Member: tros

The only ones I know by name are Mucha and Alma-Tadema. Pretty much anything Art Nouveau is okay by me, though. My particular interest with Dulac is his fairy tale illustration, and I'm in general a fan of the "children's" illustrators of the period--in quotation marks because their work wasn't necessarily meant for kids at the time. Dulac also did theatrical design. I love his lushness and how he did even European fairy tales in an Arabian Nights style.

http://dulac.artpassions.net/

A current illustrator/artist I like very much (in part because he is influenced by Art Nouveau) is Yoshitaka Amano. A site with his stuff is below. Check out the Paintings and Illustrations category. (Most of the rest I can take or leave.) His people all have a kind of elegant exhaustion, the very epitome of decadence. I'd love to see his take on Yuki-Onna; he certainly did a beautiful fox demon for Neil Gaiman's "Dream Hunters."

http://www.amanosworld.com/html/work.htm...

posted by Winter_Maiden at 10:35 pm (EST) on Sep 11, 2009

Indeed, I like it very much! It's one of my favorite supernatural stories. I show excerpts from the film to my World Literature students (and have them read the corresponding Hearn stories, along with a few others), and the Yuki-Onna story is usually their favorite, too.

I've always been a big Edmund Dulac fan, but I only recently discovered who his snow woman was that I had adopted as my emblem. He did the illustrations for "The Dreamer of Dreams," a literary fairy tale written by Marie of Romania. The story is a rather rambling and symbol-heavy allegory about the divine sources of the artist's inspiration. On his journeys the artist of the story comes across the Snow Maiden, who picks up the literally bleeding hearts of those who have exiled their broken hearts to the arctic regions, and who cares for them until God releases them. The only sympathetic portrayal of such a figure that I've ever seen!

http://www.archive.org/stream/dreamerofd...

posted by Winter_Maiden at 10:48 pm (EST) on Sep 10, 2009

Thanks - this makes me come close to renewing Netflix membership. I used to hold onto dvds for months....

posted by benwaugh at 7:17 pm (EST) on Aug 11, 2009

Yes, I will look into them. Thank you.

posted by WilliamBeavers1 at 7:11 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2009

Excellent. You are the first to get it.

posted by WilliamBeavers1 at 6:44 pm (EST) on Jun 29, 2009

Yes I did read that Chase had to apologize for plagiarizing Chandler; I'm not sure which book.

I still have a few Willefords to go and I haven't read The Machine in Ward 11 yet. I'll put your recommendations high up on my to-read list.

posted by datrappert at 10:24 pm (EST) on Jun 19, 2009

I haven't read the Dead Stay Dumb yet, though I do have a copy. I'm sure I'll get to it soon. Chase's books are always a lot of fun if not exactly great literature. :-)

posted by datrappert at 10:36 pm (EST) on Apr 29, 2009

Got me indeed! Fagyas sounds Hungarian--of course, there's plenty of Hungarians and Hungarian-like names outside Hungary.

posted by LolaWalser at 3:36 pm (EST) on Jan 27, 2009

ever read M. Fagyas?

No, who's M. Fagyas?

posted by LolaWalser at 3:21 pm (EST) on Jan 26, 2009

I liked the Rome series quite a lot. It's right up there with the MT version of I, Claudius (which I loved because of John Hurt's Caligula. Hurt was getting all the choice literary psycho roles in late 70s-early 80s. He was Rodion Raskolnikov in the Crime and Punishment series and looked appropriately septic and gin-soured in 1984).

posted by benwaugh at 2:47 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Well hello there. I like the Karan, but I'd like to hear more. The one I'm listening to seems a little bland so far. Lovely, but bland. I've recently been listening to Anne Briggs and Shirley Collins. What do you think of them? It's an unfair comparison with Karan, I know - like comparing poitín with Baileys Irish Cream.

I'd definitely like to hear more, though.

I've seen bits of "Rome", and it's clearly a bloody (literally) enjoyable romp, but - in the true spirit of snobbery - I prefer "I Claudius" and "Carry On Cleo".

Anyway, all the best to you and yours for the new year.

