thanks for reading and commenting! Concrete Avalanche is such a great music newsletter—always look forward to Jake Newby's recs and it's fun to reshare them here
Ahhh I was so close to reading 41 False Starts this week as it was in the well-stocked bookshelves of somewhere I was staying, but swerved away at the last minute - regretting this now that I have left!!
omg…well of course there's always another book to read…but I think it's a really, really fun essay collection and so exciting to see Malcolm at work! next time?
I loved to read your thoughts on The Empusium because I'm also currently reading it. I'm not enjoying it as much as Drive your Plow or Flights, think perhaps because I'm trying to intellectualise the book too much...thinking too deeply about it's meaning and where the story will lead rather than absorbing the imagery she creates for us...
Thank you for your comment—I'm always interested in how other people are reading/responding to these books!
I've only read Flights, not Drive Your Plow—but I feel Flights and The Empusium are SUCH different books? To me, Flights was a more obviously intellectually ambitious book, full of Themes and Ideas and Juxtapositions to unpick…whereas The Empusium is 'just' a story with a charming, digressive plot. I do think the ending ties together some Themes (about gender especially)—that's where Tokarczuk seems to show her hand more.
of course!! it's a bit long but VERY engrossing imo…a real accomplishment given the amount of information and different intellectual frameworks crammed into it!
Thank you for the recommendations and reading insights. I think that Tokarczuk’s novel was not widely featured in Germany so far, unlike other books that jumped on 100 years of Magic Mountain. Her book seems far more interesting, I assume.
I didn't know I needed Chinese music but now I do. <3
Loved the Divine Economy recommendation. I'm working on an article to investigate how a "miracle worker" named Nithyananda in India built a cult around himself and started a micronation called Kailasa, even tricking New Jersey into recognizing his micronation as a sister-city. He managed all this despite nobody knowing where his nation is actually located (he's absconding). His rhetoric and stunts make absolutely no sense to me so it baffles me how he raises funds and who finances him, and there's very little analysis around this. Do you think The Divine Economy might help me with this?
I’m obsessed with your description of Olga Tokarczuk’s writing and now I’m curious what the second novel that you read by her was! I’m making my way through Flights now, and I find myself reading it slowly so I can bask in its delicious prose for longer.
Thanks so much Celine, these are great reccs. As someone who's a little bit obsessed with the nonfiction craft and how to improve, I've just bought Malcom's book and added it to my Kindle 🤗. One Q: you mentioned "conventional opening strategies"—are these a thing? If there are certain patterns or heuristics writers open with, I'd love to know. Do you have anything you can suggest I go read, watch or listen to? Many thanks
Excellent thanks - some great recommendations… I’m now listening to the Chinese music
thanks for reading and commenting! Concrete Avalanche is such a great music newsletter—always look forward to Jake Newby's recs and it's fun to reshare them here
Finding that I’m really starting to look forward to these m!
Ochuko!! thank you so much, very high praise from you 💌
Ahhh I was so close to reading 41 False Starts this week as it was in the well-stocked bookshelves of somewhere I was staying, but swerved away at the last minute - regretting this now that I have left!!
omg…well of course there's always another book to read…but I think it's a really, really fun essay collection and so exciting to see Malcolm at work! next time?
Next time for sure, it sounds so good!
I loved to read your thoughts on The Empusium because I'm also currently reading it. I'm not enjoying it as much as Drive your Plow or Flights, think perhaps because I'm trying to intellectualise the book too much...thinking too deeply about it's meaning and where the story will lead rather than absorbing the imagery she creates for us...
Thank you for your comment—I'm always interested in how other people are reading/responding to these books!
I've only read Flights, not Drive Your Plow—but I feel Flights and The Empusium are SUCH different books? To me, Flights was a more obviously intellectually ambitious book, full of Themes and Ideas and Juxtapositions to unpick…whereas The Empusium is 'just' a story with a charming, digressive plot. I do think the ending ties together some Themes (about gender especially)—that's where Tokarczuk seems to show her hand more.
The Divine Economy sounds absolutely fascinating! I am going to order it right away - thank you so much for the recommendation!
of course!! it's a bit long but VERY engrossing imo…a real accomplishment given the amount of information and different intellectual frameworks crammed into it!
Thank you for the recommendations and reading insights. I think that Tokarczuk’s novel was not widely featured in Germany so far, unlike other books that jumped on 100 years of Magic Mountain. Her book seems far more interesting, I assume.
oh, interesting! I’m actually very curious who else has riffed off of Thomas Mann’s book…
I didn't know I needed Chinese music but now I do. <3
Loved the Divine Economy recommendation. I'm working on an article to investigate how a "miracle worker" named Nithyananda in India built a cult around himself and started a micronation called Kailasa, even tricking New Jersey into recognizing his micronation as a sister-city. He managed all this despite nobody knowing where his nation is actually located (he's absconding). His rhetoric and stunts make absolutely no sense to me so it baffles me how he raises funds and who finances him, and there's very little analysis around this. Do you think The Divine Economy might help me with this?
I’m obsessed with your description of Olga Tokarczuk’s writing and now I’m curious what the second novel that you read by her was! I’m making my way through Flights now, and I find myself reading it slowly so I can bask in its delicious prose for longer.
Thanks so much Celine, these are great reccs. As someone who's a little bit obsessed with the nonfiction craft and how to improve, I've just bought Malcom's book and added it to my Kindle 🤗. One Q: you mentioned "conventional opening strategies"—are these a thing? If there are certain patterns or heuristics writers open with, I'd love to know. Do you have anything you can suggest I go read, watch or listen to? Many thanks
I so loved reading this. Nobody does it like you, Celine!