This was a decent-enough book, but definitely one that is more suitable for 'young adults' rather than adults. Not much subtlety in the way the messagThis was a decent-enough book, but definitely one that is more suitable for 'young adults' rather than adults. Not much subtlety in the way the message is delivered. It's a long time since I've belonged to the target demographic, but I think I might have felt a little bit condescended to, even had I read it at the appropriate age....more
Upgraded to 5 stars, January 6th 2008 - this was one of my top 5 books read in 2007.
Written in the 1930's, not published until the late 1960's, a quarUpgraded to 5 stars, January 6th 2008 - this was one of my top 5 books read in 2007.
Written in the 1930's, not published until the late 1960's, a quarter-century after the author's death, this is an amazing book. Any short description I provide is necessarily reductive - it's a reworking of the Faust legend, with an embedded exploration of the story of Pontius Pilate, in which the devil and his retinue visit Stalinist Moscow. From this premise, the author produces a scathing satire of the politics of his time (fully aware that the book would not, and could not, be published during his lifetime), as well as an extremely thought-provoking discussion of the role of the artist, and the necessity of mercy and forgiveness.
What I really liked about the book is the way he wraps some fairly deep themes into a hilarious story - we are given some hugely enjoyable tall tales by a mischievous, extremely funny narrator. The style is reminiscent of Flann O' Brien at his most coruscating; despite broad swipes at some fairly obvious targets, the overall story is uplifting, as the reader finally comes to the realization that Woland (the Satan-figure) is actually working on the same side as the Jesus-figure.
It's obvious why, upon its delayed publication, this book immediately achieved the status of a classic of modern Russian literature. A completely unexpected delight - I highly recommend this book. ...more
A very sad book. Written in a deceptively simple style, the author paints an affecting portrait of his bleak heroine, cocooned in the comfort of her cA very sad book. Written in a deceptively simple style, the author paints an affecting portrait of his bleak heroine, cocooned in the comfort of her country-club life, searching in vain for meaning.
When I finally decided, earlier this year, to try to plug some of the holes that my 'classical education' had somehow left unfilled, "The Inferno" wasWhen I finally decided, earlier this year, to try to plug some of the holes that my 'classical education' had somehow left unfilled, "The Inferno" was high on my list. Since I don't know any Italian, choosing a decent translation was one of the first questions to be addressed. I spent an hour in Cody's comparing various options (there are a gazillion translations out there) - this was one of two that I ended up buying. Surprisingly (to me at any rate), roughly half of the available translations chose the low road of not even bothering to preserve Dante's famous terza rima metric scheme, with the excuse that only a 'literal translation' can convey the meaning adequately. Fie on your lazy asses, say I - it obviously can be done, even if you are too lamebrained to try. So I rejected the 'literal translations' out of hand, for the same reason that I would not choose a translation of 'Eugene onegin' that didn't at least try to preserve Pushkin's meter, when it is obviously such an intrinsic aspect of the work.
I can't vouch for the fidelity of Carson's translation, but I liked it a lot. (I liked the other translation I read as well, but that's part of a different review). He does well by the terza rima, while managing to achieve an overall natural flow of the language. At times it is highly colloquial, which might disturb the purists:
"Ratbreath, when he heard this, rolled his eyes, and hissed 'Don't listen, it's a dirty trick, so he can jump. He must think we're not wise.'
And he, whose AKA was Señor Slick, replied: 'It's dirt indeed, to get my comrades in the shit; in fact, it's rather sick.'
Now Harley Quinn, unlike the other blades, was eager for some sport. "
Canto XXII, lines 107-114.
As for the work itself, I think you all know the story. I haven't read "Purgatorio" or "Paradiso" yet - it seems highly likely to me that the "Inferno" is the most fun of the three, if only because it's entertaining to see how he uses it as a vehicle for getting even with his enemies. But, if you've been putting it off for years because you're intimidated by its status as a "classic", don't be put off any longer. It's actually a lot of fun, and easy to read.
Comparing translations is an auxiliary source of entertainment, for those (like myself) who enjoy that kind of thing....more
I imagine most people would like to be thought of as open-minded, willing to branch out and try soAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
I imagine most people would like to be thought of as open-minded, willing to branch out and try something different. I know that my own self-image is that of someone with catholic taste in reading, not so easily pinned down. Sometimes you have to walk the walk so, based on some excellent book group recommendations, I ended up reading three books in the last month that were distinctly out of my "comfort zone". Though the three are quite different, they share a common feature, the exploration of human behavior under extreme circumstances. The first two were Jose Saramago's "Blindness" (response to a mysterious, frightening epidemic of blindness) and Maria Doria Russell's "The Sparrow" (the fate of an exploratory mission to a newly discovered planet in the Alpha Centauri system. I would recommend both books unreservedly, "The Sparrow" in particular.
