Name: Pablo Neruda
Year Won: 1971
Read: The Lost Neruda Poems
Original Language: Spanish
Reason: "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams"
About: Do
you
like poems
written
like this?
If so
you
might
like
this collection
Add in some sentimentality (some of which I found almost mawkish), and this is at least this collection of Neruda poems. (I haven't read anything else by him, so can't say whether this is his normal style or something unique to this particular grouping. There may well be a reason these were "lost").
What I liked: There were some pretty images. I guess.
What I Disliked: I found these overly schmultzy, even in the original Spanish. They felt, to me, a bit too much like something that I saw back in the 90s on glittering Geocities pages. Maybe I'm just being cynical, but I wasn't a fan.
Should it have won a Nobel: I didn't care for these poems AT ALL. (And I read them in the original as well as translation, so it's probably not *just* a matter of a bad translator.) I suppose taste is always a thing and a lot of people LOVE Neurda. I, most definitely, do not. So in my opinion, no. Clearly others felt very differently.
Next Up: "The Casuality" by Heinrich Böll
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Apricot Jam and Other Stories by Aleksandr Solzenitsyn
Name: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Year Won: 1970
Read: Apricot Jam and Other Stories
Original Language: Russian
Reason: "for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature"
About: "Apricot Jam and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories by Solzhenitsyn, all set in Russia (most during the revolution). They cover anything from the ousted wealthy lamenting over their apricot tree, to a shamed maiden who is pregnant with her seducer's child, to Russian revolutionaries.
Most stories are realistic (I'd imagine a great risk in the Soviet era - and Solzhenitsyn was expelled from Russia for exposing the Gulag system), but neither are overly pessimistic nor optimistic, which is kind of refreshing compared to a number of other writers from his era. (Who seem to mostly be churning out propaganda.)
What I liked: These are some well written short stories that (I think? Never been there, LOL) faithfully paint a picture of the world under Soviet control. That's pretty cool!
What I Disliked: For whatever reason, I never really latched onto any of the stories. They're good, I think, from a technical perspective, they just didn't especially engage me for whatever reason.
Should it have won a Nobel: Probably. If nothing else, Solzhenitsyn deserves all the acclaim for exposing the Gulag system to the wider world. His writing also is quite good, even if I'm not a huge fan of it. And the world he perserves in his words is intersting. I'm *glad* that someone as talented as him set his words to describing it, so people can have a faithful picture of Soviet life in thousands of years.
Next Up: "Then Come Back" the lost Neruda Poems by Pablo Neruda
Year Won: 1970
Read: Apricot Jam and Other Stories
Original Language: Russian
Reason: "for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature"
About: "Apricot Jam and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories by Solzhenitsyn, all set in Russia (most during the revolution). They cover anything from the ousted wealthy lamenting over their apricot tree, to a shamed maiden who is pregnant with her seducer's child, to Russian revolutionaries.
Most stories are realistic (I'd imagine a great risk in the Soviet era - and Solzhenitsyn was expelled from Russia for exposing the Gulag system), but neither are overly pessimistic nor optimistic, which is kind of refreshing compared to a number of other writers from his era. (Who seem to mostly be churning out propaganda.)
What I liked: These are some well written short stories that (I think? Never been there, LOL) faithfully paint a picture of the world under Soviet control. That's pretty cool!
What I Disliked: For whatever reason, I never really latched onto any of the stories. They're good, I think, from a technical perspective, they just didn't especially engage me for whatever reason.
Should it have won a Nobel: Probably. If nothing else, Solzhenitsyn deserves all the acclaim for exposing the Gulag system to the wider world. His writing also is quite good, even if I'm not a huge fan of it. And the world he perserves in his words is intersting. I'm *glad* that someone as talented as him set his words to describing it, so people can have a faithful picture of Soviet life in thousands of years.
Next Up: "Then Come Back" the lost Neruda Poems by Pablo Neruda
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Name: Samuel Beckett
Year Won: 1969
Read: Waiting for Godot
Original Language: English and French (strangely as he's Irish - whoda thunk?)
