Home of Translated fiction and #translationthurs
I ve a busy couple of days at work coming up a course and then a long day trip to Skegness a seaside town about two hours from here with the people I support so .I m not going to be blogging again til friday as I just won’t have time ,hope every one has a good week .
As ever I m late signing up for a challenge ,seen other people doing this challenge so thought why not ,the theme seems to be books dealiong with dark subjects so I ve choose these to try and read –
Artic chill by Arnaldur Indritdason –
An icelandic novel ,following detective Erlendur ,investigating the death of a dark skinned young boy and his missing half brother .
The she devil in the mirror by Horacio Castellanos Moya –
Not quite sure if this fits in ,but follows Laura River who best friend has been killed and Laura won’t rest til she finds out ,all set in the chaos of post war s=San Salvador .
The haunting of hill house by Shirley Jackson –
follows four ghost hunters staying at Hill House a haunted house i,from the well known short story writer consider a classic horror novel .
There are my three books ,what you think ?
Well at home today it is coffee and chocolate brioche today ,well another busy week here at wonstons towers ,I read my first graphic novel for a very long time last night .well there are a couple of bits of news .
NEWS –
Earlier this year Amazon announced that it was starting it’s on translation press ,called amazon crossing to publish their own books .well this week there was a press release announcing the first titles in the range .These include titles from Germany ,Argentina ,China and Ukraine here is there press release
also PEN in America announced their prizes winners for 2010 ,the book in translation prize winner was Wonder by Hugo Claus trans Michael Henry Heim ,I read this Belgian classic earlier this year ,here is my review also some more info on the translator from earlier this year including A video of him talking about wonder .
NEW BOOKS –
Well I had two books arrive this week ,after getting a e -mail from Malcolm at Oxygen books I received their city lit books for Berlin and Amsterdam ,I have spent time in both cities ,so am hugely looking forward to these anthologies of writing by various well-known writers and a few celebs about the cities and their history .
HOW HAS YOUR WEEK BEEN ?
SOURCE – REVIEW COPY FROM QUARTET BOOKS
The book is an autobiography come biography about Vivian Mackerrell and about Colin’s own life ,Vivian may be part of the inspiration for the film character Withnail from the film Withnail and I .Now Bruce Robinson has said he was part of inspiration and knew Vivian when they shared a house whilst at drama school ,Colin Knew Vivian from an earlier time growing up in Nottingham .THE book starts with a bit about both there childhoods and Colin’s reason for writing the book .The first thing he does is trying to find relatives meeting his brother and his partners .He also contacts Bruce Robinson he didn’t want to be interviewed but offers photos and letters also other people Colin may talk too .Vivian grew in Nottingham spending time in his late teens round the playhouse in Nottingham this sparked an interest in acting and lead to him going to london to study where he meets Bruce ,David Dundas a musician and composer ,Micheal Elphick a fellow actor ,they live the usual student life drink meeting women etc .post college Vivian struggled as a jobbing actor ,he had talents but was difficult at time ,with his acid wit and wry humour ,Eventually he made his way back to live in Nottingham ,had a great partner Kate who he was close too ,he always drank and loved pub culture being sat in a pub talking to people ,he worked on and off over the years for the designer Paul Smith a friend of his from his days in Nottingham ,eventually life caught up with Vivian and he spent time in hospital and had some fun at times whilst in hospital ,he lived a colourful and eventful life.
“It’s a present from Dodgy Dave ,the fucker who stole my television .He was working at Raleigh and I bet him he couldn’t nick me a bike .Well he did it in bits ”
I can’t imagine you ever riding a bike
but it’s not any old bike ,It’s a Raleigh chopper .A real seventies icon .He’s been nicking parts for weeks .The rest is in my back shed you don’t fancy putting it together do you ?
a friend notices Vivian television is missing but there are some handlebars in his front room.
I loved this book ,knew I would like most people of my generation the film Withnail and I is a real icon ,so this biography of the man who may have inspired the character was a must read for me .Now whether or not he did inspire Withnail doesn’t matter Vivian’s own story is a real touching story ,not one person who meet him seems to have a bad words in fact the opposite he seems to be a fondly remember guy who like a drink and had a huge if under used talent as an actor .i m sure in most big towns there are a number of Vivian’s the guy who tells wonderful stories in the pub as you sit and have a drink with him.A true testament to a true english eccentric ,he like the actors he admired Harris ,Burton was a large than life figure and truly deserved this touching portrait by Colin Bacon.
