„Die Zeit“ holt zum Gegenschlag aus: der nachdenkliche Essay von Iris Radisch enthält eine vernichtende Demontage von dem Buch, welches die FAZ zur Zeit als Fortsetzungsroman druckt: Littell's "Die Wohlgesinnten".
Die Kritik kann unter Am Anfang steht ein Missverständnis · Die Zeit · 14.02.2008 gefunden werden.
Die Diskussion hierzu, die sich anschließend in den Kommentaren diverser Leser zum Artikel entwickelt hat, ist ebenfalls durchaus lesenswert.
Meine Empfehlung: die unter folgendem Link vorhandene Lesung von "Die Wohlgesinnten" anzuhören. Der Text wird hervorragend vorgetragen vom vorzüglichen Christian Berkel. Er wurde aus dem Französischen übersetzt von Hainer Köber.
Lesung · Die Wohlgesinnten · FAZ Reading Room
Siehe hierzu auch meinen Blog Eintrag vom 04.02.2008.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Sunday, 17 February 2008
A Writer's Journal (10)
„Novels, then, with their complexity, their scope, their built-in engagement with our common humanity, may be an ideal way of getting under a nation's skin.“
- from: „Three French Novels“, William Boyd's review from 2003 of Alain Fournier's „Le Grand Meulnes“ (1913), Albert Camus' „L'Etranger“ [The Outsider] (1942) and Michel Tournier's „Le Roi des Aulnes“ [The Erl King] (1970).
This review can be found in William Boyd's fascinating anthology „Bamboo. Non-Fiction 1978-2004“ (published by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Books, London, 2005). Highly recommended.
William Boyd is also the editor of the centenary edition of the British literary review Granta, Issue no. 100, Winter 2007 (see also my post dated 7th Feb. 2008).
- from: „Three French Novels“, William Boyd's review from 2003 of Alain Fournier's „Le Grand Meulnes“ (1913), Albert Camus' „L'Etranger“ [The Outsider] (1942) and Michel Tournier's „Le Roi des Aulnes“ [The Erl King] (1970).
This review can be found in William Boyd's fascinating anthology „Bamboo. Non-Fiction 1978-2004“ (published by Hamish Hamilton, an imprint of Penguin Books, London, 2005). Highly recommended.
William Boyd is also the editor of the centenary edition of the British literary review Granta, Issue no. 100, Winter 2007 (see also my post dated 7th Feb. 2008).
Upon the death of Roy Scheider
Well, another good one bites the dust...
Roy Scheider, a leading figure in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Scheider was probably best-known for his roles in “Jaws” (1975, director: Steven Spielberg) and “Jaws 2” (1978, director: Jeannot Swarc).
He also worked with William Friedkin in “French Connection” (1971) and “Sorcerer” (1977), which was a big-budget remake of the superb French thriller “The Wages of Fear” (1953, director: Henri-Georges Clouzot), not forgetting his contributions to such remarkable films as “Marathon Man” (1976, director: John Schlesinger), “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” (1985, director: Paul Schrader), “2010” (1984, director: Peter Hyams) and “Romeo is Bleeding” (1994, director: Peter Medak) as well as his appearances in other film and stage productions too numerous to mention.
He was offered a leading role in “The Deer Hunter” (1979), but had to turn it down, having to fulfil his contract with Universal for the “Jaws” sequel (so Robert De Niro ended up playing that role...) Well, not to detract from De Niro's remarkable performance, but we can only speculate what difference Scheider's playing might have brought to that movie.
He also played the sinister, sarcastic Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” (1991), one of the more memorable performances of his later career years.
For more, check the following links:
Roy Scheider Obituary · NYTimes · 11th Feb 2008
Roy Scheider Biography · NYTimes · All Movie Guide
Roy Scheider, a leading figure in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Scheider was probably best-known for his roles in “Jaws” (1975, director: Steven Spielberg) and “Jaws 2” (1978, director: Jeannot Swarc).
He also worked with William Friedkin in “French Connection” (1971) and “Sorcerer” (1977), which was a big-budget remake of the superb French thriller “The Wages of Fear” (1953, director: Henri-Georges Clouzot), not forgetting his contributions to such remarkable films as “Marathon Man” (1976, director: John Schlesinger), “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” (1985, director: Paul Schrader), “2010” (1984, director: Peter Hyams) and “Romeo is Bleeding” (1994, director: Peter Medak) as well as his appearances in other film and stage productions too numerous to mention.
