Elfriede Jelinek. Just can't seem to finish it. It seems interesting, but I just cannot focus on it long enough. Anyone else with this problem? Or is it just me...
― Kylie's Bastard Love Child, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 05:26 (sixteen years ago)
Her books look so dour, and the reviews are so scathing, that I haven't tackled them, but a perverse bit of me wants to have a go for that very reason.
― James Morrison, Wednesday, 21 January 2009 05:30 (sixteen years ago)
Read it a couple of years ago and it felt unrewarding. I have almost completely forgotten it now so can say no more.
It is dour fer sure tho.
― Glansel & Gretel (Raw Patrick), Wednesday, 21 January 2009 09:24 (sixteen years ago)
Maybe I should just give up gracefully...
― Kylie's Bastard Love Child, Sunday, 25 January 2009 11:34 (sixteen years ago)
I've read two of hers and thought they were great - The Piano Teacher and Wonderful, Wonderful Times. Had a look over Women as Lovers and it looked like it was pretty aggressively formatted to put a huge barrier before the reader, right? All her stuff is like that to some extent though. I don't know, once I lock into the tide of her rage I can get pretty into it, but I can't imagine getting much out of her stuff if you're not kinda goth, you know?
Her big one, Children of the Dead, is still being translated I guess - I am eager to read it.
― J0hn D., Sunday, 25 January 2009 13:03 (sixteen years ago)
The Piano Teacher is great. And I agree, Women as Lovers is "aggressively formatted". I guess I should just own up to being a lightweight...
― Kylie's Bastard Love Child, Monday, 2 February 2009 07:38 (sixteen years ago)
I should be starting The Piano Teacher later this week.
Also got Greed out of the library. LRB has a nice piece on her from late last year until it gets to discussing the book, preferring to rubbish the translation (there is a letter on a later issue from Serpent's Tail that defends it (but then they would do that)).
― xyzzzz__, Monday, 27 April 2009 21:44 (sixteen years ago)