Brain Pain discussion

Got Ideas?


Please share your ideas and suggestions for 2014. Anything challenging, difficult, experimental, or intimidating that we can read and discuss as a group.

For our recently announced project "The Vollmann Project", we will be going through his Seven Dreams series. What other Vollmann books would you be interested in?

Later this year we will be doing a "Spotlight on Nabokov" project. We will look at some of his pre- and post-Lolita fiction, his autobiography, and some of his lit-crit. Do you have a suggestion for 2014 for another writer we can explore in depth?

Let the suggesting begin!

Some earlier suggestions for '14:


From James:
The Tunnel
The Gold Bug Variations
The Public Burning

From Anne:
Christie Malry's Own Double Entry

How about:
Life A User's Manual
A Smuggler's Bible

Ellie wrote: "How about:
Life A User's Manual
A Smuggler's Bible"

We've got the Perec scheduled for this August 19th.

I'm definitely interested in McElroy.

Forgot about the Perec. Sorry -and I'm looking forward to it-the mind is going. :(

Oh, I just bought the McElroy, I'd be all for that one, too!

Some other suggestions:
The Tale of Genji
The Sound and the Fury
Take it or Leave It

And is it okay to suggest books that have not been translated into English?
Paradis
Alte Abdeckerei: Erzählung
(If not, just ignore those, please)

I would be very interested in Take it or Leave It

Larou wrote: "Oh, I just bought the McElroy, I'd be all for that one, too!

Some other suggestions:
The Tale of Genji
The Sound and the Fury
Take it or Leave It

And is it okay to suggest books that have not bee..."

French or German editions are of course possible, but we would want to see how many are willing/able to read in those languages.

We read The Sound and The Fury in 2012. If you'd like, I can see if other members who missed the discussion might want to read along with you.

I'm always up for reading in French, but not familiar with Paradis. A few hints perhaps as to why it is worth reading?

If I take part in the upcoming Perec discussion, which I certainly hope to, I'll probably read the book in French.

Oops, I managed to completely miss the thread on The Sound and the Fury; my apologies for that.

How about this for some classical modernism, then?
Manhattan Transfer

Larou wrote: "Oops, I managed to completely miss the thread on The Sound and the Fury; my apologies for that.

How about this for some classical modernism, then?
Manhattan Transfer"

Sounds like a good choice.

What we'll do is have a few polls in mid-October to select books for 2014. I'll be collecting titles from this thread to populate the polls.

David wrote: "I'm always up for reading in French, but not familiar with Paradis. A few hints perhaps as to why it is worth reading?

If I take part in the upcoming Perec discussion, which I certainly hope to, I..."

What we might also try is a Sollers book that is available in both French and English and members can choose which version to read.

BTW Larou, we have Thomas Mann's Doctor Faustus coming up in April if you'd like to read it in German.

Here's a few challenging books, some already mentioned:

Remainder, Tom McCarthy (brilliant)
The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner
Life, A User's Manual, Georges Perec
If On A Winter's Night a Traveller, Italo Calvino
Christie Malry's Own-Double Entry, BS Johnson (experimental but an easy read and short)

Of those mentioned so far, I'd certainly be interested in reading If On A Winter's Night a Traveller and The Tale of Genji

A couple of other French ones which might be interesting (both available in English):
A Void by Georges Perec
Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau

La disparition/A Void is how I first heard of Perec ( I suspect I'm not the only one there), but I've never read it.

David wrote: "Of those mentioned so far, I'd certainly be interested in reading If On A Winter's Night a Traveller and The Tale of Genji

A couple of other French ones which might be interesting (both available ..."

I've had an idea in mind for a project centering around the Oulipo group since I started BP. After we read Life A User's Manual, we'll likely generate interest in an Oulipo-themed read for 2014, with Queneau, Perec, Calvino, Jacques Roubaud, etc.

Sollers is a well-known and very influential figure in France, in the 1970s he was leader of the Tel Quel group (and editor of the journal of that name) and wrote a couple of highly experimental novels - imagine a French version of Finnegans Wake with a theoritical subtext rooted in Lacan and Althusser, and you might have at least a vague idea of what Paradisis is like.
I'd be very surprised if there was an English translation of that. The only novel of his in English I can find is Watteau in Venice which I have not read but which is part of his post-Femmes work when he switched gears and started writing essay novels with a distinct cultural conservative slant.
ETA - Note to self - look stuff up first, write later. Apparently, there also are The Park and A Strange Solitude, his first two novels which are very traditional, and Women, the first of his late period essay-novels - the latter might be something of possible interest in to this group, while quite conservative (both in form and content) compared to his novels from the 70s it is still a far remove from your standard realist novel.

