Name: Elfriede Jelinek
Year Won: 2004
Read: Greed
Original Language: German
Reason: "for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power"
About: Greed follows a policeman's investigation of a murder, as well as the life of a woman he seduces.
What I liked: My god does this have voice. Every sentence is brimming with a strong, sure, intense voice. If you want a book that is basically "fuck the patriarchy" written large, this is it. Page after page after page of "fuck the patriarchy".
What I Disliked: One of the problems I often have with super voice-y novels is that, even under the best of circumstances, the voice can start to wear after a point. What, for 500 words, is an interesting peak into someone else's mind, after 5k starts feeling almost painful.
That's even more true when the voice is as aggressive and angry as the voice that Jelinek uses.
To make things maybe even harder to read, almost none of the story is told in anything other than voice. There are virtually no passages in which, say, the protagonist engages in dialogue or action or describes things. Instead it's all, "One has to know the secret of how to get a good grip on women. One doesn't absolutely have to be a doctor in order to slit people open, but it would be better if one were, if one wants to find the serpent in the stomach, which once led us astray, the evil one, where else it should be:" Like, I get the desire for voice, but c'mon. Balance it with something else at least occasionally for variety!
Should it have won a Nobel: This is the kind of thing the Nobel committee likes, so sure.
Next Up: "Death, Etc." by Harold Pinter
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
The Pole by John Maxwsell Coetzee
Name: John Maxwell Coetzee
Year Won: 2003
Read: The Pole
Original Language: English
Reason: "who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider"
About: The Pole is a short (very short) novel about the seduction of a beautiful young woman by an elderly pianist. That's pretty much it.
What I liked: It was beautifully descriptive and did a great job of merging the world of art with the history of Poland while also telling the story of a romance. It was the kind of thing that read well on a superficial level (a romance), but also on a deeper, more allegorical level.
What I Disliked: The story was all very distant. Like, "the woman is sitting" etc. Which made it feel a bit contrived to me? Like, "hey, let's play with some weird narrative formats just because we can."
The story also had a lot of the issues I see when men write women. They don't seem to inherently get them. Like, the pianist is absolutely *floored* that a woman half his age isn't leaping into bed with him. But, of course, she does anyway, because I guess his art and debonair charm overcomes him, y'know, being twice her age. *eye roll*
Should it have won a Nobel: Coetzee is a good writer, I will give him that. I also doubt he won for this, so it's probably immaterial. From this alone, I'd probably say no, but I can see how him writing on another subject (particularly one pertaining to his home country of South Africa) would check all the right boxes.
Next Up: "Greed" by Elfriede Jelinek
Year Won: 2003
Read: The Pole
Original Language: English
Reason: "who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider"
About: The Pole is a short (very short) novel about the seduction of a beautiful young woman by an elderly pianist. That's pretty much it.
What I liked: It was beautifully descriptive and did a great job of merging the world of art with the history of Poland while also telling the story of a romance. It was the kind of thing that read well on a superficial level (a romance), but also on a deeper, more allegorical level.
What I Disliked: The story was all very distant. Like, "the woman is sitting" etc. Which made it feel a bit contrived to me? Like, "hey, let's play with some weird narrative formats just because we can."
The story also had a lot of the issues I see when men write women. They don't seem to inherently get them. Like, the pianist is absolutely *floored* that a woman half his age isn't leaping into bed with him. But, of course, she does anyway, because I guess his art and debonair charm overcomes him, y'know, being twice her age. *eye roll*
Should it have won a Nobel: Coetzee is a good writer, I will give him that. I also doubt he won for this, so it's probably immaterial. From this alone, I'd probably say no, but I can see how him writing on another subject (particularly one pertaining to his home country of South Africa) would check all the right boxes.
Next Up: "Greed" by Elfriede Jelinek
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Dossier K by Imre Kertész
Name: Imre Kertész
Year Won: 2002
Read: Dossier K
Original Language: Hungarian
Reason: "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history"
About: Dossier K is Imre's autobiography, told as a dialogue between himself and...himself. It's pretty strange.
What I liked: It's a very interesting idea to write an autobiography as a dialogue. Just saying. Also Imre's life is fascinating. He's a Holocaust survivor who lived under Hungary's totalitarian communist regime. So he's got quite a bit to say.
What I Disliked: The dialogue format, IMO, works better as a high concept idea than in practice. It makes the writting really jumbled and jump about in a way that, IMO, robs the story of much of its power. Which feels all the more a shame as Imre's life truly is fascinating.
Should it have won a Nobel: I don't think he won it for this, so sure. FWIW, despite that I really hated the format of this story, when the story wasn't jumping around, it was incredibly riveting. Even details like his parents' divorce (normally not that exciting of a topic) was pretty cool in this as Imre Kertesz is a natural storyteller. So yeah, he probably deserved the prize. And if I can find an autobiography of his that's less scattered, I'd definitely be happy to read it.
