At Powell's City of Books in Portland I stumbled across German writer Anna Seghers' "Transit" on the remainder tables. If you know Christian Petzold's film of the same name, this is the novel it was based on--and the novel is just as hypnotic and disorienting as the movie. Completed in 1942 but not published in Germany until 1951 (English and Spanish editions appeared earlier), it features a nameless narrator who at various consulates around town is trying out different identities as he waits in refugee limbo in Marseille for a ship that may or may not appear at the docks to take a growing Nazi-menaced displaced population to safety. Based in part of Seghers' own experiences as a leftist who escaped Nazi Germany in 1937, the book is startling, fresh, sinister and absurd. I definitely need to check out more work by Seghers, whose other books, like this one, are being reissued by NYRB Classics.
New Grub Street by George Gissing. it's a story about whether writing is an art or a business. I would recommend it if you don't mind despairing, but realistic, stuff.
The Women Who Walk by Nancy Huddleston Packer. Now I realize she is Ann and George's mom. She worked with Stegner at Stanford and in one short story, has a character "reading Stegner." :)
"The Pisces," by Melissa Broder, about trying to fill the existential void with love in the shape of a merman and "An Honest Thief" for a Dostoevsky book club I'm facilitating next month.
This group inspired me that there are others who want to dig into some of these authors! It’s a monthly book group at my library called “Legacies” - I give a short biographical introduction and talk about their major works, and then we read a short story. My hope is that people who are intimidated by the long novels (or are just in too many book clubs already) will find it easy to make time for a story.
We just got started and have done Hemingway, Tolstoy, Chekhov, James Baldwin and Flannery O’Connor.
Alternating between Olivia Laing’s The Garden Against Time (daytime) and Yrsa Daley-Ward”s The Terrible (bedtime) and Reggie Watt’s audiobook for Great Falls, MT (when I have to drive),
I finished PRK's latest, London Falling, on vacation (recommended!), so now I have to crack something new open. Maybe Susan Orlean's memoir, Joyride. Or I'll get an early start on Dickens' Our Mutual Friend for FrizzLit's first meeting next week.
At Powell's City of Books in Portland I stumbled across German writer Anna Seghers' "Transit" on the remainder tables. If you know Christian Petzold's film of the same name, this is the novel it was based on--and the novel is just as hypnotic and disorienting as the movie. Completed in 1942 but not published in Germany until 1951 (English and Spanish editions appeared earlier), it features a nameless narrator who at various consulates around town is trying out different identities as he waits in refugee limbo in Marseille for a ship that may or may not appear at the docks to take a growing Nazi-menaced displaced population to safety. Based in part of Seghers' own experiences as a leftist who escaped Nazi Germany in 1937, the book is startling, fresh, sinister and absurd. I definitely need to check out more work by Seghers, whose other books, like this one, are being reissued by NYRB Classics.
Fantastic. I just requested it from SPL (two week wait).
Wow!!
New Grub Street by George Gissing. it's a story about whether writing is an art or a business. I would recommend it if you don't mind despairing, but realistic, stuff.
The Women Who Walk by Nancy Huddleston Packer. Now I realize she is Ann and George's mom. She worked with Stegner at Stanford and in one short story, has a character "reading Stegner." :)
Oh wow I didn’t know that!
Bringing Lauren Groff's new short story collection, Brawler, and also Philip Smith's metaphysically-tinged memoir, Walking Through Walls.
Oooh GREAT choices
"The Pisces," by Melissa Broder, about trying to fill the existential void with love in the shape of a merman and "An Honest Thief" for a Dostoevsky book club I'm facilitating next month.
You run a Dostoevsky book club? COOL!! What’s “An Honest Thief” like? I’ve only read “Notes from Underground”
This group inspired me that there are others who want to dig into some of these authors! It’s a monthly book group at my library called “Legacies” - I give a short biographical introduction and talk about their major works, and then we read a short story. My hope is that people who are intimidated by the long novels (or are just in too many book clubs already) will find it easy to make time for a story.
We just got started and have done Hemingway, Tolstoy, Chekhov, James Baldwin and Flannery O’Connor.
Alternating between Olivia Laing’s The Garden Against Time (daytime) and Yrsa Daley-Ward”s The Terrible (bedtime) and Reggie Watt’s audiobook for Great Falls, MT (when I have to drive),
I didn’t know about any of these books — thank you for telling me about them!!
Inspired by John Williams book club. Reading Butcher’s Crossing.
I finished PRK's latest, London Falling, on vacation (recommended!), so now I have to crack something new open. Maybe Susan Orlean's memoir, Joyride. Or I'll get an early start on Dickens' Our Mutual Friend for FrizzLit's first meeting next week.