(urth) very strange

Fernando Q. Gouvea fqgouvea at colby.edu
Sat Apr 11 14:57:53 PDT 2009


The latest issue of The Weekly Standard includes a review of a Hungarian 
novel, first published in 2001 and now translated into English. The book 
is called "Tranquility". It seems, from what the review says, to be told 
mostly in flashback, looking back from the funeral of the narrator's 
mother. The narrator's name is Andor Wéer. The review describes the 
novel as characterized by "sneaky, half-teasing indirection". He adds 
that "The narrator mentions the most crucial events in passing, then 
returns to them via circuitous routes full of speculative tangents, 
remembered dreams, stories within stories, and purposely disorienting 
chronological lurches...."

I couldn't help but think of "Peace", told mostly in flashback, by Alden 
Weer, by an author who is also fond of this sort of indirection...

Coincidence, or alien intervention?

Fernando

-- 
==================================================================
Fernando Q. Gouvea
Carter Professor of Mathematics
Colby College                     Editor, FOCUS
Mayflower Hill 5836               Editor, MAA Reviews
Waterville, ME 04901		
fqgouvea at colby.edu

Stealing a rhinoceros should not be attempted lightly.





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