Recently finished books?

[waxwing]

The Ambassadors by Henry James

The first of James' long novels (his personal favorite) I've ever been able to complete. The first half was a struggle, I resorted to reading difficult passages aloud as I believe James dictated these later novels, and that helped. I zoomed through the second half, underneath all the erudition, the commas, and the artificial and theatrical world he creates, lies a master storyteller, and I have spent an inordinate amount of time the last few days pondering the fate of his fictional characters.

[Clarissa]

The Smile of the Lamb - David Grossman (trans. from the Hebrew Betty Rosenberg)

His first novel and, for a first, outstanding even if it is not as good as To the End of the Land. However, equally political although it takes place much earlier in time. Same theme of Palestinian-Israeli relatioships as well as the two men one woman situation. Still, from this first it is quite obvious that the man is a born writer. And an outstanding one. Already many surprising felicitous turn of phrases, some of which I have marked out to keep..

[Bjorn]

Patti Smith - Just Kids (USA)

I've read far too many variations on the autobiography recently, but even so, this is an excellent one - nudging . How much of that is caused by my worship of Patti and how much is due to the strength of the book I cannot say, but it has the same transparent light in it that her best songs do.

[lenz]

The Ambassadors by Henry James

The first of James' long novels (his personal favorite) I've ever been able to complete. The first half was a struggle, I resorted to reading difficult passages aloud as I believe James dictated these later novels, and that helped. I zoomed through the second half, underneath all the erudition, the commas, and the artificial and theatrical world he creates, lies a master storyteller, and I have spent an inordinate amount of time the last few days pondering the fate of his fictional characters.

I adore James, but The Ambassadors nearly killed me with boredom. It was only after finally getting through it that I realised the beauty of its structure and the realisation of the protagonist that his long quest for someone else's "truth" led only to himself and the love that was waiting patiently for him.

[Mirabell]

Scalped: Indian Country, Jason Aaron, R.M.Guéra
Scalped: Casino Boogie, Jason Aaron, R.M.Guéra
Scalped: Dead Mothers, Jason Aaron, R.M.Guéra et al.

amazing. Aaron must be one of the best new writers in mainstream comics around. I'm still reeling.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, Philip Pullman

[Mirabell]

The Ambassadors by Henry James

The first of James' long novels (his personal favorite) I've ever been able to complete. The first half was a struggle, I resorted to reading difficult passages aloud as I believe James dictated these later novels, and that helped. I zoomed through the second half, underneath all the erudition, the commas, and the artificial and theatrical world he creates, lies a master storyteller, and I have spent an inordinate amount of time the last few days pondering the fate of his fictional characters.

Yeah I plan on giving that one a whirl, ordered it two weeks ago, because of the new Ozick novel.

[waxwing]

Yeah I plan on giving that one a whirl, ordered it two weeks ago, because of the new Ozick novel.

We had the same idea. I'm halfway through the Ozick novel, Foreign Bodies (a variation of The Ambassadors) and I'm reading Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr Ripley next, another much more perverse variation.

[Daniel del Real]

Great European weekend:

Joseph Roth, Hotel Savoy +
Antonio Tabucchi, Little Misunderstadings of no Importance +

[JTolle]

Explosion in a Cathedral--Alejo Carpentier +

[Peeping Tom]

The Thousand by Kevin Guilfoile. A disappointment for me. Very derivative. +
I've read this a thousand times before.

[Stiffelio]

Jim Crace: Quarantine .
A thought-provoking novel about Jesus's quarantine in the desert in the company of other pilgrims and a sinister character who somehow believes in his healing powers. A meditation about the myth of Jesus as a divine entity and a plausible explanation of the origin of Christianity. Very well written novel but maybe not for everybody's taste.

[Daniel del Real]

Ohmar Jahyam, Robba'iyat
Fernando Vallejo, La Vírgen de los Sicarios

[peter_d]

Arthur Japin, Vaslav
Beautifully written and fascinating story around legendary dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Japin is extremely skilful in making historical figures come alive. Remember this one and read it as soon as the translation in English appears. I equally enjoyed his novel 'Een schitterend gebrek', translated in English as 'In Lucia's eyes', which is based on true events in the life of Giacomo Casanova.

[Mirabell]

The Thousand by Kevin Guilfoile. A disappointment for me. Very derivative. +
I've read this a thousand times before.

really? crap. by the way, we have a thread on the man http://www.worldliteratureforum.com/...ight=guilfoile

[Daniel del Real]

Jorge Herralde, Para Roberto Bolaño +
This is a compilation of lectures, interviews, chronicles and brief essays that Jorge Herralde, director of Anagrama publishing group and Bolaño's editor, came with in the next two years after Bolaño's death. It narrates the story between Herralde and Bolaño, how he came up to him in Anagrama in the mid 90's, his first book published with them, Estrella Distante, to its later success of the Premio de Novela Anagrama with Los Detectives Salvajes. Facts about his illness, the process of creation of his books and the hidden development for the majestic 2666, undercovered for years as Bolaño was still delivering a book yearly of novellas or short stories. It includes the lecture Herralde gave at Bolaño's funeral. Very interesting for Bolaño's fans but really brief.

[JTolle]

Players--Don DeLillo +
The Living End--Stanley Elkin +

[Peeping Tom]

really? crap. by the way, we have a thread on the man http://www.worldliteratureforum.com/...ight=guilfoile

Maybe I was too harsh with my initial star rating (maybe a three?). It’s just that I was so disappointed because I expected more. I’ll expound on this more in the Kevin Guilfoile thread.

[Daniel del Real]

Roberto Bolaño, El Secreto del Mal (The Secret of Evil)
Of course it's the weakest short stories book by Bolaño, but we have to consider that many of these tales are not complete and are just skeletons of future, longer, well developed works. Still there are many of them I consider finished and some spectacular sketches of what could've become amazing novellas or short stories.

[Daniel del Real]

Ismail Kadare, Three Elegies for Kosovo
Kadare owns this unique style of history revival and how it impacts modern societies. This short book is key to understand the conflict in the Balcans, how it started and has remained over centuries.

[learna]

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner



The General and His Army by Georgi Vladimov which was awarded the Russian Booker Prize in 1995.

Although I do not share some Vladimov's angels on the GPW - if to put it aside - his book as a fiction is - if to say in one words - integral.