@@MarcNash _Rings Of Saturn_ is similar in construction, I think, in that there is a narrator, I presume is Sebald ,who takes a walking tour of Suffolk and describes the places, history, and people that he sees or connects to the area. At some points the narrator seems to merge with historical figures/ characters he discusses. Its about connections between people and places across time. At least that's what I felt when I read it.
@@MarcNash I found a fascinating interview done just before his death and one thing that stuck out for me was about the early stages of his process: He said he couldn't "spend two years" going through the Munich War Archive, so he just foraged around for a couple of weeks and grabbed what he could, or what particularly struck him as generative somehow, presumably. I find that so striking in contrast to the typical vision of an historical fiction writer who burrows into primary sources for years to chase down nearly every last detail. Further stoked my interest in his work.
Last year I recommended that you read Roth's The Great American Novel. I have another recommendation for you, for some reason occasioned by your Sebald review. In 1995, Bruce Olds' first novel, Raising Holy Hell, was published. It is an electrifying imagining of the mind and actions of John Brown, and is a demonstration of the truth of D.H.Lawrence's statement that "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer." Once read, the book is impossible to forget. (By the way, I assume you have read William Gass' Omensetter's Luck. ) I agree with you about the Emigrants and certainly endorse your recent praise of the brilliant The Years. Great channel, Marc.
PSI am also half Puerto Rican so I understand the diaspora experience that’s in printed from generation to generation. I would like to read this book. Thank you aloha
I loved Emigrants, thought Rings of Saturn was even better and Austerlitz completely wonderful. There is a tone to these books as though he is sitting with you in a bar telling you the story - so when he was killed while I was reading Austerlitz I was really upset. Austerlitz has remained in my top ten ever since.
Yes that's definitely an element, but not an overwhelming one as Sebald's style is son filagree and light touch, so much so that it almost doesn't leave a trace. It's like spider silk.
@@pauljones5066 Absolutely. My mother's family was from Manchester and as they died off I took the opportunity to walk around the city and glimpse the bits of old preserved building and factories. But I haven't been back for many years as we ran out of funerals to attend
@@svenh1921 Ha! I don't know if you are aware, but this year across our section of Booktube has been designated 'Read More German' literature year and many people are participating. Most of us are reading in translation, but there will be lots of videos throughout the year. I've just completed my fist one which was Ingeborg Bachmann's wonderful "Malina".
@@svenh1921 :-) So I've got lined up throughout the year, some Brecht short stories, my first Max Frisch, Clemens Meyer's "Dark Satellites", some Rilke, Bernhard's "Correction" and Seghers' "The 7th Cross".
Hello Marc I’m so glad this popped up on my suggested channels. I also don’t approve of or affection as a genre. You are right all fiction is somewhat autobiographical but Just say they are auto section is to say you are making stuff up and saying it’s true. It’s an oxymoron Having said that, I am deeply interested in the Jewish immigrant experience. If my grandmother didn’t come here in 1907 probably my whole family would’ve been destroyed by the Nazis and I wouldn’t have been born.
I know right, that holds true for all of us! My ancestors escaped pogroms in russia & poland which meant we weren't around for the next wave in 39-45 (can't remember if I said this in this video)
I read _Rings of Saturn_ by Sebald last year and was blown away. Have also read _Austerlitz_ and enjoyed it as well. This book sounds great.
What was Rings Of Saturn about? Was it similar theme of constructing new/artificial identities as both this & Austerlitz?
@@MarcNash _Rings Of Saturn_ is similar in construction, I think, in that there is a narrator, I presume is Sebald ,who takes a walking tour of Suffolk and describes the places, history, and people that he sees or connects to the area. At some points the narrator seems to merge with historical figures/ characters he discusses. Its about connections between people and places across time. At least that's what I felt when I read it.
@@BookishTexan Off to the bookshop go I... Thanks Brian
Incredible book. One of the greatest I’ve read. It’s consistent with the style of other Sebald books and his greatest execution of it.