Dave

posted by desultory at 3:59 pm (EST) on Jan 2, 2009

I also enjoy Dorothy Hughes. Thanks for the tip about Futrelle. I've never read the Thinking Machine stories but they sound great and it's a favorite era of mine for popular fiction.

posted by robertajl at 10:36 pm (EST) on Dec 29, 2008

No relation other than in my grizzled thought patterns. Young Jesse is frenetic electric R&B... Probably best known for "Marylou", later covered by Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks. There is a nice ACE cd collection called "I'm Gone". Norton Records, out of New York, has dug him out of retirement.

posted by benwaugh at 10:42 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

Thank you for the mention - I have been very autodidactic with the Blues... and my knowledge is limited. I appreciate the mention (and any more you might have. I went right out and tracked down that Magic Sam lp after you jogged my memory) - sounds right up my alley. Of the original Blues singers, I only managed to catch Muddy Waters - but that was with Eric Clapton and way over processed. Most of the Son House I have was recorded in the early 60s - and is very good. I also should have mentioned Charley Patton... harrowing gravelly voice. Kind of skipping the gap a bit, but have you ever listened to Young Jesse? - great feral R&B. He fronted for The Coasters briefly, I think.

posted by benwaugh at 9:01 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

I don't think I have any Lonnie Johnson - but I will look into getting some (I'm also looking for Magic Sam's early stuff... on vinyl, with the track "21 Days in Jail". WPFW, our local source for jazz, blues and right-minded rant, supplies the bulk of the stock on my shopping list).

I tend to listen to really spare, acoustic country blues: Tommy Johnson, the recently issued early recordings of R. L. Burnside, Robert "Pete" Williams (he's also a great guitarist), Skip James, Son House (and Muddy Waters' "Folksinger" lp). There is something disturbing and hypnotic about the repetitive chords and the desolate vocals.

posted by benwaugh at 11:26 am (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

No I haven't, but I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip.

posted by varielle at 8:47 am (EST) on Nov 5, 2008

Re: 19th gothic: I recently picked up Demons of the Night - Tales of the Fantastic, Madness, and the Supernatural from Nineteenth-Century France. It should make good reading material this month, especially. Maybe I'll put Kolyma Tales down for a short while.

posted by slickdpdx at 5:28 pm (EST) on Oct 2, 2008

Wow, someone else who likes Mrabet... nice!

posted by Fullmoonblue at 1:02 pm (EST) on Sep 17, 2008

Thanks - I'll have to check him out. I have just received the newly remastered re-issue of Little Richard's first Specialty lp - and it sounds great (as does the 1968 recordings of R. L. Burnside - great haunting country blues). I had high hopes for the Skip James 1931 recordings - but it sounds as though they digitally remastered the snaps crackles and pops in the original bakelite sources.

posted by benwaugh at 10:15 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2008

The Human Condition trilogy has not been released on DVD as yet. I was able to save them in my Netflix cart which I hope is an indication they are going to be released soon. I'll check out some of Kobayashi's other films in the meantime. Thankyou for the recommendation.

posted by DavidX at 9:14 pm (EST) on Jul 20, 2008

I noticed you have a copy of Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn. I recently saw the film Kwaidan by Masaki Kobayashi, a recent Criterion collection release. It's based on stories from several of Lafcadio Hearn's collections of japanese folk tales. I was spellbound by both the wonderful tales and the beautiful expressionist style of the film. I highly recommend it, if you haven't already seen it.

posted by DavidX at 10:41 pm (EST) on Jul 17, 2008

it's really an anti-erotic novel.

