At the original article's recommendation, my wife and I read "Journey by Moonlight." We have been truly marked by it; thank you David for your recommendation as we probably would never have come across it had you not pointed it out.
It was Werner Herzog who first got me interested in “The Peregrine”, but your recommendation for reading it is spot on. I now read the book each year (in an attempt to stay synchronized with the dated journal entries); and it’s absolutely true the book simply cannot be read in large sections, for one might just go mad if they do so. The genius and beauty of the writing is almost bewildering, and simultaneously makes one want to write and never write again.
“The Blind Owl” I bought when you first printed this article, and I have also returned to it many times since. Being born in Baltimore (and raised in the northern farmlands of the state) there was no avoiding Poe in school. I memorized “The Raven” in 7th grade, and still retain large portions. Many (though, not all) of Poe’s short stories I also love and admire. But it’s absolutely and utterly true that Hedayat overcomes all of it with “Owl”. I can’t think of another novel of its type that has such a heavy and palpable atmosphere. I recommend it obnoxiously and often to everyone.
Looking forward to more of these, and thank you for writing it in the first place!
Grand but not great. Latinical and stately and precise, but not sonorous and shatteringly eloquent like Sir Thomas Browne, John Florio, Thomas Traherne, Thomas De Quincey, Patrick Leigh Fermor , and J. A. Baker (and some others). The great ones played huge pipe organs with hundreds of stops and full pedal arrays. He was adept at playing the well-tuned spinet.
I understood. I was considering only the burden it would lay on the tongue and palate of anyone trying to recommend it to someone else by word of mouth. Susurrations--that's more promising.
It looks like two Africa scholars, Wendy Belcher and Michael Kleiner, are working on a new translation. She mentions previous translations' "unfortunate choices and outdated language." I'll write to her and see if they have a timeline.
I'd be quite interest to have a list of your recommendations that includes well known works too.
I was delighted to see Powys here, I found Glastonbury to be a wonderfully expansive book that imaginatively engages an idea of connected consciousness, wonderful coming in the modern era. I wish he hadn't been influenced by his brother Llewelyn though. I had Daphne and Chloe, I don't have a lot of time to read at present but there are quite a few titles in here that I'd like to chase up Kalidasa & As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams immediately stand out.
I'm a Brazilian. You have made my day, when I read the original article, puting Machado de Assis and Eça de Queirós on the list.
This is a decent list.
At the original article's recommendation, my wife and I read "Journey by Moonlight." We have been truly marked by it; thank you David for your recommendation as we probably would never have come across it had you not pointed it out.
It was Werner Herzog who first got me interested in “The Peregrine”, but your recommendation for reading it is spot on. I now read the book each year (in an attempt to stay synchronized with the dated journal entries); and it’s absolutely true the book simply cannot be read in large sections, for one might just go mad if they do so. The genius and beauty of the writing is almost bewildering, and simultaneously makes one want to write and never write again.
“The Blind Owl” I bought when you first printed this article, and I have also returned to it many times since. Being born in Baltimore (and raised in the northern farmlands of the state) there was no avoiding Poe in school. I memorized “The Raven” in 7th grade, and still retain large portions. Many (though, not all) of Poe’s short stories I also love and admire. But it’s absolutely and utterly true that Hedayat overcomes all of it with “Owl”. I can’t think of another novel of its type that has such a heavy and palpable atmosphere. I recommend it obnoxiously and often to everyone.
Looking forward to more of these, and thank you for writing it in the first place!
This piece was responsible for 2/3 of my Amazon list
Hey David.... where do you rank Gibbon in terms of all time great English prose stylists out of curiosity?
Grand but not great. Latinical and stately and precise, but not sonorous and shatteringly eloquent like Sir Thomas Browne, John Florio, Thomas Traherne, Thomas De Quincey, Patrick Leigh Fermor , and J. A. Baker (and some others). The great ones played huge pipe organs with hundreds of stops and full pedal arrays. He was adept at playing the well-tuned spinet.
Nice, David! Quick question: when is your new book coming out?
I have three books at three different publishers in the process of going to type, and three more in ms. Did you have a particular one in mind?
you are gods?
Spring 2022, I believe.
I propose "this week's psithurism" in place of "newsletter."
Ummm...
I should clarify: psithurism as in the rustling of leaves, not as in slander. Susurration, perhaps? Look, I was just trying to be thematic.
I understood. I was considering only the burden it would lay on the tongue and palate of anyone trying to recommend it to someone else by word of mouth. Susurrations--that's more promising.
I think that's the best onomatopoeia ever.
It is, isn't it.
Fair point!
I am distressingly late to the party, and I'm going to ask about a book that's not even on the list, but have you a favorite translation of Genji?
Waley for felicity, Seidensticker for dry precision, Tyler for accuracy.
Do you recommend any specific edition of the Kebra Nagast??
No
It looks like two Africa scholars, Wendy Belcher and Michael Kleiner, are working on a new translation. She mentions previous translations' "unfortunate choices and outdated language." I'll write to her and see if they have a timeline.
Oh, thanks for letting me know.
I'd be quite interest to have a list of your recommendations that includes well known works too.
I was delighted to see Powys here, I found Glastonbury to be a wonderfully expansive book that imaginatively engages an idea of connected consciousness, wonderful coming in the modern era. I wish he hadn't been influenced by his brother Llewelyn though. I had Daphne and Chloe, I don't have a lot of time to read at present but there are quite a few titles in here that I'd like to chase up Kalidasa & As I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams immediately stand out.
This has succeeded in its intended purpose of convince at least one person to subscribe; namely, me.
No, not at all a dismissal. But the topic was the aesthetics of the shadowy.