The Patagonian Hare by Claude Lanzmann
08 May 2012 4 Comments
in favourites, france, TRANSLATIONS Tags: 2012, frank wynne, non fiction, TRANSLATIONS
The Patagonian Hare by Claude Lanzmann
French Non-fiction biography
Translator – Frank Wynne
Making a history was not what I wanted to do .I wanted to construct something more powerful than that – Claude Lanzmann on Shoah
Where to start with Claude Lanzmann ,he is maybe one of the most interesting figures in France .He hid as a jew from the Nazis ,then joined the french resistance during second world war post war he joined Sartre as editor of the magazine Les temps Mordernes and also he made the film Shoah .That is Just the tip of the iceberg ,this guy has really lived a number of lives in one life time .
Anyway so we move on too The Patagonian Hare is his autobiography ,to a Life that has touch every part of french history and Jewish history since the second world war .He begins talking about his family ,what his father imagines for him in the future a postman but boy how different his life was ,how they had to escape and hid at first in the second world war in france ,then how he joined the resistance movement in france fighting the Nazis .He did this with the communist ,this maybe served him well later when he made Shoah behind the Iron curtain .The style of telling his personal story is very personal almost throwaway. This is an interesting life, but he tells it with out glamour or the seeming need for praise from you as a reader thus drawing you into his life I like his wartime experiences but for me the most interesting part of the book is after the war when he joins Sartre at les temps Modernes the lit magazine that shaped Sartre’s view of lit in france and maybe lead french lit , Lanzmann edited from the early days and still does . The look inside the magazine his involvement with the founder and his Girlfriend and lover Simone de Beauvoir ,the way the opposed the Algerian war in the 1960 joining the anti-war movement and the fallout from this decision also how they viewed various figure in french lit in the fifties and sixties most of which I knew very little about (this is a dream for googling and learning about french lit ).
It is here that the adventure of Shoah begins :my friend Alouph Hareven ,director-general of the Isareli ministry of foerign affairs invited me in and spoke to me with gravity and a solemneity I had never experienced from him .Having congratulated me on Pourquoi Isarel ,this is in substance what he said to me “there is no film about the shoah ,no film that takes what happened in all its magnitude ,no film that shows it from our point of view ,the viewpoint of the Jews .
How he decided to make the film Shoah !!
Then you come to the last third of the book as thou the first two-thirds were not enough of a life lived is mainly dealing with his epic film Shoah for those of you who haven’t seen it you should Shoah is the film that examine the holocaust and is a bit like the world at war as it is mainly eyewitness testament, as at the time when Lanzmann started making the film a lot of people involve with the holocaust where still alive to give their stories over to him for posterity .He spent years filming people getting them to open up and visiting the sites across Europe involved (yet again for the third book some figures from Treblinka are mentioned ) also getting Nazis to admit what really happened in the camps . I personally would put any one that ever denies holocaust in a chair for nine hours to watch this and then still denied what happened during the second world war .I loved his descriptions of making the film this is where you felt this guy’s passion flow of the page this was more than a project it became a mission to him to get across what had really happened . Then when it was made we saw how people reacted and how he tried to get it to as wide as audience as possible .Also we get a chunk of the writers own insight into his own sex life through out the book ,you have a rare book indeed .
I find it hard to fault this book I m not a big non fiction reader ,but when I see a book I d like to read ,like this I know I love it even before I open the cover . I even asked for a copy of this from the publisher, after its translator Frank suggested I read it ,needless to say frank has made the book seem as thou it was written in english the actual writing by Lanzmann involved him dictating too two women Juliette Simont a Sartrianne and Lanzmann own secretary Sarah Strelinski a writer in her own right they manage to pull together his memories of a life live into a book that has been described rightly so as a master piece by Le monde, Der Spiegel and FAZ . Lanzmann is one of those rare people who has made a difference and this book shows a man close up from the french left-wing and literary world .
Have you seen Shoah ?
Have you heard of him before ?
