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鬲賳賵賷毓丕鬲 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩
賷馗賴乇 丕賱廿賳夭毓丕噩 亘鬲賳賵賷毓丕鬲賴 賲鬲噩賱賷賸丕 賮賷 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丨賲賱 毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賵賮賷賴丕 鬲鬲亘毓 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賲爻丕乇 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩 賲賳 噩匕乇賴 丕賱匕賷 賯丿 賷亘丿賵 賵丕賴賳丕貙 賵賱賵 兀賳賴 賷賲鬲丿 廿賱賶 兀賮乇毓 毓賱賶 毓賰爻 丕賱賲鬲賵賯毓. 賱賰賳 鬲賳賵賷毓丕鬲 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩 鬲鬲賳丕孬乇 亘賷賳 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱兀禺乇賶 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賲賴丕 賴匕賴 丕賱賲噩賲賵毓丞 亘卮賰賱 兀賵 亘丌禺乇 賮鬲賳胤亘毓 毓賱賶 胤乇賯 鬲賮賰賷乇 丕賱卮禺氐賷丕鬲 賵賮賷 鬲爻賱爻賱 兀賮賰丕乇賴丕 賵鬲丨賱賷賱賴丕 丕賱賲賳胤賯賷 丕賱丿賯賷賯 賱兀賲賵乇 賯丿 鬲亘丿賵 - 丿賵賳 兀賳 賳鬲兀賲賱賴丕 - 毓丕亘乇丞. 賵乇亘賲丕 賴賳丕貙 毓賳丿 賳賯胤丞 丕賱鬲兀賲賱 鬲丨丿賷丿丕貙 鬲鬲賲賰賳 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 亘乇卮丕賯丞 賲賳 鬲丨賵賷賱 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩 廿賱賶 賱睾夭 賲卮賵賯 鬲爻毓賶 廿賱賶 丨賱賴 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 賰鬲丕亘丞 丕賱賯氐丞貙 賵賴賷 兀丨賷丕賳丕 鬲賯丿賲 賴匕丕 丕賱丨賱 賱賱賯丕乇賷亍貙 賵賱丕 鬲賮毓賱 匕賱賰 賮賷 兀丨賷丕賳 兀禺乇賶.
賷匕賰乇 兀賳 "丿賷賮賷爻" 賲賳 賲賵丕賱賷丿 15 賷賵賱賷賵 1947 賵賴賷 賰丕鬲亘丞 兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賲卮賴賵乇丞 亘兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 丕賱兀丿亘賷丞 賲鬲賳丕賴賷丞 丕賱賯氐乇貙 賵賴賷 鬲賰鬲亘 兀賷囟丕 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賵丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵丕賱賲賯丕賱貙 賵賯丕賲鬲 亘鬲乇噩賲丕鬲 丨丿賷孬丞 賱亘毓囟 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 丕賱賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丞貙 賲孬賱 "胤乇賷賯 爻賵丕賳" 賱賲丕乇爻賷賱 亘乇賵爻鬲 賵"賲丿丕賲 亘賵賮丕乇賷" 賱賮賱賵亘賷乇.
賮丕夭鬲 丕賱賲丐賱賮丞 亘毓丿丞 噩賵丕卅夭 兀丿亘賷丞 賲賳賴丕 噩丕卅夭丞 賲丕賳 亘賵賰乇 丕賱丿賵賱賷丞 毓賳 賲噩賲賱 兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 毓丕賲 2013貙 賵爻丕賲 丕賱丕爻鬲丨賯丕賯 毓賳 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賲賳 丕賱兀賰丕丿賷賲賷丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賱賱賮賳賵賳 賵丕賱丌丿丕亘 毓丕賲 2013貙 夭賲丕賱丞 賲丕賰 丌乇孬乇 丕賱賲毓乇賵賮丞 亘"賲賳丨丞 丕賱毓亘賯乇賷丞" 毓丕賲 2003 賵賴賷 "賱賷爻鬲 噩丕卅夭丞 賱賱廿賳噩丕夭丕鬲 丕賱賲丕囟賷丞貙 賵廿賳賲丕 丕爻鬲孬賲丕乇 賮賷 丕賱兀氐丕賱丞 賵丕賱丕爻鬲亘氐丕乇 賵丕賱廿賲賰丕賳賷丕鬲 丕賱賰丕賲賳丞 賱賱卮禺氐"貙 賵鬲毓胤賶 賱兀卮禺丕氐 賮賷 賲噩丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲毓丿丿丞 兀馗賴乇賵丕 "兀氐丕賱丞 賲鬲賲賷夭丞 賵賲孬丕亘乇丞 賮賷 爻毓賷賴賲 丕賱廿亘丿丕毓賷".
賷匕賰乇 兀賳 "丿賷賮賷爻" 賲賳 賲賵丕賱賷丿 15 賷賵賱賷賵 1947 賵賴賷 賰丕鬲亘丞 兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賲卮賴賵乇丞 亘兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 丕賱兀丿亘賷丞 賲鬲賳丕賴賷丞 丕賱賯氐乇貙 賵賴賷 鬲賰鬲亘 兀賷囟丕 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賵丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 賵丕賱賲賯丕賱貙 賵賯丕賲鬲 亘鬲乇噩賲丕鬲 丨丿賷孬丞 賱亘毓囟 丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 丕賱賰賱丕爻賷賰賷丞貙 賲孬賱 "胤乇賷賯 爻賵丕賳" 賱賲丕乇爻賷賱 亘乇賵爻鬲 賵"賲丿丕賲 亘賵賮丕乇賷" 賱賮賱賵亘賷乇.
賮丕夭鬲 丕賱賲丐賱賮丞 亘毓丿丞 噩賵丕卅夭 兀丿亘賷丞 賲賳賴丕 噩丕卅夭丞 賲丕賳 亘賵賰乇 丕賱丿賵賱賷丞 毓賳 賲噩賲賱 兀毓賲丕賱賴丕 毓丕賲 2013貙 賵爻丕賲 丕賱丕爻鬲丨賯丕賯 毓賳 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賲賳 丕賱兀賰丕丿賷賲賷丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 賱賱賮賳賵賳 賵丕賱丌丿丕亘 毓丕賲 2013貙 夭賲丕賱丞 賲丕賰 丌乇孬乇 丕賱賲毓乇賵賮丞 亘"賲賳丨丞 丕賱毓亘賯乇賷丞" 毓丕賲 2003 賵賴賷 "賱賷爻鬲 噩丕卅夭丞 賱賱廿賳噩丕夭丕鬲 丕賱賲丕囟賷丞貙 賵廿賳賲丕 丕爻鬲孬賲丕乇 賮賷 丕賱兀氐丕賱丞 賵丕賱丕爻鬲亘氐丕乇 賵丕賱廿賲賰丕賳賷丕鬲 丕賱賰丕賲賳丞 賱賱卮禺氐"貙 賵鬲毓胤賶 賱兀卮禺丕氐 賮賷 賲噩丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲毓丿丿丞 兀馗賴乇賵丕 "兀氐丕賱丞 賲鬲賲賷夭丞 賵賲孬丕亘乇丞 賮賷 爻毓賷賴賲 丕賱廿亘丿丕毓賷".
264 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2007
117 people are currently reading
3268 people want to read
About the author
Lydia Davis
340听books1,420听followersLydia Davis, acclaimed fiction writer and translator, is famous in literary circles for her extremely brief and brilliantly inventive short stories. In fall 2003 she received one of 25 MacArthur Foundation 鈥淕enius鈥� awards. In granting the award the MacArthur Foundation praised Davis鈥檚 work for showing 鈥渉ow language itself can entertain, how all that what one word says, and leaves unsaid, can hold a reader鈥檚 interest. . . . Davis grants readers a glimpse of life鈥檚 previously invisible details, revealing new sources of philosophical insights and beauty.鈥� In 2013 She was the winner of the Man Booker International prize.
Davis鈥檚 recent collection, 鈥淰arieties of Disturbance鈥� (May 2007), was featured on the front cover of the 鈥淟os Angeles Times Book Review鈥� and garnered a starred review from 鈥淧ublishers Weekly.鈥� Her 鈥淪amuel Johnson Is Indignant鈥� (2001) was praised by 鈥淓lle鈥� magazine for its 鈥淗ighly intelligent, wildly entertaining stories, bound by visionary, philosophical, comic prose鈥攑art Gertrude Stein, part Simone Weil, and pure Lydia Davis.鈥�
Davis is also a celebrated translator of French literature into English. The French government named her a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her fiction and her distinguished translations of works by Maurice Blanchot, Pierre Jean Jouve, Michel Butor and others.
Davis recently published a new translation (the first in more than 80 years) of Marcel Proust鈥檚 masterpiece, 鈥淪wann鈥檚 Way鈥� (2003), the first volume of Proust鈥檚 鈥淚n Search of Lost Time.鈥� A story of childhood and sexual jealousy set in fin de siecle France, 鈥淪wann鈥檚 Way鈥� is widely regarded as one of the most important literary works of the 20th century.
The 鈥淪unday Telegraph鈥� (London) called the new translation 鈥淎 triumph [that] will bring this inexhaustible artwork to new audiences throughout the English-speaking world.鈥� Writing for the 鈥淚rish Times,鈥� Frank Wynne said, 鈥淲hat soars in this new version is the simplicity of language and fidelity to the cambers of Proust鈥檚 prose鈥� Davis鈥� translation is magnificent, precise.鈥�
Davis鈥檚 previous works include 鈥淎lmost No Memory鈥� (stories, 1997), 鈥淭he End of the Story鈥� (novel, 1995), 鈥淏reak It Down鈥� (stories, 1986), 鈥淪tory and Other Stories鈥� (1983), and 鈥淭he Thirteenth Woman鈥� (stories, 1976).
Grace Paley wrote of 鈥淎lmost No Memory鈥� that Lydia Davis is the kind of writer who 鈥渕akes you say, 鈥極h, at last!鈥欌€攂rains, language, energy, a playfulness with form, and what appears to be a generous nature.鈥� The collection was chosen as one of the 鈥�25 Favorite Books of 1997鈥� by the 鈥淰oice Literary Supplement鈥� and one of the 鈥�100 Best Books of 1997鈥� by the 鈥淟os Angeles Times.鈥�
Davis first received serious critical attention for her collection of stories, 鈥淏reak It Down,鈥� which was selected as a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. The book鈥檚 positive critical reception helped Davis win a prestigious Whiting Writer鈥檚 Award in 1988.
She is the daughter of Robert Gorham Davis and Hope Hale Davis. From 1974 to 1978 Davis was married to Paul Auster, with whom she has a son, Daniel Auster. Davis is currently married to painter Alan Cote, with whom she has a son, Theo Cote. She is a professor of creative writing at University at Albany, SUNY.
Davis is considered hugely influential by a generation of writers including Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace and Dave Eggers, who once wrote that she "blows the roof off of so many of our assumptions about what constitutes short fiction."
Davis鈥檚 recent collection, 鈥淰arieties of Disturbance鈥� (May 2007), was featured on the front cover of the 鈥淟os Angeles Times Book Review鈥� and garnered a starred review from 鈥淧ublishers Weekly.鈥� Her 鈥淪amuel Johnson Is Indignant鈥� (2001) was praised by 鈥淓lle鈥� magazine for its 鈥淗ighly intelligent, wildly entertaining stories, bound by visionary, philosophical, comic prose鈥攑art Gertrude Stein, part Simone Weil, and pure Lydia Davis.鈥�
Davis is also a celebrated translator of French literature into English. The French government named her a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her fiction and her distinguished translations of works by Maurice Blanchot, Pierre Jean Jouve, Michel Butor and others.
Davis recently published a new translation (the first in more than 80 years) of Marcel Proust鈥檚 masterpiece, 鈥淪wann鈥檚 Way鈥� (2003), the first volume of Proust鈥檚 鈥淚n Search of Lost Time.鈥� A story of childhood and sexual jealousy set in fin de siecle France, 鈥淪wann鈥檚 Way鈥� is widely regarded as one of the most important literary works of the 20th century.
The 鈥淪unday Telegraph鈥� (London) called the new translation 鈥淎 triumph [that] will bring this inexhaustible artwork to new audiences throughout the English-speaking world.鈥� Writing for the 鈥淚rish Times,鈥� Frank Wynne said, 鈥淲hat soars in this new version is the simplicity of language and fidelity to the cambers of Proust鈥檚 prose鈥� Davis鈥� translation is magnificent, precise.鈥�
Davis鈥檚 previous works include 鈥淎lmost No Memory鈥� (stories, 1997), 鈥淭he End of the Story鈥� (novel, 1995), 鈥淏reak It Down鈥� (stories, 1986), 鈥淪tory and Other Stories鈥� (1983), and 鈥淭he Thirteenth Woman鈥� (stories, 1976).
Grace Paley wrote of 鈥淎lmost No Memory鈥� that Lydia Davis is the kind of writer who 鈥渕akes you say, 鈥極h, at last!鈥欌€攂rains, language, energy, a playfulness with form, and what appears to be a generous nature.鈥� The collection was chosen as one of the 鈥�25 Favorite Books of 1997鈥� by the 鈥淰oice Literary Supplement鈥� and one of the 鈥�100 Best Books of 1997鈥� by the 鈥淟os Angeles Times.鈥�
Davis first received serious critical attention for her collection of stories, 鈥淏reak It Down,鈥� which was selected as a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. The book鈥檚 positive critical reception helped Davis win a prestigious Whiting Writer鈥檚 Award in 1988.
She is the daughter of Robert Gorham Davis and Hope Hale Davis. From 1974 to 1978 Davis was married to Paul Auster, with whom she has a son, Daniel Auster. Davis is currently married to painter Alan Cote, with whom she has a son, Theo Cote. She is a professor of creative writing at University at Albany, SUNY.
