Some English Renaissance plays resonate so deeply, so unaccountably, that it is as if they were written to be staged鈥攏ot at the Globe Theater, or BlacSome English Renaissance plays resonate so deeply, so unaccountably, that it is as if they were written to be staged鈥攏ot at the Globe Theater, or Blackfriars鈥攂ut in my own mind and heart. Others, like The Maid鈥檚 Tragedy, strike me more as what they are鈥攅ntertainments from a distant world, written in a language not quite ours, for a sensibility that bends towards our own here and there, then retreats almost to the borders of incomprehension. Is this my honor? Do they really speak that same word, love? Yes, yes鈥攖hey are just people (just actors!). No, no鈥攖hey are ciphers of ciphers.
I loved The Maid鈥檚 Tragedy, despite its absurdities, from the masque in Act I, which sets the play鈥檚 uncanny tone, to the erotically-charged murders and suicides that bear out its name. Evadne is an absolutely fascinating (anti-)heroine. The play makes perfectly clear, albeit perhaps in spite of itself, how little agency she has, caught between the conflicting whims and desires of powerful men. Put in one impossible position after another, at every turn she chooses to act. Unlike the men in the play, it is perfectly clear that what she is after is neither honor nor pleasure, but bare safety....more
In German, virtually any two nouns can be combined to make a new word. Of course, this is how English (also a Germanic language!) coins words, too. WeIn German, virtually any two nouns can be combined to make a new word. Of course, this is how English (also a Germanic language!) coins words, too. We say lighthouse, not house of light. But we can鈥檛 so easily say sorrowhouse, lovehouse, waitinghouse, dreamhouse. And we say lighthouse keeper, where German omits the space and coins lighttowerkeeper (Leuchtturmw盲rter). This most wonderful feature of the German language is sometimes, ridiculously, called a fault鈥攗sually by reference to some bureaucratic monstrosity (Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapit盲n鈥擠anube steamship company captain. Which, it鈥檚 worth pointing out, is exactly the same in English, just with spaces we don鈥檛 actually pronounce. Anyway, I wouldn鈥檛 want English judged on the basis of its legalese either).
Wordmaking is at the heart of these poems, beginning with the titles of the three collections excerpted here: Light-force (Lichtzwang); Time-homestead (窜别颈迟驳别丑枚蹿迟); Snow-Part (Schneepart (鈥淧art鈥� in German is a part in music or theater)). Almost every one of these poems contains at least one such coinage: needle-glances (Nadelblicken), secret-stocking (Geheimnisstrumpf), song-swarm (Liedschwarm), lark-shadows (Lerchenschatten), blossom-powers (Bl眉tengewalten), crown-flaws (Kronsch盲den), silver-puddles (Silberpf眉tzen), self-kindling-flowers (Selbstz眉ndblumen), light-dung (Lichtdung), whale-brow (Wahlstirn), skull-splinters (Schl盲fensplittern), tongue-uprooting (Zungenentwurzeln).
In combination, we get phrases like: 鈥渟ight-tunnels blown into speech-fog鈥� (Sichttunnels, in / den Sprachnebel geblasen); 鈥渄runken flight-scribes in the longing-hillside鈥� (berauschte Flugschreiber im Sehnsuchtsgeh盲nge); 鈥渙n meadows-edge the wing-hour picks the snow-grain鈥� (an der Flurgrenze pickt / die Fl眉gelstunde das Schneekorn).
In English, these poems are small beads of glass; in German, they are diamonds....more
I confess, I rather wanted to dislike this prize-winning chapbook, which, by appearances, seems to represent so much I find disappointing about contemI confess, I rather wanted to dislike this prize-winning chapbook, which, by appearances, seems to represent so much I find disappointing about contemporary poetry. But alas, it is, simply, good....more
Ancillary Sword is much weaker than Ancillary Justice. The worldbuilding is less adventurous and more obvious, and Breq is starting to feel a little lAncillary Sword is much weaker than Ancillary Justice. The worldbuilding is less adventurous and more obvious, and Breq is starting to feel a little like a cross between Doctor Who showing up with his magic screwdriver and an omniscient narrator pretending to be a person. The all-seeing starship feels less and less like an organic part of the worldbuilding, and more and more like a writing device.
