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Seiobo There Below Ndp; 1280 László Krasznahorkai Ottilie Mulzet 9780811219679 Books

Download As PDF : Seiobo There Below Ndp; 1280 László Krasznahorkai Ottilie Mulzet 9780811219679 Books

Seiobo There Below Ndp; 1280 László Krasznahorkai Ottilie Mulzet 9780811219679 Books

As a (broadly speaking) postmodernist "novel," 'Seiobo There Below' can be disorienting in a few places, but it's never opaque for mere effect. I first read "Ze'ami Is Leaving" from Music & Literature Issue 2. (The first few paragraphs of this particular story, the penultimate one in 'Seiobo,' are disorienting, but I "got" it after a few reads.) Krasznahorkai often disparages technology, faith in empirical observation, and the inexorable march of technological "progress." He criticizes capitalism and the influence of Western consumerism. However, he's also critical of the former Soviet Union's effect on the former Eastern Bloc nations, especially his native Hungary.

This is not a true novel in that characters do not overlap from chapter to chapter. Actually, there aren't chapters in the traditional sense. I'm inclined to think of 'Seiobo' as a collection of short stories with similar themes.

While there is more than one theme in the stories that make up 'Seiobo,' a main one is the difficulty of creating art: We witness the diurnal trials of a Noh mask-maker; a Renaissance painter struggles with what appears to be manic depression while creating a panel for an altar - especially fascinating to read because all of his materials are organic (e.g., he directs a carpenter to get the panel from a specific tree, his pigments are ground by his assistants); a landscape painter feels the urge to push the boundaries of his painting even while suffering crushing personal losses, all while trying to appear composed in the glare of the public eye.

For Krasznahorkai, not only is the making of art all too often a painful process, the characters in these stories find that going to see art is disappointing, bewildering, and at times even dangerous.

There are exceptions: One story deals with an unnamed visitor - likely Krasznahorkai himself channeling Thomas Bernhard - of Alhambra in Spain. I had not heard of Alhambra before reading this story; I've since read about this amazing palace/fortress. As a Westerner, most of the news I hear about Islam is negative, so it's refreshing to read about an age, however distant in time, in which Islam produced dazzling art and architecture. Another story deals with an "art retreat" in Eastern Europe and its mysterious visitor. This might be the best of the stories; I found it to be the most uplifting. Krasznahorkai can take you from the depths of wretchedness to high strangeness in just a few pages.

I'm not sure what to make of the book's final story, but I will say that if you're a fan of Krasznahorkai's writing in the project he worked on a few years ago with a German painter (whose name escapes me at the moment), you'll likely enjoy its visceral punch. It's the black bookend of a book that begins with white along a Japanese river.

When we read 'Seiobo There Below,' we're reading Ottilie Mulzet's translation. Because I don't know Hungarian, I'm unable to tell how "true" her translation is to the Hungarian 'Seiobo,' but I can say that this is masterful writing. I enjoy reading these stories; it's just that the questions they raise can be unsettling and depressing, with in my opinion too gloomy an outlook, that I've decided to give it four instead of five stars.

I would advise potential readers of 'Seiobo There Below' to avoid on-line reviews of the book - most of them have no spoiler warnings - until you've read it yourself. Look for interviews featuring Ottilie Mulzet, who has terrific insights into 'Seiobo.' And don't shy away from the paperbound version of this book over the convenience of the e-versions - for about $10 it's beautifully printed and bound, although regrettably there isn't a color tip-in section showing some of the art discussed within. You may, or may not, want to see some of the art from 'Seiobo There Below' in person. You'll have to decide.


Tags : Seiobo There Below (Ndp; 1280) [László Krasznahorkai, Ottilie Mulzet] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong><strong>From the winner of the 2015 Man Booker International Prize</strong></strong> The latest novel from “the contemporary Hungarian master of the apocalypse” (Susan Sontag) Seiobo ― a Japanese goddess ― has a peach tree in her garden that blossoms once every three thousand years: its fruit brings immortality. In <em>Seiobo There Below</em>,László Krasznahorkai, Ottilie Mulzet,Seiobo There Below (Ndp; 1280),New Directions,0811219674,Literary,Aesthetics;Fiction.,Art and philosophy,Art appreciation;Fiction.,Creation (Literary, artistic, etc.);Fiction.,Psychological fiction,Sublime, The, in art,FICTION General,FICTION Literary,Fiction,Fiction - General,General,Literature & literary studies

Seiobo There Below Ndp; 1280 László Krasznahorkai Ottilie Mulzet 9780811219679 Books Reviews

