Snow
Snow. Fermine, Maxence. Atria Books, New York. 1999
Surprisingly good - when I started reading it I thought morosely, "Oh joy. A watered down Marguerite Duras." But I found myself breezing through it as - and there's no way to avoid the allusion - as lightly as a snowflake.
Yes, it's a light book. A light read. Yes, it breaths like haiku. All this is true. It also is a very nice little love story, with, yes, a happy ending which tries to be surprising (but isn't) but that's OK. Because you like this little book - you like Yuko the haiku poet whose haiku are completely white and need colour, you like Soseki the blind painter who sees true colours now that he has lost his sight, and you also (like these two men) fall in love with the dead woman trapped underneath the ice.
I know that last phrase may sound morbid, but it isn't. Read the book - you'll like it despite yourself. And yes, you'll have the images of managa comics (or the Japanese cartoons) - maybe you'll imagine the scene in the garden between the two warriors in The Last Samurai. Maybe you'll think of the snow falling scene between Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 1.
My word! Going from a peaceful, heartwarming, love-affirming book to a Quentin Tarantino bloodfest. Now there's a Huntian extrapolation for ya! But in both movies mentioned there are scenes of immense peace - beauty - tenderness. That's what this book is throughout.
Lastly, while I've already made the Duras reference - his style is similar, but she's got more "meat on her bones" so to speak, and tons more emotional baggage. This book took her straightforward and tender style and gave us a morality tale as tender (though not as all-encompassing) as The Little Prince. Ergo - a haiku that is unabashedly French.
Basically, this is a book to read to your loved one/parter/whatever you call'em by candlelight just before you fall asleep in each others' arms.
Trust me!
VG
Surprisingly good - when I started reading it I thought morosely, "Oh joy. A watered down Marguerite Duras." But I found myself breezing through it as - and there's no way to avoid the allusion - as lightly as a snowflake.
Yes, it's a light book. A light read. Yes, it breaths like haiku. All this is true. It also is a very nice little love story, with, yes, a happy ending which tries to be surprising (but isn't) but that's OK. Because you like this little book - you like Yuko the haiku poet whose haiku are completely white and need colour, you like Soseki the blind painter who sees true colours now that he has lost his sight, and you also (like these two men) fall in love with the dead woman trapped underneath the ice.
I know that last phrase may sound morbid, but it isn't. Read the book - you'll like it despite yourself. And yes, you'll have the images of managa comics (or the Japanese cartoons) - maybe you'll imagine the scene in the garden between the two warriors in The Last Samurai. Maybe you'll think of the snow falling scene between Lucy Liu and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 1.
My word! Going from a peaceful, heartwarming, love-affirming book to a Quentin Tarantino bloodfest. Now there's a Huntian extrapolation for ya! But in both movies mentioned there are scenes of immense peace - beauty - tenderness. That's what this book is throughout.
Lastly, while I've already made the Duras reference - his style is similar, but she's got more "meat on her bones" so to speak, and tons more emotional baggage. This book took her straightforward and tender style and gave us a morality tale as tender (though not as all-encompassing) as The Little Prince. Ergo - a haiku that is unabashedly French.
Basically, this is a book to read to your loved one/parter/whatever you call'em by candlelight just before you fall asleep in each others' arms.
Trust me!
VG
posted by Verble Gherulous | 7:52 AM
2 Comments:
Why science writing stinks
A columnist in "The Guardian" posed that question earlier this month, coming up with examples of science writing that he says were overly simplistic, poorly written and in some cases just plain wrong.
Hi there just thought I’d drop in and say hello, and also have a little read of your blog....it's better than mine...lol
my Adware related site might be of interest to you.if not now then maybe Adware is something for the future
My dear friend, while I do not wish to cause any embarrassment, I must point out an error in your post. "Huntian" ?! As the Australians say . . . "WTF, mate?"
I believe you mean "Humian" as in David Hume. Please, if you are going to interject some subtle esoteric reference at least get the name spelled correctly!!
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