Hello Alexandru, good to hear from you here once again. Dostoevsky is on my (rather long and evolving) list of novels to read, and Crime and Punishment will probably be first. Also, Solenoid sounds fascinating. There aren't so many well-known Romanian writers, unfortunately, from what I have seen and experienced, even while living in Romania. Thanks for the recommendations, and for not spoiling either of the books. Best of luck on discovering the meaning to be found online. My tactic is to not expect too much. Dar poate sa fii un pic greu, din pacate.
Dostoevsky in my opinion is the best novelist of all time. His four masterpieces, Crime & Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov are must reads. The last, Brothers Karamazov, is the greatest novel ever written.
Good to hear that you're working on your fiction. I'm having start and stop fits with my writing as life has gotten in the way. I share your sense of ennui.
Maybe because it's the depths of winter with its never end dreary weather.
Your book review of Solenoid sounds quite intriguing.
Would you regard it as Romanian magical realism or an homage to it?
It's certainly in the same family as Latin American Magical Realism, but more of a bastard cousin. It's a lot darker and more reminiscent of David Lynch mixed with Kafka.
Well, Eastern Europeans do tend to be more melancholic :)
That's an interesting image. Sorta like Twin peaks but set in Romania of the last century
Also, given that he's set the novel in 70s' Romania when the loony tune couple was ruining the country through their ignorance, I can appreciate the darkness.
Your review must prompt to pick it up once I get through my Mons Olympus of to be read pile.
I'll have to see if it's available in translations other than English. Not out of suspicion since you've raised no issues about it, just would like to read in another language to be aware of the differences.
My only regret is I can't read Romanian, I'd love to immerse myself with the story in the original language.
I believe more of his novels are in Spanish than in English. Sadly I can only read Romanian at an elementary school level, well beneath the complexity of a novel like this, so it was English for me.
Really? I'll have to check it out and in Catalan as well, just out of sheer curiosity.
Here's a tangent, I've noted that Spanish and Catalan literature translates authours that Anglophones have never heard of.
I can't speak if those authours are good or entertaining, but I wonder what attracts the translations in those languages while in English they, re not.
If I had to guess it has to do with the readership. With the amount of English novels between the four major English speaking countries I don't think the market in mass translation is profitable. This blog seems to be focused on this issue, also has a good review of Solenoid. https://theuntranslated.wordpress.com/
Hello Alexandru, good to hear from you here once again. Dostoevsky is on my (rather long and evolving) list of novels to read, and Crime and Punishment will probably be first. Also, Solenoid sounds fascinating. There aren't so many well-known Romanian writers, unfortunately, from what I have seen and experienced, even while living in Romania. Thanks for the recommendations, and for not spoiling either of the books. Best of luck on discovering the meaning to be found online. My tactic is to not expect too much. Dar poate sa fii un pic greu, din pacate.
On a side note, if you read him in English I recommend the Pevar translations.
Dostoevsky in my opinion is the best novelist of all time. His four masterpieces, Crime & Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov are must reads. The last, Brothers Karamazov, is the greatest novel ever written.
Alexandru,
Good to hear that you're working on your fiction. I'm having start and stop fits with my writing as life has gotten in the way. I share your sense of ennui.
Maybe because it's the depths of winter with its never end dreary weather.
Your book review of Solenoid sounds quite intriguing.
Would you regard it as Romanian magical realism or an homage to it?
xavier
It's certainly in the same family as Latin American Magical Realism, but more of a bastard cousin. It's a lot darker and more reminiscent of David Lynch mixed with Kafka.
Well, Eastern Europeans do tend to be more melancholic :)
That's an interesting image. Sorta like Twin peaks but set in Romania of the last century
Also, given that he's set the novel in 70s' Romania when the loony tune couple was ruining the country through their ignorance, I can appreciate the darkness.
Your review must prompt to pick it up once I get through my Mons Olympus of to be read pile.
xavier
clarification: might pick up. :)
I'll have to see if it's available in translations other than English. Not out of suspicion since you've raised no issues about it, just would like to read in another language to be aware of the differences.
My only regret is I can't read Romanian, I'd love to immerse myself with the story in the original language.
xavier
I believe more of his novels are in Spanish than in English. Sadly I can only read Romanian at an elementary school level, well beneath the complexity of a novel like this, so it was English for me.
Really? I'll have to check it out and in Catalan as well, just out of sheer curiosity.
Here's a tangent, I've noted that Spanish and Catalan literature translates authours that Anglophones have never heard of.
I can't speak if those authours are good or entertaining, but I wonder what attracts the translations in those languages while in English they, re not.
xavier
If I had to guess it has to do with the readership. With the amount of English novels between the four major English speaking countries I don't think the market in mass translation is profitable. This blog seems to be focused on this issue, also has a good review of Solenoid. https://theuntranslated.wordpress.com/