Reason: "for his writing, which - in new forms for the novel and drama - in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation"
About: "Waiting for Godot" follows two homeless men who sit around, make up stories, talk about nonsense and...you got it!...wait for Godot, a mysterious *someone* who never shows up. Along the way they digress into talking about politics, hanging and nonsense. A LOT of nonsense.
What I liked: Desite the nonsense, there's a sense that there's a meaning behind what the men are saying. Godot has a sort of messianic feeling, but precisely what he's supposed to do is unclear, which allows the reader/watcher (it's a play, after all!) to project their own opinion on things - sort of like many religions, I guess.
What I Disliked: The play is nonsense. Heavily nonsense. Almost complete and total nonsense. It's really, really weird. (And I'm not sure what, if anything is supposed to be taken away from it other than that it's werid. I can see why this is satirized so often.)
Should it have won a Nobel: I don't know. It's considered a classic, so probably? But it's also just...weird. I feel like there are a number of other works that tackle the same topics more coherently. (Although I do feel like the lack of coherence is the point?) Who knows any more?
Next Up: Something by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Year Won: 1969
Read: Waiting for Godot
Original Language: English and French (strangely as he's Irish - whoda thunk?)
Reason: "for his writing, which - in new forms for the novel and drama - in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation"
About: "Waiting for Godot" follows two homeless men who sit around, make up stories, talk about nonsense and...you got it!...wait for Godot, a mysterious *someone* who never shows up. Along the way they digress into talking about politics, hanging and nonsense. A LOT of nonsense.
What I liked: Desite the nonsense, there's a sense that there's a meaning behind what the men are saying. Godot has a sort of messianic feeling, but precisely what he's supposed to do is unclear, which allows the reader/watcher (it's a play, after all!) to project their own opinion on things - sort of like many religions, I guess.
What I Disliked: The play is nonsense. Heavily nonsense. Almost complete and total nonsense. It's really, really weird. (And I'm not sure what, if anything is supposed to be taken away from it other than that it's werid. I can see why this is satirized so often.)
Should it have won a Nobel: I don't know. It's considered a classic, so probably? But it's also just...weird. I feel like there are a number of other works that tackle the same topics more coherently. (Although I do feel like the lack of coherence is the point?) Who knows any more?
Next Up: Something by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Sunday, October 17, 2021
The Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
Name: Yasunari Kawabata
Year Won: 1968
Read: The Thousand Cranes
Original Language: Japanese
Reason: "for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind"
About: "The Thousand Cranes" follows a young Japanese man as he conducts tea ceremonies, has an affair with not one but TWO of his father's mistresses (much elder ladies), as well as falls in love with a woman closer to his own age. It's a fairly short (around 150 pages) and simple story.
What I liked: It's really beautiful. The ways in which the characters are described are almost magnetic. From the first page, I felt hooked even though I'd have a hard time saying precisely *why*. And the characters have this wonderful feeling of tragedy about them. I really felt for these older women who have spent their lives feeling neglected and abused, so now are are taking refuge in the (temporary) love of the protagonist.
What I Disliked: The story does feel a bit scant. In many ways, I'd have liked more of it. Such is the shame of a short novel..
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. I really loved this book, although it's hard to say precisely why. There's just something about Kawabata's writing that has an almost magnetic pull. I'm not sure why, it just *does*. That gave this a unique feeling that's been hard to find in other novels, even among this vaunted list.
Next Up: "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett
Year Won: 1968
Read: The Thousand Cranes
Original Language: Japanese
Reason: "for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind"
About: "The Thousand Cranes" follows a young Japanese man as he conducts tea ceremonies, has an affair with not one but TWO of his father's mistresses (much elder ladies), as well as falls in love with a woman closer to his own age. It's a fairly short (around 150 pages) and simple story.