A Far cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark
25 Apr 2012 18 Comments
in favourites, scotland Tags: 2012, classics, literature, muriel spark
A far cry from Kensington by Muriel spark
Scottish fiction
Muriel Spark was a Scottish born writer ,she wrote over twenty novels in her life .She studied in Scotland at Herriot watts a course on precise writing,she then taught english before world war two and in the war worked in intelligence ,after the war she moved to London .She is probably best known for the book the prime of Miss Jean Brody .I Haven’t until now tried her works she is one of the writers I class as scary female ,but thankfully for Simon of stuck in a book and Harriet of Harriet Devine who are hosting Muriel spark week as they both took part in my Henry Green reading week I thought this would be an ideal chance to try her so I head to the main library in Chesterfield and found a few of her book on their shelves ,the one that grabbed my eye was the Virago modern Classic of A far cry from Kensington .
So I cracked it open last weekend the book was A far cry from Kensington I was drawn to the fact this story was partly set in the publishing world .The book is about Mrs Hawkins a catholic ,war widow , it is told in retrospective ,as she starts on the low rungs of the publishing world at a rather poorly run publisher Ullswater press ,I love an early description of her working at the office at how the partners in the business work .I laughed at how she describe the daily life of publishing in the fifties .Later this company folds and she is left looking for a job ,luckily she did at a more well-known and prestigious publishing house ,but when there she finds things are still run badly .
Then as now ,all jobs in publishing were greatly sought after ,and perhaps consequently ,poorly paid
think even sixty years after this book this is still true .
The other tract of the story is her home life she lives in a house divide into flats .In one of these flats lives Wanda a polish women and a dress-maker ,this also leads to a few comic lines about her out look on life .That is a enough of the comic parts as the book is dark as well things turn strange when Mrs Hawkins called a writer a pisseur de copie (urinates frightful prose ) as he wants the Ullswater press to put his work out this desire takes a dark turn and at a later point the man Hector Bartlett is possibly involved with Wanda but later in the book things start going bad for Wanda and is it this man ?and her work and home life collide with a shocking results .
“How is Wanda getting on ,Mrs Hawkins ?”
Wanda ,the Polish dressmaker ,had enough problems to fill up the rest of the afternoon.Mr York filled his glass,and I him in about Wanda
“Wanda ” I said “suffers greatly “
“I never met a pole who doesn’t “
this little passage made me laugh .
I really didn’t know what to expect from Spark but didn’t expect to fall in love with her clear prose style the way she drew you into the story with twist and turns of the plot ,the main characters all seemed so well drawn out to me , very real Hawkins a war widow and Catholic struck me in some part as a thinly veiled Spark .I would imagine post war the was a number of Polish or other eastern european women like Wanda after the second world war I was drawn to a character in Christie’s book a murder is announced called Mitzi she had the same paranoid and suffered personality as Wanda .Muriel spark did live in London after the war but not in Kensington but Camberwell .and worked as an editor for a poetry magazine so would have had interaction with the Publishing world of the time .I m going to try to pick another spark on my visit to sheffield later this week hoping the second hand shop has some of the great early penguin covers .Thanks to Simon for host the week
Have you read spark ?
What would you suggest to try next ?
booklovers
12 Jul 2010 2 Comments
in favourites
Here is a wonderfully bookish song by the wonderful divine comedy ,Neil Hannon is a wonderful song writer and writes very bookish Lyrics ,this list song is very clever .
also remember to start reading your don Quixote next monday for windmills of the mind readalong .first discussion 2 weeks today on 26th july .
Of kids and parent by Emil Hakl
27 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in Czech, EUROPEAN FICTION, favourites Tags: around the world 52, czech
of kids and parents
This was the second book i got from the local libraries translated stand ,Emil Hakl is a czech writer that had a number of manual jobs in the communist era ,but also wrote poetry ,short stories and novels,in the post communist era he work in advertising before becoming a full-time writer ,he has published three novel ,two short stories collection and some poetry .Of kids and parents Follows a fathers and son on a meander round Prague where they visit numerous pubs and pass the sights of the city .They in the course of this journey they discuss many subjects such as ,fighter plane design in the post second world war era ,some family members a memorable aunt and uncle ,a stunning Slovenian women the father eulogies over her body and beauty .They move back and forward in time .The chapters tended to be short and each based on a discussion between the father and son .the description of this book is similar to Ulysses and Harbal .I could see the comparisons ,like Joyce Hakl likes to dart of on angles in the story,the other writer i was deeply reminded of was W G Seblad the style of writing is similar ,not a lot plot wise happens in this book but you discover lives places and history .i think this is a writer i ll read again and would even reads this book again in the future .
we left the pub and walking along the line of the hill ,we reach the governors place .”so where now ?” father asked nonchalantly ,his voice directed toward the battlement-like row of tiny housing block on the horizon.Behind the hill spattered with the tiny white cubes of buildings,an unbroken ridge of clouds was slowly advancing .”i guess the best thing is to go back to Stormovka ,if you don’t mind .
opening of chapter -the world
The book is published by twisted spoon and was translated by Marek Tomin .
