A wide variety of books, both used and new alike, this time. The first set I include for an interesting cover comparison. The Edmundo Paz Soldán book came out first, yet the Shteyngart lists different designers for the cover/photo. Interesting...
What doesn't go better than de Sade and "romance," right?
More DeLillo, so I can keep up with Paul Smith when he resumes reviewing them for Gogol's Overcoat later in the year.
Giving Iain Banks another chance, as his SF is hit-and-miss for me. Haven't read this particular Koestler novel, but his Darkness at Noon is a deserved classic.
Still adding to my Library of America collection (this will make 103 volumes out of 226 or so released to date). Haven't read this 1990s Murakami book.
Etgar Keret is a very, very good and witty witter, so I was pleased to see a copy of this book. And I picked up the Intro to Japanese book because of my continuing fascinating with non-I-E languages.
Review copies received in the past week that I will likely read and possibly review before the summer is complete (or even arrives).
A Spanish dictionary of the Aztec language of Nahuatl, an omnibus of 19th century Russian dramatists, a better tale of an evil Ring than Tolkien, and Simplicissimus. Excellence, n'est ce pas?
And more French works to read, including two Sartres. The Alain-Fournier I've read in English translation before and it is very good. Curious about Apollinaire's poetry.
Which of these have you read? Any you want to know more about?
Posts
4 comments:
»...a better tale of an evil Ring than Tolkien...«
Not quite. The book you have there contains the 13th century Nibelungenlied by an unknown author. A ring does appear in the story, but it is neither evil nor magical, but merely a token that it was Siegfried who overwhelmed Brünhild in order to force her to have sex with her husband King Gunther, and not Gunther himself. Siegfried, who owns a magic hood that makes him invisible, assaults Brünhild in the dark of her bedroom, until she gives up an agrees to have sex with who she believes to be her husband Gunther. Siegfried and Gunther then change places, but before he leaves, Siegfried takes a ring and a girdle from among Brünhild's possessions.
An evil magic ring has a prominent role in Richard Wagner's much later Ring des Nibelungen, of course. But I'd seriosly doubt your literary taste if you believed Wagner's Ring to be a better tale than Tolkien's.
Interested in the DeLillo. After being underwhelmed by certain aspects of Underworld, I'm reading Ratner's Star now, and I'm finding it *wonderful*. I don't think it's particularly difficult, but it is zany and often quasi (at least)-profound.
120 Days of Sodom... I took a look a couple years ago, out of morbid curiosity. I don't mind the dark side of life in literature, but my reaction here was quick and final: No thanks. I can see the abstract argument for its value, but I have no need for this in my life, not now, probably not ever.
Yeah, my mistake, as I seem to have conflated vague memories of reading it in translation in the mid-90s with Wagner. And you're right in that I wouldn't praise Wagner that highly.
As for DeLillo, I found the opening part of Underworld to be the most appealing to me, but it's been a while since I last read it, so I only have vague impressions right now.
De Sade will be read only out of morbid curiosity, as you put it :P
Leaving Wagner and Tolkien aside, the Nibelungenlied is a powerful read. The very first fantasy novel I ever read was actually a prose retelling of the matter of the Nibelungs for kids, Die Nibelungen by Austrian writer Auguste Lechner. I doubt I could enjoy that one now, but it sparked my interest in the matter, and the 13th century Lied remains one of my favourite works of literature.
Post a Comment