the task of this translator by todd hasak-lowy
i really like this book, it feels like a very 'comprehensive' book
it has the holocaust, a depressed man working in a cafe in a holocaust museum who is a little ashamed of being depressed, death of millions by nuclear disaster, death of one by unfair heart attack, a story where the author interjects to analyze his insecurities about what he has done in the story, a depressed old man who soundproofs his basement and rides and is happy on an exercise bike while listening to and singing aloud to music at 3 a.m. while his wife sleeps upstairs, a young man so depressed that when he loses his wallet he no longer knows what to do with his existence, and a man who because he is lonely invites someone who he is afraid of over to his house to watch football though he does not know how football works
it is ironic, sincere, funny, sad, and contemplative
it acknowledges politics, that things happen on a global scale, but also acknowledges that a person can get depressed for almost any reason or for 'no reason'
the sentences seem consistent in their 'level' of intelligence, voice, insight, and humor in a way that seems they have been worked on a lot
sometimes when a book reaches a certain level of being, to me, 'good,' then its flaws (or what i feel might be viewed as flaws by other people) become, to me, idiosyncracies and its obscurities become things that i want to look up and learn more about (rather than things i want the author to explain and make me feel like the author is being inconsiderate by having 'inside joke' type things or else 'showing off' their knowledge), and its irresolutions become moments of humbleness, humility, and sincerity on the part of the author and the book becomes un-criqitueable
i like when that happens
it has the holocaust, a depressed man working in a cafe in a holocaust museum who is a little ashamed of being depressed, death of millions by nuclear disaster, death of one by unfair heart attack, a story where the author interjects to analyze his insecurities about what he has done in the story, a depressed old man who soundproofs his basement and rides and is happy on an exercise bike while listening to and singing aloud to music at 3 a.m. while his wife sleeps upstairs, a young man so depressed that when he loses his wallet he no longer knows what to do with his existence, and a man who because he is lonely invites someone who he is afraid of over to his house to watch football though he does not know how football works
it is ironic, sincere, funny, sad, and contemplative
it acknowledges politics, that things happen on a global scale, but also acknowledges that a person can get depressed for almost any reason or for 'no reason'
the sentences seem consistent in their 'level' of intelligence, voice, insight, and humor in a way that seems they have been worked on a lot
sometimes when a book reaches a certain level of being, to me, 'good,' then its flaws (or what i feel might be viewed as flaws by other people) become, to me, idiosyncracies and its obscurities become things that i want to look up and learn more about (rather than things i want the author to explain and make me feel like the author is being inconsiderate by having 'inside joke' type things or else 'showing off' their knowledge), and its irresolutions become moments of humbleness, humility, and sincerity on the part of the author and the book becomes un-criqitueable
i like when that happens
3 Comments:
Hmmm...a translating angle...speaking of angles...What about your depressing angle? Like you writing...
"which is strange and DEPRESSING"
"so i googled the book for reviews on it and found this review..which DEPRESSED me"
When in actuality it didn't seem to depress you as much as it seemed to inspire you to critique this critique.
Anyway I think I'll read this book. Is it a collection of short stories?
you're right
i need to stop saying things are depressing and view things first with an open mind
and then if it really is depressing say so
but actually the review did depress me
yes the collection is of stories
an interview with the author is forthcoming on this site in a few weeks maybe
I'm interested that you did not include anything about Willpower, Inc. I've assigned this to students in a junior-level class for writing in the field of Communication. Their task is to summarize the argument(s) Hasak-Lowy makes by applying the method of semiotic analysis.
I appreciate your critique of the critique, as it guides me in (hopefully!) avoiding being one of those teachers who rewards seventh-grade cliches. :-)
Here's my own first take on Hasak-Lowy:
http://www.reflexivity.us/blog/archives/002606.html
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