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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
finally bought this book even though it's been out for several months. so far, its meeting my davis expectations, rendering the inner workings of vaguely neurotic minds readable. depending on my own mood, this is funny or sad or that wonderful, hard to capture quality of funny-sad. so far "kafka cooks dinner" is my favorite of the 55 tales (it has more pages than most so it has more room to grow), with its metaphors comparing the overactively indecisive mind to various winged insects and potted flowers. and, of course, potato salad.
Hilarious. LOVE Lydia Davis' style. It's like reading poetry, but in prose.
One of my holds came in and I switched to another book. Didn't really get in right headspace to read. Not sure why.
These were very neat stories unlike anything I have read before. Some of them are very short, others are a few pages, and a few seemed more like poetry than short stories. She takes a very scientific, objective view on intimacy, the course of life, and relationships - sometimes very funny other times quite poignant. I think I might read some more of her...
I really liked Break It Down because of Lydia Davis for the impeccable writing and the mostly odd and invariable disorienting stories. Varieties of Disturbance was very similar, in fact disappointingly similar given the 19 year gap in their publication dates (1986 vs. 2007). At its best, Varieties of Disturbance is outstanding. But at times it feels banal, tedious and pointless--especially some of the longer stories.
But to list a few that were memorably good:
"Collaboration with a Fly" ("I put that word on the page, but he added the apostrophe." -- yes that's the entire story)
"Kafka Cooks Dinner" (one of the longer stories, in the first person by Kafka as he worries about cooking dinner for Milena)
"Grammar Questions" (musings on grammatical challenges in talking about someone who is dying)
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" (another longer one, with a detailed taxonomy of letters written by a fourth-grade class to a sick classmate, that somehow sustains its interest from beginning to end)
"20 Sculptures in One Hour" (a series of precisely articulated thoughts on whether an hour is a long or short time to observe 20 paintings, with the observation that an hour seems short but three minutes works out to be quite long--yes it makes sense if you read it.)
"A Strange Impulse" (almost a fragment that leaves you to imagine the interesting story that might lie behind it)
But to list a few that were memorably good:
"Collaboration with a Fly" ("I put that word on the page, but he added the apostrophe." -- yes that's the entire story)
"Kafka Cooks Dinner" (one of the longer stories, in the first person by Kafka as he worries about cooking dinner for Milena)
"Grammar Questions" (musings on grammatical challenges in talking about someone who is dying)
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" (another longer one, with a detailed taxonomy of letters written by a fourth-grade class to a sick classmate, that somehow sustains its interest from beginning to end)
"20 Sculptures in One Hour" (a series of precisely articulated thoughts on whether an hour is a long or short time to observe 20 paintings, with the observation that an hour seems short but three minutes works out to be quite long--yes it makes sense if you read it.)
"A Strange Impulse" (almost a fragment that leaves you to imagine the interesting story that might lie behind it)
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/sep/14/accessible-experiments-lydia-davis-collects-her/
Lydia Davis' 'Varieties of Disturbance'
By Jenny Shank For the Camera
Friday, September 14, 2007
Lydia Davis writes experimental short fiction, a practice that would seem to confine her work to the audience that reads obscure literary magazines. But Davis' stories are so skillful, incisive, and funny that she enjoys a much broader reach, publishing widely and earning many accolades and awards for her fiction, including a 2003 MacArthur Fellowship.
How does Davis cast such a spell when her stories are sometimes only a sentence or two long? (Such as "Idea for a Short Documentary Film," which reads, in its entirety, "Representatives of different food products manufacturers try to open their own packaging.")
Davis' art is that rare thing: experimental and accessible at the same time. Her fourth short story collection, "Varieties of Disturbance," features the precise language, fresh subject matter, and sharp humor that have become her hallmarks. Davis embraces the high and the low, including one story featuring tension among Proust scholars ("The Walk"), and another ("Passing Wind") in which the narrator wonders whether her guest or her dog is responsible for an odor she has detected.
Davis' subject is often language itself, and in her capable hands this topic never bores. Indeed, some of the stories that are most obsessed with syntax are the most fascinating, such as "Grammar Questions," in which the unnamed narrator asks about his or her father, "Now, during the time he is dying, can I say, 'This is where he lives'?" The narrator puzzles through the grammar of the entire death and funeral process. Although the characters are never introduced in the traditional fashion, the narrator's grief is movingly rendered through the effort of trying to find the language with which to speak of a father's death.
In addition to grammar, Davis is also interested in the difference between the language that people use to represent themselves and the people they actually are. In "Mrs. D and Her Maids," an analysis of the many maids employed serially by a married mother and writer named Mrs. D. Davis writes, "Mrs. D gives the impression, in her letter, that she is sensible, efficient, and well organized, and that her family life is orderly."
But, the narrator informs the reader, "She likes a clean house, but she herself is casual in caring for her things — after removing a sweater, she will drop it in a heap." In this story and others that Davis wrote in the form of case studies, the narrator states facts about the subjects simply, but reveals far more about the subjects' psychology than most observers could glean.
