Jan Notzon's Blog, page 37
May 1, 2016
Overwhelmed
Reading two incredible books and promised a friend in one of my groups to read "Wuthering Heights" together. And I'm usually a one-book-at-a-time type guy!
Well, I'm looking forward to re-reading Emily Brontë. It was the first novel I read that I was truly gripped by. Perhaps because I so identified with Heathcliff. Yes, he does some horrific things. Some even call him a sociopath. I think that moniker is incorrect however. That first time I read it I was in the throes of sibling abuse and clinically depressed. It'll be interesting to read it post-SSRIs and see if I feel the same.
I'm also reading a non-fiction book that I think should be standard reading for all economics and history classes: "Why Nations Fail" by Acemoglu and Robinson. I find it to be a towering work concerning exactly what the title promises. It covers civilizations from the Neolithic Revolution (9,500 BC) to the present, including societies in all inhabited continents: why they were successful or why they failed, why they had preliminary success and later failure. Absolutely fascinating!
Well, I'm looking forward to re-reading Emily Brontë. It was the first novel I read that I was truly gripped by. Perhaps because I so identified with Heathcliff. Yes, he does some horrific things. Some even call him a sociopath. I think that moniker is incorrect however. That first time I read it I was in the throes of sibling abuse and clinically depressed. It'll be interesting to read it post-SSRIs and see if I feel the same.
I'm also reading a non-fiction book that I think should be standard reading for all economics and history classes: "Why Nations Fail" by Acemoglu and Robinson. I find it to be a towering work concerning exactly what the title promises. It covers civilizations from the Neolithic Revolution (9,500 BC) to the present, including societies in all inhabited continents: why they were successful or why they failed, why they had preliminary success and later failure. Absolutely fascinating!
April 17, 2016
Imagery
I'm presently reading My Ántonia by Willa Cather and I'm struck by how her imagery seems to reflect the setting of the story. Here's a sample:
"There was only--spring itself; the throb of it, the light restlessness, the vital essence of it everywhere; in the sky, in the swift clouds, in the pale sunshine, and in the warm, high wind--rising suddenly, sinking suddenly, impulsive and playful like a big puppy that pawed you and then lay down to be petted."
I get a feeling for Nebraska and the plains in general from it--the feel as well as the vision: wide open, embracing, starkly beautiful, infinite and eternal.
He style is gentle--lyrical and direct. It seems almost oxymoronic, "lyrical and direct", yet that's how it strikes me.
Such simple, down-to-earth language: exactly, I imagine, the kind of language the people that populate her story would use.
"There was only--spring itself; the throb of it, the light restlessness, the vital essence of it everywhere; in the sky, in the swift clouds, in the pale sunshine, and in the warm, high wind--rising suddenly, sinking suddenly, impulsive and playful like a big puppy that pawed you and then lay down to be petted."
I get a feeling for Nebraska and the plains in general from it--the feel as well as the vision: wide open, embracing, starkly beautiful, infinite and eternal.
He style is gentle--lyrical and direct. It seems almost oxymoronic, "lyrical and direct", yet that's how it strikes me.
Such simple, down-to-earth language: exactly, I imagine, the kind of language the people that populate her story would use.
April 11, 2016
And Ye Shall Be As Gods
And Ye Shall Be As Gods is now available on amazon.com. I can now add a preview and will be doing a promotion in the near future.
I will also be participating in goodreads.com #ShakespeareWeek, having studied and acted in almost all of his plays. I studied and performed for four semesters at Shakespeare At Winedale in central Texas under the auspices of the UT Austin English department and Dr. James B. Ayres.
I inherited my love of The Bard from my father. When I was nine years old, the movie version of Macbeth with Sir Maurice Evans and Dame Judith Anderson appeared on TV and I watched it with my father. I was enthralled, although I can't say now that I believe that version is particularly effective. I would recommend the version that Roman Polanski directed.
I'll be answering any and all questions from my goodreads author dashboard and I'd love to dialogue with anyone on either topic--or on any book we've both read.
I will also be participating in goodreads.com #ShakespeareWeek, having studied and acted in almost all of his plays. I studied and performed for four semesters at Shakespeare At Winedale in central Texas under the auspices of the UT Austin English department and Dr. James B. Ayres.
I inherited my love of The Bard from my father. When I was nine years old, the movie version of Macbeth with Sir Maurice Evans and Dame Judith Anderson appeared on TV and I watched it with my father. I was enthralled, although I can't say now that I believe that version is particularly effective. I would recommend the version that Roman Polanski directed.
I'll be answering any and all questions from my goodreads author dashboard and I'd love to dialogue with anyone on either topic--or on any book we've both read.
April 7, 2016
Review
Here's the link to my review of "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 29, 2016
Tastes
I remember one time when I was young (and much stupider than I am now, believe it or not) I had an argument with some of my co-workers at a psychiatric hospital for adolescents called St. Jude's.
