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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fun reminder that it was once scientific orthodoxy that your vision diminishes with age because you gradually run out of eye juice, which drools out of the corners of your eyes when you sleep.
What a weird, strange book. Perfectly captures that feeling of the miscellany writer (miscellanist?), that ancient personality type who is interested in everything but seems to know nothing. There's some weird stuff in here, like his father who drinks the blood of dead gladiators to improve his health. Also even the format is just weird, with quote from Pliny then being commented on by the Elder and the Younger.
Don't think I've laughed at anything lately so hard as I laughed at the commentary on stars:
The stars are attached to the firmament but contrary to common belief we are not allotted one each — according to an arrangement where brightly shining stars are supposedly for the rich, less bright stars are for the poor, and the very dim for invalids, with the allotment of light dished out in accordance with each individual’s lot in life. The stars are not born coupled to humans either, and when a star shoots across the sky it is not a sign that a life has ended. No such great community exists between us and the heavens that would see starlight engage with our mortality.
Pliny the Younger
A few exceptions deserve mention, though. A bright new star was born in the sky upon the death of Caesar, and upon the enthronement of our mighty emperor Trajan a new star was observed, heralding the immortal glory awaiting him.
Quote, Naturalis Historia
Stars exist in the ocean and on land. I have seen stars form a halo around the javelins of soldiers who guard the camp at night, and I have seen stars descend on the yard and other parts of the ship and hop like birds from place to place with a sound reminiscent of voices.
Pliny the Younger
He is confusing stars with fireflies or something.
Quote, Naturalis Historia
Stars may be seen around people’s heads at nighttime. The reason behind all this is unclear and lies hidden in the majesty of Nature.
Pliny the Elder
But it is beautiful.
Don't think I've laughed at anything lately so hard as I laughed at the commentary on stars:
Spoiler
Quote, Naturalis HistoriaThe stars are attached to the firmament but contrary to common belief we are not allotted one each — according to an arrangement where brightly shining stars are supposedly for the rich, less bright stars are for the poor, and the very dim for invalids, with the allotment of light dished out in accordance with each individual’s lot in life. The stars are not born coupled to humans either, and when a star shoots across the sky it is not a sign that a life has ended. No such great community exists between us and the heavens that would see starlight engage with our mortality.
Pliny the Younger
A few exceptions deserve mention, though. A bright new star was born in the sky upon the death of Caesar, and upon the enthronement of our mighty emperor Trajan a new star was observed, heralding the immortal glory awaiting him.
Quote, Naturalis Historia
Stars exist in the ocean and on land. I have seen stars form a halo around the javelins of soldiers who guard the camp at night, and I have seen stars descend on the yard and other parts of the ship and hop like birds from place to place with a sound reminiscent of voices.
Pliny the Younger
He is confusing stars with fireflies or something.
Quote, Naturalis Historia
Stars may be seen around people’s heads at nighttime. The reason behind all this is unclear and lies hidden in the majesty of Nature.
Pliny the Elder
But it is beautiful.
I'm excited for Voetmann's third book to be translated into English. In both "Awake" and "Sublunar" the universe is made of slime which slips out between the fingers as you grasp it. He tells this story (and it is one story, despite writing multiple books set centuries apart) through some of the most obsessive indexers in European history, Pliny the Elder and Tycho Brahe. The radical uncertainty his characters encounter in their march to understand the world makes me hope he will write something about one of the 20th century scientists working in the early quantum age. It's not as if modern science is bereft of the stories of sordid sexual scandals he peppers his premodern novels with
fast-paced
I had rather high hopes for this little novella, based on something I had read about just before deciding to purchase it. That was a while ago. I picked it up today as a palette cleanser of sorts. I think I just didn't get the dry (Danish?) humor? I wanted to laugh at a pompous man, but I didn't get there.
Fun read in the theme of deconstructing people we consider geniuses. Kind of gets a bit lost in its own high-mindedness.
challenging
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
102nd book of 2022.
I'm leaving this unrated because it's such a difficult thing to pin down. I picked Voetmann up for my flight to Copenhagen, being a contemporary Danish writer, and read bits and pieces of him throughout my stay and now back here in England, too. The title presumably comes from this quote from Naturalis Historia, 'I am adding hours to my life: for living only means to be awake.'
The book is a combination of quotes from the aforementioned text by Pliny the Elder and fictional scenes, monologues, etc., from the writer himself and Pliny the Younger. It's a fairly abstract book. Having some knowledge of ancient Rome would probably help, luckily I studied it for two years and have an interest in the era, and many of the names were familiar (though I never studied Pliny). Pliny the Elder famously died after rushing towards the erupting Mount Vesuvius and becoming ash. His life's work, working on the Naturalis Historia (an attempt to catalogue the whole world) was passed onto his nephew. The book is called a 'comic delight': I don't see that, though I did find many parts fascinating and somewhat playful. The scene that sticks with me the most is Pliny the Elder taking a woman to his bedroom, a woman with no orifices. The man who sells her for the evening to him tells him not to attempt to create any holes in her by cutting her. So, Pliny rubs his genitals all over her hole-less body, feeling more aroused than he has ever felt. Something about the unattainable.
I'm leaving this unrated because it's such a difficult thing to pin down. I picked Voetmann up for my flight to Copenhagen, being a contemporary Danish writer, and read bits and pieces of him throughout my stay and now back here in England, too. The title presumably comes from this quote from Naturalis Historia, 'I am adding hours to my life: for living only means to be awake.'