Oh yes--I'd say there's sex-related anguish, fear & trembling there that's downright Kafkian. L'air du temps... :)

posted by LolaWalser at 11:27 am (EST) on May 7, 2008

NYRB sent me an email about books on sale that included all these Simenon with forewords from various interesting authors (Luc Sante, Wm. Vollmann). I read the first few pages of a couple of the books on google reader and checked out reviews on LT and bought four of them. I'm really looking forward to diggin in! I think I'll hit Dirty Snow first. And I have yet to get to the Carco...

posted by slickdpdx at 7:46 pm (EST) on May 5, 2008

Of Hodgson I've read THE HOUSE BY THE BORDERLAND and THE BOATS OF THE 'GLEN CARRIG,' both of which kept me up late for several nights. I keep approaching NIGHT LAND, but so far haven't taken the plunge (more because of the length than because of the daunting prose style).

posted by jfclark at 8:19 pm (EST) on Apr 16, 2008

I own more H.R. Wakefield than I've read, alas (as with so many other authors), but of course that's because I find Wakefield delightfully wicked. Browsing through your library, I note your "gothic" tagged books are quite choice--I love James Hogg and Arthur Machen, among lots of the others you've got.

posted by jfclark at 10:16 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

I'm nearly finished with Simplicio Simplicissimuss, which has been a fun read. It contains its own share of degradation and perversity. Handled lightly. I was annoyed to find that my copy is abridged to remove "moralizing lectures" and a "fanciful trip to the center of the earth." I enjoy moralizing lectures and I don't appreciate missing that trip. I have a five page copy the The Inferno that was similarly abridged - what a waste!

I think I'll read Apex Hides the Hurt next and finish Riding To Everywhere (which I am enjoying.) Carco is in my immediate pile of reading material and I will get to him soon.

posted by slickdpdx at 3:13 pm (EST) on Apr 7, 2008

I concur with Lola's appraisal of Leppin (etc., etc.) - as well as with this assessment of depravity. Few other amusements have so well sustained my interest over time.

For greater and less grim stretches of such amusement, you might also check out Samuel Pepys's diaries - in which, under the shadow of fear of being caught by his wife he boldly harvests, or at least braves the attempt there toward, the charms of all ladies within his reach, live and otherwise (there is an incident where he clasps and mashes with a long dead royal - so that he may say - to himself - "I have kissed a queen").

posted by benwaugh at 10:03 am (EST) on Apr 7, 2008

Great book. It's a true shame that no one's released a new edition of the Elizabeth Abbott translation -- preferably under one cover instead of in two volumes -- as it's really a better translation than the new one that's in print now.

posted by nsblumenfeld at 7:37 am (EST) on Apr 7, 2008

Hi, Ron, I haven't read "Les innocents" yet, but your impression makes me want to reach for it immediately.

In return, you may want to check out Paul Leppin's "Blaugast" (the original title, not sure what the English one is)--lots of depravity there too. :)

posted by LolaWalser at 12:07 pm (EST) on Mar 28, 2008

Ok, I looked up Carco. Looks good. Any recommendations?

posted by Makifat at 12:01 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

Having a look at our shared books, I'd say we both have excellent taste! I'm going to check out the rest of your holdings.

I have no idea who Francis Carco is/was, but on your recommendation, I will find out.

Regards,
Maki

posted by Makifat at 10:07 am (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

Lots of bells ringing; I am just starting to feel my way into the dark little world of russian lit and the some of the names you mentioned have been on the "must read" list for a while! Have just ordered the Dedalus Book of Russian Decadence to get started and am anxiously awating the mailman...
Yes, Moravia, a great love.
If you have any other recommendations they'd be welcome!

posted by annakarina at 11:28 am (EST) on Feb 20, 2008

They booed Lightnin? Uncharitable hippies - just goes to show sometimes a thing's opposite is its own image - and, by current standards, Mr Hopkins might be right. Nobody's even suggested impeaching the current republican autocrat and Agnew was a virgin to vice compared with He-Who-Cannot-Articulate's bald evil invisible demonic deputy.

posted by benwaugh at 4:24 pm (EST) on Feb 13, 2008

Thanks for the tip (Hyperion) I'll check it out. I haven't yet gotten around to reading Perversity. There's a glut of other poison sloshing around in my trough...

