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Anita Brookner's the one. And, coincidentally, actually surnamed Maude and born in Germany. Its interesting that Camera Lucida is mentioned more than once. I read it recently and enjoyed it tremendously. And, that, I believe, was due in large part to the way I read it: One of its very short...

Oh, Mr Tea, and right after my long windedness! I feel your pain brother :eek: China, World War II, Early 20th Century North Asian History, Finkelstein on Israel would be good to discuss/listen (cough) in on. Memo to self: must be more pithy.

Yes, I think I understand what you are getting at here but what of the very evident sense of a consciousness throughout. One that I quite naturally located within Austerlitz as I read. I may not be quite onto your meaning (specific example from the text would help clarify) but my feeling is...

Yes, as I noted, the style suffers when taken out of its flow. Lack of paragraphs, punctuation, and so forth a significant aspect of a well turned whole. Point being that, it is without doubt carefully constructed as a whole. Ah, you're right, really. I was thinking self...

On a charitable view one could imagine that all were pissed and consequently kindly disposed in turn to see Trungpa's words and actions as products of an enlightened being rather than a drunk. One up for the gin, I rather think. Or, he's accepted as a meditation master because, well, there...

Ha. Are you sure that 'The Rubaiyat...' was the product of alcohol? As to the wisdom of the 'Juice of the Barley' there's nowt new under the sun- witness 'slacker' culture of more recent times. Its a good gig if you can get it, thats all I say.

Its all context innit. I just said goodbye to my much liked girlfriend of eight months who had to return home to another country for work. I feel entitled to rest my sorrows in a solo beer or two. More generally, I see nothing wrong with a beer when home alone. I will often have a glass...

Yes it is beautiful. Allow me to to be a little contrarian, though, and say that like much of the book it teeters on the edge of being poetry prose cheese. I'm very much in two minds on it all at the moment. Beautifully written but there's something overly consistent about it all. That...

I'd like to second this. I'm well into it now and reading it last night, I was struck all of a sudden by what - in my very own words at the time - 'a fucking beautiful read' it was. Lovely indeed. I'm not sure about the word 'ominous' though. Maybe grief? I was going to say 'forboding' but my...

Ha, you called my bluff there, Mr Tea. Quietism is a word I use without having a clear sense of what it actually means. I don't seem to be that far off, nonetheless... Here's a couple of definitions from Merriam-Webster online: qui·et·ism Pronunciation: 'kwI-&-"ti-z&m Function: noun 1 a : a...

Austerlitz. Cool. Fortuitously, I happen to be on page 50 or so of my second go at Austerlitz. First time round (which I'd completely forgotten about until I embarked on the second reading), I gave up due to the quietism of the novel's tone. And I mean that 'quietism' in a broader sense than the...

'Camera Lucida', by Barthes. A chapter a day, which, being so short, only amounts to a page or two, then a few notes on what read. All up about 10-15 mins worth. Best part of the day by far. Like a fucking spring in the desert. And there's something totally apposite about the scant but intent...

Great movie but just a little dissappointing. Interesting insight from Peter Bradshaw writing in the Guardian: ''I have to confess that there were times when Sunshine looked like a clever, but essentially cool anthology of mannerisms and ideas from other movies, and I wasn't sure about the...

Can't say I see any inconsistency here.

Swoon: Two poets and an internet romance. Which should make all cringe. She's in Tokyo, he's in New York. Its not fiction (with a caveat) and consists of edits/selections from a voluminous correspondance. I enjoyed the intelligence and passion and realness. ( more than once - after delivering...

For a brief moment there, around page 8 of this thread, it looked like it was about to become really interesting with the only two (small exaggeration) on this thread who know a rats butt about Deleuze or Baudrillard about to get down to squaring/making a few distinctions. Instead we got the...

Not sure where this thread is going, or indeed has come from, and can't be arsed finding out given recent posts. The thread is titled, 'War in Iran', however, and I am watching CNN on that very matter so will forge ahead... And note how bizzare and very very thin and stilted the coverage...

Seeking some insight and balance in a burgeoning romance with a decidedly unbookish and prada pimped Japanese woman, ( to caricature) I've finally begun to read a book which has been sitting on my bookshelf for some time: Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. Book and woman alike are a little...

On Stupidity: Avital Ronnell, Clever and stimulating. Not too hard a read, tho maybe a little too cute, now and then, for my personal taste. And a big shout out to Cormac McCarthy. God that man has texture to his text. As another said, tough poetry. Wonderful, must read some more very soon...

Dissappointing dumbness: Happy social groupings burst asunder by the minions of corrupt pagan heathens soaked in the very worst of over-refinement and superstitious blood and death lust. Our hero cannot be taken down by these ultimately lesser forces and makes his way back to the mothers of...