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Beginning with My Streets - Baltic Reflections
Beginning with My Streets - Baltic Reflections
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 17, 2012
The word here is "idiosyncratic". It describes a great and unique mind.
This book was often hard to understand because I do not know the history of the region in which Mr. M's mind seems always to have been firmly based. It was also often hard to understand because of the density of Mr. M's thinking. However, when he spoke about writing and his way of writing and about other writers, I was drawn in thoroughly.
The transcript of the interview about Dostoevsky and Swedenborg was fascinating, from the point of view of Mr. M's approach and research and from the comments he makes about Dostoevsky and his novels. Also, Mr. M also takes me to a place I know virtually nothing about (Eastern Europe, or, more precisely, to Poland and to Lithuania, that little country to the northeast). He brings to life a whole world of his childhood and youth, most or all of which has disappeared, apart from landscape. In this sense, the essays are often a magic carpet guided by a sorrowful and often angry, opinionated genie.
Check out the transcript of "An Interview with C.M." by Rachel Berghash, for what seems an intuitive proof of God's existence, based on imagination of the reality of past times --- at page 147 in my edition. This was new to me.
Although I often do not understand Mr. M and sometimes think he accepts and believes only his view of the world, I cannot question his authority to speak. This is a hard book, but worth at least a look into some of the essays, etc.
This book was often hard to understand because I do not know the history of the region in which Mr. M's mind seems always to have been firmly based. It was also often hard to understand because of the density of Mr. M's thinking. However, when he spoke about writing and his way of writing and about other writers, I was drawn in thoroughly.
The transcript of the interview about Dostoevsky and Swedenborg was fascinating, from the point of view of Mr. M's approach and research and from the comments he makes about Dostoevsky and his novels. Also, Mr. M also takes me to a place I know virtually nothing about (Eastern Europe, or, more precisely, to Poland and to Lithuania, that little country to the northeast). He brings to life a whole world of his childhood and youth, most or all of which has disappeared, apart from landscape. In this sense, the essays are often a magic carpet guided by a sorrowful and often angry, opinionated genie.
Check out the transcript of "An Interview with C.M." by Rachel Berghash, for what seems an intuitive proof of God's existence, based on imagination of the reality of past times --- at page 147 in my edition. This was new to me.
Although I often do not understand Mr. M and sometimes think he accepts and believes only his view of the world, I cannot question his authority to speak. This is a hard book, but worth at least a look into some of the essays, etc.
December 31, 2018
I really enjoy reading the essays of Czeslaw Milosz. His prose is so poetic and philosophical. This book begins as reminisces about Wilno, the city he grew up in. It then progresses on into a variety of other topics often discussing literature and writers and, occasionally, includes poems by either himself or other poets. He has a very unique perspective on many subjects having lived through both Nazi and Communist occupations. The book, also, includes interesting interviews in which he answers questions about his philosophy and give a good insight into his thinking and has, as well, the Nobel lecture that he gave after winning the Nobel award. Another very enjoyable read from Milosz.
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March 26, 2023I thought I would find the first part, discussing Vilnius and Lithuania, the least interesting, since I know so little about that region. But it turned out to be enthralling. Especially his back and forth with Tomas Venclova. I confess the other sections then didn't retain my interest all that long, and this book probably should've been a dnf for me. This is mainly because I think Milosz is too poetic and philosophical for me, and I just found it hard to keep up. For this reason I won't give a rating, but I'd rate the first part 4.5 stars.
September 2, 2023
Toks senas žmogus, o taip lengvai ir grakščiai rašo.
November 27, 2015
This is a book I will not exactly "finish." It bears careful reading and rereading, as it is Milosz's musings, many of which are quite unusual for me. I never would have suspected that there was such a divide and even antipathy between Poles and Lithuanians, for example, although many people live where there is a crossover in the populations. His essay to his friend describing and trying to explain his struggle and his feelings was hard to get through, but worth it.
The nature of nationalism shows up very strongly. Perhaps it made such an impression because it is from an unexpected source. It took me a while to understand what the big problem was!
I did not finish it because I lost the book!
The nature of nationalism shows up very strongly. Perhaps it made such an impression because it is from an unexpected source. It took me a while to understand what the big problem was!
I did not finish it because I lost the book!
February 8, 2013
Ein Sammelsurium vollkommen unterschiedlicher Textsorten, u.a. ein Briefwechsel mit T. Venclova, der das eindeutig bessere Buch über Vilnius verfasste; Milosz konzentriert sich stärker auf seine Erinnerungen(Höhepunkt: Das Dictionnaire zu Wilnas Straßen), ist aber im Gesamtbild über die Stadt etwas naiver als sein litauischer Kollege.
sounds-interesting
August 25, 2010Though all I actually want to read is some of his poetry.
January 3, 2011
Back to my serious reading.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews