I wonder why they were chosen. The Nobel Laureates. So I tried to read one. I don't remember his name. He was from China. But it was beyond comprehension. I simply couldn't enjoy his book. I can't even understand the storyline.
Then I tried Naguib Mahfouz. Saw lots of glowing reviews about his works.
He was the only Arabic-language writer to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1988), was on Ayatollah Khomeini's death list (alongside Salman Rushdie), survived assassination attempts, and continue to write even though nearly blind in his old age, so I decided in my life time I must at least read one of his work. I borrowed 2 of his books from the library. One was a compilation of 3 novels (The beggar, The thief and the dogs, and Autumn quail) and another is a compilation of short stories The Time and The Place.
I only read The Beggar, and The Thief and The Dogs and a few short stories.
Errr...honestly I don't remember much about the stories. The language makes it difficult to engage. But I noticed that N. Mahfouz has the ability to bring you to another scene without you consciously noticing it (difficult to explain this). And he likes to do that more than once in a page. And I don't like his endings. I need clear happy or sad end to a story, but his are almost abstract. His sentences are beautifully composed that it's difficult to concentrate. He's obviously the Mozart of Literature (exclusively enjoyed by the people of his likes only).
Clearly not my cup of tea. But he won Nobel Prize.
I'm simple. I will stick to mysteries/action thriller, memoirs and bizarre romance.
Then I tried Naguib Mahfouz. Saw lots of glowing reviews about his works.
He was the only Arabic-language writer to have won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1988), was on Ayatollah Khomeini's death list (alongside Salman Rushdie), survived assassination attempts, and continue to write even though nearly blind in his old age, so I decided in my life time I must at least read one of his work. I borrowed 2 of his books from the library. One was a compilation of 3 novels (The beggar, The thief and the dogs, and Autumn quail) and another is a compilation of short stories The Time and The Place.
I only read The Beggar, and The Thief and The Dogs and a few short stories.
Errr...honestly I don't remember much about the stories. The language makes it difficult to engage. But I noticed that N. Mahfouz has the ability to bring you to another scene without you consciously noticing it (difficult to explain this). And he likes to do that more than once in a page. And I don't like his endings. I need clear happy or sad end to a story, but his are almost abstract. His sentences are beautifully composed that it's difficult to concentrate. He's obviously the Mozart of Literature (exclusively enjoyed by the people of his likes only).
Clearly not my cup of tea. But he won Nobel Prize.
I'm simple. I will stick to mysteries/action thriller, memoirs and bizarre romance.
6 comments:
i concur! takpelah baca buku-buku pop untuk umum saja, sbb tak faham lah these 'heavy' lit :)
yer, tak tercapai akalku...
cuba try gabriel garcia marquez. i want to hear what you think of him.
takyah baca novel dia yg pjg le, try short stories ataupun memories of my melancholy whores
kita pernah jumpa, tapi bibliobibuli pernah tulis satu entry 14 july- don't read these books
termasuk dlm list tu gabriel marquez punya 100 yrs of solitude, pastu ada komen kata mmg susah nak baca, so kita rasa mcm malas nak baca dia
best ke tak? kalau susah baca jgn recommend nanti kita pening daaa
Salam Doc,
It sometimes puzzles me how the judges or jury decide on book prize winners. It seems to me that book prize winners seldom become bestsellers or popular... or to put it another way, if you write something that sells very well, you are unlikely to win a book prize. I have never read Mahfouz, and now maybe I'll never will.
When Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses was banned in Malaysia, I had a friend buy the book for me in London, because I just have to read it to find out what the controversy was all about. I tell you this... it was a real struggle for me to finish the book. Rushdie's writing style is so complicated. It was hard to keep a continuous stream of concentration. When I finally finished reading it after many months, I really don't see the need to ban the book. Yes, Rushdie did write certain passages that may be offensive to some, but I doubt the general reading public would have any idea what the story is all about. Even now, I can't really remember the general plot of the book. Maybe I have to re-read the book, tapi rasa macam buang masa je..
Sorry for rambling on too long. If I may recommend a good read, try Wally Lamb's This Much Is True. It is a story about twin brothers.
mr oldstock,
exactly! obviously they are in their own world..kalau tak mesti bestseller kan..
thanks for telling me, so now i'm going to remove Rushdie from my list, i don't think i will attempt these difficult writers anymore, there's no joy in reading them..
i welcome good books recommendation, i've made reservation for that book from the library, yes must equip myself with the matter of brothers, in case i might need it in the future
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