opinionated commentary on literary matters - from the complete review

The Literary Saloon Archive

21 - 30 November 2011

21 November: جاده جنگ takes Jalal Al-e Ahmad prize | More on Chetan Bhagat | Bolaño reviews
22 November: NYTBR 100 Notable Books of 2011 | 'Bad sex' award preview | The French Father review
23 November: Translating from ... Hebrew | Writing in ... China | Swiss Book Prize
24 November: French literary prizes | Amos Oz profile | Umberto Eco Q & A
25 November: Alan Ayckbourn profile | New Statesman's 'Books of the year' | Killing Mr. Griffin review
26 November: More 'books of the year' lists | Robert Irwin profile | The Blind Rider review
27 November: Canadian top 100 list | Guadalajara International Book Fair | Unethical books in ... Pakistan
28 November: Yu Hua Q & A | Conversation with Mark Polizzotti | Manila International Literary Festival report | Temporary Perfections review
29 November: Foreign Policy's 'top 100 Global Thinkers' | Chris Andrews Q & A | Krishnakanta's Will review
30 November: Indira Goswami (1942-2011) | Constantijn Huygens-prijs to A.F.Th.van der Heijden | Debating literary criticism | Bestsellers in ... Latin America

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       Indira Goswami (1942-2011)

       Leading Assamese author Indira Goswami has passed away; see, for example, Nilim Dutta's Incomplete Dossier of an Extraordinary Life: Mamoni Raisom Goswami in Tehelka, as well as the obituaries in The Assam Tribune (Great loss for Assamese literature) and the Times of Assam (Mamoni Raisom Goswami passes away).
       Much of her work has been translated into English -- though, of course, in the US/UK there's always that availability issue. But, for example, The Shadow of Kamakhya seems to be available from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

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       Constantijn Huygens-prijs to A.F.Th.van der Heijden

       The Jan Campert-Stichting's Constantijn Huygens-prijs -- the leading Dutch author-, rather than book-prize -- has been awarded to A.F.Th.van der Heijden, the super-prolific and prolix Dutch author.
       Several of his books are under review at the complete review, but none have been translated into English yet; I'm also slowly making my way through the 1000+ page Het schervengericht, which might actually have a chance at getting translated, since it has a very intriguing premise: in this alternate history Roman Polanski doesn't flee the US after his trial but goes to prison for a few months -- where he gets to know another diminutive prisoner, Charles Manson (who of course was responsible for the murder of Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate). See the NLPVF information page about Het schervengericht, or their author page on van der Heijden.

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       Debating literary criticism

       In A crisis in literary criticism ? at Moby Lives Ellie Robins discusses Winston Manrique Sabogal's interesting piece from El País, Radiografía de la crítica literaria -- which includes contributions by several English-writing commentators, including Eliot Weinberger, Marie Arana, and Claire Armitstead.
       As so often in these debates I think things get confused by the conflation of 'literary criticism' and 'book reviewing'. (The way I explain the difference: in a book review you shouldn't say whodunnit; in literary criticism you have to discuss it.) They are very different, and serve different purposes -- though inevitably there's some overlap. (In case it wasn't obvious: about 98 per cent of what you find at the complete review consists of book reviews, with only very small and occasional doses of literary criticism.)
       Eliot Weinberger notes:

Estados Unidos no tiene la clase de suplementos literarios habituales en España y muchos otros países. Solo tiene una publicación periódica importante sobre crítica literaria: The New York Review of Books.

       But, of course, The New York Review of Books' ambit extends far beyond the merely literary -- and rather than a 'crítica literaria' I would consider it a journal of cultural criticism -- 'cultural' in the broadest (i.e. also political) sense. (I subscribe to it, but I do admit to frequently -- i.e. every time an issue arrives -- being annoyed by how far they stray from purely literary coverage.)
       Sadly, however, Weinberger is right when he observes:

No puedo pensar en un solo crítico estadounidense a quien uno pueda recurrir ahora en busca de ideas.