Davis is considered hugely influential by a generation of writers including Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace and Dave Eggers, who once wrote that she "blows the roof off of so many of our assumptions about what constitutes short fiction."
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June 19, 2020In February, during my last trip beyond my country's borders, and my last trip to a real bookshop, I bought this book.
I'd been meaning to buy it for a while, but I didn't want to order it online. Instead I wanted to pick it physically from the shelf of a real bookshop because the reading of it was to be a ceremony of sorts: my way of paying tribute to a 欧宝娱乐 friend who died last year. I chose this particular book because he'd recommended it to me, and when I read it, I realised that I couldn't have chosen a better book. Ted and Lydia Davis had more than a few things in common.
When I first came across Ted's reviews way back in 2012, I noticed that he had a genuine love for numbers and lists, and for breaking things down into statistics. Now that I've sampled Lydia Davis's writing, it's clear why he had so many of her books on his shelves. She seems to like lists and statistics just as much as Ted did, using them frequently in her stories. One of her collections is called , and in his review of that book, Ted played her at her own game by breaking down certain aspects of the stories:
First person narrator: 9 (7 female, 2 male)
No narrator: 2
Third person narrator: 22
[from Ted's review of Lydia Davis's Break it Down]
He analysed the stories in in a similar way:
There are 57 pieces in this collection, ranging in length from the four word "Index Entry" (Christian, I'm not a) and the next five shortest (49 more words) [usually it's moot whether we count the title when speaking of the "length" of fiction, but not so here. The six short pieces expand from 53 words to 82, 50% "longer", if we labor through the titles too. (hide spoiler)] 鈥� to the six longest stories, ranging from 11 to 48 pages. These behemoths make up 60% of the total pages.
[From Ted's review of
Varieties of Disturbances]
But it's not only the breaking down of things into statistics that Ted and Lydia Davis had in common. In his review of Davis's , he writes as if he were Lydia Davis, only surfacing as himself in the review text once or twice. While that review has a fair amount of statistics, it also reveals Ted's creative side brilliantly:
She thought that perhaps she should limit the review to 805 words. This was the average length of the stories in the book. But the median length was far less. She researched, and estimated it to be 205 words. 27 stories had fewer words, the shortest one-pagers being one-liners. She thought to quote those shortest:
Samuel Johnson Is Indignant:
that Scotland has so few trees.
鈥certain stories] made her laugh, even out loud upon some readings. On other readings however they only caused her to smile. Still, she appreciated them, thankful for so little effort required on her part鈥�
She thought of introducing the review with a section about as long as the median story. Would that seem simple-minded? Would her editor approve? But she had no editor. And, she thought, she wasn鈥檛 a she anyway. But the writer being reviewed was. Or rather is...
[From Ted's review of Samuel Johnson is Indignant]
And here's a one-line story Ted wrote when he first acquired but hadn't yet read them:
A Man Questions His Future.
Will he ever read this? He doesn't know. And if he does, will it make any difference?
That was in 2014. He did read it, and reviewed each collection separately, and it did make a difference. This reader bought a Lydia Davis book because of his reviews, and this reader has now read Lydia Davis.
Ted was 'last online' in June 2019. He died a month later.
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌�
A mutual friend had the great idea that Ted's goodreads family might help to read some of the books still parked on his 'to-read' shelf since he didn't get to read them himself. I've had one of those books on my own pile for years so when I finally pull out Patrick Leigh Fermor's , and turn over the first page, Ted will keep me company on that book too.
This virtual world where readers's profiles stay alive long after they've left the physical world has its advantages...
I'd been meaning to buy it for a while, but I didn't want to order it online. Instead I wanted to pick it physically from the shelf of a real bookshop because the reading of it was to be a ceremony of sorts: my way of paying tribute to a 欧宝娱乐 friend who died last year. I chose this particular book because he'd recommended it to me, and when I read it, I realised that I couldn't have chosen a better book. Ted and Lydia Davis had more than a few things in common.
When I first came across Ted's reviews way back in 2012, I noticed that he had a genuine love for numbers and lists, and for breaking things down into statistics. Now that I've sampled Lydia Davis's writing, it's clear why he had so many of her books on his shelves. She seems to like lists and statistics just as much as Ted did, using them frequently in her stories. One of her collections is called , and in his review of that book, Ted played her at her own game by breaking down certain aspects of the stories:
First person narrator: 9 (7 female, 2 male)
No narrator: 2
Third person narrator: 22
[from Ted's review of Lydia Davis's Break it Down]
He analysed the stories in in a similar way:
There are 57 pieces in this collection, ranging in length from the four word "Index Entry" (Christian, I'm not a) and the next five shortest (49 more words) [usually it's moot whether we count the title when speaking of the "length" of fiction, but not so here. The six short pieces expand from 53 words to 82, 50% "longer", if we labor through the titles too. (hide spoiler)] 鈥� to the six longest stories, ranging from 11 to 48 pages. These behemoths make up 60% of the total pages.
[From Ted's review of
Varieties of Disturbances]
But it's not only the breaking down of things into statistics that Ted and Lydia Davis had in common. In his review of Davis's , he writes as if he were Lydia Davis, only surfacing as himself in the review text once or twice. While that review has a fair amount of statistics, it also reveals Ted's creative side brilliantly:
She thought that perhaps she should limit the review to 805 words. This was the average length of the stories in the book. But the median length was far less. She researched, and estimated it to be 205 words. 27 stories had fewer words, the shortest one-pagers being one-liners. She thought to quote those shortest:
Samuel Johnson Is Indignant:
that Scotland has so few trees.
鈥certain stories] made her laugh, even out loud upon some readings. On other readings however they only caused her to smile. Still, she appreciated them, thankful for so little effort required on her part鈥�
She thought of introducing the review with a section about as long as the median story. Would that seem simple-minded? Would her editor approve? But she had no editor. And, she thought, she wasn鈥檛 a she anyway. But the writer being reviewed was. Or rather is...
[From Ted's review of Samuel Johnson is Indignant]
And here's a one-line story Ted wrote when he first acquired but hadn't yet read them:
A Man Questions His Future.
Will he ever read this? He doesn't know. And if he does, will it make any difference?
That was in 2014. He did read it, and reviewed each collection separately, and it did make a difference. This reader bought a Lydia Davis book because of his reviews, and this reader has now read Lydia Davis.
Ted was 'last online' in June 2019. He died a month later.
鈥︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌︹赌�
A mutual friend had the great idea that Ted's goodreads family might help to read some of the books still parked on his 'to-read' shelf since he didn't get to read them himself. I've had one of those books on my own pile for years so when I finally pull out Patrick Leigh Fermor's , and turn over the first page, Ted will keep me company on that book too.
This virtual world where readers's profiles stay alive long after they've left the physical world has its advantages...
June 27, 2019
賮賷 賱丨馗丞 賲丕 貙 鬲賵賯賮鬲 毓賳 丕賱賯乇丕亍丞 賵亘賳亘乇丞 噩丕丿丞 賵丕孬賯丞 丕禺亘乇鬲 氐丿賷賯鬲賷 亘乇睾亘鬲賷 賮賷 丕賱鬲禺賱賷 毓賳 賲賴賳丞 丕賱胤亘 賵丕賱鬲賮乇睾 賱丿乇丕爻丞 丕賱賳賯丿 丕賱丕丿亘賷 賵丕賱賰鬲丕亘丞 丕賱丕亘丿丕毓賷丞 ..
噩丕亍 乇丿賴丕 爻乇賷毓丕賸 : 賴賱 丕賳鬲賽 亘禺賷乇 責
丕噩賱 賱賲 兀賰賳 毓賱賶 禺賷乇 賲丕 賷乇丕賲 賲孬賱 鬲賱賰 丕賱賱丨馗丞 馃槍
丨爻賳丕賸 賷賲賰賳賰 賮毓賱 匕賱賰 丿賵賳賲丕 丕賱鬲禺賱賷 毓賳 丕賱毓賲賱貙 賴賱 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 丕賱匕賷 亘賷賳 賷丿賷賰 賲賳匕 丕賷丕賲 賴賵 丕賱爻亘亘 賮賷 丕鬲禺丕匕 賴匕丕 丕賱賯乇丕乇 馃槵
丕噩賱 ..賴賳丕 兀丿乇賰鬲 賰賷賮 賷賲賰賳 賱賰鬲丕亘 兀賳 賷丐孬乇 噩匕乇賷丕賸 毓賱賶 乇丐賷鬲賳丕 賱匕賵丕鬲賳丕 賵賱丨賷丕鬲賳丕...馃挌
賴匕賴 丕賱賲噩賲賵毓丞 丕賱賯氐氐賷丞 賳氐賵氐 賲睾丕賷乇丞 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 毓賲丕 毓賱賷賴 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷丞..貙 鬲賰鬲亘 丕賱丕爻鬲丕匕丞 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 " 賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷爻" 毓賳 丕賷 卮賷亍 賲賲賰賳 賵亘氐賵乇丞 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 貙 亘亘乇丕毓丞 賱丕賮鬲丞 賵丕爻鬲孬賳丕卅賷丞貙 賰賱 賳氐 毓丕賱賲 亘匕丕鬲賴 賵賱賰賳賴 賲賮鬲賵丨丕賸 賮賶 丕賱賵賯鬲 賳賮爻賴 賱賱鬲兀賵賷賱 丕賱賱丕賲鬲賳丕賴賷 賲賳 賯丕乇卅賴..
賴賱 鬲賵丿 丕賳 鬲氐賱 賱丨賱 丕賱毓賯丿丞 責 兀賲 賷丿賮毓賰 賮囟賵賱賰 賱賱賲賵丕氐賱丞 丿賵賳 丕賳 鬲兀亘賴 亘匕賱賰 貙 丕賳鬲 鬲賲賳丨 匕丕賰 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱賮乇氐丞 賱賷賲丕乇爻 毓賱賷賰 爻丨乇賴 ..
噩賲賷毓賴丕 賷鬲卮丕乇賰 亘賴丕 亘胤賱 乇卅賷爻賷 丕賱丕 賵賴賵 丕賱毓賯賱丕賳賷丞 賵賲毓 匕賱賰 賱賷爻鬲 賳氐賵氐 噩丕賮丞 亘賱 鬲禺鬲亘賶亍 丕賱毓丕胤賮丞 毓賳丿 丨賵丕賮 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲 賵賲賳丨賳賷丕鬲賴丕.
鬲鬲噩賱賶 丿賱丕賱丕鬲 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩 賮賶 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱鬲賶 鬲丨賲賱 毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 貙 賰賷賮 賷賲賰賳 賱兀賲乇 亘爻賷胤 賷鬲爻亘亘 賮賶 丕賳夭毓丕噩 丕賱賰孬賷乇賷賳 亘賷賳賲丕 賱丕 賷賱賯賷 廿賱丕 亘馗賱 賵丕賴賳 毓賱賶 賲賳 丕賮鬲毓賱 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩.
鬲賱鬲賯賷 賴賳丕 亘爻賷乇丞 匕丕鬲賷丞貙 賯氐賷丿丞 卮毓乇賷丞貙 鬲賯乇賷乇丕賸 丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷丕賸貙 禺乇亘卮丕鬲 毓賱賶 賴丕賲卮貙 賱丕賮鬲丞 毓丕亘乇丞 貙 丕爻卅賱丞 毓丿賷丿丞 鬲丿毓賴丕 鬲匕賵亘 賯亘賱 丕賳 鬲鬲匕賵賯賴丕 賵爻胤乇 賵丨賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲 賷鬲丨丿賶 賲丕 賴賵 賲毓鬲丕丿 ..
賵丕禺賷乇丕賸 貙 賴賳丕 毓丕賱賲 賱丕 賷賵噩丿 賮賷賴 賲賰丕賳 賱賱禺賷丕賱貙 亘賱 賷購丨丕賰賷 丕賱賵丕賯毓 賵賷鬲賮噩乇 亘丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 ....
噩丕亍 乇丿賴丕 爻乇賷毓丕賸 : 賴賱 丕賳鬲賽 亘禺賷乇 責
丕噩賱 賱賲 兀賰賳 毓賱賶 禺賷乇 賲丕 賷乇丕賲 賲孬賱 鬲賱賰 丕賱賱丨馗丞 馃槍
丨爻賳丕賸 賷賲賰賳賰 賮毓賱 匕賱賰 丿賵賳賲丕 丕賱鬲禺賱賷 毓賳 丕賱毓賲賱貙 賴賱 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 丕賱匕賷 亘賷賳 賷丿賷賰 賲賳匕 丕賷丕賲 賴賵 丕賱爻亘亘 賮賷 丕鬲禺丕匕 賴匕丕 丕賱賯乇丕乇 馃槵
丕噩賱 ..賴賳丕 兀丿乇賰鬲 賰賷賮 賷賲賰賳 賱賰鬲丕亘 兀賳 賷丐孬乇 噩匕乇賷丕賸 毓賱賶 乇丐賷鬲賳丕 賱匕賵丕鬲賳丕 賵賱丨賷丕鬲賳丕...馃挌
賴匕賴 丕賱賲噩賲賵毓丞 丕賱賯氐氐賷丞 賳氐賵氐 賲睾丕賷乇丞 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 毓賲丕 毓賱賷賴 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷丞..貙 鬲賰鬲亘 丕賱丕爻鬲丕匕丞 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 " 賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷爻" 毓賳 丕賷 卮賷亍 賲賲賰賳 賵亘氐賵乇丞 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 貙 亘亘乇丕毓丞 賱丕賮鬲丞 賵丕爻鬲孬賳丕卅賷丞貙 賰賱 賳氐 毓丕賱賲 亘匕丕鬲賴 賵賱賰賳賴 賲賮鬲賵丨丕賸 賮賶 丕賱賵賯鬲 賳賮爻賴 賱賱鬲兀賵賷賱 丕賱賱丕賲鬲賳丕賴賷 賲賳 賯丕乇卅賴..