Then there鈥檚 star new character Lieutenant Tisarwat. Where the first book鈥檚 experiments in multiplying selves were a highlight of the novel, Tisarwat鈥檚 characterization never quite comes together, in part because I was never able to figure out, just on a practical level, what was going on. My best guess is that she has the knowledge and memories of Anaander Mianaai, but the personality of the original 17-year-old she was born as, but that explanation doesn鈥檛 really make sense of her behavior. This is part and parcel of a larger problem with characterization and worldbuilding, one which goodreads reviewer Charles puts his finger on perfectly: Breq鈥檚 ship 鈥渇eels more like a girl鈥檚 boarding school than a military unit in a rapacious and brutal empire.鈥� The novel鈥檚 best scenes involve the arrival of a Presger Translator, and they鈥檙e over almost before they鈥檝e started.
So why four stars? Oddly enough, I enjoyed reading this novel almost as much as the first. I loved the comedy-of-manners aspect, and although the social justice angle didn鈥檛 really make a whole lot of sense in-world, the various adventures it spawned were fun to read. The novel is well structured, and does a great job drawing the reader from one mystery to the next. Perhaps most importantly, it鈥檚 been a while since I loved the first book in a series enough to jump immediately into the sequels, and I鈥檇 forgotten just how much fun it is to watch a trilogy unfold鈥攅ven through what is quite often, for writers, the tricky middle act....more
I can see this being tons of fun to watch and even more fun to act in. The humor鈥攃lever, dirty, and slapstick鈥攅vokes contemporary improv and sketch coI can see this being tons of fun to watch and even more fun to act in. The humor鈥攃lever, dirty, and slapstick鈥攅vokes contemporary improv and sketch comedy. And the satire still bites. Jonson leans into the fair as a topsy-turvy world where the hierarchies of daily life are overturned, skewering pomposity in all its forms. But where Jonson鈥檚 verse plays鈥�The Alchemist, Volpone鈥攚ere fun to read, this long play in prose was interminable. Without the inherent forward momentum of meter and relative economy of verse, I felt bogged-down in the wordplay and had trouble following the action. Which goes on and on. On stage, I suspect, the hours would fly by in rapid-fire repartee, but I found it hard to capture that energy as a reader.
Act 5鈥攊n which a dirty-minded puppet-show parody of Hero and Leander descends into mayhem, culminating in a debate between puritan spoilsport Zeal-of-the-Land Busy and a puppet of Dionysius, which the puppet wins by lifting up his clothes and proving that he is neither man nor woman and therefore can鈥檛 be accused of amoral cross-dressing鈥攊s legitimately hilarious. But even so, my overwhelming feeling on turning the last page was relief.
All in all, a fascinating play with much to recommend it, but as a reading experience it fell flat for me....more
Ben Jonson truly is a writer for our time, even if no one much reads or stages these plays anymore. Why would we?鈥攚e鈥檙e busy acting them out unwittingBen Jonson truly is a writer for our time, even if no one much reads or stages these plays anymore. Why would we?鈥攚e鈥檙e busy acting them out unwittingly.
No Shakespearean romance here. Many of the trusted ingredients, sure: word-drunk whimsy; pranks, pratfalls, and punning; whole hosts of schemers, fools, lovers and marks. But Shakespeare loved his heroes (and his antiheroes). Shakespeare鈥檚 plays have so much heart鈥攈owever dark, however silly, however thorny, to read Shakespeare is to feel a great love鈥攁 great love for human beings.
The inimitable 20th century musician Brian Wilson described his goal as an artist, once, as: 鈥淭o bring some love to people, spiritual love, you know? We wanted people to be covered with love, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that somebody will wake up in the morning with any love. It goes away, like a bad dream, it disappears.鈥� To bring love to people鈥攖his is something great art can do.
Or not. Ben Jonson has no interest in love, spiritual or otherwise. His plays are vinegar in a wine bottle. Frankly, they鈥檙e mean.
And we live in mean times. A time of quack alchemists and vainglorious conmen鈥攐f 鈥渞ogues, cozeners, imposters, bawds.鈥� Forget Julius Caesar, this is the play that should have been put on in Central Park with a Donald Trump lookalike in the lead. This story of a 鈥渃hemical cozener鈥� and his 鈥渃aptain pander,鈥� and all the fools they took in鈥斺€渓adies and gentlewoman, citizens鈥� wives, and knights in coaches ... oyster women, sailors wives, tobacco men,鈥� not to mention pastors and deacons鈥攁nd all of them willing, nay, eager, to trade all their earthly possessions for 鈥渟ome twelve thousand acres of fairy land.鈥�
The play must be read as quickly as possible! Avoid annotations. No footnote is worth the loss of momentum鈥攈alf the play is nonsense anyway, that鈥檚 the whole point! But Jonson, too, was a wizard in his way....more
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