Archie and Mehitabel have some great company in your library!

posted by slickdpdx at 11:01 pm (EST) on Feb 11, 2008

Speaking of Blues, etc. - have you checked out sites like Speaker's Corner and http://store.acousticsounds.com/store.cf...? They are issuing a lot of old stuff (and a lot of Lightnin Hopkins' atuff) on heavy audiophile-quality vinyl. I picked a couple things. I'm still waiting for the original mmono recordings of Little Richard's first Specialty lp.... 2 years now.

posted by benwaugh at 10:41 pm (EST) on Feb 11, 2008

I love Lightnin' Hopkins - especially before the folkies got to him, when he was still plugged in. I love especially the country blues... mournful/raucous stuff like Tommy Johnson, Robert Pete Williams, Muddy Waters, etc. I have conditioned my 5 year old to know her genres - she knows when Lightnin' is playing the boogie as opposed to "regular blues". No doubt she'll regard me as a big nerd some day. But then she'll hit, oh say 40, and I'll be redeemed. Dead, but redeemed(- as we all are told to aspire to be!).

posted by benwaugh at 10:01 pm (EST) on Feb 11, 2008

Yes it is, but I can't remember which one... I suppose I'll need to run through the lps again soon. BB King is not my favorite blues artist - he's too polished for my taste - but I love the lyrics.

posted by benwaugh at 9:02 am (EST) on Feb 11, 2008

nope, haven't read Melmoth yet. I think I should, though. you're the second person here on LT that's recommended it.

posted by silverwraith at 2:54 am (EST) on Feb 8, 2008

You knew Zevon? How was he in High School? Had he developed the bad boy persona yet?

Fantastic lyricist, but I wouldn't have wanted to live downstairs from him.

posted by Makifat at 12:37 am (EST) on Feb 7, 2008

Thanks for the recommendation - I will check Dan Simmons out!
Best wishes
Eloise

posted by Eloise at 2:57 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2008

Hey - do feel free, if not obliged, to post your thoughts on Gracq and your art nouveau readings on the decadence group. We could use a jump start. I for one would like to know more about Gracq, having just begun my completist project.

posted by benwaugh at 5:45 pm (EST) on Dec 28, 2007

You may find this interesting, particularly the dates of death:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0...

posted by benwaugh at 1:52 pm (EST) on Dec 27, 2007

Ron,

Yes - I read King Cophetua recently and enjoyed it very much - he was able to create what I will define, badly, perhaps, as a sense of temporal claustrophobia - a moment suspended in space - that house, the wait. So - I went out and bought all the other books by Gracq I could find. I just received A. Theroux's new novel and am about to sit down with it for a few weeks.

posted by benwaugh at 9:34 am (EST) on Dec 27, 2007

Thanks for the recommendations. I haven't read any of those authors, but I'll check 'em out!

posted by littlegeek at 12:55 pm (EST) on Dec 26, 2007

From innocence to depravity, 'tis just a step...

posted by LolaWalser at 12:17 pm (EST) on Dec 5, 2007

tros--in some respects it's like a filmscript only much larger in scope or a kind of alternative Latin American history as seen through the eyes or activities (described by others) of the two main characters. Some comparsion for this technique could be made to other works such as Faulkner's 'As I lay dying'--which is narrated by multiple members of the family and then also in an almost glancing way by people they run into briefly along the way. I like the in and out glimpses into their lives which may make the characters harder to understand in some respects but leaves the imagination a lot of room to wander. In any case many Latin American refugees from the dictatorial regimes of the 60's, 70's and early 80's wound up roaming around Europe--going from one dead end to another--some involved in clandestine political activity all the while and some not. Bolano himself and it makes me think in terms somewhat of a modern day retelling of the Odyssey (because in a sense many people like Bolano had it seems lost their country--there was going back for them) though with the focus on two characters instead of one. Beyond making them into almost mythic personnages the questioning of literature and what it means is always lurking somewhere close to the surface--and he seems to reach out to the reader not so much say as a professor might but more so as a co-equal sharing his own thoughts and visions. Anyway it is a difficult book in a lot of ways--always very thought provoking--at least for me and I view it as a masterpiece.

posted by lriley at 9:11 am (EST) on Nov 16, 2007

Yes, Murr is my favourite cat character!
Although we only have three books on common, I'm guessing this is because you have not catalogued all of your library?
WE do seem to share many favourite writers.
Murr
:)

posted by tomcatMurr at 8:35 am (EST) on Nov 3, 2007