Name: Saul Bellow
Year Won: 1976
Read: The Adventures of Augie March
Original Language: English
Reason: "for the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work"
About: "The Adventures of Augie March" follows Augie March from childhood through adulthood and describes his life. There is no plot. There are no stakes. There is no escalation of stakes. That's basically it. A 600 page description of someone's life.
What I liked: As might be expected, the writing is quite lovely. As might not be expected, but is true, the writing is often quite funny. There's as hint of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" to this piece. The characters are lively and interesting.
What I Disliked: There is no plot. I get that for whatever reason, literary types seem to hate plot with the blinding passion of a thousand suns. But without it, stories aren't stories so much as seemingly random descriptions of events. That's kind of this. Just a bunch of events, told in sequential order. This means that it never really grips and lets go the way books that have good plots do. (Even fairly bad books with good plots, like, say, "The DaVinci Code". Or hell, even "50 Shades of Grey".)
Should it have won a Nobel: I mean, this is the kind of thing the Nobel committee loves so probably, yes. Do I wish that literary types would concede that the best books have some magical combination of great characters, solid writing, AND a plot? Yes, yes I do. Am I holding my breath on this ever happening? (Laughs uproariously.)
Next Up: "Poesia Completa" by Vicente Aleixandre (entirely in Spanish - ooh!)
Friday, June 17, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
The Poems of Eugenio Montale
Name: Eugenio Montale
Year Won: 1975
Read: The Selected Poems of Eugenio Montale
Original Language: Italian
Reason: "for his distinctive poetry, which, with great artistic sensitivity, has interpreted human values under the sign of an outlook on life with no illusions"
About: "The Selected Poems" is pretty much what it sounds like - a collection of Montale's poetry. It's poems. Like, 500 pages of them. They are many.
What I liked: The poetry is quite pretty.
What I Disliked: It's poems. Are these poems better than other poems? I don't know. They seemed kind of generic to me, but then again, I can't read Italian, so would likely miss the nuances that make these poems slightly better (or worse) than any other poems.
Should it have won a Nobel: I have no idea. I feel like even asking this with prose is hard. With poetry, it becomes close to impossible. None of these struck me as immortal genius, but then again, that might have been the translator's fault. Or maybe I just don't care much for Montale's poetry for my own reasons.
Next Up: "The Adventures of Augie March" by Saul Bellow
Year Won: 1975
Read: The Selected Poems of Eugenio Montale
Original Language: Italian
Reason: "for his distinctive poetry, which, with great artistic sensitivity, has interpreted human values under the sign of an outlook on life with no illusions"
About: "The Selected Poems" is pretty much what it sounds like - a collection of Montale's poetry. It's poems. Like, 500 pages of them. They are many.
What I liked: The poetry is quite pretty.
What I Disliked: It's poems. Are these poems better than other poems? I don't know. They seemed kind of generic to me, but then again, I can't read Italian, so would likely miss the nuances that make these poems slightly better (or worse) than any other poems.
Should it have won a Nobel: I have no idea. I feel like even asking this with prose is hard. With poetry, it becomes close to impossible. None of these struck me as immortal genius, but then again, that might have been the translator's fault. Or maybe I just don't care much for Montale's poetry for my own reasons.
Next Up: "The Adventures of Augie March" by Saul Bellow
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Dreams of Roses and Fire by Eyvind Johnson
Name: Eyvind Johnson
Year Won: 1974
Read: Dreams of Roses and Fire
Original Language: Swedish
Reason: "for a narrative art, farseeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom"
About: "Dreams of Roses and Fire" is set in 17th century France and seems to mostly involve nuns being seduced by demons. Seriously. The demons appear to them at night and go absolutely wild. They caress their thighs, they arouse them, they make them cry out in pleasure. I'm fairly sure the demons are supposed to be exorcised as well, but mostly it's nun on demon sex for pages and pages and pages.
What I liked: I mean, who doesn't like some hot demons seducing nuns (who, of course, are always young and nubile).
What I Disliked: I'm not sure that there is a plot. In many ways, this reads almost like fan fiction, in which some hot demons get it on with some hot and sexually frustrated nuns.
Should it have won a Nobel: I always sigh a little when I see that the writer is Swedish. These stories are rarely as good as those where the writer is from literally everywhere else. This is no exception to that rule.
Next Up: "Aniara" Harry Martinson
Year Won: 1974
Read: Dreams of Roses and Fire
Original Language: Swedish
Reason: "for a narrative art, farseeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom"
About: "Dreams of Roses and Fire" is set in 17th century France and seems to mostly involve nuns being seduced by demons. Seriously. The demons appear to them at night and go absolutely wild. They caress their thighs, they arouse them, they make them cry out in pleasure. I'm fairly sure the demons are supposed to be exorcised as well, but mostly it's nun on demon sex for pages and pages and pages.
What I liked: I mean, who doesn't like some hot demons seducing nuns (who, of course, are always young and nubile).
What I Disliked: I'm not sure that there is a plot. In many ways, this reads almost like fan fiction, in which some hot demons get it on with some hot and sexually frustrated nuns.