賴賱 鬲賵丿 丕賳 鬲氐賱 賱丨賱 丕賱毓賯丿丞 責 兀賲 賷丿賮毓賰 賮囟賵賱賰 賱賱賲賵丕氐賱丞 丿賵賳 丕賳 鬲兀亘賴 亘匕賱賰 貙 丕賳鬲 鬲賲賳丨 匕丕賰 丕賱毓丕賱賲 丕賱賮乇氐丞 賱賷賲丕乇爻 毓賱賷賰 爻丨乇賴 ..
噩賲賷毓賴丕 賷鬲卮丕乇賰 亘賴丕 亘胤賱 乇卅賷爻賷 丕賱丕 賵賴賵 丕賱毓賯賱丕賳賷丞 賵賲毓 匕賱賰 賱賷爻鬲 賳氐賵氐 噩丕賮丞 亘賱 鬲禺鬲亘賶亍 丕賱毓丕胤賮丞 毓賳丿 丨賵丕賮 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲 賵賲賳丨賳賷丕鬲賴丕.
鬲鬲噩賱賶 丿賱丕賱丕鬲 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩 賮賶 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱鬲賶 鬲丨賲賱 毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 貙 賰賷賮 賷賲賰賳 賱兀賲乇 亘爻賷胤 賷鬲爻亘亘 賮賶 丕賳夭毓丕噩 丕賱賰孬賷乇賷賳 亘賷賳賲丕 賱丕 賷賱賯賷 廿賱丕 亘馗賱 賵丕賴賳 毓賱賶 賲賳 丕賮鬲毓賱 賴匕丕 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩.
鬲賱鬲賯賷 賴賳丕 亘爻賷乇丞 匕丕鬲賷丞貙 賯氐賷丿丞 卮毓乇賷丞貙 鬲賯乇賷乇丕賸 丕噩鬲賲丕毓賷丕賸貙 禺乇亘卮丕鬲 毓賱賶 賴丕賲卮貙 賱丕賮鬲丞 毓丕亘乇丞 貙 丕爻卅賱丞 毓丿賷丿丞 鬲丿毓賴丕 鬲匕賵亘 賯亘賱 丕賳 鬲鬲匕賵賯賴丕 賵爻胤乇 賵丨賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲 賷鬲丨丿賶 賲丕 賴賵 賲毓鬲丕丿 ..
賵丕禺賷乇丕賸 貙 賴賳丕 毓丕賱賲 賱丕 賷賵噩丿 賮賷賴 賲賰丕賳 賱賱禺賷丕賱貙 亘賱 賷購丨丕賰賷 丕賱賵丕賯毓 賵賷鬲賮噩乇 亘丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 ....
July 14, 2020
丕賱賷賵賲 , 賰賳鬲 兀賯乇兀 丕賱氐賮丨丕鬲 丕賱兀禺賷乇丞 賲賳 賰鬲丕亘 鬲賳賵賷毓丕鬲 丕賱丕賳夭毓丕噩
丿禺賱 毓賱賷 氐丿賷賯賷 , 丕賱匕賷 賱賲 賷賯乇兀 賰鬲丕亘 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴 , 賵爻兀賱賳賷 賲丕匕丕 鬲賯乇兀責
賯賱鬲 賱賴 .... 兀賯乇兀賰 ............
賱賷爻鬲 賮賯胤 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱賰亘乇賶 賵 丕賱賲兀丕爻賷 賵 丕賱丕丨夭丕賳 賲丕 鬲爻鬲賴賱賰 丨賷丕鬲賳丕 , 賴賳丕賰 丕賱丕卮賷丕亍 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞 賵丕賱賷賵賲賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻亘亘 賱賳丕 丕賱丕夭毓丕噩 丕賱亘爻賷胤 丕丨賷丕賳丕 賵丕賱賲乇賰亘 丕丨賷丕賳丕 兀禺乇賶 , 賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲賱鬲賴賲 賯爻胤丕 賲毓賯賵賱丕 賲賳 丨賷丕鬲賳丕 , 亘丿丕賷丞 賲賳 賲禺賱賵賯 氐睾賷乇 賵鬲丕賮賴 賰匕亘丕亘丞 賰乇爻鬲 毓賲乇賴丕 丕賱氐睾賷乇 噩丿丕 賱鬲丨胤賷賲 兀毓氐丕亘 丕賳爻丕賳 賲丕 , 賵氐賵賱丕 賱卮賲賲爻賳丕 丕賱毓夭賷夭丞 丕賱鬲賶 兀丨爻亘 賰賱 賷賵賲 賲賵賯毓賴丕 亘丿賯丞 丨鬲賶 兀禺鬲丕乇 賰乇爻賷 賮賷 丕賱丨丕賮賱丞 賷噩賳亘賳賷 兀卮毓鬲賴丕 , 賵賱賰賳 賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 丕賱賰乇爻賷 丕賱匕賷 兀禺鬲乇鬲賴 兀噩丿賴丕 丿賵賲丕 亘噩丕賳亘賷
賱賯丿 賯乇乇鬲 兀賳 兀賮毓賱 賲孬賱 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賵丕賰鬲亘 毓賳 丕卮賷丕卅賷 丕賱禺丕氐丞 丕賱賲夭毓噩丞 , 賱毓賱賷 丕氐賱 賱爻賱丕賲 賲毓賯賵賱 賲毓 丨賷丕鬲賷 賵 丕賳賯匕 丕賷丕賲 賵 賱丨馗丕鬲 孬賲賷賳丞 噩丿丕 , 賵毓匕乇丕 賱氐丿賷賯賷 丕賱匕賷 爻兀賱賳賷 賲丕匕丕 鬲賯乇兀 ....
丿禺賱 毓賱賷 氐丿賷賯賷 , 丕賱匕賷 賱賲 賷賯乇兀 賰鬲丕亘 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴 , 賵爻兀賱賳賷 賲丕匕丕 鬲賯乇兀責
賯賱鬲 賱賴 .... 兀賯乇兀賰 ............
賱賷爻鬲 賮賯胤 丕賱丕丨丿丕孬 丕賱賰亘乇賶 賵 丕賱賲兀丕爻賷 賵 丕賱丕丨夭丕賳 賲丕 鬲爻鬲賴賱賰 丨賷丕鬲賳丕 , 賴賳丕賰 丕賱丕卮賷丕亍 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞 賵丕賱賷賵賲賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲爻亘亘 賱賳丕 丕賱丕夭毓丕噩 丕賱亘爻賷胤 丕丨賷丕賳丕 賵丕賱賲乇賰亘 丕丨賷丕賳丕 兀禺乇賶 , 賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲賱鬲賴賲 賯爻胤丕 賲毓賯賵賱丕 賲賳 丨賷丕鬲賳丕 , 亘丿丕賷丞 賲賳 賲禺賱賵賯 氐睾賷乇 賵鬲丕賮賴 賰匕亘丕亘丞 賰乇爻鬲 毓賲乇賴丕 丕賱氐睾賷乇 噩丿丕 賱鬲丨胤賷賲 兀毓氐丕亘 丕賳爻丕賳 賲丕 , 賵氐賵賱丕 賱卮賲賲爻賳丕 丕賱毓夭賷夭丞 丕賱鬲賶 兀丨爻亘 賰賱 賷賵賲 賲賵賯毓賴丕 亘丿賯丞 丨鬲賶 兀禺鬲丕乇 賰乇爻賷 賮賷 丕賱丨丕賮賱丞 賷噩賳亘賳賷 兀卮毓鬲賴丕 , 賵賱賰賳 賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 丕賱賰乇爻賷 丕賱匕賷 兀禺鬲乇鬲賴 兀噩丿賴丕 丿賵賲丕 亘噩丕賳亘賷
賱賯丿 賯乇乇鬲 兀賳 兀賮毓賱 賲孬賱 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賵丕賰鬲亘 毓賳 丕卮賷丕卅賷 丕賱禺丕氐丞 丕賱賲夭毓噩丞 , 賱毓賱賷 丕氐賱 賱爻賱丕賲 賲毓賯賵賱 賲毓 丨賷丕鬲賷 賵 丕賳賯匕 丕賷丕賲 賵 賱丨馗丕鬲 孬賲賷賳丞 噩丿丕 , 賵毓匕乇丕 賱氐丿賷賯賷 丕賱匕賷 爻兀賱賳賷 賲丕匕丕 鬲賯乇兀 ....
March 4, 2012
Remember one of those moments when a friend utters a single word or phrase and it makes you both burst into side-splitting laughter, leaving others around you perplexed. That is kind of how some of Davis's very short stories work, except there is not so much laughter.
Many of her stories are about quirks and absurdities of our daily lives, little moments, our common experiences and absent-minded musings. These may be some little experiences which we vaguely recognize, but can't quite put our finger on. Or those experiences which we consider too trivial to give a thought to. She does not need any words to describe the setting. She does not need any words to describe the characters. Her stories can be so relatable that we can often draw the setting from what is around us, and we can substitute ourselves as the characters. Using only a few words, Davis puts a mirror in front of us and brings out an "I know, right?" kind of response.
鈥淸her stories are] moving . . . and somehow inevitable, as if she has written what we were all on the verge of thinking.鈥� - Time Magazine
There is good deal of variety in the stories, both stylistically and content-wise. Some stories are written like academic reports, some play around with language, some deal with imperfect familial ties, some are absurd and funny. There is an undercurrent of loneliness in many of the stories, while some others speak of an unbearable sadness:
"...Soon everything returned to normal: the incident had been no more than a moment of madness during which the people could not bear the frustration of their lives and had given way to a strange impulse."
"I would like to disappear into the earth like that mole. I would like to stuff myself into the drawer of the laundry chest, and open the drawer from time to time to see if I have suffocated yet. It's so much more surprising that one gets up every morning at all."
Despite, the range of emotions Davis's writing deals with, it is never overly-sentimental. She uses a calm, detached voice. She manages to condense the essence to a few innocuous sentences which hit you in just the right place.
_______
The Good Times
鈥淲hat was happening to them was that every bad time produced a bad feeling that in turn produced several more bad times and several more bad feelings, so that their life together became crowded with bad times and bad feelings, so crowded that almost nothing else could grow in that dark field. But then she had a feeling of peace one morning that lingered from the evening before spent sewing while he sat reading in the next room. And a day or two later, she had a feeling of contentment that lingered in the morning from the evening before when he kept her company in the kitchen while she washed the dinner dishes. If the good times increased, she thought, each good time might produce a good feeling that would in turn produce several more good times that would produce several more good feelings. What she meant was that the good times might multiply perhaps as rapidly as the square of the square, or perhaps more rapidly, like mice, or like mushrooms springing up overnight from the scattered spore of a parent mushroom which in turn had sprung up overnight with a crowd of others from the scattered spore of a parent, until her life with him with be so crowded with good times that the good times might crowd out the bad as the bad times had by now almost crowded out the good.鈥�
July 12, 2022
3,5*
TEMPESTADE TROPICAL
Como uma tempestade tropical,
Tamb茅m eu, um dia poderei tornar-me 鈥渕ais bem organizada鈥�.
鈥淰ariedades de Perturba莽茫o鈥�(2007) 茅 o segundo livro de contos que leio de Lydia Davis, como parte dos 鈥淐ontos Completos鈥� editados pela Rel贸gio D鈥櫭乬ua.
ORDEM
Durante todo o dia a velha luta com a casa e os objectos que l谩 h谩: as portas que n茫o fecham; as t谩buas do soalho que se afastam e as juntas que se soltam; o estuque que fica h煤mido com a chuva; os morcegos que descem a voar do s贸t茫o e invadem o guarda-vestidos; os ratos que lhe fazem ninho nos sapatos; os vestidos fr谩geis que caem em farrapos s贸 do peso no cabide: insectos mortos que encontra por todo o lado. Em desespero, cansa-se a varrer, espanar, consertar, calafetar, colar, e 脿 noite deixa-se cair na cama apertando as m茫os contra os ouvidos para n茫o ouvir a casa continuar a desfazer-se em ru铆nas em seu redor.
Lydia Davis 茅 decididamente a rainha do micro-conto, mas perde qualidades quando sai deste formato minimalista, perdendo o rumo em hist贸rias que parecem quase tratados de sociologia.
DE REPENTE TEVE MEDO
porque n茫o conseguia escrever o nome do que era: uma mu mul umamu mulhr
Contudo, quanto mais sint茅tico 茅 o seu texto, maior 茅 a surpresa.
ENTRADA DE 脥NDICE REMISSIVO
Crist茫, n茫o sou
TEMPESTADE TROPICAL
Como uma tempestade tropical,
Tamb茅m eu, um dia poderei tornar-me 鈥渕ais bem organizada鈥�.
鈥淰ariedades de Perturba莽茫o鈥�(2007) 茅 o segundo livro de contos que leio de Lydia Davis, como parte dos 鈥淐ontos Completos鈥� editados pela Rel贸gio D鈥櫭乬ua.
ORDEM
Durante todo o dia a velha luta com a casa e os objectos que l谩 h谩: as portas que n茫o fecham; as t谩buas do soalho que se afastam e as juntas que se soltam; o estuque que fica h煤mido com a chuva; os morcegos que descem a voar do s贸t茫o e invadem o guarda-vestidos; os ratos que lhe fazem ninho nos sapatos; os vestidos fr谩geis que caem em farrapos s贸 do peso no cabide: insectos mortos que encontra por todo o lado. Em desespero, cansa-se a varrer, espanar, consertar, calafetar, colar, e 脿 noite deixa-se cair na cama apertando as m茫os contra os ouvidos para n茫o ouvir a casa continuar a desfazer-se em ru铆nas em seu redor.