Do you have a favourite Czech writer ?
bad vibes by luke haines
10 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in CURRENT READS, favourites, non fiction, U.K Tags: music
this biography / music history book is about the band the auteurs and his project badder meinhof and starting of second group black box record .As soon as i saw this book was out i want to read it having considered this time as a time i was buying records including the auteurs and his other band black box record .
Luke has a very dry and wryly funny way of describing the time ,which evoke memories in myself he talks about his band starting and the hype that surround the first album new wave which i remember as they seemed to have been a favourite if the nme at times ,and the band having a sound vaguely similar to suede .At times you will laugh out as he takes broadsides of the contemporary’s of his time suede ,blur and oasis all cleverly put down .Haines details the hard life of touring and recording which is the treadmill of the modern performing artist .In places i was surprised like how much he didn’t want to tour with 80′s indie group the the ,yet at the time i thought this was a great idea them touring as they both have quite maverick personalities and quirky lyrics .there is also a great deal about the album they made with the great Steve Albini which is my favourite album of Haines the wonderful after murder park .In the end you learn that luke is a probably the last of the groups from this era to still be going . If you liked his music you ll love this book in places it is funny and a great reminder of a wonderful time in british music .
the old women in my head who sifts through the files that contains memories that fill these pages needs a rest. so , as we reach an approximate halfway point in proceedings ,why not tell the old dear put her feet up for a few minutes as we examine that thing they call Britpop . we hav at some point why put of the inevitable ?
the start of the chapter old women midway in the book .
the book is published by William Heinmann .
50th post -20 great books for world book day
04 Mar 2010 5 Comments
in booker, classics, favourites Tags: BOOKS THAT DEFINED ME, classics
As this is my fiftieth post on Winston’s dad and also world book day i ve decide to do a list of 20 books fiction and non fiction today is the 4th march is world book day 2010 all these books i have enjoyed and would recommend highly -
- the rings of Saturn by W G Sebald lyrical
- suite francaise by Irene Nemirovsky-french war
- the last testament of Oscar Wilde by Peter Ackroyd imagined truth
- encyclopaedia of snow by Sarah Emily miano-hidden gem
- Walden by Henry David Thoreau-american classic
- the rebel by Albert Camus-french classic
- notes from walnut tree farm by Roger Deakin-nature writing
- close range by Anne Proulx great american shorts
- Hercule Poirots christmas by Agatha Christie classic crime
- oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey-aussie classic
- hunger by Elise Blackwell-us modern classic
- the suspicions of mr whicher by Kate Summerscale-where crime fiction started
- white teeth by Zadie Smith-mordern british
- Brideshead revisited by Evelyn Waugh-british classic
- girlfriend in a coma by Douglas Coupland-modern american
- the book thief by Markus Zusak-thought provoking
- empire of the sun J G Ballard -wartime drama
- pride and prejudice by jane austen-classic
- famished road by Ben Okri-booker winner
- the restraint of beasts by Magnus Mills -funny
what our your favourite books ?
what makes a great detective ?
02 Mar 2010 1 Comment
in favourites Tags: crime fiction
I am currently reading Jo Nesbo new book the snowman ,enjoying it ,it got me thinking what makes a great detective in fiction ? Although I don’t read a lot of crime fiction over the years ,there have been a few .So I came up with a few points of my own to good detective fiction .
- Location-The location can be key ,from the country house crimes of Christie or Doyle ,the gritty streets of Edinburgh from Rankin’s Rebus .to the current trend for nordic crime with the cold climate and barren scenes .Christie moved Poirot to loads of wonderful settings , P D James also does this with Adam Dalgliesh .
- Idiosyncrasy - all the detectives i ve enjoyed reading seem to have habits that make them stand out ,morse with his crosswords and classical music ,Poirot with obsessive neatness .Holmes with his deductions and pipe ,harry hole from my current book and Rebus both like music .
