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manvelhdz's review against another edition
4.0
Crónicas muy interesantes pero en ocasiones se pone un poco muy "exquisito" y me costaba mantener el interés. Pero en general disfrutable.
nicolcc12's review against another edition
4.0
La lectura de este libro formaba parte del programa de estudios de una materia que concluí en noviembre; sin embargo, y de manera casi obvia para cualquiera que me conozca, no la terminé a tiempo: llegué sólo a la página en blanco con el título "Escritura" para cuando tocó revisarlo en clase. Aun así, tuve el afán de terminarlo por mi cuenta, sabiendo que sería una lectura necesaria y, seguramente, no decepcionante. Así fue.
En ambas lecturas solicité un ejemplar a la biblioteca de mi universidad. La primera ocasión resultó chocante porque, a pesar de ser Literatura (cuyo préstamo habitualmente dura 45 días), me indicaron que debía devolverlo a la semana, con derecho a una renovación por otros siete días ¡Más de trescientas páginas, y me lo prestaban dos míseras semanas! Se excusaron en que se trataba de Ensayo y, por ende, contaba como texto teórico, más de referencia que como lectura. Creo que fue por eso que le di muchas vueltas a los textos para buscarles un carácter ensayístico dentro del relato autobiográfico (recordemos que en un primer momento sólo leí eso).
Creo que "Memorias" es el apartado menos obvio. Parecen lecciones de vida que, a partir de sus propias experiencias, Pitol busca compartir; sin embargo, latentes bajo la anécdota, subyacen ideas interesantes y que, por su carácter sutil, consiguen convencer al lector.
Me parece que el nivel de "obviedad" sube conforme los apartados avanzan. "Lecturas" llega a ser casi un ensayo crítico sin citas en formato APA, quizá por eso fue el apartado que más batallé en leer, pero con el que añadí más libros a mis interminables pendientes.
Fue una lectura muy enriquecedora, reveladora, pero, sobre todo, me deja aún mucho por pensar... y eso me agrada.
En ambas lecturas solicité un ejemplar a la biblioteca de mi universidad. La primera ocasión resultó chocante porque, a pesar de ser Literatura (cuyo préstamo habitualmente dura 45 días), me indicaron que debía devolverlo a la semana, con derecho a una renovación por otros siete días ¡Más de trescientas páginas, y me lo prestaban dos míseras semanas! Se excusaron en que se trataba de Ensayo y, por ende, contaba como texto teórico, más de referencia que como lectura. Creo que fue por eso que le di muchas vueltas a los textos para buscarles un carácter ensayístico dentro del relato autobiográfico (recordemos que en un primer momento sólo leí eso).
Creo que "Memorias" es el apartado menos obvio. Parecen lecciones de vida que, a partir de sus propias experiencias, Pitol busca compartir; sin embargo, latentes bajo la anécdota, subyacen ideas interesantes y que, por su carácter sutil, consiguen convencer al lector.
Me parece que el nivel de "obviedad" sube conforme los apartados avanzan. "Lecturas" llega a ser casi un ensayo crítico sin citas en formato APA, quizá por eso fue el apartado que más batallé en leer, pero con el que añadí más libros a mis interminables pendientes.
Fue una lectura muy enriquecedora, reveladora, pero, sobre todo, me deja aún mucho por pensar... y eso me agrada.
nateisdreaming's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book, but I'm not sure what to say about it or how to review it probably.
Its writing feels musical (and in fact, the spanish word "fuga" translates to both 'flight' and 'fugue', as the translator's afterward points out).
Its certainly not for everyone, but the people that will be drawn to it will likely love it. Its soft and gentle in a way, and it meanders like a river or a long walk does. Some of the sections disguise itself as literary criticism, so if you don't enjoy criticism, you might not like it. But even in these sections, it feels both intensely personal and also slightly mysterious and dreamlike. I picked the book up, almost on accident, after finishing Don Quixote. I hadn't heard of it, but saw it won the Cervantes Prize, so I thought it would be an appropriate book to follow that read. I have to admit it took me a while to start it though.
It presents itself as a memoir, but its a creative and "literary" memoir, and therefor should not be read as an autobiography. There are not many events -- but there are many themes. They are presented with a subtlety & confidence than only a great craftsperson can get away with. His writings on memory somewhat reminded me of WG Sebald, although I'm not sure if that's an appropriate comparison. The style and writing itself seems soft, blissful, and musical. The text flows like water.
Each chapter contains the date it was written, and the result is sort of a collage of journal entries, placed out of order. It is divided into four bigger sections. It will inevitably add a long list of books you want to read to your list. Pitol is passionate about reading, was a translator, and writes about literature as much as he writes about his life. The most touching story, for me, was about his seeing a hypnotist. There are many stylistic shifts in the book, but they are unified by his voice.
