Preparing for an important exam in two weeks at the university, I started this weekend to read short stories from the 19. century.First of all Maupassant’s stories, and some others written by Gogol and Chekhov.
French literature was always more sympathetic to me than the Russian, but these two authors are among my favourites.
Reading the story The Cloak by Gogol, I was thinking about there is always about the grotesque and the sarcasm of Gogol’s stories. But for this poor man, Akaky Akakyevich the new cloak was really really everything. For the other people maybe just an average new article of clothing, but for him the whole world. That’s why I’m susceptible to see it rather as a sad story than a funny one. On the other hand the sentences about the department reminds me a bit of Kafka’s world.
Books I mentioned last Sunday:
Lust by Elfriede Jelinek. I haven’t finished it, which seems to be a bad omen, I might not like this book.
Quite different is the situation with Emma (Jane Austen), after reading 3 chapters, I have now a lot of questions thinking about them.
And that’s why I really like to read.
Happy reading!
8 megjegyzés:
Good luck with exams.
thanks for recommending Ludmila Ulitskaya on your blog- I am loving her book.
I was completely bowled over by The Overcoat . I had to treat myself to a Gogol anthology which I'm really looking forward to working my way through.
Good luck with your exams. I have some also coming up in a week. Happy readings.
Why the dualism? Gogol's stories are both sad and funny.
Great idea for a blog, by the way. Hungarian literature seems so rich.
Good luck with your exams! Have a great week!
thsnks for everyone ;)
Marie, you're welcome
Lizzy, it seems we talk about the same story of Gogol with different title, well, the wonders of translation :)
Amateur Reader, yes, Hungarian literature is very rich,but I think, Austrian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Danish etc. literatures are rich too. Its, always question of point of view. ;)
Happy reading! :)
Best of luck for your exams.
I read a lot of short stories.
SS 1: Lost and Found/Sarah's Key
SS 2: The Triumph of Deborah
Good luck with your exams, yes. And I loved The Overcoat - actually I wrote a review and it's here: http://51stories.wordpress.com/2008/01/20/death-by-coat/
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