Author Archives: susan

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Faulkner on Southern Politics

Interesting, as Faulkner gives voice via his narrator into a manner of labeling generically the political positions of his own time by describing the whorehouse's master (or pimp): Minnie was still bringing things, all cold–fried chicken and biscuits and vegetables … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Reivers – Faulkner on Southern Politics

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Faulkner on Technology

Picking up some speed here with the reading; hate to say it, but the first 80 pages were duller than matte paint. There was something dreamlike about it. Not nightmarish: just dreamlike–the peaceful, quiet, remote, sylvan, almost primeval setting of … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Reivers – Faulkner on Technology

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Repetition as Style?

One of the first things I noticed about Cormac McCarthy's writing style was a propensity to double up on words and phrases that emphasized the meaning. For example, something like "the sun was hot, was hot, and was hot," which … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | 2 Comments

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Pace

Slow. Ploddingly so. I am missing something here, I'm sure, but I'm about to miss more as I plan to scan-read through some of this to find something that holds me to Faulkner's story. Yes, I am ashamed of myself; … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Reivers – Pace

LITERATURE: Neruda’s Ode to Wine

Neruda and Chekhov easily lead me away from my Faulkner reading these last few days. Perhaps it's the mood of the crystalized trees that capture the sun 'fore the sun steals the diamonds away. But this has to be one … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Neruda’s Ode to Wine

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Style

Faulkner has taken a heck of a lot of time to give us an environment with a couple of characters and an adventure about to begin. At this point, those who like action and fast paced reading might have continued … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Reivers – Style

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Connections

Fifty pages in, yet I do not feel the Faulkner magic, the connection with the characters and the place. It makes me wonder if mood is relative, if perhaps reality must be left behind to become totally absorbed with his … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | 4 Comments

LITERATURE: Neruda’s Ode to Laziness – A simple interpretation

Hitting home: Yesterday I felt as if my odewas never going to sprout.At least it shouldhave been showinga green leaf. (p. 117) So simple, Neruda's concept of art as a seed of idea, stubborn to the sun as if seeking … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Neruda’s Ode to Laziness – A simple interpretation

LITERATURE: The Reivers – Opening Scenes

Not nuts about the first twenty pages of this and I do hope it gets better as it moves deeper into the story. Right now, there's a basic plot, a bit of action to drive it, and a truckload of … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: The Reivers – Opening Scenes

LITERATURE: Blindness – Finale

Why did we become blind, I don't know, perhaps one day we'll find out, Do you want me to tell you what I think, Yes, do, I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | 1 Comment

LITERATURE: Blindness – About Writing

There is an interesting passage about the ability to continue writing while blind. The group has stopped at the first blind man's home to find a writer living there with his family–the blind are moving around like gypsies drawn by … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Blindness – About Writing

LITERATUE: Chekhov’s The Chorus Girl

An amazing little story, very brief and to the point. An actress and her lover sitting at her home when there is a knock on the door. The man gets up and leaves the room as his mistress answers the … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATUE: Chekhov’s The Chorus Girl

LITERATURE: Blindness – Oh Shit! – Metaphor!

This may well be the oddest metaphor in a story, but with all the emphasis Saramago has put on human excrement in this book, it bears following it down. While it is understandable that even in the beginning of our … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Blindness – Oh Shit! – Metaphor!

LITERATURE & WRITING: The 3-Sided Square Table and The 4th Wall

As a prelude to a posting on Blindness regarding reality and symbolism, this idea popped into my head and since it didn't quite relate, I'm posting it here. The Fourth Wall* in literature and any artistic expression–particularly drama–is the barrier … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE, WRITING | Tagged | 2 Comments

LITERATURE: Blindness – Symbolism (or) “They say it’s all happening at the zoo…”

The doctor's wife has found food in a supermarket cellar and has gone through a time of blindness herself in the darkness of the place until she found matches. Once more we see her face a moral dilemma of keeping … Continue reading Continue reading

Posted in LITERATURE | Tagged | Comments Off on LITERATURE: Blindness – Symbolism (or) “They say it’s all happening at the zoo…”