Okay, Okay, I've given this three stars because I found that it was a bit, well, a bit tough to propel myself through. And there are books that are toOkay, Okay, I've given this three stars because I found that it was a bit, well, a bit tough to propel myself through. And there are books that are tough for a reason, and many will argue that this in one of those books. Perhaps. It certain is a dream for dissection. I guess I'm having the same problems with Gravity's Rainbow. Yes, yes, Pynchon you are clearly a master of several fields of knowledge, but why couldn't you employ this mastery of knowledge in a plot structure that kept me reading. I mean, this book is now going to be a classic for the way that it challenges a normative secular world view through the introduction of a mysterious bidder, and the framing of life as a mystery, but Oedipa Maas is about as exciting as baseball. All this is to say that I take about as much aesthetic enjoyment from reading Aquinas as I do from Pynchon - that said, Pynchon also deserves to be mentioned along with Aquinas for the thought provoking associations and philosophical structures he probes. Think Beautiful Losers written by someone from the PI institute. ...more
The first poem in this collection is already into Dante, so I'm a big fan of that. I've found that Walcott's poetry is deceptively simple at times. I'The first poem in this collection is already into Dante, so I'm a big fan of that. I've found that Walcott's poetry is deceptively simple at times. I've had to read, and re-read poems to push beyond my first perception. I'd leave the poem saying yeah, that was the right interpretation wasn't it. Then I'd think about it for a second, and return to the poem and come up with a bit more. The poem would shift under my feet, and I'm pretty sure that Walcott designs them to do that - though I'm not sure how. ...more
I'm philosophically interested in this book, and poetically I guess. I feel like I need to read it again, and then read all of Heaney's other poetry bI'm philosophically interested in this book, and poetically I guess. I feel like I need to read it again, and then read all of Heaney's other poetry before I can say to much about it. I love the poem "Lupins"; and I'm partial to another poem in here about playing soccer, which is a loose analogy for writing poetry - what else. I've been interested in the way that the task of writing poetry, and thinking about writing poetry has taken over the writing of poetry. Most contemporary poetry is about writing poetry. Ondaatje, and every amateur poet in Canada has this disease. I like a little less of it then I get, but hey. ...more
I was amazed by Mendelsohn's prose. He could string on sentences for astounding lengths, and yet they were effortless to read. I found my self studyinI was amazed by Mendelsohn's prose. He could string on sentences for astounding lengths, and yet they were effortless to read. I found my self studying his sentence construction.
This is also a beautiful approach to the Holocaust, as much as that may sound contradictory. He humanizes the loss of life to such an extent that the holocaust becomes something much more personal - even while it is inaccessible - and this is one of Mendelsohn's points - its inaccessibility. There are also some great moments of biblical criticism in this text, because Mendelsohn has interspersed scholarly commentary on the book of Genesis with his search for his lost relatives. Great book for anyone thinking about conducting interviews with anyone. It will make you consider the interview situation from many different perspectives.
Read it! It's a detective fiction, for all you junkies. ...more
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