You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
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).