Mark Sarvas's Blog, page 47
April 8, 2009
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
A brief essay about my long relationship with The Count of Monte Cristo - and its role in the genesis of the newly-in-paperback Harry, Revised - can be found today at Chekhov's Mistress.
After that, I put The Count of Monte Cristo away but he’s always loomed large in my personal mythology. Yes, it’s true that Dumas isn’t much for psychological realism. But one of the most elegant, least commented upon aspects of The Count of Monte Cristo is how Dantès essentially lets his foes undo themselves –
COETZEE COVER
South Africa's BOOK SA - News offers us the first glimpse of the new cover of J.M. Coeztee's forthcoming Summertime ...
... which reminds us rather a lot of the superb and haunting European cover of Disgrace ...
BOOK SA - News also has the first look at the book's promotional copy, which concerns itself with "A young English biographer ... working on a book about the late writer, John Coetzee." You can read the details, and see an interesting video of Coetzee here. (Thanks, Andie.)
April 7, 2009
TUESDAY MARGINALIA
Easing back into things around here ...
* Writing in The New Republic, Ruth Franklin finds The Kindly Ones, " ... deeply unpleasant ...one of the most repugnant books I have ever read."
* John Wray''s Lowboy continues to draw all sorts of attention, including James Wood's New Yorker consideration, which went up while we were away.
* Speaking of Wood, his lengthy examination of Orwell has just gone live. (Registration required.)
* Steve Bach has died. He was the author of Final Cut, our absolute f
April 6, 2009
THE COMPLETE REVIEW IS TEN
A deeply heartfelt Happy Birthday to the indispensable Complete Review, which just turned ten - isn't that something like 392 in blog years?
Literary links are poised to resume here tomorrow ...
April 2, 2009
March 30, 2009
IN MEMORIAM
Father and Sons: My father, Michael Sarvas, behind the wheel of his beloved 1950 MG-TD, circa 1992.
My father passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 10:34 p.m. He had decided nine days earlier to end the dialysis that had kept him alive for the last 13 years. He was blind in one eye, deaf in one ear, and had a pacemaker. He was lucid, serene and surrounded by his family almost until the very last moment. He was free of pain, and had ample time to say everything that needed to be
March 23, 2009
BRIEF HIATUS
My dear readers, I am still in New York dealing with a family emergency, which is likely to occupy my attentions all week. I ask your leave for some temporary downtime until then. If you haven't checked out the new issue of Bookforum, it's entirely online (as always) and should just about keep you occupied until my return. (Also worth your attention is Garth Risk Hallberg's latest essay.)
Thank you for your patience. Updates as circumstances permit.
