lying on his featherbed; his nose was sticking out strangely from his face and his lips were mouthing and mumbling something incomprehensible; how old he was looking. Now he had calmed down a little...
  At the foot of the bed Mother Povondra stood sniffing and crying into her apron; their daughter-in-law was lighting a fire in the stove, and the children, little Frankie and Mary, were staring at their granddad with wide frightened eyes, as if they did not recognise him.
  Papa Povondra looked at the children and whispered something; and suddenly tears began to stream from his eyes. 'Do you want anything, dad?'
  Papa Povondra fidgeted restlessly: 'Oceans covered everything once, and they'll do so again. This is the end of the world. A gentleman told me once that where Prague is now was sea-bed at one time. I think the Newts were the cause of it even then. D'you know, I shouldn't have let that captain in. Something was telling me, don't do it - but then I thought maybe that captain would give me a tip... And he never did, you know. For no purpose at all I've wrecked the whole world...' The old gentleman was swallowing something like tears. I know, I know very well that this is the end for us. I know it was my fault...'