Beyond Insular Reading and Writing
A lot of American writers (and readers!) were up in arms recently when the Nobel prize committee issued its opinion that American authors are too insular, too cut off from the rest of the world and international literary thought. That committee awarded this year’s literature prize to an amazing French author, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, said to be an “author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization.”
They’re right, by the way. Run, do not walk, to wherever you purchase or borrow your books, and get yourself a copy of le Clézio’s Wandering Star. I promise that you won’t regret it.
The Booker Prize doesn’t need to deal with Americans at all, as it’s specifically for British Commonwealth citizens. If you’d like a glimpse into the creation of this year’s winning novel, take a look at the very good interview here.
Interested in exploring books outside of the United States’ insular outlook? Try one of these, recently reviewed on National Public Radio:
- The Funeral Party by Ludmila Ulitskaya
- Spring Flowers Spring Frost by Ismail Kadare
- The Three-Arched Bridge also by Ismail Kadare
Fall’s a great time to curl up with a book; but think about challenging yourself a little more this fall. Stepping outside of your usual genres can be a terrific intellectual and cultural experience! And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!
Posted in Books, Fiction, Reading, Words on October 16th, 2008