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I was unplugged for a few days–I highly recommend it. Sometimes it’s fun just to have fun. I’ll be unplugged again this coming weekend (although with a much lower fun factor). Subjects for posts I have planned to write: The Desert of the Tartars movie Film, 20-minute feature by Samuel Beckett, starring (if that’s the […]
It turns out this wasn’t the latest Sue Grafton mystery, although it does sound scary. I just discovered AbeBooks’ Weird Book Room –if you need a laugh today, you could do worse. Although you’ll have to stand behind me for Whose Bottom is This?: A Lift-the-flap Book.
The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati Translation by Stuart C. Hood Introduction by Tim Parks Canongate Books Ltd. (2007); paperback ISBN: 978-1841959283I have had this in my to be read pile for a while but Miguel’s post at St. Orberose on Jorge Luis Borges’ “personal library” recommendations pushed me to open it the other evening. […]
I finally finished listening to How to Live, or A life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer and thoroughly enjoyed it. A mix of Montaigne’s biography and review of his works, it made my commute much more pleasurable. Now the only question is what version of the Essays to start […]
Work threw me a knuckleball this week, but hopefully I’ll be back to semi-regular posting in the next few days (offset by some travel days). So expect some posts on The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati and the screen adaptation The Desert of the Tartars (both highly recommended). I still have some ways to go […]
Title page to Clerks / Chasing Amy: Two Screenplays: by Kevin Smith Robin, See? Now this sucks. You get this cool gift, right. And that’s okay. But now you know Dwight’s going to hold it over your head forever. Maybe even extort sex from you as well (if he’s not a relative…hell, maybe even if […]
At the start of the year, The Neglected Books Page posted on Fortunata and Jacinta as “The Greatest Novel You’ve Never Heard of.” Please read that post about the book and follow the links provided—it’s a great overview of the novel and introduction to Galdós. I seconded the enthusiasm for the novel and author and […]
Pornografia by Witold Gombrowicz Translation by Danuta Borchardt Grove Press, 248 pages (paperback) ISBN: 978-0802145130I’m having trouble getting motivated to read or post so I’ll provide a wrap-up on Pornografia that is heavy on links, quotes, and impressions. First, the summary from the Publishers Weekly review (taken from Bacacay: The Polish Literature Weblog): While recuperating […]
At Frederick’s command, Henia (Sandra Samos) rolls up Karol’s torn pants legI continue with my erratic foreign movie posts for this year as well as posting on movies adapted from books (as usual, this post will look at the differences between the film adaptation and the novel). For more foreign movies, check out Caroline’s World […]
My last post while I’m taking a break… An article by David Mikics, “The Diplomat of Shoah History,” fits in well with much of my recent reading and I highly recommend it (even with some reservations). In the article Mikics looks at Timoth Snyder’s book Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin and the question “Does […]