He was offered a leading role in “The Deer Hunter” (1979), but had to turn it down, having to fulfil his contract with Universal for the “Jaws” sequel (so Robert De Niro ended up playing that role...) Well, not to detract from De Niro's remarkable performance, but we can only speculate what difference Scheider's playing might have brought to that movie.
He also played the sinister, sarcastic Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” (1991), one of the more memorable performances of his later career years.
For more, check the following links:
Roy Scheider Obituary · NYTimes · 11th Feb 2008
Roy Scheider Biography · NYTimes · All Movie Guide
A Writer's Journal (9)
Zum Detektivroman
„Totus mundus agit historionem – Die ganze Welt agiert als Schauspieler, stand einst in Shakespeares Globe-Theater. Dies gilt im besonderen Maße für den Detektivroman, den Gilbert Keith Chesterton, der frühe Meister und kenntnisreiche Kritiker des Genres, einmal eine „Komödie der Masken, nicht der Gesichter genannt hat.“
- aus dem Nachwort von Volker Neuhaus in „Madam Wilkins’ Palazzo“ von Charlotte MacLeod, dt. Ausgabe 1992 (Die englische Originalausgabe erschien 1982.)
„Totus mundus agit historionem – Die ganze Welt agiert als Schauspieler, stand einst in Shakespeares Globe-Theater. Dies gilt im besonderen Maße für den Detektivroman, den Gilbert Keith Chesterton, der frühe Meister und kenntnisreiche Kritiker des Genres, einmal eine „Komödie der Masken, nicht der Gesichter genannt hat.“
- aus dem Nachwort von Volker Neuhaus in „Madam Wilkins’ Palazzo“ von Charlotte MacLeod, dt. Ausgabe 1992 (Die englische Originalausgabe erschien 1982.)
Saturday, 16 February 2008
A Writer's Journal (8)
On Creating Characters
„We’re all works in progress on planet Earth, and no one of us possesses physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological perfection. This should be true of our characters as well. No one wants to read about flawless characters. Since no reader is perfect, there is nothing more disagreeable than spending free time immersed in a story about an individual who leaps the tall buildings of emotion, psyche, body, and spirit in a single bound. Would anyone want a person like that as a friend, tediously wonderful in every way? Probably not. Thus, a character possessing perfection in one area should possess imperfection in another.”
- from: Elizabeth George, Write Away - One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and The Writing Life, 2004, page 9.
„We’re all works in progress on planet Earth, and no one of us possesses physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological perfection. This should be true of our characters as well. No one wants to read about flawless characters. Since no reader is perfect, there is nothing more disagreeable than spending free time immersed in a story about an individual who leaps the tall buildings of emotion, psyche, body, and spirit in a single bound. Would anyone want a person like that as a friend, tediously wonderful in every way? Probably not. Thus, a character possessing perfection in one area should possess imperfection in another.”
- from: Elizabeth George, Write Away - One Novelist’s Approach to Fiction and The Writing Life, 2004, page 9.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
A Writer's Journal (7)
"I remember being shocked when I discovered some of my school pals didn't have books in their homes. I thought it was like not having oxygen, or hot water. If I could have lived in the library at that time, I would have."
- Iain Banks (who also publishes as Iain M. Banks), interviewed by Sarah Kinson. There's more from this interview under the following link:
Why I write · Iain Banks · 7th Feb 2008
Was there someone who got you interested in writing?
"We did a lot creative writing at school. We were sat down to write a story, in quiet, at least twice a week. They don't do creative writing in school now. It is an absolute tragedy." - Anne Fine, interviewed by Sarah Kinson. More under:
Why I write · Anne Fine · 5th Dec 2007
The Guardian publishes interviews regularly in their "Why I Write" series. Recent interviewees have also included David Mitchell (19th Nov. 2007) and Maggie O'Farrell (19th Dec. 2007).
- Iain Banks (who also publishes as Iain M. Banks), interviewed by Sarah Kinson. There's more from this interview under the following link:
Why I write · Iain Banks · 7th Feb 2008
Was there someone who got you interested in writing?
"We did a lot creative writing at school. We were sat down to write a story, in quiet, at least twice a week. They don't do creative writing in school now. It is an absolute tragedy." - Anne Fine, interviewed by Sarah Kinson. More under:
Why I write · Anne Fine · 5th Dec 2007
The Guardian publishes interviews regularly in their "Why I Write" series. Recent interviewees have also included David Mitchell (19th Nov. 2007) and Maggie O'Farrell (19th Dec. 2007).
Upon the death of Liana Burgess
Liana Burgess (born Liliana Macellari), the wife and literary agent of the novelist Anthony Burgess, died on 3rd December 2007.
