September 1st 2007 ~ February 28th 2008
Choose to read however many books by however many authors you like from the list at Outmoded Authors
My books read:
- W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge; The Moon and Sixpence
- Italo Svevo, A Perfect Hoax
- G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday; A Piece of Chalk (Essay)
Okay, it could have been better. But in between I did a lot of yoga. And I read other books. So, it's cool.
2 comments:
Not bad at all! I think I only got four in, two of which were by the same author.
Saint Joan - Shaw
A Quality of Violence; Escape to an Autumn Pavement - Andrew Salkey
My Christina and Other Stories - Merce Rodoreda
Am I remembering correctly that you at least started a Rodoreda book? If so, what did you think of it so far?
imani You're right - I was reading My Christina and Other Stories -- then it was due back at the library, and then other books got in the way.
I only managed the first few stories. I found the stories surreal and a little abstract. I find myself trying to make sense of the dream-like images that she conjures out of the narrator's story. And the stigmata of women as witches -- what is with that? Why? Still trying to process this motif of the outcast witches.
I'm not sure if it's just the translation, but I felt an oppressive gravity in the narrative voices of the few stories I read.
But I like some of the images she use - like the first story, where the unfortunate village girl transforms into a salamander -- why a salamander? It's the whole cold-blooded alienness of the salamander, the way it dragged her tail behind her as she moved -- it's an image I can't get out of my head. And the ending - one of her limb being chewed off -- that feeling that a part of you being consumed and too detached from yourself to really react.
Sorry if this doesn't make too much sense. Still trying to process.
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