What I liked: It's really beautiful. The ways in which the characters are described are almost magnetic. From the first page, I felt hooked even though I'd have a hard time saying precisely *why*. And the characters have this wonderful feeling of tragedy about them. I really felt for these older women who have spent their lives feeling neglected and abused, so now are are taking refuge in the (temporary) love of the protagonist.
What I Disliked: The story does feel a bit scant. In many ways, I'd have liked more of it. Such is the shame of a short novel..
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. I really loved this book, although it's hard to say precisely why. There's just something about Kawabata's writing that has an almost magnetic pull. I'm not sure why, it just *does*. That gave this a unique feeling that's been hard to find in other novels, even among this vaunted list.
Next Up: "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett
Saturday, October 16, 2021
El Senor Presidente by Miguel Angel Asturias
Name: Miguel Angel Asturias
Year Won: 1967
Read: El Senor Presidente
Original Language: Spanish
Reason: "for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America"
About: "El Senor Presidente" follows the assistant/favorite of a corrupt Latin American president as he goes around doing awful things in the name of the president and struggling with the morality of what he does. And the lives of a number of other people, all broken under the horrible rule of the dictator.
It's apparently an early version of magical realism, and the world warps in strange and magical ways around the characters.
What I liked: The writing is beautiful and chilling. The story is compelling and it paints a dark picture of a morally conflicted man in the midst of a horrible situation.
What I Disliked: There are a lot of major characters, which can make it a confusing read. I think it would have been stronger with one protagonist vs. oh, say, 20.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. This is one of the better books on the list, between the beautiful writing, intriguing characters, and real world commentary.
Next Up: "The Thousand Cranes" by Yasunari Kawabata
Year Won: 1967
Read: El Senor Presidente
Original Language: Spanish
Reason: "for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America"
About: "El Senor Presidente" follows the assistant/favorite of a corrupt Latin American president as he goes around doing awful things in the name of the president and struggling with the morality of what he does. And the lives of a number of other people, all broken under the horrible rule of the dictator.
It's apparently an early version of magical realism, and the world warps in strange and magical ways around the characters.
What I liked: The writing is beautiful and chilling. The story is compelling and it paints a dark picture of a morally conflicted man in the midst of a horrible situation.
What I Disliked: There are a lot of major characters, which can make it a confusing read. I think it would have been stronger with one protagonist vs. oh, say, 20.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. This is one of the better books on the list, between the beautiful writing, intriguing characters, and real world commentary.
Next Up: "The Thousand Cranes" by Yasunari Kawabata
Friday, October 8, 2021
O the Chimneys by Nelly Sachs
Name: Nelly Sachs
Year Won: 1966
Read: O the Chimneys
Original Language: German
Reason: "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength"
About: "O the Chimneys" is one poem of many in a collection by the same name. It's a dark lyrical poem (more on that later) in a collection of equally dark, lyrical poems. Sachs fled the Holocast with "nothing left but her language" and that darkness shows through.
What I liked: The poetry is beautiful, yet uncomfortable. It's really good. I'll reproduce the title poem here...
O the chimneys
And though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.-Job, 19:26
O the chimneys
On the ingeniously devised habitations of death
When Isreal's body drifted as smoke
Through the air-
Was welcomed by a star, a chimney sweep,
A star that turned black
Or was it a ray of sun?
O the chimneys!
Freedomway for Jeremiah and Job's dust-
Who devised you and laid stone upon stone
The road for refugees of smoke?
O the habitations of death,
Invitingly appoitned
For the host who used to be a guest-
O you fingers
Laying the threshold
Like a knife between life and death-
O you chimneys,
O you fingers
And Isreal's body as smoke through the air!
What I Disliked: The poems truly are dark. REALLY dark. It makes sense, but again, uncomfortable stuff.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. This is brilliant stuff and Sachs well deserves her prize. I only wish her life had been a more comfortable one.