Lydia Davis 茅 decididamente a rainha do micro-conto, mas perde qualidades quando sai deste formato minimalista, perdendo o rumo em hist贸rias que parecem quase tratados de sociologia.
DE REPENTE TEVE MEDO
porque n茫o conseguia escrever o nome do que era: uma mu mul umamu mulhr
Contudo, quanto mais sint茅tico 茅 o seu texto, maior 茅 a surpresa.
ENTRADA DE 脥NDICE REMISSIVO
Crist茫, n茫o sou
January 3, 2013
When Davis isn鈥檛 off winning MacArthur fellowships and whipping up essential translations of Proust and Flaubert she also writes almost-award-winning story collections of pulsating sharpness. To spend time in Varieties of Disturbance is to nestle down inside a superhuman mind in a continual state of ecstatic whirr and recline divinely on dark and comforting truths about the human condition. Like Ali Smith (who is better at novels) Davis favours micro-portraits, throwaway whimsies, vacation snapshots in favour of the throbbing gristle of the long form. The longer stories in this beatific collection are superior to those in Almost No Memory, where space squeezed out substance (the exception here, perhaps, being the near tedious 鈥楬elen and Vi鈥�), but the stars are the thumbnails. If anyone can compress epics into the space of two charming sentences, it is Davis, whose daringly antithetical translation of The Way by Swann鈥檚 illustrates the mangled contrarian logic at play in her literary project, and especially this sumptuous selection. Essential.
Read
March 3, 2012Hm. Stars. I don't know what to do about those pesky little stars...
I related to the stories on an intellectual level, that I can say for certain. They were well written and thoughtful. Problem is, I didn't relate to the stories emotionally at all. At all. And that, for me, is the most important part. I like stories that make me feel SOMETHING. Stories do not have to make me feel good, in fact, the best ones leave me feeling very unsettled.
These stories, unfortunately, left me feeling... nothing. I walked away thinking "eh, well THAT happened. Moving on..." I don't mean to take anything away from Ms. Davis's writing. It's innovative and certainly unique and I'm sure there is an audience out there who will love her work. I wanted to love her work. But I didn't. I am a little bummed by that.
I related to the stories on an intellectual level, that I can say for certain. They were well written and thoughtful. Problem is, I didn't relate to the stories emotionally at all. At all. And that, for me, is the most important part. I like stories that make me feel SOMETHING. Stories do not have to make me feel good, in fact, the best ones leave me feeling very unsettled.
These stories, unfortunately, left me feeling... nothing. I walked away thinking "eh, well THAT happened. Moving on..." I don't mean to take anything away from Ms. Davis's writing. It's innovative and certainly unique and I'm sure there is an audience out there who will love her work. I wanted to love her work. But I didn't. I am a little bummed by that.
September 22, 2018
Index Entry
Christian, I'm not a
Published in 2007, this is the last volume of Davis' short fiction in . Varieties of Disturbance was a Natural Book Award finalist.
Following Collected Stories came two more collections ...
, 2011
, 2015
Davis has produced two published translations in this century: , 2004; and , 2011; both available in Penguin Classics Deluxe editions
Varieties of disturbances.
There are 57 pieces in this collection, ranging in length from the four word "Index Entry" above and the next five shortest (49 more words) ; - to the six longest stories, ranging from 11 to 48 pages. These behemoths make up 60% of the total pages.
misleading/enigmatic titles, Davis is a master of same.
"A Strange Impulse"
I looked down on the street from my window. The sun shone and the shopkeepers had come out to stand in the warmth and watch the people go by. But why were the shopkeepers covering their ears? And why were the people in the street running as if pursued by a terrible specter? Soon everything returned to normal: the incident had been no more than a moment of madness during which the people could not bear the frustration of their lives and had given way to a strange impulse.
"Almost Over: What's the Word?"
He says,
"When I first met you
I didn鈥檛 think you would turn out to be so
鈥� strange."
"Getting to Know Your Body"
If your eyeballs move, this means that you're thinking, or about to start thinking.
If you don't want to be thinking at this particular moment, try to keep your eyeballs still.
Easily quotable, the five other shortest.
"Mother's Reaction to My Travel Plans"
Gainesville! It's too bad your cousin is dead!
"Collaboration With Fly"
I put that word on the page,
but he added the apostrophe.
"Tropical Storm"
Like a tropical storm,
I, too, may one day become "better organized."
"Idea for a Short Documentary Film"
Representatives of different food products manufacturers try to open their own packaging.
"Example of the Continuing Past Tense in a Hotel Room"
Your housekeeper has been Shelly.
a few words about many words 鈥�,
the many words of one of the three longest stories, seemingly dry and uninteresting from the opening line, but not so 鈥�
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders"
No doubt written by a grad student in Sociology (Psychology?).
"The following is a study of twenty-seven get-well letters written by a class of fourth-graders to their classmate Steven, when he was in the hospital recovering from a serious case of osteomyelitis."
Includes statistical and analytical summaries of topics such as General Appearance and Form of the letters (Length, Overall Coherence, Sentence Structures [Compound Sentences, Complex Sentences, Compound-Complex Sentences, Verbs, Imperatives, Style, Content], and analyses of the types and variety of "Expressions of Sympathy" and "News"[including the topics Weather, Eating/Food, School/Schoolwork, Shopping With Parents, Playing in Snow, Movies, Christmas/Christmas Presents]. The 27 letters consist of 150 handwritten lines made up of 114 sentences 鈥� ironically dissected and analyzed over 27 pages. The "150 lines", if simply quoted, would occupy just over four pages.
Examples of LOL pieces of the fictional study:
(1) "IMPERATIVES. The only instances of use of the imperative (4, one softened by "Please") are found in the letters of girls. This may imply a greater inclination to "command" or "boss" on the part of the girls than the boys, but may also be statistically insignificant, given the small number of letters in the sample."
(2) [One of the letters is written by Van.] "Some of Van's letters sit nicely on the line, some float up above it, and some sink below it. It is possible, in his case 鈥� as in others in which the child betrays some anxiety 鈥� that the letters do not sit on the line because the child is overcompensating: for fear of letting his letters sink below the line, he keeps them up off the line; for fear of letting them float up off the line, he forces them down below it鈥�"
(3) [from Joan] "Joan is more specific, and thus more poignant, immediately evoking the classroom: "I miss you in our row in school." She conveys, in addition, a sense of solidarity among the children in that particular row 鈥� 'our row'."
(4) [Sally's short letter] "The content, along with the brevity of the letter and Sally's small handwriting, would seem to indicate either an innate pessimism or a low self-esteem, despite the quite exceptional exuberance and panache of her capital H."
(5) [Billy J.'s letter. In between "I hope you are feeling well." and "I hope you will be back soon, lies only "We are not doing much." This elicits the following 鈥 "The words not doing much are smaller and more compact than the rest, perhaps reflecting the content of the remark. Billy's letters also tend to sink below the line, according well in spirit with his only news 鈥� that not much is being accomplished."
(6) [Susan B. expresses the common sentiments 鈥 "then adds the wistful secondhand report: "Jonathan A. told me that he send [sic] you a big box of candy." Her handwriting changes noticeably in the latter part of this sentence: dark, upright, and confidant at the start of her letter, the words becoming increasingly faint and slant more and more to the right until the word candy, thin and delicate, is lying almost on its side."
Davis can make fiction out of just about any type of writing, any amalgamation of words 鈥� fiction always interesting, frequently funny, sometimes ominous, disturbing, even horrifying.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous review: Prometheus Bound
Next review: In the Lake of the Woods
Older review: The Red Badge of Courage
Previous library review: Samuel Johnson is Indignant
Next library review: Pafko at the Wall
Christian, I'm not a
Published in 2007, this is the last volume of Davis' short fiction in . Varieties of Disturbance was a Natural Book Award finalist.
Following Collected Stories came two more collections ...
, 2011
, 2015
Davis has produced two published translations in this century: , 2004; and , 2011; both available in Penguin Classics Deluxe editions
Varieties of disturbances.
There are 57 pieces in this collection, ranging in length from the four word "Index Entry" above and the next five shortest (49 more words) ; - to the six longest stories, ranging from 11 to 48 pages. These behemoths make up 60% of the total pages.
misleading/enigmatic titles, Davis is a master of same.
"A Strange Impulse"
I looked down on the street from my window. The sun shone and the shopkeepers had come out to stand in the warmth and watch the people go by. But why were the shopkeepers covering their ears? And why were the people in the street running as if pursued by a terrible specter? Soon everything returned to normal: the incident had been no more than a moment of madness during which the people could not bear the frustration of their lives and had given way to a strange impulse.
"Almost Over: What's the Word?"
He says,
"When I first met you
I didn鈥檛 think you would turn out to be so
鈥� strange."
"Getting to Know Your Body"
If your eyeballs move, this means that you're thinking, or about to start thinking.
If you don't want to be thinking at this particular moment, try to keep your eyeballs still.
Easily quotable, the five other shortest.
"Mother's Reaction to My Travel Plans"
Gainesville! It's too bad your cousin is dead!
"Collaboration With Fly"
I put that word on the page,
but he added the apostrophe.
"Tropical Storm"
Like a tropical storm,
I, too, may one day become "better organized."
"Idea for a Short Documentary Film"
Representatives of different food products manufacturers try to open their own packaging.
"Example of the Continuing Past Tense in a Hotel Room"
Your housekeeper has been Shelly.
a few words about many words 鈥�,
the many words of one of the three longest stories, seemingly dry and uninteresting from the opening line, but not so 鈥�
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders"
No doubt written by a grad student in Sociology (Psychology?).
"The following is a study of twenty-seven get-well letters written by a class of fourth-graders to their classmate Steven, when he was in the hospital recovering from a serious case of osteomyelitis."
Includes statistical and analytical summaries of topics such as General Appearance and Form of the letters (Length, Overall Coherence, Sentence Structures [Compound Sentences, Complex Sentences, Compound-Complex Sentences, Verbs, Imperatives, Style, Content], and analyses of the types and variety of "Expressions of Sympathy" and "News"[including the topics Weather, Eating/Food, School/Schoolwork, Shopping With Parents, Playing in Snow, Movies, Christmas/Christmas Presents]. The 27 letters consist of 150 handwritten lines made up of 114 sentences 鈥� ironically dissected and analyzed over 27 pages. The "150 lines", if simply quoted, would occupy just over four pages.
Examples of LOL pieces of the fictional study:
(1) "IMPERATIVES. The only instances of use of the imperative (4, one softened by "Please") are found in the letters of girls. This may imply a greater inclination to "command" or "boss" on the part of the girls than the boys, but may also be statistically insignificant, given the small number of letters in the sample."
(2) [One of the letters is written by Van.] "Some of Van's letters sit nicely on the line, some float up above it, and some sink below it. It is possible, in his case 鈥� as in others in which the child betrays some anxiety 鈥� that the letters do not sit on the line because the child is overcompensating: for fear of letting his letters sink below the line, he keeps them up off the line; for fear of letting them float up off the line, he forces them down below it鈥�"
(3) [from Joan] "Joan is more specific, and thus more poignant, immediately evoking the classroom: "I miss you in our row in school." She conveys, in addition, a sense of solidarity among the children in that particular row 鈥� 'our row'."
(4) [Sally's short letter] "The content, along with the brevity of the letter and Sally's small handwriting, would seem to indicate either an innate pessimism or a low self-esteem, despite the quite exceptional exuberance and panache of her capital H."
(5) [Billy J.'s letter. In between "I hope you are feeling well." and "I hope you will be back soon, lies only "We are not doing much." This elicits the following 鈥 "The words not doing much are smaller and more compact than the rest, perhaps reflecting the content of the remark. Billy's letters also tend to sink below the line, according well in spirit with his only news 鈥� that not much is being accomplished."
(6) [Susan B. expresses the common sentiments 鈥 "then adds the wistful secondhand report: "Jonathan A. told me that he send [sic] you a big box of candy." Her handwriting changes noticeably in the latter part of this sentence: dark, upright, and confidant at the start of her letter, the words becoming increasingly faint and slant more and more to the right until the word candy, thin and delicate, is lying almost on its side."
Davis can make fiction out of just about any type of writing, any amalgamation of words 鈥� fiction always interesting, frequently funny, sometimes ominous, disturbing, even horrifying.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Previous review: Prometheus Bound
Next review: In the Lake of the Woods
Older review: The Red Badge of Courage
Previous library review: Samuel Johnson is Indignant
Next library review: Pafko at the Wall
August 7, 2019
I wasn鈥檛 all that impressed by this collection, despite it containing a handful of gems (Kafka Cooks Dinner, Varieties of Disturbance, What You Learn About the Baby鈥�) and what is easily my all-time favourite Lydia Davis story: We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders. Seriously, read it. It鈥檚 funny, clever and delightfully post-modern.
As for the rest of the book, it鈥檚 not bad (after all, this is Lydia Let-Me-Break-Your-Heart-And-Mind-Using-Only-A-Couple-Of-Words Davis we鈥檙e talking about), but to me Davis peaked at Samuel Johnson Is Indignant and in this subsequent book, unable to turn the screw any further, she continued to churn out more of the same.
I can鈥檛 seem to appreciate much development of her style at this point. In fact, I dare say at times she feels downright cocky (vide Cape Cod Diary, i.e., I鈥檓 going to make you read a month of my diary during which nothing much happened and you鈥檙e going to like it).
