An online footnote heaven
Hello folks, i'm here to give a new development, at the risk of sounding yet again capricious, I must follow where I scent the aroma of wondrous things to be had.
Full disclosure now on the novel I was hoping to finish this week, that was The Idiot by Dostoevsky, I've read the first part a number of times, but the beginning of Part 2 i'm open to temptation, to rupture the connection, but it is my belief that a multiplicity of sources being enjoyed at a time is possible, and perhaps uniquely designed for the likes of me? I doth require further introspection, but the temptation you're wondering, what was the author that called out to you Oh Most Almost Crazy One?
William Gaddis
I'm a big fan of the Youtube channel Leaf by Leaf, and Chris Via, the creator has a most succulent literary palate, sniffing out the gems in modern literature, along with the tried and true classics. So being a fan I for sure learnt of Gaddis, and added all his stuff to my kindle a long time ago, I even have a handsome NYRB clonker of a paperback of JR, the black, gold and red design that looks so classy, well that looked fun, I had come down to warm up some macaroni and didn't bring the kindle down, started reading this copy, then the fluidity of the dialogue was apparent, it's not hard to miss, these conversations have a natural feel to them, and there's a fresh hilarious comedic quality to it.
It was his 2nd novel which took 20 years to write, his first -- The Recognitions is Mr. Via's favorite of the modern era, I've dabbled in it in the past, and to have the annotations online helps a whole lot, it's his most dense, and challenging work, and it's this one I must spend 2 to 6 weeks with, like how some medications take to take effect, that is how I want to approach this book, which treats of the creative process in a mechanized world.
A video I watched said to start with his last, Agape Agape, as it's a summary of what he had to say was, and I am reading from that too, I feel I might as well throw in JR in the current mix, and when Agape is done which is only 100 pages, to then read Carpenter's Gothic.
I also have besides all his 5 novels, his Letters, and the aforementioned Gaddis Annotation website to foster further appreciation.
One comment on Youtube made the case that you have to read tons of analysis before actually reading authors like this, and that's an interesting point, it won't stop me from experiencing the text itself early on and save most elucidations for in-between subsequent readings.
There's more of a biting sense of satire here than in Dostoevsky, which to me if I dare to criticize such a master, that it hinges too much of sentiments, and unexplained magnitude of characters, where all the guys go crazy for a temperamental lady, Nastassya Fillipovna if I'm spelling her character right is such a character, it's just not to my knowledge a fully disclosed presentation.
With Gaddis there is too much info, it's supposed to be difficult, it's supposed to be a puzzle holding treasures for those willing to devote their attention and care to it, over 2 to 6 weeks, or longer maybe.
Quality over quantity is an agreed sentiment, I must not be rushing through books just to say i've read them, but to find that certain special body of works which I call my own canon, that are reserved for copious amount of time and energy for. Dostoevsky is amongst them, but it seems like Gaddis needs to tell me something first, that requires thousands of pages to convey, as the author designed it.
To come to terms with something bracing, the absolute antithesis of the immediate reality, and to read a great work that is in it's original language, that's a plus too, as I hear so often from translator notes that English lacks words to accurately say what Russian or whatever the language originally was.
Thanks for reading, and wish me luck, I feel it's gonna be a most sanity preserving experience. By being radically different and pathfinding in aesthetic terms, there's mental waves and directions that such material can guide the mind reading it to personal problem resolutions.
Full disclosure now on the novel I was hoping to finish this week, that was The Idiot by Dostoevsky, I've read the first part a number of times, but the beginning of Part 2 i'm open to temptation, to rupture the connection, but it is my belief that a multiplicity of sources being enjoyed at a time is possible, and perhaps uniquely designed for the likes of me? I doth require further introspection, but the temptation you're wondering, what was the author that called out to you Oh Most Almost Crazy One?
William Gaddis
I'm a big fan of the Youtube channel Leaf by Leaf, and Chris Via, the creator has a most succulent literary palate, sniffing out the gems in modern literature, along with the tried and true classics. So being a fan I for sure learnt of Gaddis, and added all his stuff to my kindle a long time ago, I even have a handsome NYRB clonker of a paperback of JR, the black, gold and red design that looks so classy, well that looked fun, I had come down to warm up some macaroni and didn't bring the kindle down, started reading this copy, then the fluidity of the dialogue was apparent, it's not hard to miss, these conversations have a natural feel to them, and there's a fresh hilarious comedic quality to it.
It was his 2nd novel which took 20 years to write, his first -- The Recognitions is Mr. Via's favorite of the modern era, I've dabbled in it in the past, and to have the annotations online helps a whole lot, it's his most dense, and challenging work, and it's this one I must spend 2 to 6 weeks with, like how some medications take to take effect, that is how I want to approach this book, which treats of the creative process in a mechanized world.
A video I watched said to start with his last, Agape Agape, as it's a summary of what he had to say was, and I am reading from that too, I feel I might as well throw in JR in the current mix, and when Agape is done which is only 100 pages, to then read Carpenter's Gothic.
I also have besides all his 5 novels, his Letters, and the aforementioned Gaddis Annotation website to foster further appreciation.
One comment on Youtube made the case that you have to read tons of analysis before actually reading authors like this, and that's an interesting point, it won't stop me from experiencing the text itself early on and save most elucidations for in-between subsequent readings.
There's more of a biting sense of satire here than in Dostoevsky, which to me if I dare to criticize such a master, that it hinges too much of sentiments, and unexplained magnitude of characters, where all the guys go crazy for a temperamental lady, Nastassya Fillipovna if I'm spelling her character right is such a character, it's just not to my knowledge a fully disclosed presentation.
With Gaddis there is too much info, it's supposed to be difficult, it's supposed to be a puzzle holding treasures for those willing to devote their attention and care to it, over 2 to 6 weeks, or longer maybe.
Quality over quantity is an agreed sentiment, I must not be rushing through books just to say i've read them, but to find that certain special body of works which I call my own canon, that are reserved for copious amount of time and energy for. Dostoevsky is amongst them, but it seems like Gaddis needs to tell me something first, that requires thousands of pages to convey, as the author designed it.
To come to terms with something bracing, the absolute antithesis of the immediate reality, and to read a great work that is in it's original language, that's a plus too, as I hear so often from translator notes that English lacks words to accurately say what Russian or whatever the language originally was.
Thanks for reading, and wish me luck, I feel it's gonna be a most sanity preserving experience. By being radically different and pathfinding in aesthetic terms, there's mental waves and directions that such material can guide the mind reading it to personal problem resolutions.
46-50, M