They were all aficionados of Charles Bukowsky and I was a recent college graduate with a rather religious devotion to Shakespeare. I remember one clearly stating, "I like Bukowsky because he writes about the '70s." (It was in the mid-decade.) Obviously, the implication was that Shakespeare was dated and not relevant to the times. Full of myself in those younger years, I of course argued that one must have the capacity to see how the themes of human striving, desire for power and wealth and for love (and the conflicts that result) have never really changed.
Looking back on those days, I just shake my head. As I said in my review of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I believe that if you like something, it's good.
I would draw the (very) rough analogy of comparing a violin and a hammer. If what you want to do is drive in a nail, that violin won't do you much good.
True, a violin is more finely made and more rare. But if you want to make a door or cabinet or just repair a frame, that Stradivarius is not the answer.
So, love Bukowsky, or whoever floats your boat. I'm the world's worst carpenter.
They were all aficionados of Charles Bukowsky and I was a recent college graduate with a rather religious devotion to Shakespeare. I remember one clearly stating, "I like Bukowsky because he writes about the '70s." (It was in the mid-decade.) Obviously, the implication was that Shakespeare was dated and not relevant to the times. Full of myself in those younger years, I of course argued that one must have the capacity to see how the themes of human striving, desire for power and wealth and for love (and the conflicts that result) have never really changed.
Looking back on those days, I just shake my head. As I said in my review of "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, I believe that if you like something, it's good.
I would draw the (very) rough analogy of comparing a violin and a hammer. If what you want to do is drive in a nail, that violin won't do you much good.
True, a violin is more finely made and more rare. But if you want to make a door or cabinet or just repair a frame, that Stradivarius is not the answer.
So, love Bukowsky, or whoever floats your boat. I'm the world's worst carpenter.
March 25, 2016
Navigation
I'm spending today (Good Friday) trying to teach this troglodyte how to navigate the goodreads website. I've gone in many circles, but I suppose that's a part of self-education. Anyway, I discovered that I hadn't reviewed or rated Beloved by Toni Morrison--definitely an oversight on my part. Perhaps I can link this to my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Well, it doesn't look like any link I've seen, but hope springs eternal.
At any rate, Beloved is, in my estimation, a definite 5 stars: an extraordinary story with fascinating characters, She makes you care about them enormously. The novel took me into a world so far from my own that I couldn't have been more captivated. Astounding imagery.
Love to hear from others who feel the same or differently. I'm always interested in alternative opinions.
Well, it doesn't look like any link I've seen, but hope springs eternal.
At any rate, Beloved is, in my estimation, a definite 5 stars: an extraordinary story with fascinating characters, She makes you care about them enormously. The novel took me into a world so far from my own that I couldn't have been more captivated. Astounding imagery.
Love to hear from others who feel the same or differently. I'm always interested in alternative opinions.
March 23, 2016
And Ye Shall Be As Gods
Well, boy, I just snuck by with the title. After I'd all ready written and copyrighted it, I found several of the same title, just without the initial "And". In future, I will take the advice of a fellow author on goodreads author feedback group and browse Amazon to see if it's already been taken.
I have to plead guilty to this work being very ambitious. It deals with the nature of evil, but I hope that doesn't scare people away, for I believe it's a compelling story with a sympathetic protagonist and antagonist (that's antagonist in the classical sense), romance social commentary (but not ideological or polemical; more simply questions to consider).
Where does evil lie? How can we human beings be capable of acts of incredible generosity and benevolence and, at the same time, of such horrors as The Holocaust, ethnic cleansing, serial murder, etc., etc.
Again, it's not my intention to beat people over the head--rather, just to make us reflect and wonder.
I have to plead guilty to this work being very ambitious. It deals with the nature of evil, but I hope that doesn't scare people away, for I believe it's a compelling story with a sympathetic protagonist and antagonist (that's antagonist in the classical sense), romance social commentary (but not ideological or polemical; more simply questions to consider).
Where does evil lie? How can we human beings be capable of acts of incredible generosity and benevolence and, at the same time, of such horrors as The Holocaust, ethnic cleansing, serial murder, etc., etc.
Again, it's not my intention to beat people over the head--rather, just to make us reflect and wonder.
March 17, 2016
First Time
This is my first dip into the waters of the blogosphere. I suppose one can write on any topic one chooses. So, let me take this opportunity to announce the imminent release of my new novel "And Ye Shall Be As Gods".
Like my first, it is set in a sleepy town on the Mexican border, Austin, TX and New York City. It traces the journey of Jake Kazmareck on his quest to discover the evil that sent his beloved baby-sister into the whirlpool of despair.
As his trek continues, he encounters the myriad faces of evil and speculates as to its ultimate origin.
That origin, though necessary to face and know to its terrifying heart, is a tale of ultimate pain and final redemption.
Like my first, it is set in a sleepy town on the Mexican border, Austin, TX and New York City. It traces the journey of Jake Kazmareck on his quest to discover the evil that sent his beloved baby-sister into the whirlpool of despair.
As his trek continues, he encounters the myriad faces of evil and speculates as to its ultimate origin.
That origin, though necessary to face and know to its terrifying heart, is a tale of ultimate pain and final redemption.
