Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Kindly Ones

At some point late in the morning I was certain that I'd gotten notice that a Thomas Bernhard novel I'd ordered had arrived at my local library branch... I couldn't find the notice. Was I remembering a dream? I went to the library anyway, and there at the reserve shelf--a librarian with a book in hand, sheet of paper taped to the back with my name. It wasn't Bernhard, and the copy had just arrived so they hadn't yet sent out a notice.

An interesting way to find Jonathan Littell's, The Kindly Ones in my hand.

I can't imagine I will have anything to add to Dan Green, in way of a review, but the first page alone got me thinking about writing a reader's journal, (pay attention, the narrator warns. I am not writing this for your benefit. What you get out it will up to you.

I like the challenge.

I'll have a good chunk of reading time tomorrow, thanks to an order to report for jury duty.

Library books no longer have those stamped cards on the inside cover so you can't tell how often it's been checked. This appeared to be a virgin copy... confirmed by several still uncut pages.

I wonder what it might have in common with Michel Tournier's, 1970 Prix Concourt novel, The Ogre (Roi des Ulnes.. the title itself a French translation of Goethe's Der Erlkönig, The Erl-King). Also a 1996 Volker Schlöndorff film with John Malkovich. which I've not seen.



Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Shubert Der Erl-Koenig

English translation of The Earl King ... turn off the sound... really obnoxious




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