Should it have won a Nobel: I always sigh a little when I see that the writer is Swedish. These stories are rarely as good as those where the writer is from literally everywhere else. This is no exception to that rule.
Next Up: "Aniara" Harry Martinson
Monday, February 14, 2022
The Hanging Garden by Patrick White
Name: Patrick White
Year Won: 1973
Read: The Hanging Garden
Original Language: English
Reason: "for an epic and psychological narrative art, which has introduced a new continent into literature"
About: "The Hanging Garden" is about...well, I'm not 100% sure what it's about, seeing as it's unfinished and mostly seems like a series of (very well written) vignettes about a bunch of children and later teenagers. I suppose, maybe, it was supposed to eventually gather a plot. But in its scant 200 pages, it really doesn't.
What I liked: The imagery is sublime. I have literally never read descriptions as innovative as some of them within this book. And the characters are brilliantly crafted.
What I Disliked: There is no plot. None. In one way, I suppose maybe that's a blessing (since otherwise there might be a cliffhanger, seeing as the work is unfinished). But it means that the story just sort of is...there's nothing that propels it forward. (And, in case you're wondering even most psychological novels have some kind of plot. "Mother" had a fairly strong one and "The Old Man and the Sea" at least had some semblance of one. I could at least say what both were about beyond "um, existing, I guess?"
Should it have won a Nobel: For this, no. But really, he was awarded the Nobel for other novels that I'm assuming are more engaging? And his writing is delightful.
Next Up: "Dreams of Roses and Fire" by Eyvind Johnson
Year Won: 1973
Read: The Hanging Garden
Original Language: English
Reason: "for an epic and psychological narrative art, which has introduced a new continent into literature"
About: "The Hanging Garden" is about...well, I'm not 100% sure what it's about, seeing as it's unfinished and mostly seems like a series of (very well written) vignettes about a bunch of children and later teenagers. I suppose, maybe, it was supposed to eventually gather a plot. But in its scant 200 pages, it really doesn't.
What I liked: The imagery is sublime. I have literally never read descriptions as innovative as some of them within this book. And the characters are brilliantly crafted.
What I Disliked: There is no plot. None. In one way, I suppose maybe that's a blessing (since otherwise there might be a cliffhanger, seeing as the work is unfinished). But it means that the story just sort of is...there's nothing that propels it forward. (And, in case you're wondering even most psychological novels have some kind of plot. "Mother" had a fairly strong one and "The Old Man and the Sea" at least had some semblance of one. I could at least say what both were about beyond "um, existing, I guess?"
Should it have won a Nobel: For this, no. But really, he was awarded the Nobel for other novels that I'm assuming are more engaging? And his writing is delightful.
Next Up: "Dreams of Roses and Fire" by Eyvind Johnson
The Casualty by Heinrich Boll
Name: Heinrich Böll
Year Won: 1972
Read: The Casuality
Original Language: German
Reason: "for his writing, which through its combination of a broad perspective on his time and a sensitive skill in characterization has contributed to a renewal of German literature"
About: The Casuality is a series of short stories mostly focusing on the perspectives of normal Germans (especially lowly soldiers) during WWII. They're beautifully written, but stark and depressing. (Which I guess makes sense?) There's a kind of horrible brutality to them - wealthy soldiers buy wounds to get them away from the front lines, soldiers murder an officer who's been promoting aggressive fighting, etc.
What I liked: The writing is beautiful and the themes, while depressing, are interesting, unique, and really powerful. If you want a sense that war is hell well...this collection definitely makes you feel that war is, indeed, hell. (And more so because of how it enables the terrible than just because of the freezing in trenches part.)
What I Disliked: These stories are dark and hard to read.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. Boll is a phenomenal writer and these stories feel fresh and unique the way so many others don't. He's phenomenal.
Next Up: "The Hanging Garden" by Patrick White
Year Won: 1972
Read: The Casuality
Original Language: German
Reason: "for his writing, which through its combination of a broad perspective on his time and a sensitive skill in characterization has contributed to a renewal of German literature"
About: The Casuality is a series of short stories mostly focusing on the perspectives of normal Germans (especially lowly soldiers) during WWII. They're beautifully written, but stark and depressing. (Which I guess makes sense?) There's a kind of horrible brutality to them - wealthy soldiers buy wounds to get them away from the front lines, soldiers murder an officer who's been promoting aggressive fighting, etc.
What I liked: The writing is beautiful and the themes, while depressing, are interesting, unique, and really powerful. If you want a sense that war is hell well...this collection definitely makes you feel that war is, indeed, hell. (And more so because of how it enables the terrible than just because of the freezing in trenches part.)
What I Disliked: These stories are dark and hard to read.
Should it have won a Nobel: Yes. Boll is a phenomenal writer and these stories feel fresh and unique the way so many others don't. He's phenomenal.
Next Up: "The Hanging Garden" by Patrick White
Thursday, January 20, 2022
The Lost Neruda Poems
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
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
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
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