Next Up: "The Pole" by John Maxwell Coetzee
Year Won: 2002
Read: Dossier K
Original Language: Hungarian
Reason: "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history"
About: Dossier K is Imre's autobiography, told as a dialogue between himself and...himself. It's pretty strange.
What I liked: It's a very interesting idea to write an autobiography as a dialogue. Just saying. Also Imre's life is fascinating. He's a Holocaust survivor who lived under Hungary's totalitarian communist regime. So he's got quite a bit to say.
What I Disliked: The dialogue format, IMO, works better as a high concept idea than in practice. It makes the writting really jumbled and jump about in a way that, IMO, robs the story of much of its power. Which feels all the more a shame as Imre's life truly is fascinating.
Should it have won a Nobel: I don't think he won it for this, so sure. FWIW, despite that I really hated the format of this story, when the story wasn't jumping around, it was incredibly riveting. Even details like his parents' divorce (normally not that exciting of a topic) was pretty cool in this as Imre Kertesz is a natural storyteller. So yeah, he probably deserved the prize. And if I can find an autobiography of his that's less scattered, I'd definitely be happy to read it.
Next Up: "The Pole" by John Maxwell Coetzee
Monday, October 16, 2023
A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul
Name: V.S. Naipaul
Year Won: 2001
Read: A Bend in the River
Original Language: English
Reason: "for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories"
About: A Bend in the River is the story of an Indian man in an African nation. He travels inland from the more urbanized coast and moves into a former European ghost town populated by both the locals, Europeans who've refused to leave, and other sorts.
What I liked: The descriptions of Africa are incredibly evocative, as are the histories that Naipaul seems to breathe into almost every interaction with them. I also like some of the colorfully and weirdly described characters.
What I Disliked: Are all the women whores or Madonnas? Yes! Is this perhaps a critique of colonialism, but also one that is very, very racist? Also yes! While maybe - maybe - some of this is appropriate to an Indian in Africa (the protagonist spends an awful lot of time trying to convince a guy to abandon his common law wife and kids because they're "just African"), it also feels ickily like this might be sorta, kinda what the author himself believes. Which made reading this a bit grotesque.
Should it have won a Nobel: I mean, Naipaul is considered a great. He's also not without controversy due to his sexism. And...both are really apparent in this work. IDK. It feels a bit like Kipling, although I have to say that I enjoyed Kipling a bit more. Also, this was like...nearly a hundred years later. So...
With that said, the man can write. I just wish he could write in a less dehumanizing way.
Next Up: "Dossier K" by Imre Kertész
Year Won: 2001
Read: A Bend in the River
Original Language: English
Reason: "for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories"
About: A Bend in the River is the story of an Indian man in an African nation. He travels inland from the more urbanized coast and moves into a former European ghost town populated by both the locals, Europeans who've refused to leave, and other sorts.
What I liked: The descriptions of Africa are incredibly evocative, as are the histories that Naipaul seems to breathe into almost every interaction with them. I also like some of the colorfully and weirdly described characters.
What I Disliked: Are all the women whores or Madonnas? Yes! Is this perhaps a critique of colonialism, but also one that is very, very racist? Also yes! While maybe - maybe - some of this is appropriate to an Indian in Africa (the protagonist spends an awful lot of time trying to convince a guy to abandon his common law wife and kids because they're "just African"), it also feels ickily like this might be sorta, kinda what the author himself believes. Which made reading this a bit grotesque.
Should it have won a Nobel: I mean, Naipaul is considered a great. He's also not without controversy due to his sexism. And...both are really apparent in this work. IDK. It feels a bit like Kipling, although I have to say that I enjoyed Kipling a bit more. Also, this was like...nearly a hundred years later. So...
With that said, the man can write. I just wish he could write in a less dehumanizing way.
Next Up: "Dossier K" by Imre Kertész
Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian
Name: Gao Xingjian
Year Won: 2000
Read: Soul Mountain
Original Language: Chinese
Reason: "for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama"
About: Soul Mountain follows a young man in China as he lives live. He seduces women. He wanders around the countryside. He interacts with people. Mostly women. Most of whom he has very unsatisfying seeming sex with.
What I liked: The descriptions of rural China were wonderful, as is the intermingling of the commonplace and divine. The writing was remarkably vivid and evocative of a world that is mostly lost now.
What I Disliked: True to Nobel form, there is no plot. Also, the guy seemed like a bit of an asshole to women, but eh. Also true to Nobel form.
Should it have won a Nobel: I'd love it if the Nobel committee, just once, went for a novel with a plot. But like that's going to happen, LOL.
At the very least, Soul Mountain is interesting and evocative and brilliantly calls to mind a specific time and place. So sure. Why not?