The book is a combination of quotes from the aforementioned text by Pliny the Elder and fictional scenes, monologues, etc., from the writer himself and Pliny the Younger. It's a fairly abstract book. Having some knowledge of ancient Rome would probably help, luckily I studied it for two years and have an interest in the era, and many of the names were familiar (though I never studied Pliny). Pliny the Elder famously died after rushing towards the erupting Mount Vesuvius and becoming ash. His life's work, working on the Naturalis Historia (an attempt to catalogue the whole world) was passed onto his nephew. The book is called a 'comic delight': I don't see that, though I did find many parts fascinating and somewhat playful. The scene that sticks with me the most is Pliny the Elder taking a woman to his bedroom, a woman with no orifices. The man who sells her for the evening to him tells him not to attempt to create any holes in her by cutting her. So, Pliny rubs his genitals all over her hole-less body, feeling more aroused than he has ever felt. Something about the unattainable.
Grotesque Visions of Ancient Rome
Review of the Lolli Editions UK paperback (August 2022) being a reprint of the New Directions USA paperback [b:Awake|56760367|Awake|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616806638l/56760367._SY75_.jpg|16027756] as translated by [a:Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen|21104155|Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the Danish language original [b:Vågen|11105567|Vågen|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320010918l/11105567._SY75_.jpg|16027756] (2010)
[1.5] Barely above the "Did Not Like" rating.
I didn't care for Awake. It is written in a style which consists of snippets from Pliny the Elder's (23-79) encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77), followed by his fictional observations, then fictional commentary by his nephew Pliny the Younger (61-113) and a series of "scenes", usually observing the Elder dictating to his slave Diocles. An Appendix of two actual letters from the Younger translated from Latin to English concludes the book.
The fragmentary nature of this makes for certain descriptive scenes to leave the greatest impression. These are unfortunately of such a grotesque nature which are more repulsive than intriguing. A blow by blow description of the sacrifice of mother animals and their unborn young (which doesn't stop short of human slaves) was particularly disgusting, especially when presented as a 'theatrical' work. The fate of slaves who sought to escape their bondage was another of the same ilk. Perhaps it is all meant as commentary on the separation of a benign description of nature to the savagery of humankind. It was the latter which left the biggest impression on me.
I read Awake as the September 2022 selection from the Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month (BotM) club. Subscriptions to the BotM support the annual Republic of Consciousness Prize for small independent publishers.
Trivia and Links
Awake is the first book of a historical fiction trilogy by Danish author Harald Voetmann to be translated into English. It is followed by [b:Alt under månen|21802941|Alt under månen|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396262497l/21802941._SY75_.jpg|41060265] (Everything Under the Moon) (2014) which centres on the life of astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and [b:Syner og fristelser|25687270|Syner og fristelser|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433768541l/25687270._SY75_.jpg|45529535] (Visions and Temptations) (2015) which centres on the life of the monk Othlo of St. Emmeram (1010-1072).
Review of the Lolli Editions UK paperback (August 2022) being a reprint of the New Directions USA paperback [b:Awake|56760367|Awake|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1616806638l/56760367._SY75_.jpg|16027756] as translated by [a:Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen|21104155|Johanne Sorgenfri Ottosen|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] from the Danish language original [b:Vågen|11105567|Vågen|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320010918l/11105567._SY75_.jpg|16027756] (2010)
It is his voice that haunts me, cataloguing every trivial detail of the world and fretting about them. The master's mapping of nature doesn't amount to anything, it only steeps the world in doubt and hesitation and tedious references to other authors' doubts and hesitations.- Pliny the Elder's scribe and slave Diocles gives his opinion about the "Naturalis Historia".
[1.5] Barely above the "Did Not Like" rating.
I didn't care for Awake. It is written in a style which consists of snippets from Pliny the Elder's (23-79) encyclopedic Naturalis Historia (77), followed by his fictional observations, then fictional commentary by his nephew Pliny the Younger (61-113) and a series of "scenes", usually observing the Elder dictating to his slave Diocles. An Appendix of two actual letters from the Younger translated from Latin to English concludes the book.
The fragmentary nature of this makes for certain descriptive scenes to leave the greatest impression. These are unfortunately of such a grotesque nature which are more repulsive than intriguing. A blow by blow description of the sacrifice of mother animals and their unborn young (which doesn't stop short of human slaves) was particularly disgusting, especially when presented as a 'theatrical' work. The fate of slaves who sought to escape their bondage was another of the same ilk. Perhaps it is all meant as commentary on the separation of a benign description of nature to the savagery of humankind. It was the latter which left the biggest impression on me.
I read Awake as the September 2022 selection from the Republic of Consciousness Book of the Month (BotM) club. Subscriptions to the BotM support the annual Republic of Consciousness Prize for small independent publishers.
Trivia and Links
Awake is the first book of a historical fiction trilogy by Danish author Harald Voetmann to be translated into English. It is followed by [b:Alt under månen|21802941|Alt under månen|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1396262497l/21802941._SY75_.jpg|41060265] (Everything Under the Moon) (2014) which centres on the life of astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and [b:Syner og fristelser|25687270|Syner og fristelser|Harald Voetmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1433768541l/25687270._SY75_.jpg|45529535] (Visions and Temptations) (2015) which centres on the life of the monk Othlo of St. Emmeram (1010-1072).