- Sidekicks-they tend to be three sidekick ,the likes of Watson and Hastings that are used as a sounding board for ideas ,Lewis and Havers where there is class and background differences that can help and hinder the case ,the third is the team like in Rebus or Harry hole where each of the team bring some different skill to the case .
- Drugs-we all know well Holmes drugs habit ,but morse and Rebus where both heavy drinkers use the drink to help them relax and mull over the cases at hand ,even a m smiths mna Ramestowe is always drinking her bush tea
- Intelligence homes was stated by Watson to be the cleverest man in a lot of areas poison ,human character ,morse was a Oxford grad with an amazing analytical mind that’s able to do the times crossword .Marple has a mind the can draw comparisons between her tiny village and the most gruesome crime .
of course there are many other points that can make great crime fiction .
what makes a great detective for you ?
do you have a favourite detective ?
postcards from a dead girl by kirk farber
01 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
in favourites, FIRST NOVEL, U.S.A Tags: NEW BOOKS, NEW VOICES
This is kirk Farber’s debut novel and what a novel to debut with .It is a long time since i ve read a book that has so engrossed me ,i read this in one day .the novel centres on Sid Higgins ,a call centre worker what may be called a McJob .He starts getting post cards from an ex that he thought had died Zoe ,they come from all over europe with short messages like “wish you where here ” .This leads to a acquaintance with the local postal employee Gerald ,who turns out to have a crafty wife and be a survivalist .A secondary storyline evolves round Sid’s possible brain tumour under going a battery of tests and cat scans ,Sid also idles away at his McJob carrying on his disheartening cold calling whilst trying to please, his boss his life at work controlled by the randomizier pull the random numbers he cold calls .
Kirk Faber’s style is short chapters and a large dose of humour you will laugh out loud at places ,with this book if you’re a fan of Magnus Mills or Dan Rhodes you will love this book .
i decide to give Gerald the post office guy another try at explaing my postcard mystery .I think he might have been rushed last time .I find my place in the line .content to watch other customers as they drop off packages or collect stamps ………….
This is one of Sid’s first meetings with Gerald.
this book is published by harper perennial
A PILE OF SELF -WILL SELF
15 Feb 2010 1 Comment
in BOOK BUYS, favourites Tags: english classics, penguin, WILL SELF
Will self has been one of my favourite writers since the mid 90;s .When i read the quantity theory of insanity ,where will’s dark sometimes disturbing narrative style shone wonderfully through in a brilliant collection of short stories .One could say i was hooked straight away and as you can see over the years have got most of his short stories and novels ,eagerly watch self’s style develop over the years from realistic if dark in the early days to surreal and deeply satirical works of recent years .a natural heir to Ballard and even Wyndham ,even further back to the works of swift .You are transported to worlds whether in the future or in a parrell time to our own .
the books picture are my favourites and span will’s career from the early grey area collection of short stories show ing the many facets of london life ,through Dorian a great novel that updates Oscar Wildes Dorian gray to the eighties and modern art an inspired retelling of a classic ,great apes is in a similar vein a man awakes to find himself the only human in a world of apes ,which is a distant cousin to swifts Gulivers travels and a brillant piece of satire with its insights in to modern life ,till the last novel i got the book of Dave a mans musings found and turned in to a bible in a broken future England .
my signed first edition of dr M .
Have you read Will Self have you a favourite ?
valentines day
14 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
in favourites Tags: classics
today is valentine’s ,we had a lovely breakfast in bed of croissants and jam this morning exchange our cards and gifts ,we ve a nice romantic meal planned for this evening .Over the years i ve read a few books with love and romance in them here are a few .
Abel’s island by William Steig,a childhood favourite the mouse Abel drifts of to an island away from his wife ,adventures follow whilst he thinks of his wife ,and eventually escapes to be with his darling wife .A great story for kids
Wuthering heights by Emily Bronte ,a classic Heathcliffs and Cathys story on the windswept moors of Yorkshire a great read for those dark winter nights
cold mountain by Charles Frazier Ada and Inman love across distance during the american civil war as they dream of being together Inman making his way home after a brutal battle in the civil war .and made in to a wonderful film by the late Anthony Mingella.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier ,a romance set in south france that turns dark on a return to Cornwall but in the end ,it ends well .
happy valentines one and all