The last book of the three was Russell Hoban's "Riddley Walker", a dystopic vision set in a future, post-apocalyptic England. In the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, society has reverted to a level of Iron-Age sophistication; wild dogs roam the countryside. Most problematically for the reader, Hoban's view involves language and communication reverting to an imagined pre-civilized patois, and the entire book is written as a first-person narrative by the main protagonist, Riddley Walker, in this invented "proto-language". Think of the Russian-based slang of 'A Clockwork Orange" and multiply the degree of unintelligibility tenfold. Here is an example:
"The Ardship he begun to gether with the Eusa folk they all took off ther cloes and tangelt ther selfs to gether all nekkit and twining like a nes of snakes which they callit that some poasyum. Which they done trantsing with it and hy telling. Doing it in that old Power Station in Fork Stoan where the out poast is. Which that place its so big and eckowing it wer realy some thing to hear them telling of the many cools of Addom and the party cools of stoan and all the diffrent colourt seeds and that. It put you hy your oan self even tho you mytnt know nothing of it yet you cud get jus the fayntes glimmer of what it musve ben to be the Puter Leat. To have them boats in the air which they callit them space craf and them picters on the wind which that wer viddyo and going out beyont the sarvering gallack seas. Not just singing it you know."
Pretty blah. Guess I expected a little more sparkle, given the topic. Most of the essays managed to suck the juice right out of it, if you'll excuse tPretty blah. Guess I expected a little more sparkle, given the topic. Most of the essays managed to suck the juice right out of it, if you'll excuse the metaphor....more
Upgraded my rating of this book to 5 stars (January 6th, 2008) because it was definitely one of the 5 best books I read in 2007. Thought-provoking andUpgraded my rating of this book to 5 stars (January 6th, 2008) because it was definitely one of the 5 best books I read in 2007. Thought-provoking and gripping and I still find myself thinking about the questions it raised while I was reading it.
This was a terrific book, on many levels. An engrossing story, engaging characters, fascinating premise - I was riveted throughout. It's impossible to categorize this book - classifying it as science fiction (it's about an exploratory mission to a newly discovered planet in the Alpha Centauri star system) doesn't begin to do it justice. It also addresses deep questions about faith, relationships and human resilience.
The author alternates skillfully between the book's present (2059) and flashbacks to the planning and execution of the mission, building suspense to the devastating climax. (Warning: the ending is fairly grim.) Other aspects are less successful. In particular the various members of the mission crew are presented as incredibly accomplished and unbelievably charming, and are made to act as mouthpieces for the kind of deep, meaningful conversations that sound completely forced and unnatural. I must confess that I didn't find them nearly as witty and charming as the author obviously seems to think they are. The kindly, infinitely wise, witty doctor/den mother figure was particularly hard to stomach. One could also take issue with certain aspects of the plot - for instance, the uncanny similarity of the alien society to that on earth, but this didn't bother me as much as the artificial nature of some of the main characters.
So, an ambitious and thought-provoking book, which doesn't succeed at every level. Despite its minor flaws I still give it 5 stars. It will be interesting to see what Brad Pitt makes of the film version, if it ever gets done.
**spoiler alert** Review updated January 10th 2008:
My track record with foreign Nobel laureates leaves something to be desired. Somewhere in a box in **spoiler alert** Review updated January 10th 2008:
My track record with foreign Nobel laureates leaves something to be desired. Somewhere in a box in this apartment there is a book by Patrick White. I've read the first 30 pages three times. Every trip to the bookstore involves wilful ignoring of undoubtedly worthy offerings by Naguib Mahfouz and Wole Soyinka, with Orhan Pamuk joining the list of guilt triggers last year. If it weren't for my totally catholic reading tastes in college (Canetti, Sartre, Lessing, Gordimer, Grass, Hesse, Milosz), my record would be wretched indeed.
So I approached Saramago's "Blindness" with some trepidation and a slight "time to eat my vegetables" attitude. Sure, it came highly recommended by friends whose judgement I trust. But would that old Nobel jinx kick in again?
The short answer: No worries. I should have known that my friends wouldn't steer me wrong. I steamed through this book in less than 24 hours. A powerful and disturbing story, Saramago's parable draws you in and grips you. Written in a deceptively simple style, it's horrifying, but thought-provoking and completely plausible.
It has left me eager to read more of this author's work. I highly recommend it.
Added January 10th, 2008 [SPOILER ALERT]
There are two obvious points one could take issue with - why does the doctor's wife retain her sight throughout, and the general recovery at the end. Given the overall fable-like setting - neither of these issues bothered me particularly. The first seems completely essential - this character's humanity underscores the moral bankruptcy of the fear-induced government response, but also offers a note of hope in what would otherwise be a bleak and pointless story. The ending also seems to me to be dramatically necessary, similar to the rescue at the end of "Lord of the Flies", the book that "Blindness" reminds me of most closely.
The dramatic necessity of the restoration of normality is beautifully discussed in DeQuincey's essay "On the Knocking at the Gate in macbeth":
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