Next Up: "A Bend in the River" by V.S. Naipaul
Year Won: 2000
Read: Soul Mountain
Original Language: Chinese
Reason: "for an oeuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama"
About: Soul Mountain follows a young man in China as he lives live. He seduces women. He wanders around the countryside. He interacts with people. Mostly women. Most of whom he has very unsatisfying seeming sex with.
What I liked: The descriptions of rural China were wonderful, as is the intermingling of the commonplace and divine. The writing was remarkably vivid and evocative of a world that is mostly lost now.
What I Disliked: True to Nobel form, there is no plot. Also, the guy seemed like a bit of an asshole to women, but eh. Also true to Nobel form.
Should it have won a Nobel: I'd love it if the Nobel committee, just once, went for a novel with a plot. But like that's going to happen, LOL.
At the very least, Soul Mountain is interesting and evocative and brilliantly calls to mind a specific time and place. So sure. Why not?
Next Up: "A Bend in the River" by V.S. Naipaul
Monday, August 14, 2023
The Tin Drum by Günter Grass
Name: Günter Grass
Year Won: 1999
Read: The Tin Drum
Original Language: German
Reason: "whose frolicsome black fables portray the forgotten face of history"
About: The Tin Drum follows the lives of a number of eccentric people in a family, particularly the titlar Tin Drummer.
What I liked: The characters are quirky and weird and quite entertaining.
What I Disliked: This feels like a typical story that the Nobel committee likes. Weird, quirkly characters, spoken about in a unique, literary way. With no plot, since apparently plots ruin stories.
Should it have won a Nobel: Well, this is definitely the kind of thing the committee likes. I tend to like plots, so wasn't enormously fond of it. With that said, there are stories I've disliked tremendously more and I did very much enjoy the quirkiness of this novel.
Next Up: "Soul Mountain" by Gao Xingjian
Year Won: 1999
Read: The Tin Drum
Original Language: German
Reason: "whose frolicsome black fables portray the forgotten face of history"
About: The Tin Drum follows the lives of a number of eccentric people in a family, particularly the titlar Tin Drummer.
What I liked: The characters are quirky and weird and quite entertaining.
What I Disliked: This feels like a typical story that the Nobel committee likes. Weird, quirkly characters, spoken about in a unique, literary way. With no plot, since apparently plots ruin stories.
Should it have won a Nobel: Well, this is definitely the kind of thing the committee likes. I tend to like plots, so wasn't enormously fond of it. With that said, there are stories I've disliked tremendously more and I did very much enjoy the quirkiness of this novel.
Next Up: "Soul Mountain" by Gao Xingjian
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Blindness" by José Saramago
Name: José Saramago
Year Won: 1998
Read: Blindness
Original Language: Portuguese
Reason: "who with parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality"
About: Blindness is about a bunch of people who mysteriously go blind and are thrown into an asylum.
What I liked: The writing is vivid and shocking and grotesque. Normal people, suddenly stricken by their ailments and thrown into an asylum. It's very much "Lord of the Flies" meets an awful lot of apocolyptic fiction.
What I Disliked: The story follows no character in particular. It just sort of hops around, which keeps me distant from the characters I feel I should be sympathizing with.
Also, none of the characters seem inclined to *do* anything, which leaves the plot fairly lifeless. I'm inclined to think this would have worked really well as a short story. But as a novel, it feels like it starts dragging after about 50 pages of watching a bunch of miserable characters wake up in their own feces/struggle to find food/etc.
Should it have won a Nobel: Meh. I've read worse. This was one that seems very 'literary', but also would have read a lot better had Saramago used genre tricks to like, IDK, have a main protagonist and have them do something (even if it failed) to improve their position.
Next Up: "The Tin Drum" by Günter Grass
Year Won: 1998
Read: Blindness
Original Language: Portuguese
Reason: "who with parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality"
About: Blindness is about a bunch of people who mysteriously go blind and are thrown into an asylum.
What I liked: The writing is vivid and shocking and grotesque. Normal people, suddenly stricken by their ailments and thrown into an asylum. It's very much "Lord of the Flies" meets an awful lot of apocolyptic fiction.
What I Disliked: The story follows no character in particular. It just sort of hops around, which keeps me distant from the characters I feel I should be sympathizing with.
Also, none of the characters seem inclined to *do* anything, which leaves the plot fairly lifeless. I'm inclined to think this would have worked really well as a short story. But as a novel, it feels like it starts dragging after about 50 pages of watching a bunch of miserable characters wake up in their own feces/struggle to find food/etc.
Should it have won a Nobel: Meh. I've read worse. This was one that seems very 'literary', but also would have read a lot better had Saramago used genre tricks to like, IDK, have a main protagonist and have them do something (even if it failed) to improve their position.
Next Up: "The Tin Drum" by Günter Grass
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