Next Up: "El Senior Presidente" by Miguel Angel Asturias
Year Won: 1966
Read: O the Chimneys
Original Language: German
Reason: "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength"
About: "O the Chimneys" is one poem of many in a collection by the same name. It's a dark lyrical poem (more on that later) in a collection of equally dark, lyrical poems. Sachs fled the Holocast with "nothing left but her language" and that darkness shows through.
What I liked: The poetry is beautiful, yet uncomfortable. It's really good. I'll reproduce the title poem here...
O the chimneys
And though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.-Job, 19:26
O the chimneys
On the ingeniously devised habitations of death
When Isreal's body drifted as smoke
Through the air-
Was welcomed by a star, a chimney sweep,
A star that turned black
Or was it a ray of sun?
O the chimneys!
Freedomway for Jeremiah and Job's dust-
Who devised you and laid stone upon stone
The road for refugees of smoke?
O the habitations of death,
Invitingly appoitned
For the host who used to be a guest-
O you fingers
Laying the threshold
Like a knife between life and death-
O you chimneys,
O you fingers
And Isreal's body as smoke through the air!
What I Disliked: The poems truly are dark. REALLY dark. It makes sense, but again, uncomfortable stuff.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. This is brilliant stuff and Sachs well deserves her prize. I only wish her life had been a more comfortable one.
Next Up: "El Senior Presidente" by Miguel Angel Asturias
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Betrothed by Shmuel Yosef Agnon
Name: Shmuel Yosef Agnon
Year Won: 1966
Read: Betrothed
Original Language: Hebrew
Reason: "for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people"
About: "Betrothed" follows the scholar Jacob, who basically flirts with all the town's eligible ladies before settling on one, Susan. Yep. That's it. (It's a fairly short novel - more of a novella than a true novel for what it's worth).
What I liked: The writing is absolutely gorgeous, and the descriptions of the bachelorettes is often quite humorous. (Rachel and Leah were impossible to choose between, because Rachel was so beautiful you couldn't help but love her, but then Leah demanded nothing, which made Rachel's demands hard to deal with by comparison. Oh, men...what jerks you can be.)
What I Disliked: It was really scant. It was literally, "Dude comes into town, vaguely falls in love with a lot of ladies, then marries one". That's it. (As a positive, at least it was super SHORT, so this didn't get boring, but there wasn't much to the story.)
Should it have won a Nobel: This year it felt like they were dead set to giving the prize to writers in Hebrew. Since that was the determination (never say that the Nobels aren't highly political), this was probably a better choice than many. The writing, at least, is lyrical. The story, at least, exists. This is a lot better than many things they've given it to.
Now is the greatest writer to have existed this year? Probably not. But I don't think that was really the point.
Next Up: "O the Chimneys" by Nelly Sachs
Year Won: 1966
Read: Betrothed
Original Language: Hebrew
Reason: "for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people"
About: "Betrothed" follows the scholar Jacob, who basically flirts with all the town's eligible ladies before settling on one, Susan. Yep. That's it. (It's a fairly short novel - more of a novella than a true novel for what it's worth).
What I liked: The writing is absolutely gorgeous, and the descriptions of the bachelorettes is often quite humorous. (Rachel and Leah were impossible to choose between, because Rachel was so beautiful you couldn't help but love her, but then Leah demanded nothing, which made Rachel's demands hard to deal with by comparison. Oh, men...what jerks you can be.)
What I Disliked: It was really scant. It was literally, "Dude comes into town, vaguely falls in love with a lot of ladies, then marries one". That's it. (As a positive, at least it was super SHORT, so this didn't get boring, but there wasn't much to the story.)
Should it have won a Nobel: This year it felt like they were dead set to giving the prize to writers in Hebrew. Since that was the determination (never say that the Nobels aren't highly political), this was probably a better choice than many. The writing, at least, is lyrical. The story, at least, exists. This is a lot better than many things they've given it to.
Now is the greatest writer to have existed this year? Probably not. But I don't think that was really the point.
Next Up: "O the Chimneys" by Nelly Sachs
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