This book is the first of a "trilogy of memory" and they are all being translated by George Hensen and published by Deep Vellum. Picking up this book was a discovery for me of the translator and publisher as well as the writer. Deep Vellum is a non profit based in Texas. Hensen, who I had never heard of, did a great job with the translation -- the language works well in English, and I feel a poetry to the movement that reminds me of other translators I love Chris Andrews and Margeret Jill-Costa. (Disclaimer: I do not read any other language than English, so my assumptions on what makes a good translator might be inaccurate, and at the least aren't informed of the nuances of its craft. However, I've definitely noticed liking some translators more than others, particularly when reading widely translated writers).
Pitol has many fans in the Spanish language, including Bolano & Villa-Matis. I am very excited to have just learned about him, grateful he is starting to be translated while simultaneously disappointed he wasn't translated until now. Both this book and Roberto Bolano's Between Parenthesis discuss a novel Pitol wrote that I really, really, really hope gets translated next.
Its writing feels musical (and in fact, the spanish word "fuga" translates to both 'flight' and 'fugue', as the translator's afterward points out).
Its certainly not for everyone, but the people that will be drawn to it will likely love it. Its soft and gentle in a way, and it meanders like a river or a long walk does. Some of the sections disguise itself as literary criticism, so if you don't enjoy criticism, you might not like it. But even in these sections, it feels both intensely personal and also slightly mysterious and dreamlike. I picked the book up, almost on accident, after finishing Don Quixote. I hadn't heard of it, but saw it won the Cervantes Prize, so I thought it would be an appropriate book to follow that read. I have to admit it took me a while to start it though.
It presents itself as a memoir, but its a creative and "literary" memoir, and therefor should not be read as an autobiography. There are not many events -- but there are many themes. They are presented with a subtlety & confidence than only a great craftsperson can get away with. His writings on memory somewhat reminded me of WG Sebald, although I'm not sure if that's an appropriate comparison. The style and writing itself seems soft, blissful, and musical. The text flows like water.
Each chapter contains the date it was written, and the result is sort of a collage of journal entries, placed out of order. It is divided into four bigger sections. It will inevitably add a long list of books you want to read to your list. Pitol is passionate about reading, was a translator, and writes about literature as much as he writes about his life. The most touching story, for me, was about his seeing a hypnotist. There are many stylistic shifts in the book, but they are unified by his voice.
This book is the first of a "trilogy of memory" and they are all being translated by George Hensen and published by Deep Vellum. Picking up this book was a discovery for me of the translator and publisher as well as the writer. Deep Vellum is a non profit based in Texas. Hensen, who I had never heard of, did a great job with the translation -- the language works well in English, and I feel a poetry to the movement that reminds me of other translators I love Chris Andrews and Margeret Jill-Costa. (Disclaimer: I do not read any other language than English, so my assumptions on what makes a good translator might be inaccurate, and at the least aren't informed of the nuances of its craft. However, I've definitely noticed liking some translators more than others, particularly when reading widely translated writers).
Pitol has many fans in the Spanish language, including Bolano & Villa-Matis. I am very excited to have just learned about him, grateful he is starting to be translated while simultaneously disappointed he wasn't translated until now. Both this book and Roberto Bolano's Between Parenthesis discuss a novel Pitol wrote that I really, really, really hope gets translated next.
manvelhdz's review against another edition
4.0
Crónicas muy interesantes pero en ocasiones se pone un poco muy "exquisito" y me costaba mantener el interés. Pero en general disfrutable.
dvlavieri's review
3.0
Sergio Pitol, who I admit I've never heard of, was maybe an insightful thinker and maybe a wonderful novelist, but to me this "memoir" wasn't a great read. For one, marketing it as a book that "defies genre" is simply a cover for what felt like a hodgepodge of totally miscellaneous writing (diaries, articles on literature, some travelogues, some misc. thinking) put together haphazardly and sorted in only a semi-meaningful way. If you're reading this book to gain insight on the life of Pitol, you're likely to be disappointed. Besides a few episodic notes from his travels in Poland, Spain and Italy, there isn't much introspection into Pitol as a character - more his musings on Mexican and European culture. Furthermore, much of the literary articles are focused on works that are too obscure to the American reader to make sense of or appreciate in any meaningful way.
There's one short essay about the development of his ideas for his novel Love Parade - but of course that is not published in English, so it was of little value in relation to my readerly life.
There's one short essay about the development of his ideas for his novel Love Parade - but of course that is not published in English, so it was of little value in relation to my readerly life.
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