Also, and this is a first for me, some of the longer ones were slogs to get through. Helen and Vi: A Study in Health and Vitality... I just couldn鈥檛 bring myself to care, not after four collections of putting up with Davis鈥檚 eccentricities. So yeah, this is a case of it's not you, it's me. G-d forbid this review should put you off reading Davis. Even at her most boring, she's brilliant.
Long story short (ha, there鈥檚 a good title for a Lydia Davis anthology), read We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders. It鈥檇 make me happy.
As for the rest of the book, it鈥檚 not bad (after all, this is Lydia Let-Me-Break-Your-Heart-And-Mind-Using-Only-A-Couple-Of-Words Davis we鈥檙e talking about), but to me Davis peaked at Samuel Johnson Is Indignant and in this subsequent book, unable to turn the screw any further, she continued to churn out more of the same.
I can鈥檛 seem to appreciate much development of her style at this point. In fact, I dare say at times she feels downright cocky (vide Cape Cod Diary, i.e., I鈥檓 going to make you read a month of my diary during which nothing much happened and you鈥檙e going to like it).
Also, and this is a first for me, some of the longer ones were slogs to get through. Helen and Vi: A Study in Health and Vitality... I just couldn鈥檛 bring myself to care, not after four collections of putting up with Davis鈥檚 eccentricities. So yeah, this is a case of it's not you, it's me. G-d forbid this review should put you off reading Davis. Even at her most boring, she's brilliant.
Long story short (ha, there鈥檚 a good title for a Lydia Davis anthology), read We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders. It鈥檇 make me happy.
February 9, 2015
When I first heard about Lydia Davis, I felt like I should have already known of her. This is my first attempt to remedy that absence.
I'm not surprised that the friend who recommended her comes from my book club that read Infinite Jest, as there is one story in this set that makes me think of David Foster Wallace (where the footnote is longer than the story.)
And most stories in here are short. Short is an understatement. Tiny. I believe the word is micro fiction. Many are more like poetry. And actually I preferred the shorties over the longer stories. The longer stories tended to take on faux sociological studies like "We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" and "Helen and Vi: A Study in Health and Vitality." Not my favorite, but clever.
I preferred stories that managed to make a thoughtful observation or statement, or made me laugh. Favorites included "Kafka Cooks Dinner" (you can ) and "Head, Heart" (which is available online as well, so go )
This was also discussed on of the Reading Envy Podcast.
I'm not surprised that the friend who recommended her comes from my book club that read Infinite Jest, as there is one story in this set that makes me think of David Foster Wallace (where the footnote is longer than the story.)
And most stories in here are short. Short is an understatement. Tiny. I believe the word is micro fiction. Many are more like poetry. And actually I preferred the shorties over the longer stories. The longer stories tended to take on faux sociological studies like "We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" and "Helen and Vi: A Study in Health and Vitality." Not my favorite, but clever.
I preferred stories that managed to make a thoughtful observation or statement, or made me laugh. Favorites included "Kafka Cooks Dinner" (you can ) and "Head, Heart" (which is available online as well, so go )
This was also discussed on of the Reading Envy Podcast.
March 22, 2017
鬲賯賵賱 賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷爻 賮賷 兀丨丿 丨賵丕乇丕鬲賴丕 廿賳賴丕 鬲賲賷賱 廿賱賶 賰鬲丕亘賰 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 賵亘禺丕氐丞 丨賷賳 賰丕賳鬲 鬲毓賲賱 毓賱賶 鬲乇噩賲丞 毓賲賱 賲丕乇爻賷賱 亘乇賵爻鬲 丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱夭賲賳 丕賱賲賮賯賵丿貙 賮賯丿 賰丕賳鬲 鬲鬲乇噩賲 噩賲賱賴 丕賱胤賵賷賱丞 丕賱賲毓賯丿丞 賵丕賳鬲丕亘鬲賴丕 乇睾亘丞 賮賷 賲賯丕賵賲丞 亘賳賷丞 丕賱噩賲賱 亘賯氐氐 賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 噩丿賸丕 鬲鬲兀賱賮 賲賳 丕賱毓賳賵丕賳 賵爻胤乇賷賳 兀賵 孬賱丕孬丞. 賱賲 鬲賰賳 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 噩丿賸丕 賰孬賷乇丞 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱賲噩賲賵毓丞貙 亘賱 胤睾賶 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱胤賵賷賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 鬲鬲噩丕夭賵 亘毓囟賴丕 丕賱兀乇亘毓賷賳 氐賮丨丞 (賴賷賱賷賳 賵賮丕賷: 丿乇丕爻丞 賮賷 丕賱氐丨丞 賵丕賱丨賷賵賷丞貙 賷賵賲賷丕鬲 賰賷亘 賰賵丿貙 賲丿丕賲 丿. 賵禺丕丿賲丕鬲賴丕貙 丿乇丕爻丞 毓賱賶 禺胤丕亘丕鬲 亘鬲賲賳賷 丕賱卮賮丕亍 丕賱毓丕噩賱 ...) 鬲賰鬲亘 丿賷賮賷爻 毓賳 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱氐睾賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賲賳丨 賱賱丨賷丕丞 賳賰賴鬲賴丕貙 廿賳 賰丕賳 孬賲丞 賵丕丨丿丞! 賵鬲胤毓賾賲賴丕 亘乇賵丨 丕賱丿毓丕亘丞 (賵丕賱爻禺乇賷丞 丕賱賲乇丞 兀丨賷丕賳賸丕) 賰兀賳賴丕 毓賱丕噩 賱賱禺賷亘丞 丕賱賲鬲乇亘氐丞 亘賳丕 賱賷賰賵賳 丕賱囟丨賰 丌禺乇 丕賱賱賷賱 賴賵 丕賱丨賱...
兀爻賱賵亘 賱賷丿賷丕 亘爻賷胤 賵爻賱爻貙 賷卮亘賴 丨賵丕乇 兀賷 賲賳丕 賲毓 賳賮爻賴 丨賷賳 賷賳卮睾賱 匕賴賳賴 亘兀賲乇 賲丕貙 賵賷丨丕賵賱 鬲毓丿丕丿 丕賱禺賷丕乇丕鬲貙 兀賵 亘丕賱兀丨乇賶 賷賱毓亘 賲毓 賳賮爻賴 賱毓亘丞 "賲丕匕丕 賱賵" 賱毓亘丞 爻鬲丕賳丿賷卮 (亘胤賱 賯賲乇 丕賱賷乇賯丕鬲) 丕賱賲賮囟賱丞.
賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賯氐氐 賰丕賳 賲賰鬲賵亘賸丕 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賷卮亘賴 賱睾夭 catch-22 -賵賴賵 賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱兀賱睾丕夭 丕賱賲鬲賳丕賯囟丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 丨賱 賱賴丕-丕賱匕賷 賷噩毓賱賰 鬲賳鬲賴賷 賱賱噩賵丕亘 賳賮爻賴 賮賷 賰賱 賲乇丞 賵賱丕 鬲氐賱 廿賱賶 丨賱 兀亘丿賸丕.
兀爻賱賵亘 賱賷丿賷丕 亘爻賷胤 賵爻賱爻貙 賷卮亘賴 丨賵丕乇 兀賷 賲賳丕 賲毓 賳賮爻賴 丨賷賳 賷賳卮睾賱 匕賴賳賴 亘兀賲乇 賲丕貙 賵賷丨丕賵賱 鬲毓丿丕丿 丕賱禺賷丕乇丕鬲貙 兀賵 亘丕賱兀丨乇賶 賷賱毓亘 賲毓 賳賮爻賴 賱毓亘丞 "賲丕匕丕 賱賵" 賱毓亘丞 爻鬲丕賳丿賷卮 (亘胤賱 賯賲乇 丕賱賷乇賯丕鬲) 丕賱賲賮囟賱丞.
賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賯氐氐 賰丕賳 賲賰鬲賵亘賸丕 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賷卮亘賴 賱睾夭 catch-22 -賵賴賵 賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱兀賱睾丕夭 丕賱賲鬲賳丕賯囟丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 丨賱 賱賴丕-丕賱匕賷 賷噩毓賱賰 鬲賳鬲賴賷 賱賱噩賵丕亘 賳賮爻賴 賮賷 賰賱 賲乇丞 賵賱丕 鬲氐賱 廿賱賶 丨賱 兀亘丿賸丕.
July 26, 2016
Subtle and remarkable. I understand the misgivings some have regarding "micro-fiction" in general, but I would offer this as an argument for the form.
Will post a link to my extended review, when I write it.
Will post a link to my extended review, when I write it.
July 21, 2009
I admit that when I received this book in the mail nearly a year ago, I read the shortest stories first and these two-line stories made me feel (with a trace of shame) like Lydia Davis was cheating. Afraid that she would not live up to all the Lydia Davis hype, I tucked the book away in my shelves.
Last night, this book seemed to want attention so I said okay and started reading from the beginning. Few stories are more than a page. The three long-ish stories in the book are all set up like lab reports; all are studies: Of get-well letters to a sick child from a 4th grade class, of the maids of a particular family, of the health of two elderly women. And then the whole book started to feel like an obsessive data collection; an attempt at an objective record of minutiae, of dailiness, of all the stuff that on the surface doesn't seem worth writing about. Reading the book in order and having my head firmly in LydiaDavisWorld, the same two-line stories that had made me shrug earlier, made me imagine entire situations and characters surrounding them and made me feel all kinds of ways.
After reading the first 60 pages or so, I fell asleep. I had the kind of nightmares where you know they're nightmares but you don't want to wake up because you're afraid of discovering they're still true in your waking life. Eventually I woke up, finished Varieties of Disturbance, and decided that reading this book in bed was probably the nightmare-inducing thing.
Final verdict: Lydia Davis - Not overrated.
Last night, this book seemed to want attention so I said okay and started reading from the beginning. Few stories are more than a page. The three long-ish stories in the book are all set up like lab reports; all are studies: Of get-well letters to a sick child from a 4th grade class, of the maids of a particular family, of the health of two elderly women. And then the whole book started to feel like an obsessive data collection; an attempt at an objective record of minutiae, of dailiness, of all the stuff that on the surface doesn't seem worth writing about. Reading the book in order and having my head firmly in LydiaDavisWorld, the same two-line stories that had made me shrug earlier, made me imagine entire situations and characters surrounding them and made me feel all kinds of ways.
After reading the first 60 pages or so, I fell asleep. I had the kind of nightmares where you know they're nightmares but you don't want to wake up because you're afraid of discovering they're still true in your waking life. Eventually I woke up, finished Varieties of Disturbance, and decided that reading this book in bed was probably the nightmare-inducing thing.
Final verdict: Lydia Davis - Not overrated.
January 31, 2019
賲丕匕丕 賮毓賱鬲 賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷爻責
賱兀賳賴丕 兀賵賱丕賸 賲丿丕賲貙 卮丐賵賳 丕賱賲賳夭賱貙 丕賱丕賴鬲賲丕賲 亘丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱賰亘賷乇 "丕賱夭賵噩" 賵丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱氐睾賷乇 "丕亘賳賴丕"貙 賵賱兀賳賴丕 賲鬲乇噩賲丞 (丕賱賲毓匕亘賵賳 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱兀乇囟 丕賱匕賷 囟丕毓 亘氐乇賴賲 賮賷 丕賱賯賵丕賲賷爻 賵丕賱鬲賳賯賷亘 毓賳 丕賱賲賮乇丿丕鬲 賵丕賱兀囟丿丕丿!) 賵賱兀賳賴丕 鬲毓賲賱 兀爻鬲丕匕丞 亘丕賱噩丕賲毓丞貙 賱噩兀鬲 賲囟胤乇丞 賱兀爻賱賵亘 賰鬲丕亘丞 賷鬲賲賷夭 亘丕賱賯氐乇 賵丕賱丕禺鬲夭丕賱 賵丕賱賰孬丕賮丞. 賱賷丿賷丕 賱丕 鬲賰鬲亘 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 賵賱丕 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賮賯胤貙 賱丕 丕賱卮匕乇丕鬲. 兀賯賵賱 乇亘賲丕 鬲賰鬲亘 賱賷丿賷丕 丕賱賯氐丕氐丕鬲 丕賱賲賯鬲胤賮丞 賲賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丿賵賳 鬲夭賵賷賯 賰亘賷乇 賲毓 丕賱丨賮丕馗 毓賱賶 氐賱丕亘丞 丕賱賱睾丞 賵氐丨鬲賴丕 賵賯丿乇鬲賴丕 毓賱賶 丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
鬲鬲噩賴 賱賷丿賷丕 賱賲賱丕丨馗丞 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 睾乇賷亘丞貙 賲孬賱丕賸 賴賷 鬲丨賰賷 毓賳 匕亘丕亘丞 賮賷 賯氐丕氐丞 賱賴丕:
"賮賷 賲丐禺乇丞 丕賱丨丕賮賱丞貙
丿丕禺賱 丕賱丨賲丕賲貙
賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻丕賮乇丞 丕賱囟卅賷賱丞 丕賱賲禺丕賱賮丞 賱賱賯丕賳賵賳貙
賮賷 胤乇賷賯賴丕 廿賱賶 亘賵爻胤賳."
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
賳卮兀鬲 賱賷丿賷丕 賮賷 毓丕卅賱丞 賱睾賵賷丞貙 賰丕賳鬲 賲賳 丕賱賲賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲賯囟賷 爻丕毓丕鬲 賮賷 丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 兀氐賱 賰賱賲丞 賲丕 賵鬲丕乇賷禺賴丕 賮賷 毓賱賲 丕賱兀氐賵賱貙 賵賱丕 鬲噩丿 鬲囟賷賷毓丕 賱賱賵賯鬲 賮賷 匕賱賰.
