Bartleby
Moderator
these lines are so Getrude Stein-like I fell in love instantly.
Do you know if his poems are collected in some volume? Wikipedia cites a publication of them in English but I can't find it neither on Amazon nor Book Depository...
Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Speculation
- Thread starter The Common Reader
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Do you know if his poems are collected in some volume? Wikipedia cites a publication of them in English but I can't find it neither on Amazon nor Book Depository...
The adaptation of Fugard’s Tsotsi made quite a splash back then. I wonder how often he’s been in serious contention.
hayden
Well-known member
My bad, my post was badly worded. I meant the screenplays were penned by them (Pinter, etc.), opposed to something like the adaptation of Red Sorghum, which wasn't scripted by Mo Yan himself. Plenty of laureates have had novels adapted to the screen (I'd assume at least a third or so), it was just an additional distinction for the recent handful I mentioned.
I've said it before, but I think Ingmar Bergman would have been an excellent choice for the Nobel. I imagine he grabbed a few nominations over the years. I'm actually surprised a foremost screenwriter hasn't won yet.
ministerpumpkin
Well-known member
I completely agree with you about Bergman. And if I were to compile my dream wishlist of Nobel winners, Jean-Luc Godard would be on it. He turns 91 this year.
Ludus
Reader
Wtf Godard is still alive. I had no idea.
Verkhovensky
Well-known member
Woody Allen probably had some nominations too. But that ship has probably sailed. I guess, after Handke who knows.
Corswandt
FAFO
I read only two of his early novels, Au temps du fleuve Amour and Le Testament français (the latter being his breaktrough hit, of course), both in PT translation.
The first one is a fairly straightforward coming-of-age narrative with autobiographical elements. Le Testament français is more ambitious; the writing is denser (aiming at Proustian heights at times), the tone enthusiastically francophile, the story grand, and overall it's very much a success.
He has written a lot of stuff after these two particular novels, is very highly regarded in France, and he's probably one of the current French Nobel hopefuls (if we assume, as I think we should, that Modiano's win killed the chances of Quignard, Echenoz, Michon, etc.).
Corswandt
FAFO
Regarding speculation:
A lot of people have talked about their own "gut feeling". Personally, I'm not feeling it for Ernaux. She was widely acknowledged as a contender only quite late into her career, and I find it a bit hard to believe that she has leapfrogged so many perennial candidates (even though most of us agree that those candidates would have won the Nobel by now if that was meant to happen). This year may be Ernaux's last chance.
I also feel that Jon Fosse may well be the only Euro white male with any chance of winning the prize over the next 4-5 years.
Still think Mia Couto is a very strong, maybe a leading contender, this year and from now on.
Some of the latest movements in the library are interesting, but I think the SA has done all its reading for the year. Chances are these latest developments are simply due to the library again becoming available for general readers (hence lots of books from popular Knausgard getting checked out, also from Maryse Condé who won the Fake Ass Nobel in 2018...).
A lot of people have talked about their own "gut feeling". Personally, I'm not feeling it for Ernaux. She was widely acknowledged as a contender only quite late into her career, and I find it a bit hard to believe that she has leapfrogged so many perennial candidates (even though most of us agree that those candidates would have won the Nobel by now if that was meant to happen). This year may be Ernaux's last chance.
I also feel that Jon Fosse may well be the only Euro white male with any chance of winning the prize over the next 4-5 years.
Still think Mia Couto is a very strong, maybe a leading contender, this year and from now on.
Some of the latest movements in the library are interesting, but I think the SA has done all its reading for the year. Chances are these latest developments are simply due to the library again becoming available for general readers (hence lots of books from popular Knausgard getting checked out, also from Maryse Condé who won the Fake Ass Nobel in 2018...).
Leemo
Well-known member
My gut feeling is that the SA doesn't at all care about ones race, as white people are already overrepresented as African winners, and yet 2 of the 3 Africans that have seemingly been in contention since the beginning of this year are also white. Surely if they cared about race they would limit themselves predominantly to non-white Africans.
I also find it unlikely that recent movements in library numbers can be ignored as movements caused by the general public, for how would that explain huge jumps for Cixious and Solstad?
redhead
Blahblahblah
Given how gut feelings have gone in the past, that probably means she will win now
But I do think she has a solid chance. Her work doesn't personally excite me--her style of spare autofiction leaves me a bit cold, and with some of her books I can't help but feel like Handke did it but better with A Sorrow Beyond Dreams--but at the same time I recognize that she's great at what she does and seems relatively uncontroversial. I can very easily see a consensus forming around her, especially if there are more divisive candidates.
I agree with you on Fosse, I think he’ll win soon. Maybe this year now that all the Septology volumes are out, but if not, definitely in the coming ones. My gut's actually now pointing to him (though that might be the result of wishful thinking). But I don't think he's the only white guy from Europe who has a chance. Knowing the SA, I doubt it.
For Couto, I've only read one novel, so I won't say much, but what do you think about some of the controversies or critiques that came up earlier in this thread?
Edit: Oh no the forum’s acting a little funny, I hope it doesn’t go down again like a few years ago
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Liam
Administrator
Yeah, I lost all access for about 20 mins or so--
I emailed Stewart about it, but things seem to be back on track now.
Bartleby
Moderator
that's something I'd be interested in knowing, what the Swedish people usually read, or, to be more precise, what the common members of the Nobel Library check out the most.
As for Cixous I have a feeling that many academics would want to research her.
I honestly don't think the Academy would mind that; I mean, it'd be a really minor controversy comparing to recent years haha
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redhead
Blahblahblah
Lol true, but I believe Corswandt’s Portuguese so I’m curious what he thinks
Daniel del Real
Moderator
The more I read Maryse Condé I reaffirm to myself she is way better writer than the past 6 or 7 Nobel laureates
Morbid Swither
Well-known member
Thank you! I honestly find her work mind blowing! Segu; I, Tituba; and Tree of Life make her a superb candidate. The ridiculousness of the “alternative Nobel” is something that has annoyed me ever since, but perhaps more so because I feel like it might possibly harm the chances for a truly deserving laureate to win.
Corswandt
FAFO
I meant "general readers" as "people who don't belong to the SA". This includes academics doing research for dissertations, literature students, etc.
About Mia Couto's alleged "look - how exotic!" version of Africa, or his white gaze or whatever, can't comment as I haven't read a thing written by the dude.
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