       There are a handful of American critics whose work I'll certainly always read, but none whose work I don't have serious reservations about (so, for example, as I've frequently noted, I continue to be baffled -- truly baffled -- by James Wood's criticism). (Weinberger is always worth reading, but he's also a cultural, rather than literary critic .....)
       Lots more of interest among the responses in the El País-piece -- but as far as the concluding 'Reglas para una crítica equilibrada' I have to disagree with the first (among others): admittedly in literary criticism (as opposed to book reviewing) it's a bit more reasonable, but I'm against 'situating the author' and the like: the (individual) book is what matters, while the author and anything to do with the author is of, at best, secondary (and, indeed, I would argue: far lesser) importance.

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       Bestsellers in ... Latin America

       It's always fun to see and compare what sells well in other countries, and at Publishing Perspectives Andres Hax surveys 'the Bestsellers in Argentina and Chile', in What's Hot in South America ?

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       Foreign Policy's 'top 100 Global Thinkers'

       Foreign Policy has released its 'unique portrait of 2011's global marketplace of ideas and the thinkers who make them', the The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers (single but very long page).
       Many are (also) authors, but there are only a few books by whom are under review at the complete review:

• Alaa Al Aswany (e.g. The Yacoubian Building)
• Tyler Cowen (e.g. Creative Destruction)
• Stéphane Hessel (Time for Outrage !)
• Samantha Power ("A Problem from Hell")
• Martin Wolf (Why Globalization Works )

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       Chris Andrews Q & A

       At The New Yorker's weblog, The Book Bench, Willing Davidson has a Q & A with César Aira-translator Chris Andrews.
       Almost all the available-in-English Aira titles (a tiny fraction of the many, many he's written ...) are under review at the complete review; see, for example, The Literary Conference.

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       Krishnakanta's Will review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Bankim-Chandra Chatterjee's nineteenth-century novel, Krishnakanta's Will.
       Amazingly, this (mainly) Bangla-writing author appears to have been more popular in translation in the US and UK in the late-nineteenth century than in recent decades -- this (apparently out of print) 1962 translation seems to have gone largely unreviewed, but an earlier one even got written up in the (way pre-Sam Tanenhaus ...) The New York Times in 1895.
       Not that Chatterjee has been completely forgotten: Hesperus recently published The Forest Woman (though, sigh, I haven't seen a copy yet); see their publicity page, or get your copy at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

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       Yu Hua Q & A

       In the Star-Ledger Dylan Foley has a (brief) Q & A with Yu Hua about his China in Ten Words.
       I'd like to take a look at this at some point; get your copy at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

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       Conversation with Mark Polizzotti

       At the AUP Comparative Literature & English weblog they report on a recent Conversation with Mark Polizzotti, translator of Bouvard et Pecuchet [via]
       I'm a big fan of that Dalkey Archive Press edition of Bouvard and Pécuchet -- a wonderful book -- but there are numerous other Polizzotti-translations under review at the complete review too (my favorite ? probably Jean Echenoz's Piano).

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       Manila International Literary Festival report

       In The Philippine Star Butch Dalisay reports on A mid-November treat -- which would be the recent (16 to 18 November) Manila International Literary Festival.

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       Temporary Perfections review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Gianrico Carofiglio's Temporary Perfections.

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       Canadian top 100 list

       Another 'best books of the year' list, this time from the (Canadian) Globe and Mail, which offers: The Globe 100: The very best of 2011.

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       Guadalajara International Book Fair

       The Guadalajara International Book Fair -- "the most important publishing gathering in Ibero-America" -- runs through 4 December, and with Nobel laureates Mario Vargas Llosa and Herta Müller in attendance it looks to be worth a look.

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       Unethical books in ... Pakistan

       In the Daily Times Ali Hassan worries that Sale of unethical books on the rise in twin cities, as:

During visits of different places in twin cities Daily Times learnt that the students are more interested in unethical books rather than knowledgeable books and they like to read vulgar literature, not only students but people from different professions read such kind of immoral books.

       Hey, at least they want to read .....
       And I'm not that convinced that:

These kinds of books adversely affect the minds and approach of young students. Such books are being sold only at Rs 30 to 35 on the stall at bus stops of twin cities. These books are source of entertainment for lower class community of labors, conductors and beggars. The wrongdoings spreading in our society is the result of reading these vulgar and unethical novels and books. They give rise to many gender related issues in our society.