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" is the best of her case study stories. Davis dissects the letters a teacher compelled her class to write to a classmate in the hospital, analyzing their grammar, content, and style. "Janet adds an unexpected element: 'I have been sledding and skiing and the cats go with me.' This may be one of the few instances, among the letters, of objectively interesting information."
In some stories Davis' language takes on a tone of almost clinical remove, but this is often their strength, particularly in "What You Learn About the Baby," in which a mother observes her child and what her life has become with a newborn in it. Under the subject "Renunciation," Davis writes, "You give up, or postpone for his sake, many of the pleasures you once enjoyed, such as eating meals when you are hungry, eating as much as you want ... going to sleep when you are tired, sleeping until you have had enough sleep." Davis perfectly captures the tenderness and disorientation of the early days of motherhood, and because of that clinical remove, she does it without a hint of maudlin sentiment.
Some of Davis' longer stories don't have the snap of her shorter pieces. For example, "Cape Cod Diary," disjointed notes on a vacation, doesn't have a plot in the traditional sense, and so lacks forward momentum. But the few misses in "Varieties of Disturbance" are far outweighed by the many hits, and with this collection Davis continues to hone her gift for engaging experimentation.
Jenny Shank lives in Boulder and writes about books for NewWest.net/books.
Lydia Davis' 'Varieties of Disturbance'
By Jenny Shank For the Camera
Friday, September 14, 2007
Lydia Davis writes experimental short fiction, a practice that would seem to confine her work to the audience that reads obscure literary magazines. But Davis' stories are so skillful, incisive, and funny that she enjoys a much broader reach, publishing widely and earning many accolades and awards for her fiction, including a 2003 MacArthur Fellowship.
How does Davis cast such a spell when her stories are sometimes only a sentence or two long? (Such as "Idea for a Short Documentary Film," which reads, in its entirety, "Representatives of different food products manufacturers try to open their own packaging.")
Davis' art is that rare thing: experimental and accessible at the same time. Her fourth short story collection, "Varieties of Disturbance," features the precise language, fresh subject matter, and sharp humor that have become her hallmarks. Davis embraces the high and the low, including one story featuring tension among Proust scholars ("The Walk"), and another ("Passing Wind") in which the narrator wonders whether her guest or her dog is responsible for an odor she has detected.
Davis' subject is often language itself, and in her capable hands this topic never bores. Indeed, some of the stories that are most obsessed with syntax are the most fascinating, such as "Grammar Questions," in which the unnamed narrator asks about his or her father, "Now, during the time he is dying, can I say, 'This is where he lives'?" The narrator puzzles through the grammar of the entire death and funeral process. Although the characters are never introduced in the traditional fashion, the narrator's grief is movingly rendered through the effort of trying to find the language with which to speak of a father's death.
In addition to grammar, Davis is also interested in the difference between the language that people use to represent themselves and the people they actually are. In "Mrs. D and Her Maids," an analysis of the many maids employed serially by a married mother and writer named Mrs. D. Davis writes, "Mrs. D gives the impression, in her letter, that she is sensible, efficient, and well organized, and that her family life is orderly."
But, the narrator informs the reader, "She likes a clean house, but she herself is casual in caring for her things — after removing a sweater, she will drop it in a heap." In this story and others that Davis wrote in the form of case studies, the narrator states facts about the subjects simply, but reveals far more about the subjects' psychology than most observers could glean.
"We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth-Graders" is the best of her case study stories. Davis dissects the letters a teacher compelled her class to write to a classmate in the hospital, analyzing their grammar, content, and style. "Janet adds an unexpected element: 'I have been sledding and skiing and the cats go with me.' This may be one of the few instances, among the letters, of objectively interesting information."
In some stories Davis' language takes on a tone of almost clinical remove, but this is often their strength, particularly in "What You Learn About the Baby," in which a mother observes her child and what her life has become with a newborn in it. Under the subject "Renunciation," Davis writes, "You give up, or postpone for his sake, many of the pleasures you once enjoyed, such as eating meals when you are hungry, eating as much as you want ... going to sleep when you are tired, sleeping until you have had enough sleep." Davis perfectly captures the tenderness and disorientation of the early days of motherhood, and because of that clinical remove, she does it without a hint of maudlin sentiment.
Some of Davis' longer stories don't have the snap of her shorter pieces. For example, "Cape Cod Diary," disjointed notes on a vacation, doesn't have a plot in the traditional sense, and so lacks forward momentum. But the few misses in "Varieties of Disturbance" are far outweighed by the many hits, and with this collection Davis continues to hone her gift for engaging experimentation.
Jenny Shank lives in Boulder and writes about books for NewWest.net/books.
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lydia Davis gets it. She gets me.
I did find some of the longer stories to be difficult to get through because I prefer the flash fiction. With Lydia Davis, I feel like the shorter stuff is almost always better.
I did find some of the longer stories to be difficult to get through because I prefer the flash fiction. With Lydia Davis, I feel like the shorter stuff is almost always better.
I can't add much to the positive stuff that's already been said. The book (along with her collection [book:Samuel Johnson Is Indignant]) is a master class in flash writing. Even the (relatively few) pieces I didn't enjoy had taught me a few things.
op een vreemde manier zeer verslavend. meer: http://winterlief.blogspot.nl/2012/11/varianten-van-ongemak.html