Peter Matthiessen

[Neil]

I have a strong connection to Peter Matthiessen's work. He was the favorite author of a dear friend who passed from cancer, and reading his work helps me reconnect with my friend.

I have just embarked upon reading Shadow Country, the most recent winner of the National Book Award, and it is with no small amount of trepidation that I do so. Shadow Country is the distillation/re-imagining/"director's cut" of Matthiessen's Watson trilogy, a work that I loved. I'm glad that Matthiessen is finally getting to see the work published as he likes, and so far all of the changes I'm seeing do seem to be an improvement, yet at some level a part of me feels like the original trilogy is no longer Matthiessen's to play with, it belongs to the readers now and this new version is "wrong" somehow. This strikes me as an unreasonable position to take, but I can't quite quash it.

There is also some controversy over Shadow Country winning the National Book Award, given that much of the material had been published previously.

Is there anyone interested in discussing Matthiessen in general or Shadow Country in particular?

[Hugh, aka Hugh the Moderator]

Neil wrote: "I have a strong connection to Peter Matthiessen's work. He was the favorite author of a dear friend who passed from cancer, and reading his work helps me reconnect with my friend.

I have just e..."

Shadow Country has been sitting in my pile of books to read. (I just wrestled this 600 page biography of Neitzsche to the ground so may need a day to reorient myself.)

I've always enjoyed Matthiesen and agree that what he went through on the Watson trilogy is impressive -- and fortunately done in his lifetime. I had the good fortune to hear him lecture once, when he opened his talk with a discussion of the details embedded in the opening pages of a Faulkner novel....

Anyway, the short answer is: Yes.

[Ben, uneasy in a position of power; a yorkshire pudding]

Kris wrote: "I have Far Tortuga waiting patiently on the shelf. "

me too. it's got a nice blue cover. if anyone wants to make me read it, let me know.

[Neil]

Sorry to have dropped in, posted this, and just disappeared. Entropy seems to be winning at the moment.

In a week or so when I've returned from vacation, I'll have a bunch to say on Shadow Country.

Here's a preview - - It's freakin' awesome.

[Brian, just a child's imagination]

well neil... looks like i may have to pick this one up. i've fondled it in the book shop several times and think about all of the unread books sitting on my shelf. now i'm thinking if i bought this book, it'll make friends with my other ones.

looking forward to hearing more about this little critter.

[[deleted user]]

Peter Matthiessen - There are 170 entries for books writen by him. I don't think I've read anything of his but will definitely check some of them out.