Source – second hand copy brought at book stall .
Translator -Helen Lane -she translated numerous novels in Spanish including Martinez earlier book the Peron novel ,and one I want to read when I get a copy I supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos
Tomas Eloy Martinez was born in San Miguel de Tucuman got a degree from there in Spanish and Latin American literature ,then studied in Paris ,he work in Journalism for many years ,then took to teaching at universities in America .He passed away earlier this year .This book was a choice for September shared read by richard of Carvana de Recuredos ,I had got a copy in the summer so decide to join in,
The book focus on the death and Life of Eva Peron Evita as she was known the wife of the Argentina dictator Juan Peron ,the book is told via the people who come into contact with her body as she was embalmed and put on display ,she died aged 33 after 6 years of the wife of the president .we flash from the present to the past as we find people dealing with the body and what part Peron and the regime had played in their life ,on a couple of occasions his fellow Argentina writer Jorge Luis Borges is mention and his reaction at the time to Peron ,where he used hidden meaning in his works .in the end we find out how much the rise to power had effect this country girl .
In this novel peopled by real people by real character ,the only ones I never met were Evita and the Colonel .I saw Evita only from a distance in Tucuman , one morning on a national holiday as for Colonel Moori Koeing I found a couple of photos and a few traces of him .the newspapers of the period mention him openly and disparagingly .It took me months to meet the widow ,who lived in an austere apartment on the Calle Arenales and who agreed to see me only after putting me off time and time again .
there are clever Meta fiction touches like this scattered over the book .
I found this book a wonderfully researched and heartfelt book Martinez had lived through the regime so knew at first hand the situations described ,Like most shocking events and times it left a lasting impression on him .The veil is lifted on Eva Peron ,a name which most people know by the saccharin musical ,this book shows the dark side of the story as well as the light side .We find how power corrupts people and the effect it has on the people caught up in the corruption and abuse of power ,many thanks for Richard for picking this that may have sat on my shelf a lot longer ,if not for this reading group .
Richard at caravana de recuerdos is hosting the foreign film challenge for the Orbis terrarium challenge so I had a look through my DVD’S i ve about 50 films in various languages and decide on my all time favourite film .
WINGS OF DESIRE –
the film is set in berlin and was directed by the German director Wim Wenders his films are always great viewing probably best known for Pari Texas ,This is considered his masterpiece .the film follows two angels ,Daniel played by Bruno Ganz best known for Downfall now where he played Hitlers last days and Cassiel played by Otto Sander who also appear in Das Boot as a U Boat Captain .The films opens with a flash through different people in Berlin and there thoughts these include Peter Falk on a plane ,the angels listen to these thoughts and wander the city .Then we met daniel she him listen to some kids who can see him ,then he meets Cassiel and they discuss a=what they ve seen a woman closing an umbrella and getting wet ,a man jumping of a building ,as they talk Daniel laments the fact they only see and don’t feel even simple things like print on the paper coming of on his hands ,he says he wants to live not view ,Cassiel disagrees they part ,meanwhile a trapeze artist Marion is practising on the trapeze for what turns out is her last performance as the circus has to close for the winter at this point Daniel enters and is taken by this beautiful young woman played by the late Solveig Domartin ,he follows her into her caravan where she plays her records Nick Caves from here to eternity album the track the carny about a circus performer that has run of and we hear her thoughts about how sad it is the circus is moving on .then he go’s to the main Berlin Library where a lot of angels are listen to people at this point we met the other main character Curt Bois he plays Homer an aged poet who is looking back on his life and what has happen to his beloved berlin ,also Peter Falk is making a world war two film and sketching people he sense Cassiel and Daniel and tries to talk to them .At this point Daniel decides to become human he wakes by the Berlin wall with a suit of armour and he sets of to find Marion in the end catching her at a Nick Cave concert where there is an obvious spark between them .
the filming is mainly in black and white and only in colour when the angels aren’t there ,claire Denis was assistant director who directed Chocolat after this .the city is beautifully shot and becomes a character in its own right ,the dialogue is beautiful the script was a joint project between Wender and the German novelist Peter handke .it uses Rainer Maria Rilke poetry as a spring-board with a recurring theme of Child hood via a song ,it shows how poetic german can be .I love the innocence of the film it is a simple love story of a couple and a city . there was a poor american remake of the film .