I have this one and Austerlitz on my shelves, and really want to get to them. This one sounds powerful despite the light touch.
Let me know what you think when you get to it.
@@MarcNash I found a fascinating interview done just before his death and one thing that stuck out for me was about the early stages of his process: He said he couldn't "spend two years" going through the Munich War Archive, so he just foraged around for a couple of weeks and grabbed what he could, or what particularly struck him as generative somehow, presumably. I find that so striking in contrast to the typical vision of an historical fiction writer who burrows into primary sources for years to chase down nearly every last detail. Further stoked my interest in his work.
@@marianryan2991 wow that's really interesting and yes you can see how that feeds into his process. Thanking for sharing that :-)
Last year I recommended that you read Roth's The Great American Novel. I have another recommendation for you, for some reason occasioned by your Sebald review. In 1995, Bruce Olds' first novel, Raising Holy Hell, was published. It is an electrifying imagining of the mind and actions of John Brown, and is a demonstration of the truth of D.H.Lawrence's statement that "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer." Once read, the book is impossible to forget. (By the way, I assume you have read William Gass' Omensetter's Luck. ) I agree with you about the Emigrants and certainly endorse your recent praise of the brilliant The Years. Great channel, Marc.
Thanks Mitchel, I'm definitely adding Raising Holy Hell to my TBR. And thank you for your kind comment about my channel.
PSI am also half Puerto Rican so I understand the diaspora experience that’s in printed from generation to generation. I would like to read this book. Thank you aloha
my pleasure Marilyn
I loved Emigrants, thought Rings of Saturn was even better and Austerlitz completely wonderful. There is a tone to these books as though he is sitting with you in a bar telling you the story - so when he was killed while I was reading Austerlitz I was really upset. Austerlitz has remained in my top ten ever since.
I just looked up how he died - I had no idea. Thanks for commenting
I'm getting vibes of inherited trauma from the book.
Yes that's definitely an element, but not an overwhelming one as Sebald's style is son filagree and light touch, so much so that it almost doesn't leave a trace. It's like spider silk.
my favourite book probably
I'm going to be reading The Rings Of Saturn sometime before the end of the year
@@MarcNash also brilliant!
@@pauljones5066 :-) I'm looking forward to it
@@MarcNash I drove through Manchester this weekend (I live 50 miles away) and I thought then about Sebald's descriptions of the old Manchester then
@@pauljones5066 Absolutely. My mother's family was from Manchester and as they died off I took the opportunity to walk around the city and glimpse the bits of old preserved building and factories. But I haven't been back for many years as we ran out of funerals to attend
Indeed a very impressive book! Greetings from Germany!
Thank you! Hope to read Sebald's "The Rings Of Saturn" this year
@@MarcNash I just read it!
@@svenh1921 Ha! I don't know if you are aware, but this year across our section of Booktube has been designated 'Read More German' literature year and many people are participating. Most of us are reading in translation, but there will be lots of videos throughout the year. I've just completed my fist one which was Ingeborg Bachmann's wonderful "Malina".
@@MarcNash That's wonderful! Besides: I love Ingeborg Bachmann's poems.
@@svenh1921 :-) So I've got lined up throughout the year, some Brecht short stories, my first Max Frisch, Clemens Meyer's "Dark Satellites", some Rilke, Bernhard's "Correction" and Seghers' "The 7th Cross".
Hello Marc I’m so glad this popped up on my suggested channels. I also don’t approve of or affection as a genre. You are right all fiction is somewhat autobiographical but Just say they are auto section is to say you are making stuff up and saying it’s true. It’s an oxymoron
Having said that, I am deeply interested in the Jewish immigrant experience. If my grandmother didn’t come here in 1907 probably my whole family would’ve been destroyed by the Nazis and I wouldn’t have been born.
I know right, that holds true for all of us! My ancestors escaped pogroms in russia & poland which meant we weren't around for the next wave in 39-45 (can't remember if I said this in this video)