Recently finished books?

[hayden]

Platero and I by Juan Ramon Jimenez

A humble and gentle masterpiece. A series of poetic vignettes that describe the author's relationship his donkey and the village he lives in. The book is filled with love for nature and the idyllic, pastoral life in the village, but without whitewashing and ignoring the cruel aspects and the everlasting presence of death. It is both mature and innocent, strongly evocative and completely unique. I am not ashamed to say that I was shedding tears at the airport as I read the final pages, for a donkey that was written with far more personality and realness than many characters in lesser works.

For the record, this is my favourite book.
Glad to hear it struck a chord. It's beautiful work.

 

[Leseratte]

Lima Barreto - The Decline and Fall of Policarpo Quaresma : 2014 translation of Francis Johnson, available only in Kindle format. Last decade of 19th century Brazil, around the period of navy revolt, Barreto writes about the 'neo republican, strong patriotic, all things Brazilian' , your typical modern day traditionalist in Quaresma. Despite his notions of nation and society and the regular set backs, he carries his life and his surroundings in his way. I get a feeling that Lima Barreto is attempting in ridiculing the present state of the country in his 'satirical', mocking way of depiction of his characters. Interesting book, impressed too.

He certainly is! Just alove a bit of context:
After the (for America unusual) 80 years period of Monarchy, the Brazilian Republic was officially declared on 15th November 1889. The slaves had, also officially been set free the year before. Because of both these facts the social and political Brazilian scene changed enormously in a very short time. During the short period of the Brazilian Monarchiy everything gravitated around the court and the imperial family. Now republican groups like the military, the civil servants, profesionals with a degree but little learning, usw ascend socially, while the former groups disappear.

is the realistic context where Policarpo´s visionary idealism gets sistematically broken down.

 

[kpjayan]

is the realistic context where Policarpo´s visionary idealism gets sistematically broken down.

Thank you for the context and back ground. Yes, that is the feeling I get, when I read.

 

[Leseratte]

is the realistic context where Policarpo´s visionary idealism gets sistematically broken down.

Sorry Jayan. My reply got mixed up with your evaluation of the book. I tried to delete it but didn´t succeed.

 

[Phil D]

/ Dany Laferrière - Comment faire l'amour avec un Nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired) - (++)

Two poor young bohemian Black men – Vieux, our narrator, budding novelist, and Bouba, Freudian-Muslim-mystique – share a tiny apartment during a stifling Montreal summer, picking up women, listening to jazz, theorising about sex and race, and reading and writing.

The characters are all, quite deliberately, not unique individuals but types, de-individuated in a cultural milieu where skin colour and gender determine the way people relate to each other. The writing is witty, stylish, ironic and self-conscious, and the result is both amusing and insightful. Highly recommended; I look forward to reading more by the same author.

 

[hayden]

/ Dany Laferrière - Comment faire l'amour avec un Nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired) - (++)

Two poor young bohemian Black men – Vieux, our narrator, budding novelist, and Bouba, Freudian-Muslim-mystique – share a tiny apartment during a stifling Montreal summer, picking up women, listening to jazz, theorising about sex and race, and reading and writing.

The characters are all, quite deliberately, not unique individuals but types, de-individuated in a cultural milieu where skin colour and gender determine the way people relate to each other. The writing is witty, stylish, ironic and self-conscious, and the result is both amusing and insightful. Highly recommended; I look forward to reading more by the same author.

Can't quite remember if I did, but I think I nominated Laferriere for our Wolfie at somepoint or another. As much as I recommend How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired (which became his most popular most likely because of the title, which he later analyzes in later writings), The Return and A Drifting Year are probably my favourites by him. Has that crude blunt poeticness of Bukowski.

 

[Phil D]

Can't quite remember if I did, but I think I nominated Laferriere for our Wolfie at somepoint or another. As much as I recommend How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired (which became his most popular most likely because of the title, which he later analyzes in later writings), The Return and A Drifting Year are probably my favourites by him. Has that crude blunt poeticness of Bukowski.

Would be more than happy to read him as a Wolfie nominee

 

[Ben Jackson]

Anne Carson - If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho

"messenger of spring ... nightingale with a voice of longing"

- A book that presents us several compositions (oftentimes incomplete) by our dear, beloved, honey boo and tenth muse Sappho, translated and commented by our dear, beloved, honey boo and eleventh muse Anne Carson. It's a bit sad that most of Sappho's writings are almost unintelligible. Sometimes we just have one single world intelligible or people just mentioning that Sappho said this or did that. At any hate, we have at least some beautiful poems that seems complete. Anne's translation is great and respectful, and her notes show that she really knows what she's talking about. I could read her writings on Ancient Greece without ever getting bored and always wanting to know more.

"...nor will there be a sunlit day that lacks the name of lyric Sappho."

Anytime I want to go poetic, I usually pick up this book that you just reviewed. I love the language so much.

 

[Ben Jackson]

Anne Carson - If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho

"messenger of spring ... nightingale with a voice of longing"

- A book that presents us several compositions (oftentimes incomplete) by our dear, beloved, honey boo and tenth muse Sappho, translated and commented by our dear, beloved, honey boo and eleventh muse Anne Carson. It's a bit sad that most of Sappho's writings are almost unintelligible. Sometimes we just have one single world intelligible or people just mentioning that Sappho said this or did that. At any hate, we have at least some beautiful poems that seems complete. Anne's translation is great and respectful, and her notes show that she really knows what she's talking about. I could read her writings on Ancient Greece without ever getting bored and always wanting to know more.

"...nor will there be a sunlit day that lacks the name of lyric Sappho."

Anytime I want to go poetic, I usually pick up this book that you just reviewed. I love the language so much

For the record, this is my favourite book.
Glad to hear it struck a chord. It's beautiful work.

Everything about Jimenez is astonishing. I haven't read Platero and I yet, but you're a big fan of 20th Century European Poetry, Jimenez's one unforgettable poet. Have you read his other poems, Hayden?