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Poundemonium
Italian
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
6 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Julián Ríos
29 books33 followersJulián Ríos (born Vigo, Galicia, 1941) is a Spanish writer, most frequently classified as a postmodernist, whom Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes has called "the most inventive and creative" of Spanish-language writers. His first two books were written à deux with Octavio Paz.
His best known work, experimental and heavily influenced by the verbal inventiveness of James Joyce, was published in 1983 under the title Larva.
Julián Ríos currently lives and works in France, on the outskirts of Paris
His best known work, experimental and heavily influenced by the verbal inventiveness of James Joyce, was published in 1983 under the title Larva.
Julián Ríos currently lives and works in France, on the outskirts of Paris
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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May 20, 2017Julián Ríos is a BURIED author. That is good news for the anti-Wakean among us; it is bad news for punsters and manipulators of the ETYM.
Beyond that, I don’t know what I’ve just read.
Yes, Poundemonium is a book “about” Pound, Ezra fore vorname. But I don’t know my Pound (I have neither the cake nor the eating; #sugar,#flour,#eggs) from my Wasteland, but you might and therefore if you are an E.P. kind of reader of poetry then you are obligated to read this book by Julián Ríos.
Yes, this is BOOK TWO of a projected FIVE (.5.) novel cycle which is known as Larva, a title which closely resembles the title of the first novel of the series; you may know it as Larva: A Midsummer Night's Babel. Book the second is slimmer, and yes, you’ll wanna have a short sample afore you go too far over the cliff of the longer book because, this?, sure you won’t know quite what to make of it.
Yes, it IS wakean. But not to worry too much because the languages mostly are separated from each other into distinct sentences rather than piled up onto single words. And wortplay is FUN FUN FUNAGAIN.
Yes, I don’t know what it is “about.”
Let’s reproduce the copy from the very back cover of this book. Its words will be clearer than mine, and you should hear these words, those who have ears and shall open them:
Will you read Poundemonium? Probably not. If you DO read it, will you LIKE it? Almost certainly not. Should you read it anyway? YES. Of course. Why not? Would you liKe to? Yes you would and you shall and you will but if you don’t you won’t know what IT IS LIKE. And your life will simply be BETTER if you KNOW what it is LIKE to like or dislike this little book and/or anything by Ríos. And THEN you’ll stop complaining about ENDNOTES (I mean, they are ENDnotes mostly, NOT footNOTes) in Infinite Jest, I mean you don’t even know the HALF of it.
Yes, I did enjoy it and you WON”T understand it at first blush. Wasn’t it Yoda who said, “Patience my little-tike jedi-learner”?
Beyond that, I don’t know what I’ve just read.
Yes, Poundemonium is a book “about” Pound, Ezra fore vorname. But I don’t know my Pound (I have neither the cake nor the eating; #sugar,#flour,#eggs) from my Wasteland, but you might and therefore if you are an E.P. kind of reader of poetry then you are obligated to read this book by Julián Ríos.
Yes, this is BOOK TWO of a projected FIVE (.5.) novel cycle which is known as Larva, a title which closely resembles the title of the first novel of the series; you may know it as Larva: A Midsummer Night's Babel. Book the second is slimmer, and yes, you’ll wanna have a short sample afore you go too far over the cliff of the longer book because, this?, sure you won’t know quite what to make of it.
Yes, it IS wakean. But not to worry too much because the languages mostly are separated from each other into distinct sentences rather than piled up onto single words. And wortplay is FUN FUN FUNAGAIN.
Yes, I don’t know what it is “about.”