It's been ages since I read any Thomas Mann, and a re-read of Doktor Faustus sounds like a great idea! :)

Larou wrote: "Sollers is a well-known and very influential figure in France, in the 1970s he was leader of the Tel Quel group (and editor of the journal of that name) and wrote a couple of highly experimental no..."

I pulled this list off of wikipedia. Paradis is not in English...



Available in English

Mysterious Mozart - University of Illinois Press, 2010
Writing and Seeing Architecture (with Christian de Portzamparc) - University Of Minnesota Press, 2008
Watteau in Venice - Scribner's, 1994
Women - Columbia University Press, 1990
Event - Red Dust, 1987
The Park - Red Dust 1986
Writing and the Experience of Limits - Columbia University Press, 1982
A Strange Solitude - Grove Press 1959

Jim wrote: "David wrote: "I'm always up for reading in French, but not familiar with Paradis. A few hints perhaps as to why it is worth reading?

If I take part in the upcoming Perec discussion, which I certai..."

If we are adding shorter works I would think these might fit pretty well. I like the BS Johnson book also.

Wittgenstein’s Mistress, The Lime Twig and At Swim-Two-Birds

James wrote: "If we are adding shorter works I would think these might fit pretty well. I like the BS Johnson book also.

Wittgenstein’s Mistress, The Lime Twig and At Swim-Two-Birds ..."

Good suggestions! All three are on my tbr list.

I'm looking forward to the Nabokov project.
I'm also in favor of The Tunnel by Wm Gass. Love the author. Love the book.

Is anyone interested in some or any of Dostoyevsky's works?

Linda wrote: "Is anyone interested in some or any of Dostoyevsky's works?"

Any particular works you'd like to read?

How about The Brothers Karamazov?

Ellie wrote: "How about The Brothers Karamazov?"

I could support that. Any others?

Jim wrote: "Ellie wrote: "How about The Brothers Karamazov?"

I could support that. Any others?"

The Idiot
I've already read it, and highly recommend it. Not read much else Dostoevsky, so would look forward to whatever is chosen.

David wrote: "Jim wrote: "Ellie wrote: "How about The Brothers Karamazov?"

I could support that. Any others?"

The Idiot
I've already read it, and highly recommend it. Not read much else Dostoevsky, so would lo..."

The Idiot sounds good. I've been trying to think of a themed-read for next year. Maybe a "literature of madness, illness, and melancholy" theme - The Idiot, The Magic Mountain, Asylum Piece, and so on.

The Idiot sounds good to me, too, has always been my favourite Dostoevsky. And I like the idea of the theme as well - any chance of maybe adding Pale Fire to that list? Unless that's already planned for this year, of course.

Larou wrote: "The Idiot sounds good to me, too, has always been my favourite Dostoevsky. And I like the idea of the theme as well - any chance of maybe adding Pale Fire to that list? Unless that's already planne..."

Yes, Pale Fire will be part of our Spotlight On Nabokov. I haven't posted the list yet because I'm still collecting the books.

Current plan (written in pencil):
Invitation to a Beheading
Lolita
Pnin
Pale Fire
Speak, Memory
Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
Lectures on Literature

Scheduled for July thru November

Might we again consider The Arcades Project?

Mark B wrote: "Might we again consider The Arcades Project?"

Wow, i would love to

Mark B wrote: "Might we again consider The Arcades Project?"

That was supposed to be this year, right? When do you want to begin?

I don't have a copy at hand. How would you divide the book - chapters, sections, themes?

Let me know how you would like to approach the book and we'll make a plan.

Excellent questions all.

Firstly, I do have a copy of the book. I got it from The Belknap Press for $33.50. I think that it is also available in London.

I am ready anytime. This is probably the book that has most intimidated me. I would so enjoy having the combined intelligence and insight of the Brain Pain crew at my side.

Which makes your final sentence the most relevant and difficult. How does one approach The Arcades Project? Many look to the book as a Reference Guide. Others describe as written as if it were scenes from a dream. The "chapter headings" are letters of the alphabet from A-Z.

Maybe we should be patient and use the near future to compile some background/side reads to help guide us through an upcoming read. It could also give interested members the chance to acquire the book one way or another.

