I'd say that's a harsh reading of what I wrote, by no means did I mean to imply anything of that sort. I was simply trying to say that I think what you wrote was hyperbolic and unlikely to be true.
I find it to be a theme that people assume the worst from the Swedish Academy, and I won't doubt that there has traditionally been reason to do so, but there has been a wide array of changes with the Academy in the last few years alone, and personally I think it's more fair to give them time to create new trends as opposed to blaming them for things done decades ago.
Meh, I'd personally call both Ngugi and Le Clezio much better writers than Achebe.
Two authors from Cuba! I name another two. Too bad Fina García Marruz is 98, ‘cause she is a very good poetess, actually. Nancy Morejón maybe doesn’t have that international status, despite the Struga Poetry Evenings in 2006.
OMG, for me it's Jelinek! But Bob Dylan was the WORST of the worst, though I know he has countless defenders on this board, ?After Dylan I consider Le Clezio the worst Nobel decision in the whole 21st century.
That's easy: Queneau or Perec.
I would add Shuntarō Tanikawa and Hideo Furukawa.
Haven't read hear so I cannot judge. Now there's a reason I haven't, so unappealing...OMG, for me it's Jelinek! But Bob Dylan was the WORST of the worst, though I know he has countless defenders on this board, ?
I was merely trying to express my admiration for Japanese culture. If this sentiment offends you so much I have no problem at all in excluding you from it.?Is "you're white, so you're beautiful" a compliment as well?
I agree that Murakami can’t be eliminated from a serious conversation about Nobel speculation. His work has a very empirical universal appeal. And he has other idiosyncrasies that are again, universally resonate. Postmodern, popular….By the way, on the topic of Murakami, I wonder who else from Japan could be a contender in the near future? There’s Yoko Ogawa and Yoko Tawada, and Ryu Murakami as well (though I’m not exactly a fan of his). I went through a phase a few years ago where I read all the translated Akutagawa prize winners I could find, but I haven’t kept up with those authors’ works so I can’t say much about them. Who else is there?
(If he were still alive, I think Kenji Nakagami would be in the conversation.)
Yes, the Oulipó would have been a unique joint prize; and I also think that (perhaps in place of Sartre) an award to Surrealism, could have been cool: Louis Aragon, Andre Breton, Paul Éluard. But the Oulipó is better.Talking about awarding "institutions" like the Nobel Peace Prize does, what about the Oulipó. It would have been great!
I love Tanikawa's poetry so I'd be delighted if he wins. I've only read a novel from Furukawa and didn't like it.
What about Minae Mizumura? I've heard great things of her "A true novel" which I'll start once I finish the book I'm reading.
I'll let you know
I feel that…. And personally, I would fully endorse an award to Bei Dao, Duo Duo and Yang Lian. To me they are equally necessary voices of extraordinary poetic achievement. I believe these “misty” poets should be lauded.When it comes to awarding “institutions,” on the one hand, literary movements tend to be disorganized, more often the result of people reacting to the times similarly rather than people consciously following set guidelines (I’m aware Oulipó is a bit of an outlier in this regard), but on the other, I’d much rather have them award multiple writers from the same movement or group rather than what they did with Claude Simon and Vicente Aleixandre where it seems to me they awarded a single writer long after the movement or group had been relevant.
OMG, for me it's Jelinek! But Bob Dylan was the WORST of the worst, though I know he has countless defenders on this board, ?
Don't care what everybody thinks, I'd love Murakami to win. Probably not the best author out there, but again, if such mediocre people like Dylan, Pinter or Le Clezio are winners, why not Haruki?
btw, I'm on the dissenting opinion here about Kafka. It's my favourite from him so far (I haven't read Bird or 1Q84 yet - I mean, technically I've read about 200+ pages of the former and the first book of the latter, and I was loving them, but at the time things outside of my control prevented me from continue reading them; I plan to get to those novels, and all of his novels, soon tho).
And... another one the same discussion!Although his name has been mentioned in passing, we haven’t really discussed Haruki Murakami.
if only for the unfortunate celebrity Ogawa has acquired due to the Housekeeper and the Professor (which is by no means representative of her wider work!). Tawada seems more "literary", between literary cultures, all that sexy jazz.
By the way, on the topic of Murakami, I wonder who else from Japan could be a contender in the near future? There’s Yoko Ogawa and Yoko Tawada,