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• Reading the Obscure Nobel Winners

  It's often said that the Nobel winners who have fallen into neglect have done so because they were neglible to begin with, but I've found this is rarely the case, and some Nobel winners who no one's ever heard of are giants who've been forgotten despite the prize. Even recent, still-living winners - who's read Gao Xingjian's epic, weird "Soul Mountain" or Oe Kenzaburo's brilliant, dark "Silent Cry?" Greece's George Seferis is one of the best poets I've ever read, even in translation. Joseph Brodsky repeated Nabokov's feat of mastering English as a second language and wrote a lot of outstanding poetry in English, so why's no one ever heard of him? There are even a couple little-known English-language writers in there. Most of Aussie winner Patrick White's novels are out-of-print, including "Voss," one of the century's best novels. So who has some recommendations for the forgotten? Anyone ever read any Roger Martin du Gard or Nelly Sachs or Miguel Angel Asturias?

  mizoguchi started this discussion 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  tapbirds 

  I've read "Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort" by Roger Martin du Gard. This novel was unfortunately left unfinished upon the author's death in 1958. That is regrettable because the reader is left with only sketches and notes to end the story. However, the completed chapters are captivating - they include the Lieutenant's coming-of-age to manhood and marriage, ultimately ending with scenes of Nazi occupation. The recounted tales of the protagonist's childhood are quite sensuous, somewhat homoerotic in nature, perhaps not unlike "The Immoralist" by Andre Gide.
  
  I have been told that Martin du Gard is primarily noted for his three-volume Thibalt family saga which spans the First World War era. I have been able to collect the first two volumes, and look forward to someday reading the entire collection.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  tapbirds 

  Mizoguchi:
  
  I've not read any Nelly Sachs, and would love to learn of any English translation book recommendations.
  
  However I have read Miguel Angel Asturias' "The President." The following is my Shelfari review:
  
  "This is a book I would like to someday re-read. This gut-wrenching novel explores themes surrounding power, corruption, politics and the military establishment (the author is from Guatemala). One of my favorite lines is "By what right are soldiers forced to be loyal to regimes which are themselves disloyal to ideas, to the world and to their nation?" I would assume that this rhetorical question has been asked throughout myriad of wars and conflicts since the dawn of time. Miguel Angel Asturias won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1967."
  
  Hope this of some help,
  Scott

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Jonas D 

  Well, I've read both Xingjian and Oe, and specially Oe is one of my favorites, in fact. If you like poetry I can recommend the work of Wislawa Szymborska, the polish poet who won in 1996. Crystal clear poetry, which works also in translation. Selma Lagerlöf who we already discussed in this group is also worth reading.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  • mizoguchi 

    funny. never read lagerlof, but seen a few swedish silent films (by stiller and sjostrom) based on her books.
    
    as for roger martin du gard, i actually HAVE that lt col de maumort, but it's unfortunately buried in my parents' attic back in the US. oh, to get some of those books back...

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Dr. J. G. 

  I don't know if Tagore is obscure today. Gitanjali - the work he was awarded for - probably is. It is a collection of poems.

  posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    Sancti Spiritus 

    I've read Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Saul Bellow. Bellow being one of the most talented novelist of the twentieth century.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    Dear J.G:
    The following is my favorite excerpt from Tagore's Gitanjali:
    "I had gone a-begging from door to door in the village path, when thy golden chariot appeared in the distance like a gorgeous dream and I wondered who was this King of all kings! My hopes rose high and methought my evil days were at an end, and I stood waiting for alms to be given unasked and for wealth scattered on all sides in the dust. The chariot stopped where I stood. Thy glance fell on me and thou camest down with a smile. I felt that the luck of my life had come at last. Then of a sudden thou didst hold out thy right hand and say 'What hast thou to give to me?' Ah, what a kingly jest was it to open thy palm to a beggar to beg! I was confused and stood undecided, and then from my wallet I slowly took out the least little grain of corn and gave it to thee. But how great my surprise when at the day's end I emptied my bag on the floor to find a least little grain of gold among the poor heap. I bitterly wept and wished that I had had the heart to give thee my all."