       Labor(ers ?), conductors, beggars reading ? Yeah, there seems to be a class problem here. I think they could do worse than looking to these 'vulgar and unethical novels' -- and it's good to see they are competitively priced.

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       More 'books of the year' lists

       The Guardian now offers their extensive list of Books of the year 2011 as selected by their contributors.

       Meanwhile, the Financial Times has FT writers and guests pick their non-fiction favourites of 2011 -- lots of categories, but, yes, just non-fiction.

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       Robert Irwin profile

       In Al-Ahram Weekly David Tresilian profiles Robert Irwin: anti anti-orientalist.
       Among other things:

"There is no doubt -- the statistics are there -- that more Arabic titles are being translated into English every year than used to be the case," Irwin continues. "But one of the problems the British reading public may have with Arabic fiction is that so much of it is heavily politicised: so much of it is veiled or open criticism of despotic Arab regimes, or of the oppression of women in the Middle East, or of the Palestine problem. On the whole, British fiction is not political. The British public likes a good plot, and what is being offered instead by Arab writers is disguised polemic.

       And I do like the mention:

Irwin is supportive of the Arab Spring ("I'm looking forward to it")

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       The Blind Rider review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Juan Goytisolo's The Blind Rider.
       Powerful stuff from the master -- but is this (published in 2005) really already out of print ?

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       Alan Ayckbourn profile

       In the Oxford Student Rebecca Loxton profiles the playwright, in Alan Ayckbourn's favourite orphan plays.

       (Several of his plays are under review at the complete review; see, for example, Comic Potential.)

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       New Statesman's 'Books of the year'

       The New Statesman now also has 'contributors and friends choose their favourite reads of the year', in their Books of the year 2011 list. (Unfortunately, they present it in incredibly inconvenient and annoying form, with each contributor and friend making their selections on a separate page. Single page, people -- always put everything on a single page.)

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       Killing Mr. Griffin review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of another of Lois Duncan's 1970s teen thrillers, Killing Mr. Griffin.

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       French literary prizes

       In Le Monde Luis de Miranda says enough already, with a call Pour un moratoire sur les prix littéraires.
       Still, looking at the steady announcements of new prize winners etc. in France -- check in at Prix-Litteraires: Le blog for all the fun -- I think there's a lot to be said for many of these. Okay, maybe not the Goncourt and the like -- de Miranda does have a point there -- but how can one not appreciate 'Le prix des Impertinents' (rewarding taboo-breaking, politically incorrect literature), or Le prix du Livre Insulaire -- which apparently is willing to consider both literal and metaphorical insularity ... ?

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       Amos Oz profile

       In The Jewish Week Eric Herschthal profiles The Wizardry Of Amos Oz -- and learns:

"It would be a mistake to read Scenes from Village Life as a statement about the state of Israel," Oz said in an interview at the offices of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, his American publisher. "It should be read as a statement on the human condition

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       Umberto Eco Q & A

       At Tablet David Samuels has a Q & A with Umberto Eco, discussing The Prague Cemetery (which I just could not make my way through).

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       Translating from ... Hebrew

       In The Jewish Week they have: 'A translator (and fiction writer) on the tricky task of turning Israeli novels into English', as Evan Fallenberg writes about what's Gained in Translations [via].

       See also the Index of Israeli and Hebrew Literature under Review at the complete review.

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       Writing in ... China

       Xinhua reports that Chinese president urges writers, artists to produce "great works", as Hu Jintao addressed:

a joint inaugural ceremony for the Ninth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the Eighth National Congress of the China Writers' Association (CWA).

       Among other things:

He advised them to get close to the realities and lives of the masses, uphold the spiritual torch of the Chinese nationality, and produce a greater number of excellent works that live up to the history, the times and the people.

       Good luck with all that.

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       Swiss Book Prize

       Like love german books I missed the announcement, but, yes, Jacob beschliesst zu Lieben by Catalin Dorian Florescu has won this year's Swiss Book Prize; see also his official site.

