Saturday, September 25, 2010
Light reading catch-up
After reading a bunch of books none of which were individually poor but which cumulatively made me feel as though my brain were about to crumble into dust, and which do not really deserve individual enumeration, I was very happy to fall upon Joseph O'Neill's Netherland, which I liked very much indeed. Beautifully written sentences, but they are also for something....
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Awesome! I've taught Netherland in 3 or 4 courses. I'm glad to know you like it. It's so much in the dead center of the mainstream of the history of the novel - not that that's what I'm always looking for - but Netherland carries its mainstream-of-the-history-of-the-novelness so well and so proudly yet lightly. I'd like to teach a course in the history of the novel starting there and working backwards.
ReplyDeleteHis memoir Blood-Dark Track has just been rereleased, which may be of interest to you. I remember when Netherland came out - I was still at RH - and it very quickly became beloved in-house. I resisted its style at first but I soon grew to really enjoy, and respect its fluidity. it's a great book.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Zadie Smith's takedown?http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2008/nov/20/two-paths-for-the-novel/?pagination=false