I would love some people to help me out with the around the world challenge have a basic format but ideas and offers of help most welcome .THE IDEA SO FAR IS 11 CATEGORISE no order but a year-long challenge ,thinks I need help with are using mister linky ,making a button for blogs to show any help or offers of support be most welcome . here is what the categories would be –
There are categories I ve in mind and let people read in what ever order they want but one a month for challenge leaving spare month as we all have things crop up and may need time in hand .
WHAT DO YOU THINK ?
I want this to be fun my personnel goal was to read books from 52 countries this year I ve nearly done that in twelve months ,its given me such a scope of books ,I just in a little way want to pass that on to other people in a fun way ,all the best stu and winston .
Andrea grew up in britain after her parents came here in the empire windrush in the late 40’s ,a subject she touched on ,in the novel small island .She didn’t start writing til here 30’s and since has had a rise with every novel this is her fifth and is shortlisted for the booker .The novel drifts us back to the Jamaica of the 1800’s where slavery is still in place and the slave July we follow her life from her birth after her mother was raped to her entering service for a vicious english women Caroline Mortimer ,where she is beaten and stab with pins and other things on a regular basis for no apparent reason or little provocation .Meanwhile in the outside world there are great changes underfoot rebellions and just glimpses of freedom for the slaves . to the arrival of a new overseer with a new way of treating slaves ,kindly with is slightly more liberal view of doing the work .
July threw herself upon the floor ,held the dress aloft and yelled, missus ,the dress spoil! Them mash-up your dress .It messed up ,it mess up .Oh beat me ,missus come on beat me ! the dress spoil ,spoil,spoil come tek a whip and beat me I beggin you missus .
July expecting a beating from the violent mistress caroline .
Now this is written in a style of Jamaican english or patois that was spoken by the slaves a relaxed english .July comes across as a highly realistic character that has a hard life and you feel her injustices and triumphs along the way .Levy seems to want to bring some of her own family’s history forward and had done maticlious research for this novel in Jamaica and the uk looking back on records of the time and the slaves life ,Which she described in an interview I heard as a hard task as there was a lot of side information number jobs etc but little or none on how the slaves felt at the time .what Levy has done is capture a young girls struggle to womanhood in the most difficult of circumstances .A book for anyone interested in the history of the time and how slaves lives really were on the plantations
This is one of this years booker shortlist .
I am a huge fan of the books written by the late Anthony Burgess so ,was amazed to hear on the film grapevine that a film is to be made of the book starring Sam Riley who starred in control the film about Joy Division where he played Ian Curtis .He is down to play the Elizabethan playwright ,in burgess book about Marlowe Dead man in Deptford which was one of the last novels he wrote and last published in his life time I read the book in 93 when it was first published ,but have decide to reread it and review it for the blog as I loved it loads first time round .Look forward to the film as he was meant be a spy so can see dark alleys and taverns in this film .
Hwang Sok -Yong was born in the 40’s when Japan was in Korea ,he has always been involved in politics been arrested on a number of occasions and in 90’s jailed for his activities in north Korea as a southern korean he was jailed for 7 years but after a campaign from PEN was release .he has written numerous novels and all so spent a lot of time in America and fought for america in the Vietnam war .THe guest starts of the story of two exiled brothers from Korea living in new york and new jersey .THE main character Ryu Yosop the younger brother has found a way to return for a visit to North Korea ,and is visiting his brother Ryu Yohan in New Jersey .his brother isn’t so keen on the idea but gives his blessing but before he travel Yosop brother die he ,take a bone after cremation to take part of his brother home to Korea and the area they grew up which is now in north Korea .Just before the journey is told there is a change in policy and they have to travel to Pyong yang the capital not th area he is from ,on arrival the american Korean visitors are met by 3 guides that are stern and tow the Government line .he does meet his family and an incident that happened more than forty years ago is brought to life and what happen to the family members that where left behind when the north became the North .
The homeland visitors were taken to the Koryo Hotel and ,in the lobby ,introduced to their guides ;two men and one women .the first man ,in his fifties was rather fat and had beady eyes ;the other in his forties had oiled and neatly combed hair every last strand of his hair all the way back .this second man was extremely thin and looked particularly high-strung .The women looked suave ,though she too was somewhat on the plump side .She had a high soprano voice .
Ryu Yosop meets his 3 North Korean guides .