She translated works of Anthony Burgess, Lawrence Durrell, Thomas Pynchon, and James Joyce amongst others, into Italian.
The creation of the Anthony Burgess Centre at the University of Angers (Link: ABC · Home) and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation (IABF) in Manchester (Link: IABF · Home) is the result of her committedness in championing the work of her husband.
Her obituary can be found under:
Liana Burgess · Telegraph.Co.UK.
See also: Symposium · speech by Liana Burgess for the transcript of a speech for the Anthony Burgess Symposium held in 2001.
Anthony Burgess (1917 - 1993), something of a writer's writer, was a polymath also involved in journalism, musical composition, teaching, linguistic studies, Joyce and Shakespeare scholarship, broadcasting, and numerous activities more.
A reassessment of Anthony Burgess can be found under:
Edward Champion on Anthony Burgess · The Guardian · 5th Feb 2008.
More links:
Wikipedia · German and
Wikipedia · English.
She translated works of Anthony Burgess, Lawrence Durrell, Thomas Pynchon, and James Joyce amongst others, into Italian.
The creation of the Anthony Burgess Centre at the University of Angers (Link: ABC · Home) and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation (IABF) in Manchester (Link: IABF · Home) is the result of her committedness in championing the work of her husband.
Her obituary can be found under:
Liana Burgess · Telegraph.Co.UK.
See also: Symposium · speech by Liana Burgess for the transcript of a speech for the Anthony Burgess Symposium held in 2001.
Anthony Burgess (1917 - 1993), something of a writer's writer, was a polymath also involved in journalism, musical composition, teaching, linguistic studies, Joyce and Shakespeare scholarship, broadcasting, and numerous activities more.
A reassessment of Anthony Burgess can be found under:
Edward Champion on Anthony Burgess · The Guardian · 5th Feb 2008.
More links:
Wikipedia · German and
Wikipedia · English.
A Writer's Journal (6)
Some comments by Stephen King on his latest book:
Stephen King · Duma Key.
"If something's working, just stay on the side and let it work itself out." - Stephen King, interview 2007.
Stephen King · Duma Key.
"If something's working, just stay on the side and let it work itself out." - Stephen King, interview 2007.
Thursday, 7 February 2008
A Writer's Journal (5)
"Isabel Allende, what is your passion?"
"I would say my passion is life itself, everything that happens in life. This is why I am a writer, because I want to tell of all people's lives. I want to fix it all in writing so that it won't be forgotten."
- From: My Question For Myself, taken from Granta, Issue No. 100, Winter 2007, page 208.
"Richard Ford, do you know what's important to you?"
"No, but I can make it up."
- From: My Question For Myself, taken from Granta, Issue No. 100, Winter 2007, page 290.
This is part of a project initiated by Carolin Seeliger (photographer) and Tobias Wenzel (literary journalist). ‘My Question For Myself’ is taken from their forthcoming book of the same title. The German edition will be published April 2008 by Benteli. More information and photographs can be found at Question For Myself · book project.
Check out the British literary quarterly Granta, which is part magazine, part Journal, an anthology published as a paperback book, under: granta · literary quarterly. Granta, originally an old Cambridge University magazine, has been going strong in its second incarnation, ever since its relaunch by Bill Buford in 1979.
"I would say my passion is life itself, everything that happens in life. This is why I am a writer, because I want to tell of all people's lives. I want to fix it all in writing so that it won't be forgotten."
- From: My Question For Myself, taken from Granta, Issue No. 100, Winter 2007, page 208.
"Richard Ford, do you know what's important to you?"
"No, but I can make it up."
- From: My Question For Myself, taken from Granta, Issue No. 100, Winter 2007, page 290.
This is part of a project initiated by Carolin Seeliger (photographer) and Tobias Wenzel (literary journalist). ‘My Question For Myself’ is taken from their forthcoming book of the same title. The German edition will be published April 2008 by Benteli. More information and photographs can be found at Question For Myself · book project.
Check out the British literary quarterly Granta, which is part magazine, part Journal, an anthology published as a paperback book, under: granta · literary quarterly. Granta, originally an old Cambridge University magazine, has been going strong in its second incarnation, ever since its relaunch by Bill Buford in 1979.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Aquarium Blues
Here's a poem from my collection called "Undressed Ideals":
A few more drops of succour
Drawn from the well
Of an oblivion poet
Or a small slice of perception
Cut from the reality sandwich
Of a Nirvana salesman
Just edges of reality
Like ignored breadcrumbs
That pepper the floor
Polite goodbyes
In an isolated
Fishbowl of fear
Where everyone swims in
Year after year
And the waves
Of all our oceans finally die
© George H.E. Koehler, 2001.