亘亘爻丕胤丞貙 賱賷丿賷丕 鬲毓賷卮 丿丕禺賱 丕賱賱睾丞貙 賵毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賰鬲亘貙 賮廿賳賴丕 鬲鬲賮匕賱賰貙 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 氐丨賷丨 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 賵睾乇 賲禺丕賱賮 賱賱賯賵丕毓丿 丕賱賱睾賵賷丞貙 亘丕賱賱睾丞 賮賷 賯氐氐賴丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賰鬲亘賴丕 賮賷 丕賱賳賴丕乇 亘毓丿 毓賳丕亍. 兀噩賱責 毓賳丕亍貙 廿賳賴丕 鬲丨賰賷 賮賷 賯氐丞 亘毓賳賵丕賳: "賲丿丕賲 丿 賵禺丕丿賲丕鬲賴丕" 賮賷 丨賵丕賱賷 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 毓卮乇賷賳 氐賮丨丞 賮賯胤 毓賳 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱禺丕丿賲丕鬲 丕賱賱丕鬲賷 賲乇乇賳 毓賱賶 亘賷鬲賴丕. 賰賱 賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 鬲乇賷丿賴 亘毓囟賸丕 賲賳 丕賱賵賯鬲 亘丕賱賳賴丕乇 賱賱賰鬲丕亘丞 賵丕賱賯乇丕亍丞貙 賵賱賯丿 毓丕賳鬲 賱賱丨氐賵賱 毓賱賶 匕賱賰.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
賱賷丿賷丕 鬲乇噩賲鬲 乇賵丕賷丞 亘乇賵爻鬲: "丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱夭賲賳 丕賱賲賮賯賵丿" 貙 賵兀毓鬲賯丿 兀賳賴丕 賱賵 賱賲 鬲賮毓賱 睾賷乇 匕賱賰 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴丕貙 賮廿賳賴丕 爻鬲乇賯丿 賮賷 爻賱丕賲. 賵丨丿賴賲 賲賳 賷毓乇賮賵賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賷賮賴賲賵賳 賲毓賳賶 鬲乇噩賲丞 乇賵丕賷丞 亘乇賵爻鬲 賴匕賴!
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
丕賯鬲亘丕爻:
"兀乇賯
噩爻賲賷 賷賵噩毓賳賷 賰孬賷乇賸丕 鈥�
賱丕亘丿 兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱爻乇賷乇 丕賱孬賯賷賱 囟丕睾胤賸丕 廿賱賶 丕賱兀毓賱賶 賳丨賵賷."
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
毓賯賱貙 賯賱亘
丕賱賯賱亘 賷賳賵丨.
丕賱毓賯賱 賷丨丕賵賱 賲爻丕賳丿丞 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱毓賯賱 賷禺亘乇 丕賱賯賱亘 亘丕賱丨丕賱 孬丕賳賷丞:
爻鬲賮賯丿 兀丨亘丕亍賰. 賰賱賴賲 爻賷乇丨賱賵賳. 賱賰賳貙 丨鬲賶 丕賱兀乇囟 爻鬲乇丨賱貙 賷賵賲賸丕 賲丕.
丕賱賯賱亘 賷卮毓乇 亘鬲丨爻賳 丨賷賳卅匕.
賱賰賳 賰賱賲丕鬲 丕賱毓賯賱 賱丕 鬲亘賯賶 胤賵賷賱丕賸 賮賷 兀匕賳賷 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱丨丕賱 噩丿賷丿 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 毓賱賶 丕賱賯賱亘.
賷賯賵賱 丕賱賯賱亘: 兀乇賷丿 丕爻鬲毓丕丿鬲賴賲.
丕賱毓賯賱 賴賵 賰賱 賲丕 賷賲賱賰賴 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱賳噩丿丞 兀賷賴丕 丕賱毓賯賱. 賮賱鬲賳噩丿 丕賱賯賱亘.
佗赡赡侑
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
賱兀賳賴丕 兀賵賱丕賸 賲丿丕賲貙 卮丐賵賳 丕賱賲賳夭賱貙 丕賱丕賴鬲賲丕賲 亘丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱賰亘賷乇 "丕賱夭賵噩" 賵丕賱胤賮賱 丕賱氐睾賷乇 "丕亘賳賴丕"貙 賵賱兀賳賴丕 賲鬲乇噩賲丞 (丕賱賲毓匕亘賵賳 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱兀乇囟 丕賱匕賷 囟丕毓 亘氐乇賴賲 賮賷 丕賱賯賵丕賲賷爻 賵丕賱鬲賳賯賷亘 毓賳 丕賱賲賮乇丿丕鬲 賵丕賱兀囟丿丕丿!) 賵賱兀賳賴丕 鬲毓賲賱 兀爻鬲丕匕丞 亘丕賱噩丕賲毓丞貙 賱噩兀鬲 賲囟胤乇丞 賱兀爻賱賵亘 賰鬲丕亘丞 賷鬲賲賷夭 亘丕賱賯氐乇 賵丕賱丕禺鬲夭丕賱 賵丕賱賰孬丕賮丞. 賱賷丿賷丕 賱丕 鬲賰鬲亘 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 賵賱丕 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賮賯胤貙 賱丕 丕賱卮匕乇丕鬲. 兀賯賵賱 乇亘賲丕 鬲賰鬲亘 賱賷丿賷丕 丕賱賯氐丕氐丕鬲 丕賱賲賯鬲胤賮丞 賲賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 丿賵賳 鬲夭賵賷賯 賰亘賷乇 賲毓 丕賱丨賮丕馗 毓賱賶 氐賱丕亘丞 丕賱賱睾丞 賵氐丨鬲賴丕 賵賯丿乇鬲賴丕 毓賱賶 丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
鬲鬲噩賴 賱賷丿賷丕 賱賲賱丕丨馗丞 鬲賮丕氐賷賱 睾乇賷亘丞貙 賲孬賱丕賸 賴賷 鬲丨賰賷 毓賳 匕亘丕亘丞 賮賷 賯氐丕氐丞 賱賴丕:
"賮賷 賲丐禺乇丞 丕賱丨丕賮賱丞貙
丿丕禺賱 丕賱丨賲丕賲貙
賴匕賴 丕賱賲爻丕賮乇丞 丕賱囟卅賷賱丞 丕賱賲禺丕賱賮丞 賱賱賯丕賳賵賳貙
賮賷 胤乇賷賯賴丕 廿賱賶 亘賵爻胤賳."
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
賳卮兀鬲 賱賷丿賷丕 賮賷 毓丕卅賱丞 賱睾賵賷丞貙 賰丕賳鬲 賲賳 丕賱賲賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲賯囟賷 爻丕毓丕鬲 賮賷 丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 兀氐賱 賰賱賲丞 賲丕 賵鬲丕乇賷禺賴丕 賮賷 毓賱賲 丕賱兀氐賵賱貙 賵賱丕 鬲噩丿 鬲囟賷賷毓丕 賱賱賵賯鬲 賮賷 匕賱賰.
亘亘爻丕胤丞貙 賱賷丿賷丕 鬲毓賷卮 丿丕禺賱 丕賱賱睾丞貙 賵毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賰鬲亘貙 賮廿賳賴丕 鬲鬲賮匕賱賰貙 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 氐丨賷丨 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 賵睾乇 賲禺丕賱賮 賱賱賯賵丕毓丿 丕賱賱睾賵賷丞貙 亘丕賱賱睾丞 賮賷 賯氐氐賴丕 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賰鬲亘賴丕 賮賷 丕賱賳賴丕乇 亘毓丿 毓賳丕亍. 兀噩賱責 毓賳丕亍貙 廿賳賴丕 鬲丨賰賷 賮賷 賯氐丞 亘毓賳賵丕賳: "賲丿丕賲 丿 賵禺丕丿賲丕鬲賴丕" 賮賷 丨賵丕賱賷 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 毓卮乇賷賳 氐賮丨丞 賮賯胤 毓賳 鬲丕乇賷禺 丕賱禺丕丿賲丕鬲 丕賱賱丕鬲賷 賲乇乇賳 毓賱賶 亘賷鬲賴丕. 賰賱 賲丕 賰丕賳鬲 鬲乇賷丿賴 亘毓囟賸丕 賲賳 丕賱賵賯鬲 亘丕賱賳賴丕乇 賱賱賰鬲丕亘丞 賵丕賱賯乇丕亍丞貙 賵賱賯丿 毓丕賳鬲 賱賱丨氐賵賱 毓賱賶 匕賱賰.
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
賱賷丿賷丕 鬲乇噩賲鬲 乇賵丕賷丞 亘乇賵爻鬲: "丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱夭賲賳 丕賱賲賮賯賵丿" 貙 賵兀毓鬲賯丿 兀賳賴丕 賱賵 賱賲 鬲賮毓賱 睾賷乇 匕賱賰 賮賷 丨賷丕鬲賴丕貙 賮廿賳賴丕 爻鬲乇賯丿 賮賷 爻賱丕賲. 賵丨丿賴賲 賲賳 賷毓乇賮賵賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞貙 賷賮賴賲賵賳 賲毓賳賶 鬲乇噩賲丞 乇賵丕賷丞 亘乇賵爻鬲 賴匕賴!
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
丕賯鬲亘丕爻:
"兀乇賯
噩爻賲賷 賷賵噩毓賳賷 賰孬賷乇賸丕 鈥�
賱丕亘丿 兀賳 賴匕丕 丕賱爻乇賷乇 丕賱孬賯賷賱 囟丕睾胤賸丕 廿賱賶 丕賱兀毓賱賶 賳丨賵賷."
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
毓賯賱貙 賯賱亘
丕賱賯賱亘 賷賳賵丨.
丕賱毓賯賱 賷丨丕賵賱 賲爻丕賳丿丞 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱毓賯賱 賷禺亘乇 丕賱賯賱亘 亘丕賱丨丕賱 孬丕賳賷丞:
爻鬲賮賯丿 兀丨亘丕亍賰. 賰賱賴賲 爻賷乇丨賱賵賳. 賱賰賳貙 丨鬲賶 丕賱兀乇囟 爻鬲乇丨賱貙 賷賵賲賸丕 賲丕.
丕賱賯賱亘 賷卮毓乇 亘鬲丨爻賳 丨賷賳卅匕.
賱賰賳 賰賱賲丕鬲 丕賱毓賯賱 賱丕 鬲亘賯賶 胤賵賷賱丕賸 賮賷 兀匕賳賷 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱丨丕賱 噩丿賷丿 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 毓賱賶 丕賱賯賱亘.
賷賯賵賱 丕賱賯賱亘: 兀乇賷丿 丕爻鬲毓丕丿鬲賴賲.
丕賱毓賯賱 賴賵 賰賱 賲丕 賷賲賱賰賴 丕賱賯賱亘.
丕賱賳噩丿丞 兀賷賴丕 丕賱毓賯賱. 賮賱鬲賳噩丿 丕賱賯賱亘.
佗赡赡侑
鈥⑩赌⑩赌�
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2017
賯氐氐 噩賲賷賱丞貙 亘毓囟賴丕 卮丿賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賰孬賷賮 亘卮賰賱 乇丕卅毓貙 丕賱丌禺乇 丕毓鬲賲丿 毓賱賶 鬲丨賱賷賱 丿賯賷賯 賱賲丕 賵乇丕亍 丕賱賰賱賲丕鬲貙 賴賳丕 兀賷囟賸丕 賯氐氐 賵馗賮鬲 賮賷賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賯賱賯賴丕 賵丕賳夭毓丕噩賴丕 賵爻禺乇賷鬲賴丕 賲賳 丕賱乇賵鬲賷賳 亘胤乇賷賯丞 賲賱賮鬲丞. 賰鬲丕亘丞 賲賲賷夭丞貙 賲禺鬲賱賮丞 亘丕賱賲毓賳賶 丕賱丨乇賮賷貙 賲丕 廿賳 鬲賯乇兀 丨鬲賶 鬲賱賲爻 匕賱賰 亘賵囟賵丨 卮丿賷丿 噩丿賸丕.
February 27, 2025
Takich opowiada艅 jeszcze nie czytali艣cie. Maj膮 tak oryginaln膮 form臋, 偶e trudno mi samej ubra膰 to w s艂owa. Jeste艣my przyzwyczajeni do czytania wewn臋trznych monolog贸w, strumieni 艣wiadomo艣ci, pierwszoosobowej lub trzecioosobowej narracji. Natomiast Davis stoi obok swoich bohater贸w i opisuje ich bez emocji. Studiuje ich niczym przypadki do analizy i pos艂uguje si臋 precyzyjnym j臋zykiem, kt贸ry odwzorowuje 偶ycia bohater贸w.
Analizie poddawani s膮 przer贸偶ni ludzie. Davis intryguje form膮, ale te偶 tematami. Bierze na warsztat fikcyjne listy napisane przez grup臋 uczni贸w do swojego kolegi przebywaj膮cego w szpitalu. Przez wiele stron analizuje ich wypowiedzi, pismo i wyci膮ga z nich obraz dzieci艅stwa i niepewno艣ci. Przygl膮da si臋 te偶 s艂u偶膮cym zatrudnianym przez wymagaj膮c膮 pani膮. Pod koniec zbioru zerkniemy na Vi i Helen oraz ich analiz臋 por贸wnawcz膮 starzenia si臋 w dobrym zdrowiu.
Lydia Davis 艣wietnie w艂ada j臋zykiem, ale najlepiej bawi si臋鈥ramatyk膮. W moich oczach najwi臋kszym atutem 鈥濧sortymentu strapie艅鈥� jest szafowanie formami, konwencjami oraz bohaterami. Davis potrafi rozk艂ada膰 zdania na czynniki pierwsze i wymienia膰 w nich s艂owa, by zdanie igra艂o z nasz膮 wyobra藕ni膮 tak, jak w opowiadaniu 鈥濳westia gramatyki鈥�. Zdania nast臋puj膮 po sobie jak domino, jedno opada na drugie, kolejne goni kolejne.