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       NYTBR 100 Notable Books of 2011

       The New York Times Book Review has released its list of its 100 Notable Books of 2011.
       Predictably, few are under review at the complete review -- six, in all (three fiction, two non, one volume of poetry) -- though I'll probably get to a few more (the Eugenides, when I get my hands on a copy; the Nádas, when I've made my way through it). The six titles are:

• 1Q84 by Murakami Haruki
• Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz
• Seven Years by Peter Stamm
• Taller when Prone by Les Murray
• The Information by James Gleick
• Is That a Fish in Your Ear ? by David Bellos

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       'Bad sex' award preview

       In The Guardian Stephen Bates reports that: 'The Literary Review prepares to name the author responsible for the worst sex scene of the year', in Bad sex awards: the contenders for a night at the In and Out, reporting that: "the awards have shortlisted 12 authors before the presentation next month" (though also that: "The Literary Review says there is still time for more nominations").
       No full list there or at the Literary Review site -- but Christos Tsiolkas, a finalist last year, has the dubious honor of being in the running for the second time in a row, this time with Dead Europe (apparently eligible because it hasn't been published in the UK until now, though it originally came out in 2005).

       (Updated): The full twelve-title shortlist (plus quotes) can be pieced together via the Literary Review's Twitter-feed. The titles in the running are:

• 11.22.63 by Stephen King
• 1Q84 by Murakami Haruki
• The Affair by Lee Child
• Dead Europe by Christos Tsiolkas
• Ed King by David Guterson
• Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy
• The Final Testament of The Holy Bible by James Frey
• The Great Night by Chris Adrian
• The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel
• On Canaan's Side by Sebastian Barry
• Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller
• Parallel Stories by Nádas Péter

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       The French Father review

       The most recent addition to the complete review is my review of Alain Elkann's The French Father (which features Roland Topor in the afterlife !).

(Posted by: M.A.Orthofer)    - permanent link -

       جاده جنگ takes Jalal Al-e Ahmad prize

       The Tehran Times reports that War Road author not surprised over lucrative Jalal award, as Mansur Anvari (منصور انوری) has taken "Iran's most lucrative award" (winning: "110 Bahar Azadi gold coins worth over $66,000") for the first five volumes of what is projected to be a 20-volume work (he's currently up to volume eight), The War Road (جاده جنگ).
       The win doesn't come as a major surprise, as this looks to be the Iranian 'book of the year' -- recall that it took the "fiction section" prize of the Golden Pen Awards (out of "804 fictional novels" submitted) this summer, see the Tehran Times report.
       But, yeah, don't expect US publication anytime soon .....

       (But note that two works by Jalal Al-e Ahmad are under review at the complete review: By the Pen and The School Principal.)

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       More on Chetan Bhagat

       I mentioned Chetan Bhagat and his new novel, Revolution 2020, yesterday, and in The Hindu Swati Daftuar also wonders 'What makes Chetan Bhagat, India's only author selling in millions, such a publishing phenomenon ?' in The revolution man -- with some impressive numbers.
       So, for example:

His latest book, Revolution 2020, had the online bookstore, Flipkart.com, hiring 500 extra delivery boys just for a day to deliver the pre-ordered copies

       (I note with some disappointment that no complete review readers have ordered the book via Flipkart -- but I also wonder whether Amazon has ever had to hire extra delivery boys to deliver copies .....)
       But the sales numbers are certainly very impressive (especially when compared to the nearest competition (scroll down in the piece for sales totals for other Indian bestsellers)):

Bhagat's new book, Revolution 2020, has already sold 750,000 copies since its publication in October, 2011.

       (See also the Rupa publicity page, or get your copy from Amazon.com -- paperback or Kindle (!) -- or Amazon.co.uk.)

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       Bolaño reviews

       The most recent additions to the complete review are my reviews of two new Roberto Bolaño books:

• The posthumously published early novel, The Third Reich, due out shortly
• The poetry collection, Tres

       Posting these review also led me to update all the other Bolaño-review-pages on the site, which was a lot of work. A lot of new reviews, a lot of dead links, a lot of changed links ..... (And note that Bolaño-mania appears to be near universal: IBNA has just reported -- and kudos for that headline -- Distant Star twinkles in Iran).

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