An anthology of short stories, none of which particularly grabbed me. Some good writing, great authors, but the topic... well, not my topic.
This was started with the purpose of getting out of Malcolm Lowry's head, as that book - well, reading it, all the action taking place almost entirely within his head - neurosis, etc, I have mine own. That said I have another book to leap into and finger's crossed that it will be better, or at least more to my current humor.
- Details
- Category: Books
A slender book in which our protagonist/author arrives at Castle/Tavern and finds that both he and the other guests are mute. Thus, after dinner, they all tell their stories with a pack of Tarot Cards, the narrator interprets as each guest selects a card and begins to tell their tale...
...Until at last all their fates and destinies are intertwined, and all of the cards spread out upon the table, and the interpretation, the reading, the symbolism of each unique to the narrator, to the position - above, below, left, right, preceding or following, only by choosing the correct entry point you can find where every story begins, ends, where the cards have been arranged to tell those bits of the stories of MacBeth & Hamlet, and onward and so forth, until the Author/Narrator chooses to tell his own story...
Now, an interesting premise which I've considered (not exactly), and recalled reading that Thomas Pynchon's "Gravity's Rainbow" was actually based upon a deck of Tarot Cards, and - while on my first reading I did not get this, not at all, maybe with this foreknowledge I'll try it again...
On that note, for a while I was doing a fair bit of reading on the topic, the cards, they are an inspiration, and so maybe it's time to pick them up again...
- Details
- Category: Books
After the unforgiveable introduction by Nigel Reeves & David Luke, whose analysis seems to consist largely of giving away the plot and outcome of every story....
...it proved not bad. Somewhat modern, or approaching, a perfectly good book of short stories very much of the Period, my favorite of which was undoubtedly Michael Kohlhass, a disgruntled horse trader much abused by the law who is forced to take matters in his own hands to seek justice, rounds up a posse of grooms and peasants and leads a seige upon Wittenberg.
How sympathetic - and modern the character is, in his outlawery, in how as he grows in strength he grows in Madness, the theme of an honest man vs the unjust state, how thoroughly modern he is when again he sees the Gypsy who gave him the talisman that would save his life, thoroughly pragmatic when he says to her (essentially) "Why Me?" in response to the incredible events that have befallen him.
So, a relatively thick book, now on to a relatively thin one - Italo Calvinos' "The Castle of Crossed Destinies".
- Details
- Category: Books
A selection of grotesque and supernaturally inspired stories by E.T.A. Hoffman, perfect for Christmas.
Lots of notes made and googling to be done afterwards, his stories, both comical, thrilling (after the fashion of Shelley), Ghost Stories filled with sleepwalkers, psychics, odd characters that seem to exist between worlds, the Wandering Jew, for example, capturing in turns the implacable remembrance of love, those moments one knows will never be repeated, of true-love generally thwarted, of fashions and news of his day, for example he spins the tale of a miner who was found perfectly preserved in Copper Sulfate, only to be identified by his widow of 50 years, a true tale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fet-Mats), then embellishes upon it to create a story of a sailor drawn to the Mine at Falun by a supernatural agent, not that the events at Falun were by the fashion of the day not fantastic enough, expositions that rely upon unknown circumstance and incredible coincidence, both fantastic and yet relatable, The character, for example of Chancellery Private Secretary Tusmann, whose taste in books somewhat reflects mine own, for example: 1720 "Cicero Presented as a Great Windbag and Pettifogger in Ten Orations" and from whose varied list of recommendations of books long out of fashion I'm led on to:
Wiegleb's - Natural Magic (a practical book on conjuring, or Magic as practiced by Penn & Teller, written in the late 1700's)
Nudow's "Theory of Sleep",
Frankfurt Dream book
Artemidorus - on dreams & Excerpts Here
Anyways, a light but suitable holiday read. Now off to do some work...
- Details
- Category: Books