Laszlo Krasznahorkai Archives

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The Weekly Wrap: October 5-11

Great But Unreadable

Have you ever tried to read a book that for one reason or another is “great” but just haven’t been able to finish it? I recently asked a question about books people found confusing. I was surprised by how many “great” authors made the list including Joyce Carol Oates and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Of course, topping the list for many was James Joyce’s Ulysses.

It’s book award season and I think the belief among many in the reading public is that the books nominated for these awards are ones most people won’t find readable. I think part of the suspicion is that most people have never heard of most of these books before they made the lists, let alone read them.

The most recent instance of this is this week’s nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Laszlo Krasznahorkai was hardly a household name before this week. I doubt his newest novel will do much to change that (but read the review below). In English it runs four hundred pages and consists of one sentence. One period.

This is not always the case. Han Kang, last year’s Nobel winner is someone I found challenging to read, yet whose voice drew me in. The Pulitzers for fiction in recent years include authors like Percival Everett, Barbara Kingsolver, Colson Whitehead (twice) and Anthony Doerr.

My own opinion? I think great literature will often require a certain amount of attention that “mind candy” books do not. They will require us to wrestle with hard things. But it does not seem to me that obscurity, turgid writing, or lots of “deadwood” are ever excusable. Is it too much to ask that a mark of great books is that the writing be readable?

Five Articles Worth Reading

So, speaking of four hundred page sentences, Garth Risk Hallberg reviews Herscht 07769 by Laszlo Krasznahorkai. In “This Novel Has Fewer Periods Than This Headline. It’s 400 Pages Long.” Hallberg discusses the novel as well as previous works by the author.

A lot of ink has been spilled on the causes of global populism. But after considering nine possible reasons and allowing for complexity, Francis Fukuyama argues that one reason stands out in “It’s t h e Internet, Stupid.”

Any of us who live in Ohio will tell you that there are at least two Ohios. There are the big cities and then the small, working class rural towns. Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America, a book by Beth Macy, explores the culture of Urbana, Ohio, where she grew up. “What Happened to Ohio?” is an article adapted from the book.

The drinking of alcohol is on a decline. Sloane Crosley considers the drinking culture of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and asks “How Sober Should a Writer Be?“

Finally, as a reviewer, I’ve gotten a glimpse of the challenges of making ends meet as a writer. David Berry describes “How I Managed to Write a Book without Going (Too) Broke.” It will give you a renewed appreciation of the gift we are given with every book we read and why protecting author’s rights matters so much.

Quote of the Week

Poet and novelist Ciarán Carson was born on October 9, 1948. He puts into words the challenge any of us who write have when trying to express what is in our minds:

“How do you say a thing at all, at the end of the day? How do you say what’s in your mind? And as soon as you say what you actually have in mind, it’s wrong, isn’t it?”

Miscellaneous Musings

Marce Catlett, Wendell Berry’s latest Port William story arrived at my doorstep today. I am so profoundly thankful that Mr. Berry has lived to the age of 91 and continues to bless us with stories, reminding us placeless Americans of the importance of place and community and what we lose when we neglect and lose these.

One example of someone who cares for place is Ethan Tapper. In How to Love a Forest, he recounts his decision to buy a poorly managed piece of forest land in Vermont. Then he narrates vignettes of how he is seeking to restore the land, using his forestry training. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t mean leaving it alone. From pruning to cutting down diseased and invasive growth, he writes about how humans can promote healthy forests.

David McCullough’s latest book History Matters is a posthumous collection of his essays and lectures, mostly previously unpublished. He recommends a number of others who were influential on him including Paul Horgan and his book, Great River on the Rio Grande. I was so intrigued, I ordered a copy, not noticing the 900+ page count. Thus, I’m hoping for 900 pages of great, readable prose.