Davis potrafi napisa膰 powiastk臋 na trzy linijki, opowie艣膰 na jedn膮 stron臋, by zaraz zaskoczy膰 czytelnika dog艂臋bna analiz膮 na kilkadziesi膮t stron. Czytaj膮c ma si臋 wra偶enie, 偶e autorka zdoby艂a ca艂膮 wiedz膮 na temat j臋zyka, sk艂adnia jest jej muz膮, a nam pozostaje zachwyca膰 si臋 tym z jak膮 lekko艣ci膮 mo偶na 偶onglowa膰 j臋zykiem. Davis udowadnia, 偶e opowiadania mog膮 mie膰 r贸偶ne formy, a ich tematyka nie musi by膰 jednolita. Mia艂am wra偶enie, 偶e czytam kilka dzie艂 na raz i nie jest to pod 偶adnym pozorem zarzut, a jedynie komplement.
Zapewniam Was, 偶e czego艣 takiego jeszcze nie czytali艣cie. Jeste艣cie zaintrygowani?
Analizie poddawani s膮 przer贸偶ni ludzie. Davis intryguje form膮, ale te偶 tematami. Bierze na warsztat fikcyjne listy napisane przez grup臋 uczni贸w do swojego kolegi przebywaj膮cego w szpitalu. Przez wiele stron analizuje ich wypowiedzi, pismo i wyci膮ga z nich obraz dzieci艅stwa i niepewno艣ci. Przygl膮da si臋 te偶 s艂u偶膮cym zatrudnianym przez wymagaj膮c膮 pani膮. Pod koniec zbioru zerkniemy na Vi i Helen oraz ich analiz臋 por贸wnawcz膮 starzenia si臋 w dobrym zdrowiu.
Lydia Davis 艣wietnie w艂ada j臋zykiem, ale najlepiej bawi si臋鈥ramatyk膮. W moich oczach najwi臋kszym atutem 鈥濧sortymentu strapie艅鈥� jest szafowanie formami, konwencjami oraz bohaterami. Davis potrafi rozk艂ada膰 zdania na czynniki pierwsze i wymienia膰 w nich s艂owa, by zdanie igra艂o z nasz膮 wyobra藕ni膮 tak, jak w opowiadaniu 鈥濳westia gramatyki鈥�. Zdania nast臋puj膮 po sobie jak domino, jedno opada na drugie, kolejne goni kolejne.
Davis potrafi napisa膰 powiastk臋 na trzy linijki, opowie艣膰 na jedn膮 stron臋, by zaraz zaskoczy膰 czytelnika dog艂臋bna analiz膮 na kilkadziesi膮t stron. Czytaj膮c ma si臋 wra偶enie, 偶e autorka zdoby艂a ca艂膮 wiedz膮 na temat j臋zyka, sk艂adnia jest jej muz膮, a nam pozostaje zachwyca膰 si臋 tym z jak膮 lekko艣ci膮 mo偶na 偶onglowa膰 j臋zykiem. Davis udowadnia, 偶e opowiadania mog膮 mie膰 r贸偶ne formy, a ich tematyka nie musi by膰 jednolita. Mia艂am wra偶enie, 偶e czytam kilka dzie艂 na raz i nie jest to pod 偶adnym pozorem zarzut, a jedynie komplement.
Zapewniam Was, 偶e czego艣 takiego jeszcze nie czytali艣cie. Jeste艣cie zaintrygowani?
May 27, 2020
鬲兀賲賱丕鬲 賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷夭 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿丕賸 賱胤賷賮丞 丨賯賷賯賷貙 賵賱賰賳 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 賲卮 亘鬲亘賯賶 賯氐氐 賯氐賷乇丞 賵廿賳賲丕 賲噩乇丿 鬲孬亘賷鬲 賱賲卮賴丿 賵賵氐賮賴 鬲賮氐賷賱賷丕賸貙 賵丿賴 丕賱噩夭亍 廿賱賱賷 賰賱賳丕 亘賳賳胤賴 賮賷 丕賱賮氐賵賱 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賲賳 丕賱乇賵丕賷丕鬲. 鬲賱丕鬲 賳噩賵賲 賱賱賷丿賷丕 丿賷賮賷夭 賵賳噩賲丞 賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇丕鬲 丌賷丞 賳亘賷賴 賮賷 鬲乇噩賲丞 丕賱賳氐.
January 3, 2025
me senti relendo matilde campilho, 贸tima experi锚ncia
August 10, 2024
枚yk眉ler fazla deneysel ancak merakl谋s谋na ilgin莽 gelecektir...
January 19, 2014
There are different kinds of 鈥榮pecial鈥� in this world:
1. There is the 鈥榦h, that鈥檚 special鈥� from a mother or a colleague perhaps, when commenting on a new dress or a new coat of paint in your living room. Make no mistake, it鈥檚 not really compliment, it means that they just don鈥檛 know what else to say.
2. There is the type of 鈥榮pecial鈥� invented by marketeers: a now-or-never advertisement trick that always sounds like a good idea at the time, but rarely is.
3. And, then there is the real special: like Lydia Davis special. Unique. One of a kind. Original. It just stands out.
The first thing that stands out is that she makes her stories about the most everyday things: how many different maids a woman had in her lifetime for instance, or her inability to open packaging:
This collection is a combination of flash fiction with short fiction, sometimes with the feel of poetry, at other times it feels like sociological research. Her stories are regularly made with a linguistic logic that makes your head spin, but is very often just really funny.
One of the stories I liked best was a study of letters a class of fourth-graders wrote to their sick classmate Stephen who spent some time in the hospital recovering. The letters are 5 to 8 sentences long, and what Lydia Davis gives us is a hilarious over-analysis of these letters, culminating in a study of 鈥榯he Daily Lives of Children, their Awareness of Space and Time, and their Characters and States of Mind鈥�.
Brilliant as this story is, I do have to add that a lot of the stories in the collection wouldn鈥檛 work for me on their own, but combined together is when they get to shine. What she does feels highly experimental, and one of the consequences of experimental is that not everything will be liked. There are stories I thought were highly original, and great from a structural point of view, but didn鈥檛 necessarily work for me as a story. It鈥檚 no surprise then that sometimes Lydia Davis might float in between to categories of special. The one you don鈥檛 really like, even if you can appreciate the originality.
1. There is the 鈥榦h, that鈥檚 special鈥� from a mother or a colleague perhaps, when commenting on a new dress or a new coat of paint in your living room. Make no mistake, it鈥檚 not really compliment, it means that they just don鈥檛 know what else to say.
2. There is the type of 鈥榮pecial鈥� invented by marketeers: a now-or-never advertisement trick that always sounds like a good idea at the time, but rarely is.
3. And, then there is the real special: like Lydia Davis special. Unique. One of a kind. Original. It just stands out.
The first thing that stands out is that she makes her stories about the most everyday things: how many different maids a woman had in her lifetime for instance, or her inability to open packaging:
This collection is a combination of flash fiction with short fiction, sometimes with the feel of poetry, at other times it feels like sociological research. Her stories are regularly made with a linguistic logic that makes your head spin, but is very often just really funny.
One of the stories I liked best was a study of letters a class of fourth-graders wrote to their sick classmate Stephen who spent some time in the hospital recovering. The letters are 5 to 8 sentences long, and what Lydia Davis gives us is a hilarious over-analysis of these letters, culminating in a study of 鈥榯he Daily Lives of Children, their Awareness of Space and Time, and their Characters and States of Mind鈥�.
鈥淭wo of the children achieve moments of stylistic eloquence. One, Susan A., creates a vivid concrete image that is enhanced by her use of alliteration and forceful rhythm: 鈥榮ome trees were bent and broken鈥�. (鈥�)
鈥淚t could be argued that Scott too, achieves a certain pleasing balance with his alternation, in the four sentences of his cogent letter, between 鈥榦ver there鈥� and 鈥榟ere where we are鈥�, 鈥榰p there鈥� and 鈥榖ack here again,鈥� in fact creating a seesaw motion and thereby tying Stephen more closely to the class than any of the other children.鈥�
Brilliant as this story is, I do have to add that a lot of the stories in the collection wouldn鈥檛 work for me on their own, but combined together is when they get to shine. What she does feels highly experimental, and one of the consequences of experimental is that not everything will be liked. There are stories I thought were highly original, and great from a structural point of view, but didn鈥檛 necessarily work for me as a story. It鈥檚 no surprise then that sometimes Lydia Davis might float in between to categories of special. The one you don鈥檛 really like, even if you can appreciate the originality.
May 25, 2007
'varieties' is accurate in that she has several techniques, vaguely constellated around her interests (of translation and epistemology, of 'deep ideas' of self).
she's a great bridge to the Modernists... she's thinking about them--Kafka, Proust, Beckett, Woolf--throughout, but we hear her thinking in a very contemporary language, one that is constructed and fragmented *from* modernism, a cento of modernism. relatedly: she's a good mimic. beyond this also, she's several of her own styles.
the short shorts that worked best for me were those that point to that one vaguely has experienced but has never been able to articulate--and so come with an a-ha! ...some however were confounding and i wonder that in these absolutely crucibled forms (the FF) if authors are forced to use personal or limited connotations of language that simply don't 'mean' for everyone, and thereby necessarily create (unintentionally?) obtuse texts...
"The walk" is so far my favorite. at first glance seems a very traditional story--about two people, a proust translator and a proust critic, taking a proustian walk--but reveals itself to be self-commenting, creating a neat and mirrored world (which in itself is an act which comments on proust's architecture of the two ways). also a beautiful style, wistful.
other longer ones are exhausting and exhaustive thought experiments, some by their exhausting function are similar in their ambitions to sorrentino's use of the exhaustive list...
by her carefully chosen and paced varieties, she satisfyingly obliterates the dichotomy of show and tell.
"Enlightened," in entirety:
I don鈥檛 know if I can remain friends with her. I鈥檝e thought and thought about it - she鈥檒l never know how much. I gave it one last try: I called her, after a year. But I didn鈥檛 like the way the conversation went. The problem is that she is not very enlightened. Or I should say, she is not enlightened enough for me. She is nearly fifty years old and no more enlightened, as far as I can see, than when I knew her twenty years ago, when we talked mainly about men. I did not mind how unenlightened she was then, maybe because I was not so enlightened myself. I believe I am more enlightened now, and certainly more enlightened than she is, although I know it鈥檚 not very enlightened to say that. But I want to say it, so I am willing to postpone being more enlightened myself so that I can still say a thing like that about a friend.
she's a great bridge to the Modernists... she's thinking about them--Kafka, Proust, Beckett, Woolf--throughout, but we hear her thinking in a very contemporary language, one that is constructed and fragmented *from* modernism, a cento of modernism. relatedly: she's a good mimic. beyond this also, she's several of her own styles.
the short shorts that worked best for me were those that point to that one vaguely has experienced but has never been able to articulate--and so come with an a-ha! ...some however were confounding and i wonder that in these absolutely crucibled forms (the FF) if authors are forced to use personal or limited connotations of language that simply don't 'mean' for everyone, and thereby necessarily create (unintentionally?) obtuse texts...
"The walk" is so far my favorite. at first glance seems a very traditional story--about two people, a proust translator and a proust critic, taking a proustian walk--but reveals itself to be self-commenting, creating a neat and mirrored world (which in itself is an act which comments on proust's architecture of the two ways). also a beautiful style, wistful.
other longer ones are exhausting and exhaustive thought experiments, some by their exhausting function are similar in their ambitions to sorrentino's use of the exhaustive list...
by her carefully chosen and paced varieties, she satisfyingly obliterates the dichotomy of show and tell.
"Enlightened," in entirety:
I don鈥檛 know if I can remain friends with her. I鈥檝e thought and thought about it - she鈥檒l never know how much. I gave it one last try: I called her, after a year. But I didn鈥檛 like the way the conversation went. The problem is that she is not very enlightened. Or I should say, she is not enlightened enough for me. She is nearly fifty years old and no more enlightened, as far as I can see, than when I knew her twenty years ago, when we talked mainly about men. I did not mind how unenlightened she was then, maybe because I was not so enlightened myself. I believe I am more enlightened now, and certainly more enlightened than she is, although I know it鈥檚 not very enlightened to say that. But I want to say it, so I am willing to postpone being more enlightened myself so that I can still say a thing like that about a friend.
May 21, 2010
Lydia Davis鈥� Varieties of Disturbance is a unique short story collection with stories ranging in length from multiple pages to a single sentence. The stories are often clever with an underlying humor, but some I just fond plain odd. Perhaps I missed the point in a few of them. Quite a few of the shortest stories were more like humorous observations of life rather than stories.
This collection of short stories is very character-driven. With a few of the stories, you aren鈥檛 introduced to the characters at all, but rather you see things through their perspective. As a result, I felt detached and unsympathetic toward the characters and the situations they faced which led to me to be a bit bored with a few of the stories. I suppose I found it hard to relate to a character that I knew nothing about outside of how they reacted in one situation. After the first couple stories I read that left me feeling this way, I started skimming through the book looking for a situation or character that I could relate to. Overall, the book just couldn鈥檛 hold my attention.
I liked the shorter, one sentence type stories the best. The longer stories seemed to drag on for me. I can, however, appreciate the author鈥檚 descriptive ability. She is clearly an intelligent, talented writer. She just doesn鈥檛 appeal to me as much as certain other writers. I wouldn't recommend this collection to others unless they were already fans of this author's writing style.