A few more drops of succour
Drawn from the well
Of an oblivion poet
Or a small slice of perception
Cut from the reality sandwich
Of a Nirvana salesman
Just edges of reality
Like ignored breadcrumbs
That pepper the floor
Polite goodbyes
In an isolated
Fishbowl of fear
Where everyone swims in
Year after year
And the waves
Of all our oceans finally die
© George H.E. Koehler, 2001.
A Writer's Journal (4)
"There is only one thing which interests me vitally now,
and that is the recording of all that which is omitted in books."
- Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer, 1934).
"Distrust in agreement and find in dissent the confirmation of your own intuitions. There is no rule, there is only the risk of contradiction."
- Umberto Eco (from the preface to Faith in Fakes, 1986).
"Mankind’s emancipation and upward struggle depends
chiefly upon (...) translation of the unknown into the known."
- Robert A. Monroe (Journeys Out of the Body, 1972).
"Alles was automatisch ist, ist ein Hindernis für dich.
Das Leben soll ein Weg von wachsendem Bewusstsein werden. Und deshalb schlagen wir dir vor, daß du beginnst, eine stärkere Verpflichtung dir selbst gegenüber einzugehen."
- Bärbel Mohr (Bestellungen beim Universum, 1998).
and that is the recording of all that which is omitted in books."
- Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer, 1934).
"Distrust in agreement and find in dissent the confirmation of your own intuitions. There is no rule, there is only the risk of contradiction."
- Umberto Eco (from the preface to Faith in Fakes, 1986).
"Mankind’s emancipation and upward struggle depends
chiefly upon (...) translation of the unknown into the known."
- Robert A. Monroe (Journeys Out of the Body, 1972).
"Alles was automatisch ist, ist ein Hindernis für dich.
Das Leben soll ein Weg von wachsendem Bewusstsein werden. Und deshalb schlagen wir dir vor, daß du beginnst, eine stärkere Verpflichtung dir selbst gegenüber einzugehen."
- Bärbel Mohr (Bestellungen beim Universum, 1998).
Monday, 4 February 2008
Jonathan Littell "Die Wohlgesinnten" · Das Diskussionsforum des FAZ Reading Room
Unter folgendem Link kann man sich eine Lesung von Jonathan Littell's "Die Wohlgesinnten" anhören, aus dem Französischen übersetzt von Hainer Köber. Zur Zeit werden 2 Auszüge angeboten. Fortsetzung folgt (insgesamt 18 Folgen):
Jonathan Littell "Die Wohlgesinnten" - Folge 1: Toccata - Reading Room - FAZ.NET
Den Textauszug zur Aufnahme findet man unter: Littell · Text Folge 1
Was ist der "READING ROOM"?
Der F.A.Z. Reading Room ist ein multimediales Diskussionsforum zum exklusiv vorabgedruckten Fortsetzungsroman der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung.
Die Startseite findet man unter: Reading Room · Home
Der Reading Room ist zunächst ein Forum für Leser, der Ort, an dem Diese über den Fortsetzungsroman diskutieren und ins Gespräch kommen können.
Neben dem Leserforum wurde ein Expertenforum eingerichtet, ein Podium, auf dem mit Literaturwissenschaftlern, bekannten Publizisten und Redakteuren der F.A.Z. über den Roman sprechen und streiten wollen. Deren Beiträge können von allen Nutzern kommentiert werden.
Mehr unter: Über den Reading Room · FAZ .
Jonathan Littell "Die Wohlgesinnten" - Folge 1: Toccata - Reading Room - FAZ.NET
Den Textauszug zur Aufnahme findet man unter: Littell · Text Folge 1
Was ist der "READING ROOM"?
Der F.A.Z. Reading Room ist ein multimediales Diskussionsforum zum exklusiv vorabgedruckten Fortsetzungsroman der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung.
Die Startseite findet man unter: Reading Room · Home
Der Reading Room ist zunächst ein Forum für Leser, der Ort, an dem Diese über den Fortsetzungsroman diskutieren und ins Gespräch kommen können.
Neben dem Leserforum wurde ein Expertenforum eingerichtet, ein Podium, auf dem mit Literaturwissenschaftlern, bekannten Publizisten und Redakteuren der F.A.Z. über den Roman sprechen und streiten wollen. Deren Beiträge können von allen Nutzern kommentiert werden.
Mehr unter: Über den Reading Room · FAZ .
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