This book is about so many things war ,the aftermath of war belonging changes ,returning to your home and not quite belonging ,family .It is a powerful story on so many levels and gave me a wonderful in sight into the Korean life and how it affects people in the north Korea .the book is equal parts horror and Beauty in parts .some places in maybe drifts into an anti American polemic .I really enjoyed it and found it a refreshing insight into a country and society I knew very little about .
wow, this is an easy one my two favourite blogs have and will always be the first two I followed and the main reason I blog ,these two guys are the nicest most genuine people on the blogosphere and twitter ,always there when you need them they are –
ROB OF ROBAROUNDBOOKS – Robs blog is amazing his passion and range of reading is amazing ,a guy with unbridled passion for books and even the smell of books his tastes are similar to mine and he always bring great books to people’s attention ,he post wonderful book pictures and has a wonderful before and after review system that he came up with ,that others have copied .so if you love short stories ,translation ,books in general you’ll love rob .
SIMON OF INSIDEBOOKS –Simon is an editor by day and a blogger by night ,his tastes are amazing he is the nearest to mine in so many ways he is not swayed by reading the now books and cuts a path through great books that you may have missed and great classics like Powell and Isherwood ,Simon is also a great friend via twitter a geniue caring guy with a true passion for books .
these guys made me blog ,and I started blog but didn’t really start proper blogging to this year and these two have been great supports in my blogging adventures .
Now the best section this weeks read is where Don Quixote is sat talking with Don Lorenzo .when he says he is a poet and starts reciting his poetry which is good but not wonderful but as ever our don Quixote is over the top he calls him the consumptive poets
I ve started feeling sad this week our journey is nearly 3 weeks left .remember to join us on Wednesday on Twitter when there is a cook along of a traditional Spanish dish from the time me Don Quixote by Rachel of catalan cooking who teaches Spanish cooking in London and lived in Spain for 20 years .I will post recipe and photos for non Twitter users
WHAT YOU LIKE THIS WEEK ?
ARE YOU SAD WE RE GETTING NEAR THE END ?
Well another week has gone its Sunday and another round us of news and books .
News – the shortlist for German book prize was announced the 6 books show the diversity of German writing at moment a number of books from people who came to Germany from the conflicts in eastern Europe in the nineties .one book in particular Melinda Nadj Abonji tauben fliegen auf ,a book about being an outsider and the Yugoslavian war as a back drop .I hope this and the others make it in to english soon they look wonderful.
I ve signed up for a read along of midnight children on biblio junkie starting in Nov I read it many years ago and not to join one in summer but didn’t find my copy to the other day when I had a good look round after reading Jov post about the read along .I m really interested to see if the book has change in 20 years since I read it as an innocent teen also how the book has weathered .so if you want to join in sign up at JOV’S BIBLIOJUNKIE SITE
There was a great piece on books on the nightstand as ever about how do you read sip I.E read bit at a time but all through the day or gulp I.E sit for a half hour or more and saviour the book .well I gulp myself tend to try and have three sessions a day of half hour or more reading a day .also the is a passionate review of the David Grossman book by Ann from the show .
BOOKS ON RADAR
well there a two from Dalkey Archive that I ve my eye on the first is –
Best european fiction 2011 – i m still reading the 2010 one but this is meant to be bigger and have more countries and better quality writing as they had more to choose from this year a last year is Edited by Aleksandar Hemon .
The second is three book series they have released to tie in with Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia being world book city this year ,these 3 book all seem good but the holocaust one necropolis ,which has a good synopsis on the dalkey page
Now since I ve been in the blogosphere ,I ve realised there are whole areas of books and publishing I don’t really bother with ,now I m wondering why ? .I went as a youngster from price and Blyton stories when 10 11 to Doyle Christie dickens etc so the whole YA area although I feel this genre is a modern invention has passed me by ,I did in late teens dabble with sci and fantasy some Asimov ,Moorcock ,king and Raymond e feist but that was nearly twenty years ago .So does this make me a book snob I don’t know, until I enter the blogosphere I thought I read widely but it is mainly what is classified as either lit fiction or world lit and have read widely in these genres .I admire some bloggers but see them reading books I wouldn’t and wonder if I m the one that is a snob ?Thus missing some great book by this ?
HOW FIXED ARE YOU ON WHAT YOU READ ?
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF AS A BOOK SNOB ?