This collection of short stories is very character-driven. With a few of the stories, you aren鈥檛 introduced to the characters at all, but rather you see things through their perspective. As a result, I felt detached and unsympathetic toward the characters and the situations they faced which led to me to be a bit bored with a few of the stories. I suppose I found it hard to relate to a character that I knew nothing about outside of how they reacted in one situation. After the first couple stories I read that left me feeling this way, I started skimming through the book looking for a situation or character that I could relate to. Overall, the book just couldn鈥檛 hold my attention.
I liked the shorter, one sentence type stories the best. The longer stories seemed to drag on for me. I can, however, appreciate the author鈥檚 descriptive ability. She is clearly an intelligent, talented writer. She just doesn鈥檛 appeal to me as much as certain other writers. I wouldn't recommend this collection to others unless they were already fans of this author's writing style.
November 10, 2014
Do you remember when you were a teenager, and your friends all really liked this one band, but you just didn't understand the appeal of their music? And you had a sneaking suspicion that at least a few of your friends were pretending to like it to seem cool? And maybe even you pretended to like it to seem cool, too?
That is how I feel about this collection, though I'm old enough now to not bother wasting time pretending to be cool. I just straight up don't get it. Another review I read said although it was very intellectual, the collection had zero emotional resonance for them. I wholeheartedly agree.
I can say that a few of the essays appealed to me ("Enlightened"; "Good Times"; "The Fellowship"), but overall I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a dull, highly repetitive, scientific textbook. I really struggled to get through this text, and felt no connection to it, whatsoever.
Cruelest thoughts about this: pretentious drivel, mind-numbingly boring. Nicer thoughts: acerbic and dry, bare-bones, unique, just not my taste.
That is how I feel about this collection, though I'm old enough now to not bother wasting time pretending to be cool. I just straight up don't get it. Another review I read said although it was very intellectual, the collection had zero emotional resonance for them. I wholeheartedly agree.
I can say that a few of the essays appealed to me ("Enlightened"; "Good Times"; "The Fellowship"), but overall I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading a dull, highly repetitive, scientific textbook. I really struggled to get through this text, and felt no connection to it, whatsoever.
Cruelest thoughts about this: pretentious drivel, mind-numbingly boring. Nicer thoughts: acerbic and dry, bare-bones, unique, just not my taste.
January 22, 2022
I put that word on the page,
but he added the apostrophe.
* * *
Like a tropical storm,
I, too, may one day become "better organized."
* * *
Representatives of different food products manufacturers
try to open their own packaging.
* * *
Beyond the hand holding this book that I'm reading, I see another hand lying idle and slightly out of focus - my extra hand.
* * *
If your eyeballs move, this means that you're thinking, or about to start thinking.
If you don't want to be thinking at this particular moment, try to keep your eyeball still.
* * *
I have been hearing what my mother says for over forty years and I have been hearing what my husband says for only about five years, and I have often thought she was right and he was not right, but now more often I think he i right, especially on a day like today when I have just had a long conversation on the phone with my mother about my brother and my father and then a shorter conversation on the phone with my husband about the conversation I had with my mother.
My mother was worried because she hurt my brother's feelings when he told her over the phone that he wanted to take some of his vacation time to come help them since my mother had just gotten out of the hospital. She said, though she was not telling the truth, that he shouldn't come because she couldn't really have anyone in the house since she would feel she had to prepare meals, for instance, though having difficulty enough with her crutches. He argued against that, saying "That wouldn't be the point!" and now he doesn't answer his phone. She's afraid something has happened to him and I tell her I don't believe that. He had probably taken the vacation time he had set aside for them and gone away for a few days by himself. She forgets he is a man of nearly fifty, though I'm sorry they had to hurt his feelings like that. A short time after she hangs up I call my husband and repeat all this to him.
My mother hurt my brother's feelings while protecting certain particular feelings of my father's by claiming certain other feelings of her own, and while it was hard for me to deny my father's particular feelings, which are well-known to me, it was also hard for me not to think there was not a way to do things differently so that my brother's offer of help would not be declined and he would not be hurt.
She hurt my brother's feelings as she was protecting my father from certain feelings of disturbance anticipated by him if my brother were to come, by claiming to my brother certain feelings of disturbance in my mother and father both, feelings that are the same or close to the same in them but different from the feelings of disturbance anticipated by my father an those falsely claimed by my mother to my brother. Now in her disturbance my mother has called to tell me of her and my father's feelings of disturbance over my brother, and in doing this she has caused in me feelings of disturbance also, though fainter and different from the feelings experienced now by her and my father and those anticipated by my father and falsely claimed by my mother.
When I describe this conversation to my husband, I cause in him feelings of disturbance also, stronger than mine and different in kind from those in my mother, in my father, and respectively claimed and anticipated by them. My husband is disturbed by my mother's refusing my brother's help and thus causing disturbance in me greater, he says, than I realize, bu also more generally by the disturbance caused more generally not only in my brother by her but also in me by her greater than I realize, and more often than I realize, and when he points this out, it causes in me yet another disturbance different in kind and in degree from that caused in me by what my mother has told me, for this disturbance is not only for myself and my brother, and not only for my father in his anticipated and his present disturbance, but also and most of all for my mother herself, who has now, and has generally, caused so much disturbance, as my husband rightly says, but is herself disturbed by only a small part of it.
* * *
Oh, poor Dad. I'm sorry I made fun of you.
Now I'm spelling Nietszche wrong, too.
* * *
My body aches so -
It must be this heavy bed pressing up against me.
* * *
1.
It is not that you are not qualified to receive the fellowship, it is that each year your application is not good enough. When at last your application is perfect, then you will receive the fellowship.
2.
It is not that you are not qualified to receive the fellowship, it is that your patience must be tested first. Each year, you are patient, but not patient enough. When you have truly learned what it is to be patient, so much so that you forget all about the fellowship, then you will receive the fellowship.
* * *
I looked down on the street from my window. The sun shone and the shopkeepers had come out to stand in the warmth and watch the people go by. But why were the shopkeepers covering their ears? And why were the peoople in the street running as if pursued by a terrible spectre? Soon everything returned to normal: the incident had been no more than a moment of madness during which the people could not bear the frustration of their lives and had given way to a strange impulse.
* * *
At the back of the bus,
inside the bathroom,
this very small illegal passenger,
on its way to Boston.
but he added the apostrophe.
- Collaboration with Fly, pg. 8
* * *
Like a tropical storm,
I, too, may one day become "better organized."
- Tropical Storm, pg. 19
* * *
Representatives of different food products manufacturers
try to open their own packaging.
- Idea for a Short Documentary Film, pg. 22
* * *
Beyond the hand holding this book that I'm reading, I see another hand lying idle and slightly out of focus - my extra hand.
- Hand, pg. 30
* * *
If your eyeballs move, this means that you're thinking, or about to start thinking.
If you don't want to be thinking at this particular moment, try to keep your eyeball still.
- Getting to Know Your Body, pg. 66
* * *
I have been hearing what my mother says for over forty years and I have been hearing what my husband says for only about five years, and I have often thought she was right and he was not right, but now more often I think he i right, especially on a day like today when I have just had a long conversation on the phone with my mother about my brother and my father and then a shorter conversation on the phone with my husband about the conversation I had with my mother.
My mother was worried because she hurt my brother's feelings when he told her over the phone that he wanted to take some of his vacation time to come help them since my mother had just gotten out of the hospital. She said, though she was not telling the truth, that he shouldn't come because she couldn't really have anyone in the house since she would feel she had to prepare meals, for instance, though having difficulty enough with her crutches. He argued against that, saying "That wouldn't be the point!" and now he doesn't answer his phone. She's afraid something has happened to him and I tell her I don't believe that. He had probably taken the vacation time he had set aside for them and gone away for a few days by himself. She forgets he is a man of nearly fifty, though I'm sorry they had to hurt his feelings like that. A short time after she hangs up I call my husband and repeat all this to him.
My mother hurt my brother's feelings while protecting certain particular feelings of my father's by claiming certain other feelings of her own, and while it was hard for me to deny my father's particular feelings, which are well-known to me, it was also hard for me not to think there was not a way to do things differently so that my brother's offer of help would not be declined and he would not be hurt.
She hurt my brother's feelings as she was protecting my father from certain feelings of disturbance anticipated by him if my brother were to come, by claiming to my brother certain feelings of disturbance in my mother and father both, feelings that are the same or close to the same in them but different from the feelings of disturbance anticipated by my father an those falsely claimed by my mother to my brother. Now in her disturbance my mother has called to tell me of her and my father's feelings of disturbance over my brother, and in doing this she has caused in me feelings of disturbance also, though fainter and different from the feelings experienced now by her and my father and those anticipated by my father and falsely claimed by my mother.
When I describe this conversation to my husband, I cause in him feelings of disturbance also, stronger than mine and different in kind from those in my mother, in my father, and respectively claimed and anticipated by them. My husband is disturbed by my mother's refusing my brother's help and thus causing disturbance in me greater, he says, than I realize, bu also more generally by the disturbance caused more generally not only in my brother by her but also in me by her greater than I realize, and more often than I realize, and when he points this out, it causes in me yet another disturbance different in kind and in degree from that caused in me by what my mother has told me, for this disturbance is not only for myself and my brother, and not only for my father in his anticipated and his present disturbance, but also and most of all for my mother herself, who has now, and has generally, caused so much disturbance, as my husband rightly says, but is herself disturbed by only a small part of it.
- Varieties of Disturbance, pg. 83-85
* * *
Oh, poor Dad. I'm sorry I made fun of you.
Now I'm spelling Nietszche wrong, too.
- Nietszche, pg. 114
* * *
My body aches so -
It must be this heavy bed pressing up against me.
- Insomnia, pg. 128
* * *
1.
It is not that you are not qualified to receive the fellowship, it is that each year your application is not good enough. When at last your application is perfect, then you will receive the fellowship.
2.
It is not that you are not qualified to receive the fellowship, it is that your patience must be tested first. Each year, you are patient, but not patient enough. When you have truly learned what it is to be patient, so much so that you forget all about the fellowship, then you will receive the fellowship.
- The Fellowship, pg. 136
* * *
I looked down on the street from my window. The sun shone and the shopkeepers had come out to stand in the warmth and watch the people go by. But why were the shopkeepers covering their ears? And why were the peoople in the street running as if pursued by a terrible spectre? Soon everything returned to normal: the incident had been no more than a moment of madness during which the people could not bear the frustration of their lives and had given way to a strange impulse.
- A Strange Impulse, pg. 186
* * *
At the back of the bus,
inside the bathroom,
this very small illegal passenger,
on its way to Boston.
- The Fly, pg. 196
January 26, 2011
Well basically my favorite book. Sean calls it "Proust tweets for Baller," Baller being me. I guess that is accurate. My favorite was the one in which she reads and doesn't read Worstward Ho on the bus.
May 21, 2016
Ones I liked: "Grammar Questions," "What You Learn About The Baby," "Passing Wind," "For Sixty Cents," "Order," "The Strangers," "The Caterpillar," "The Fellowship"
March 29, 2019
賳賵毓 丕賱賰鬲丕亘丞 丕賱賱賷 亘鬲亘乇毓 賮賷賴 丿丕賮賷爻 賴賵 丕賱賯氐丞 丕賱賯氐賷乇丞 噩丿賸丕 賵丕賱賲賷賰乇賵 亘賵乇鬲乇賷賴. 賵賱匕賱賰 丕賱賯氐氐 丕賱胤賵賷賱丞 賰丕賳鬲 卮丿賷丿丞 丕賱廿賲賱丕賱.
June 22, 2021
乇亘賲丕 賱賲 鬲毓噩亘賳賷 賰賱 丕賱賯氐氐 貙 賵賱賰賳 賲丕 賷賲賷夭 鬲賱賰 丕賱賲噩賲賵毓丞 賴賵 丕賱丕亘鬲賰丕乇 賵丕賱卮賰賱 賵 丕賱鬲賳丕賵賱 睾賷乇 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷賳
December 16, 2022
Homage:
I'm finishing up three different books today. I started reading Fernando Pessoa's Collected Poetry two, maybe three months ago, but have only seven more poems to read. I started this short, odd, seventeenth century science fiction precursor novel by an English noblewoman just the other day but have rushed through it. And this collection of tales by Lydia Davis has been with me for a couple of weeks now. I liked all but the longest text, the one about longevity and its probably reasons. Probably because I've thought about such things before and dismissed these thoughts as useless.
I wish it were the other way around, that I'd begun all three of these books at the same time and thus finished them at grossly different times. For posting more than one review at a time on 欧宝娱乐 just feels kind of gouache to me.
I'm finishing up three different books today. I started reading Fernando Pessoa's Collected Poetry two, maybe three months ago, but have only seven more poems to read. I started this short, odd, seventeenth century science fiction precursor novel by an English noblewoman just the other day but have rushed through it. And this collection of tales by Lydia Davis has been with me for a couple of weeks now. I liked all but the longest text, the one about longevity and its probably reasons. Probably because I've thought about such things before and dismissed these thoughts as useless.
I wish it were the other way around, that I'd begun all three of these books at the same time and thus finished them at grossly different times. For posting more than one review at a time on 欧宝娱乐 just feels kind of gouache to me.
July 11, 2020
James Wood鈥檜n 鈥淗ayat谋n En Yak谋n Benzeri鈥� kitab谋nda Dilbilgisi Sorular谋 adl谋 Davis 枚yk眉s眉n眉n minik bir incelemesini okudu臒um icin merak edip bu 枚yk眉 kitab谋n谋 ald谋m. Ama k谋smen 莽eviriden k谋smen de 艧iirle birebir g枚zlem aras谋na s谋k谋艧m谋艧 teknikten 枚t眉r眉 枚yk眉leri genel olarak sevemedim.
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