This is a book that goes well beyond art to the interplay between the sacred and profane, human desire, and a longing for something beyond mortal life.
Absolutely beautiful prose with so many magical fragments and sprawling wonders captured within the binding here.
Not an easy read, not ideal for commuting --- but the stories, read with attention and focus when you are fresh and engaged, make such a strong impression that the images may become permanently lodged in your psyche. I have been told Laszlo Krasznahorkai is a Nobel contender, and certainly his work is serious and beautiful, and the book well worth buying -- in fact, most highly recommended. I taught one of the stories, Something is Burning Outside, to a class of high school students in an international fiction class. While some found it distant and inacessible, most found the idea of an artist digging a horse out of the earth to be a fascinating notion, and they admired the story. Krasznahorkai's sentences are long, long and long, worthy of imitation for high school readers (and all of us) to rethink what is great prose. The translation is excellent -- I understand it just won a prize for best translation. Here is the Best Translated Book Award judging panel's comment “This is a book that discusses in minute detail locations from all around the globe, including Japan, Spain, Italy, and Greece, as well as delving into the consciousness and practices of individuals from across 2,000 years of human history." [...]
Not really a novel, more a collection of short stories with a similar, yet varying theme. Most of them are written in what feels like stream of conciousness, so rather than trying to figure out what was going on, I just had to surrender and let the author take me for a ride; a ride that spanned across time and geography, and incorporated religion, art, culture, and the unmooring of tradition in the modern world. These subjects are often the characters of the work, not so much the people in the stories. The consistent appearance of Zen philosophy throughout facilitated this manner of storytelling well. I will definitely have to read it again to understand it more fully; incredibly saturated with meaning.
This is the third Krasznahorkai book I have read, so before you read on, it is safe to say that I already enjoy his writing. I read Satantango first, then Melancholy of Resistance(which is equally as good as this book), and finally this.

This book is less a novel and more a set of short stories ranging from 5 to about 50 pages all centered around the questions of what is art, how is it made, and how can we recognize that beauty. These are not simple questions and Krasznahorkai does not give simple answers either. Even in his stories, he takes examples from around the globe, focusing on Noh, Italian painting, music, and even nature. I found myself looking up many things, especially since I am not that educated in Japanese culture, but I felt that after a quick paragraph or two on wikipedia, I was educated enough to listen to the narrator's comments, which always showed the patience and consciousness required in art. This book shows that is also required in reading, or general aesthetic observation, as well.

One must work through his dense prose. Except for one chapter, most of his paragraphs, which are tens of pages at times, are one long sentence. Although difficult to get into, if one has a long time to read, after a while, you are sucked into the book and realize only when the chapter ends that two hours have gone by. If you enjoy Krasznahorkai, definitely read this. If you haven't read him yet, this is as good a starting place as any. If you want a more plot driven book(if I can call it that) by him, get Satantango, which is also wonderful, and if you want to see how that writing style has been honed by more than 20 years, return to this work later, one day, eventually.
As a (broadly speaking) postmodernist "novel," 'Seiobo There Below' can be disorienting in a few places, but it's never opaque for mere effect. I first read "Ze'ami Is Leaving" from Music & Literature Issue 2. (The first few paragraphs of this particular story, the penultimate one in 'Seiobo,' are disorienting, but I "got" it after a few reads.) Krasznahorkai often disparages technology, faith in empirical observation, and the inexorable march of technological "progress." He criticizes capitalism and the influence of Western consumerism. However, he's also critical of the former Soviet Union's effect on the former Eastern Bloc nations, especially his native Hungary.

This is not a true novel in that characters do not overlap from chapter to chapter. Actually, there aren't chapters in the traditional sense. I'm inclined to think of 'Seiobo' as a collection of short stories with similar themes.

While there is more than one theme in the stories that make up 'Seiobo,' a main one is the difficulty of creating art We witness the diurnal trials of a Noh mask-maker; a Renaissance painter struggles with what appears to be manic depression while creating a panel for an altar - especially fascinating to read because all of his materials are organic (e.g., he directs a carpenter to get the panel from a specific tree, his pigments are ground by his assistants); a landscape painter feels the urge to push the boundaries of his painting even while suffering crushing personal losses, all while trying to appear composed in the glare of the public eye.

For Krasznahorkai, not only is the making of art all too often a painful process, the characters in these stories find that going to see art is disappointing, bewildering, and at times even dangerous.

There are exceptions One story deals with an unnamed visitor - likely Krasznahorkai himself channeling Thomas Bernhard - of Alhambra in Spain. I had not heard of Alhambra before reading this story; I've since read about this amazing palace/fortress. As a Westerner, most of the news I hear about Islam is negative, so it's refreshing to read about an age, however distant in time, in which Islam produced dazzling art and architecture. Another story deals with an "art retreat" in Eastern Europe and its mysterious visitor. This might be the best of the stories; I found it to be the most uplifting. Krasznahorkai can take you from the depths of wretchedness to high strangeness in just a few pages.

I'm not sure what to make of the book's final story, but I will say that if you're a fan of Krasznahorkai's writing in the project he worked on a few years ago with a German painter (whose name escapes me at the moment), you'll likely enjoy its visceral punch. It's the black bookend of a book that begins with white along a Japanese river.

When we read 'Seiobo There Below,' we're reading Ottilie Mulzet's translation. Because I don't know Hungarian, I'm unable to tell how "true" her translation is to the Hungarian 'Seiobo,' but I can say that this is masterful writing. I enjoy reading these stories; it's just that the questions they raise can be unsettling and depressing, with in my opinion too gloomy an outlook, that I've decided to give it four instead of five stars.

I would advise potential readers of 'Seiobo There Below' to avoid on-line reviews of the book - most of them have no spoiler warnings - until you've read it yourself. Look for interviews featuring Ottilie Mulzet, who has terrific insights into 'Seiobo.' And don't shy away from the paperbound version of this book over the convenience of the e-versions - for about $10 it's beautifully printed and bound, although regrettably there isn't a color tip-in section showing some of the art discussed within. You may, or may not, want to see some of the art from 'Seiobo There Below' in person. You'll have to decide.