Once we have gauged interest, we maybe could share responsibility for focusing on specific viewpoints/themes during the read.

On the other hand, if lots of folks get very excited to move it up on the priority list, I'm in and promise to be actively involved.

Mark B wrote: "Excellent questions all.

Firstly, I do have a copy of the book. I got it from The Belknap Press for $33.50. I think that it is also available in London.

I am ready anytime. This is probably the ..."

Okay, I leapt into the unknown and started a brainstorming discussion here:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

I'll order a copy on Monday and see what we're up against. Please head over to that discussion and let the 'storming begin...

Nice.

Mark B wrote: "Might we again consider The Arcades Project?"

I'd be interested in The Arcades Project.

I have a copy of 'Walter Benjamin's The Archive,' which is a very attractive book with scans from his notebooks.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walter-Benjam...

Anne wrote: "Mark B wrote: "Might we again consider The Arcades Project?"

I'd be interested in The Arcades Project.

I have a copy of 'Walter Benjamin's The Archive,' which is a very attractive book with scan..."

Looks like an interesting auxiliary book for Benjamin's work.

BTW, Amazon US has The Arcades Project in paperback and hardcover for $22.80 and $59.62 respectively.

And for those who can read German (some knowledge of French will also be helpful): the original is in the public domain and can be downloaded for free here.

Larou wrote: "And for those who can read German (some knowledge of French will also be helpful): the original is in the public domain and can be downloaded for free here."

Danke Larou!

I would be interest in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman or some of William Blake or some of Samuel Beckett, whether plays or novels, or Aldous Huxley.

Ryan wrote: "I would be interest in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman or some of William Blake or some of Samuel Beckett, whether plays or novels, or Aldous Huxley."

It really is time to read Tristram Shandy.

Do you have any particular Huxley in mind?

For the Huxley, I'm really not for sure what to pick.
I do own Point Counter Point and it has piqued my interest with some of its reviews.

Ryan wrote: "For the Huxley, I'm really not for sure what to pick.
I do own Point Counter Point and it has piqued my interest with some of its reviews."

Point Counter Point sounds like it will fit in well to our brain Pain projects. Good choice!

Point Counter Point sounds good.

Anyone for Robert Coover? Has he been touched? He's a saucy little experimentalist if ever there was one.

Rick wrote: "Point Counter Point sounds good.

Anyone for Robert Coover? Has he been touched? He's a saucy little experimentalist if ever there was one."
I suggested

The Public Burning early on.

Any thoughts on Robert Walser for a writer we can focus on? I'm reading 'Masquerade & Other Stories' currently - it seems deceptively easy, though is quite surreal and ambling a lot of the time. He's an obvious parallel for Kafka - maybe we could concurrently read some of their stuff as a comparative study? Walser is a lot more quaint, though they both exhibit a strong breakdown in temporal coherence and illogical inhumanity.
This guy has me scratching my head. I'm always returning to him despite the sense of continued frustration I encounter in his narratives.

Rick wrote: "Any thoughts on Robert Walser for a writer we can focus on? I'm reading 'Masquerade & Other Stories' currently - it seems deceptively easy, though is quite surreal and ambling a lot of the time. He..."

I don't know his work, but Modernist lit works well in Brain Pain. If you continue reading him, come back to this discussion and recommend novels that might be a good starting point for his work.

A pairing with Kafka could be a great project.

Robert Walser's quaintness is very much not to be trusted - his narrators tend to make themselves small and humble, but their absolute and unconditional agreement with and affirmation of every single bad thing happening to them serves only to underline just how unbearable the general misery is - it's his own and quite unique brand of Brechtian Verfremdung (I never know how to translate that into English).

If you read German, there is an excellent essay on him by the other Walser guy, Martin Walser (a much better critic than author, by the way, and as far as I know not related to Robert in any way) in his book Selbstbewußtsein und Ironie: Frankfurter Vorlesungen where Martin W. describes Robert W.'s particular approach as a form of radical irony.

Larou wrote: "it's his own and quite unique brand of Brechtian Verfremdung (I never know how to translate that into English)...."

Google translated as 'alienation' or 'defamiliarization' or 'distancing'.

I suppose "defamiliarization" comes close in meaning, but it is such an ugly word...

Larou wrote: "I suppose "defamiliarization" comes close in meaning, but it is such an ugly word..."

We'll just stick with vefremdung then.

Would Walser's work be interesting to read along with Kafka, as Rick suggested? Any others that might also work for pairing with Walser?