Comments on: International Literature

By: susette

susette — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:53:34 +0000

Try Fernando Pessoa. He is, in my view, Portugal’s greatest poet (many would say Camoes, but quite honestly, epic poetry is not as interesting to me, as intricate and incisive psychological puzzles through excellent manipulations of language); and the bonus is that he wrote in both he mother tongue and in English.

By: a random John

a random John — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 05:09:26 +0000

ugh!

By: Random John

Random John — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 05:07:00 +0000

SG created an account for me when they moved over to WP. That messed up my sign-on. Hopefully this hasn’t casued too much confusion.

By: Kingsley

Kingsley — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 04:03:35 +0000

NabOkov. Been reading quite a bit of Borges lately, fantastic. Essays and fiction. Tolstoy’s short novels, especially _Hadji Murad_, which seems to knock everybody from Wittgenstein to Joyce on their can.

By: Kingsley

Kingsley — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 03:48:42 +0000

Nabakov, Invitation to a Beheading, The Defense, The Gift. I know he’s not exactly an unknown but his Russian novels don’t get as much attention as the others. Good stuff, wonderful.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:53:22 +0000

After reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being earlier this year, Milan Kundera became my favorite author, French and Czech (? Ã¢â‚¬â€œ I think) Ã¢â‚¬Â¦ Anyway youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve probably already read it, but if you have not I highly recommend it and if you have and you enjoyed it then pick up KunderaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Ignorance, another fantastic book.

By: Hellmut Lotz

Hellmut Lotz — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 00:06:35 +0000

Elisabeth, you will love Imre Kertesz. After he won the Nobel Price, Kertesz’s book were finally translated into English.

I loved Fateless. The novel begins from the perspective of a fifteen year old Jewish boy who is deported from Budapest and who cannot make sense of his experience because he assumes that the Nazis are reasonable.

Towards the end of the book the perspective shifts. As the boy returns to Budapest, he refuses to consider himself a victim. He is an actor rather than the object of injustice. In other words, he is fateless.

By: Dallin I

Dallin I — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:40:29 +0000

… or according to Pris, 16th century. That sounds right. Anyways, agreed that it’s a great read.

By: Dallin I

Dallin I — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:36:31 +0000

… circa its introduction in 17th century (?) Japan.

By: Dallin I

Dallin I — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:35:24 +0000

Bryce – I thought Snow Country was rather heavy handed for all its prize winning glory. Japanese reads I really like include:

-Tanizaki’s The Makioka Sisters
-Enchi Fumiko’s The Waiting Years

Both novels feature very strong women characters. The Waiting Years is probably my favorite Japanese novel. An expertly served story of come-uppance.

Other Japanese novels:

-Soseki’s Kokoro. An excellent exploration of filial piety/conduct.
-Endo’s Silence. About the conflict of Christianity in Japan circa its introduction in