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    For what it's worth, I've also read Tagore's Four Chapters (Char Adhyay). This novelette is a love tragedy which explores relationships between love, character (swadhaba), duty (dharma) and destiny. I've read that it was controversial when Tagore published it in 1934 (his last published story) because of its literary inferences to Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, a nationalist revolutionary and peer of Tagore.

    posted 1 year ago. ( reply )

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  Terri B 

  I read Brodsky's A Part of Speech.

  posted 10 months ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds (edited)

    Hi Terri:

    Just curious, what did you think of A Park of Speech? I haven't read it.

    The only thing I've read by Brodsky is To Urania. The following is my Shelfari review of the poems:

    "Everything has its limit, including sorrow." Thus begins the poem "To Urania" penned by Russian born Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky. Perhaps one of Brodsky's greatest sorrows was being charged with "parasitism" by Soviet authorities in 1964. The following transcript dialogue of his trial is worth recounting: "Judge: And what is your profession, in general? Brodsky: I am a poet and a literary translator. Judge: Who recognizes you as a poet? Who enrolled you in the ranks of poets? Brodsky: No one. Who enrolled me in the ranks of humankind? Judge: Did you study this? Brodsky: This? Judge: How to become a poet. You did not even try to finish high school where they prepare, where they teach? Brodsky: I didn’t think you could get this from school. Judge: How then? Brodsky: I think that it ... comes from God." Subsequently Brodsky was deported to the United States. Russia's loss was certainly our gain! (Another favorite poem in this collection is "The Hawk's Cry in Autumn")."

    posted 10 months ago. ( reply )

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  alvin r. c. 

  I've read Gao Xingjian's collection of short stories - Buying A Fishing Rod For My Grandfather. On my shelf, I have One Man's Bible and Soul Mountain but I haven't read them yet.

  posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    Oops, should have read this first - - looks like you already know about Soul Mountain

    posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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  alvin r. c. 

  The best work by Kenzaburo Oe that I've read is Nip The Buds, Shoot The Kids.

  posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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  alvin r. c. 

  Is Halldor Laxness obscure? I've just read his novel UNDER THE GLACIER. Wow! I want some more...
  I have another title on my shelf, also by him, THE FISH CAN SING. I'll read it as soon as I get back to the Philippines.

  posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    Hi Alvin:

    I haven't read Halldór Laxness' "Under the Glacier " or "The Fish Can Sing " . . . but I have read "Independent People ," which is one of my favorite novels!

    For what it is worth, here's my Shelfari review:
    "The protagonist, Bjartur, represents an old life, the old culture of Iceland. However he also represents what is truly good in mankind. I was both repulsed, and at the same time admiring of Bjartur. Perhaps that is not atypical of the way in which we look at those who precede us in this journey called life?"

    Best wishes,
    Scott

    posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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    alvin r. c. 

    Thanks Scott. I hope I can find that in local bookstores in Manila or here in Taiwan.

    posted 9 months ago. ( reply )

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  darrell m 

  Amusing that before I came across this group I suggested to other readers to "google" the nobel-list as a source of well written often forgotten authors....sigrid undset among my favorites....

  posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    Hi Darrell:
    I'm currently re-reading "Kristin Labransdatter" by Sigrid Undset for a bookclub . . . and I couldn't agree more with your assessment!

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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    darrell m 

    Hi Tap.............in every way (imo) "the master of hestviken" is a better and more engaging novel than k/lavransdatter which of course is the novel s/undet is best known for...do try to find it (can be difficult) and give it a read....ive re-read in the last 30 years at least 6 times. use to live in the city...ha

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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    tapbirds 

    Thanks for the recommendation Darrell . . . I'll try to find "Hestviken"

    posted 3 months ago. ( reply )

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