Let’s reproduce the copy from the very back cover of this book. Its words will be clearer than mine, and you should hear these words, those who have ears and shall open them:
Okay, I won’t, but that jacket/backcover copy is reproduced up there in the book description box on the main page for Poundemonium. Here are some of my own words:This Englishing, this translation, was performed by Richard Alan Francis (recognition, YES) with the assistance, aid, and bungling of the author. Parts II and III (up to page 53) look like THIS: recto, a story of sorts (at least it is writing); verso, a commentary linked to the recto via superior numbers, the type which look like footnotes but are in fact versonotes (do NOT skip the versonotes); these versonotes, among other things and many things, indicate (for a total of twelve) references to these vignettes called “Parting Shots” (DO NOT skip the parting shots; they end on page 91); following are five pages of London MAPS; the remainder of the book consists of PHOTOGRAPHS in and around London having probably something to do with locales visited in the previous portions of the book, ie, that portion of the book which consists of TEXT, AND there is an “Index of Names,” followed by an author photo & bio, AND THEN the shameless Dalkey-promotion which is a charming part of any well crafted paperback edition of anything.
Will you read Poundemonium? Probably not. If you DO read it, will you LIKE it? Almost certainly not. Should you read it anyway? YES. Of course. Why not? Would you liKe to? Yes you would and you shall and you will but if you don’t you won’t know what IT IS LIKE. And your life will simply be BETTER if you KNOW what it is LIKE to like or dislike this little book and/or anything by Ríos. And THEN you’ll stop complaining about ENDNOTES (I mean, they are ENDnotes mostly, NOT footNOTes) in Infinite Jest, I mean you don’t even know the HALF of it.
Yes, I did enjoy it and you WON”T understand it at first blush. Wasn’t it Yoda who said, “Patience my little-tike jedi-learner”?
June 24, 2015
He could almost put him back in a cage. Iron cage in which he showed his golden age. There he learned to kneel, prostrate himself, lowdown Ez! his vanity on the ground, and to put himself on a level with the heavens.
This was an insomniac endeavor, a wakeful Wake where I could not slumber, only mumble and reread. The trick I read from others is to dash through once, revel in the rhythm and once finished -- go back and reread with the corresponding exegetical exercise: recto/verso, presto! I do hope to find normative sleep tonight, this was worth the earlier privation. Ríos unleashesa his usual nocturnal quest through London as a trio of literary comrades catch word that Ezra Pound has just died in Venice. What results is often maddening but a wonder to embrace. The pulse of Poundean puns persists, fortified by frequent googles, if not gurgles. I can say I gasped, if not grasped, the elusive essence on display: his play (Rios is not a dull boy).
This was an insomniac endeavor, a wakeful Wake where I could not slumber, only mumble and reread. The trick I read from others is to dash through once, revel in the rhythm and once finished -- go back and reread with the corresponding exegetical exercise: recto/verso, presto! I do hope to find normative sleep tonight, this was worth the earlier privation. Ríos unleashesa his usual nocturnal quest through London as a trio of literary comrades catch word that Ezra Pound has just died in Venice. What results is often maddening but a wonder to embrace. The pulse of Poundean puns persists, fortified by frequent googles, if not gurgles. I can say I gasped, if not grasped, the elusive essence on display: his play (Rios is not a dull boy).
August 7, 2009
A whimsical ode to Pound. Not a front to back kind of read (but of course, it's postmodern). Three times was a charm; I "got it" (I think) by not getting too caught up in content notes and photographs. Impressive English translation for a text that was chock full of word play.
October 5, 2014
Pisse-partout.
November 4, 2025
No idea really! I get enough of the references and the puns to get the general vibe, and I just went with the flow.
And I enjoyed it. (Strangely as I don't particularly care for Pound outside of a few poems)
And I enjoyed it. (Strangely as I don't particularly care for Pound outside of a few poems)
February 2, 2011
I am going to give this book a 5 based on the quality of the English translation. The book is a postmodern ode to Ezra Pound. The structure of the book is innovative and the language is wonderful and very evocative of Pound's style. I was transported back to high school, reading my mother's copy of The Cantos.
July 6, 2012
excited to read this - excitement quickly waned and then turned into frustration and then resentment - waste of time
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews