A project to read and vlog about books, poetry, and graphic novels from all over the world in 1001 nights. Start: January 1, 2023 End: September 29, 2025
Is this your favorite from your "reading the world" challenge? And, yes, i love books that explore faith and esp those books that focus on pain and suffering and how faith figures in. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
@@nikkivenable73 I wouldn't say it is my top favorite, there are so many (everything on my channel is part of that challenge), but it is definitely up there among them.
I have been curious about this book for literally years now. And, btw, i feel exactly as you do about books written after 2000! I have never heard another person say that and i always thought of myself as a book snob bc of this but you have made me feel less alone!😅 This review was so amazing that I finally placed an order!
@@nikkivenable73 That's great! Thanks for sharing that and I hope you enjoy. There are just so many great books out there and so much being published now, it gets harder to find what is meaningful.
Interesting video! I hope you can find a good book for Nepal! Also I noticed you haven't read anything for Estonia! Do you have any idea which book you will read? "The man who spoke snakish" is one I heard is amazing from many Estonians in Estonia. It's post-2000s, but to me it seems really interesting!
@@nicholasmanila Hey! I have a 1926 novel called Vargamae by AH Tamsaare. It's book one of a whole series but I believe it's the only translated into English. So that will be coming in the next months. Thanks for the recommendation, regardless.
Postmodernism began with Laurence Sterne, and you should care, because Tristram Shandy is the best novel ever written. And of course, the periodization of literature is more or less nonsense. Have you played the Total War video games?
@@mikereadstheworld Classic game! Graphics are outdated. But still, along with Shogun 2, it was one of the best TW games. We are still waiting for Med 3.Have you played the Stainless Steel mod?
If you are going to read "Solenoid", read first "White Noise" by Don DeLillo, and maybe "Lanark" by Alasdair Gray. The last third of "White Noise" is full of references to "Solenoid" (actually vice versa). "Lanark" is using a similar concept as "Solenoid", and I would say that it probably influenced Cărtărescu. Likewise, Hyperspace by Michio Kaku probably most influenced "Solenoid". If you like Thomas Pynchon you will probably also like "Solenoid".
I think a lot of these books being so similar reflects just a broader trend of English language publishing's approach to translating authors. The fact that so many of them are emigrants is probably connected to how they get translated in the first place. You can probably make more opportunities and meet translators if you're traveling or living abroad. Grey Bees is all right but not a piece of art I think you're missing out on. The writing style is definitely simple and understated, but I do think that matches who the character is fwiw
@@BooksYouHaventRead I completely agree with your thoughts there on modern publishing and availability of opportunities. It's odd for me to say this doing a project like this but I think the main issue for me is the emphasis put on the author's nationality as a way of marketing a book is not very helpful or interesting. I say let casual youtubers like me do things like that, but as a publisher don't make out authors to be token representatives of their country. (So many say on the back "first x author to be translated in English). Thanks for the input on Grey Bees, that was one I struggled more with putting away.
I found it recently in a thrift store and I had heard about it, so I decided to pick it up. Truly loved it. Plenty of little moments that will sit with me. Like when Peter is talking to the local chemist in a casual way about basically how he might not be there when his wife may have to euthanize baby Jennifer.
This is one of those essential books that I've been thinking about reading for years, but always end up buying and reading others instead. I hope to change this in 2025.
I would definitely take Danilo Kiš for Serbia. Do you know that Andrić was born as a Croat, in a Catholic family. But considering the language in which he wrote, and the fact that he later declared himself a Serb/Yugoslav, I think you attributed him correctly.
@@milfredcummings717 Not a fan? That was one of the books that looking at it scared me away from her work at first but now I'm more open minded to it, having enjoyed some of her other novels.
@@mikereadstheworld A fan? I don't know. I have her photo on my desktop. 😁You probably misunderstood me. Read the book and it will be clearer to you what I meant. It's really short, you can read it in a couple of hours. I wish there were more "writers" like her. Maybe the comparison is stupid, but she reminds me the most of Kafka. Not by her writing style, but more by her attitude towards writing and the effect she achieves with some of her stories and novels. There are many writers I like, but I have a rather cynical attitude towards professional writers. Sometimes I could say I despise them. I'm not saying she's a perfect writer, nor could I be objective about her writing. But there is something about her writing that I love. I don't know how to define it, maybe honesty. She tries to say things that cannot be described in words. This novel is particularly disturbing, especially the ending.
@@milfredcummings717 Ah yes, I misunderstood your meaning. It sounds really great but I don't like to binge author's bibliographies, but rather give some space between reading each work to let them each sink in and be distinct. I do know what you mean about no other writer is like her, at least for me no book is like GH
Do you know why Canetti won the Nobel Prize? Well, he was a great writer. But how he won the Nobel Prize. Well, that's a fun story. Auto-da-Fe is one of the books that most influenced Umberto Eco when he was writing his novel The Name of the Rose. Members of the Nobel Committee noticed this, and guess what, Canetti won the Nobel Prize the following year. So if you haven't read The Name of the Rose, I recommend that you read it. You'll have fun, trust me. There is also another excellent novel inspired by Auto-da-Fe. It is The Elegance of the Hedgehog (L'Élégance du hérisson) by Muriel Barbery. It is an optimistic reinterpretation of Canetti's novel. Of course, I'm not the first to notice this, but it's like a secret only for those familiar with literature, and no one openly talks about it. For example, in the novel Angosta by the Colombian writer Héctor Abad Faciolince, you can find an allusion to the connection between those two novels.
@@milfredcummings717 Thanks for sharing. I have a huge tbr at the moment but will keep those works in mind. I've been pleasantly surprised by all the things I've learned in the comments here, and all the behind the scenes influence Canetti and this book have had in the literary world.
kincaid is okay- dont know the other stuff but trust your gut on the specific works not grabbing you- at the same time i would urge you not to neglect a whole national literature based on one book, and i know you wont- i know in particular some great georgian literature (knight and panther skill, etc) and bet it would be easy to get good recommendations for ecuador, etc. In particular there beyond fatigue there are regions we get tempted to lump - but while anglophone african lit seems less diverse to me than francophone, that's because i studied french and livedin west africa - so like lesser antilles, kric krac is worlds away from oumos - or arabic lit gibran versus mahfouz saves me from lumping it too much but i admit i don't know the diversity of middle easter lit for example...
@@danthompson152 I hear you, I actually do have another book ready for Ecuador. Some of these books were just first attempts and I was able to find something better. I'm not ruling out reading works from any of these countries in the future, it's more accurate to say I just don't plan to make videos on them as part of this self contained youtube series, but yeah things could change. I have to say most of my favorite african literature has been translated from French, older as well as contemporary. Please let me know if you have recommendations to consider for Georgia or anywhere else.
Out of interest, had many/all of these rejected books won prizes? Re Georgia, perhaps take a look at Jim's Books Reading and Stuff, he's based in Georgia and covers its fiction.
@@TheChannelofaDisappointedMan 2 man booker international winners in there, an english pen, and a couple NY times bestsellers. A few are just unknowns. Thanks for the pointer on Georgia!
Ha! I applaud your decision and your candor here. I run into the same thing with world reading; so many times it feels like “checking off a box,” and I absolutely hate reading books like that, because there ARE so many books out there that are very much worth reading.
@@Formandformlessness Thanks. It's a such a nice feeling to let go any feeling of obligation to have to read any certain book. I think that goes for the classics as well - for example I've created something of a block for myself with Homer's Odyssey - I already know the story but I just can't bring myself to be engaged in reading it and have felt bad that I can't appreciate or enjoy it.
agree. Most modern stuff is just copy cat themes etc. Eastern bloc countries are a million books on WWII or tangentially related to it over and over again ad nausem. I feel for them people because they are bombarded with book after book of that stuff. And like you said other countries with the non stop copying the magical realism style way too much. Very difficult to find good quality writing and story telling these days without the in your face woke, political theme nonsense. Classics are the way to go, less likely to be disappointed.
@@theemptyatom Almost all of the books left on my shelf for this project are pre-2000 with one or two exceptions. As many classics as possible in there. Also plan to continue reading more by the 20th century authors I've enjoyed from around the world.
I had thoughts to do the same challenge. But don't wanna force myself in "torture reading". So, I go flexible, my approach is to mix "random" country books in my regular reading. Over time I will cover many countries. For me it's just a way to diversify my reading, to go outside my "reading bubble".
@@crozbocrozbo That is a sensible approach as well! Still, I will say this has been a great project to give me focus and I have been able to read a lot of classics and discover hidden gems, as well as reread favorites and share them on this channel. And many more to come. It has been more flexible in that way than many people might imagine.
Abdulrazak’s works are masterful……. Thank you for that episode. He teaches in the English department, University of Kent…… excellent channel. I would have chucked the same books as you did.
Good afternoon Mike, inspiring lecture. Thank you. I’m determined to do likewise …….. it’s high-time in my teeny apartment, for the sake of simplifying the pleasures of my reading life in my waning years. Miss Jenny
@@jennyhirschowitz1999 Thanks Miss Jenny, I'm happy to hear your thoughts and thank you once again for your kind words. You will feel great after condensing your library!
Great review! I read this a couple of years ago. It’s such a great travelogue. I appreciate your comment about how “you became him” while reading. I did as well. Another book with that intimacy is “The Soccer War” by R Kapuscinski. I am looking forward to your future videos!
@@mtackett41 Thanks! Several memoir/autobiographical books later this one still stands out as one of the best. I will keep "The Soccer War" in mind when I'm out browsing the local bookstores 😊
Thanks for the shout out! The Chinese pronunciation was understandably inaccurate because the English translation doesn't indicate the tone marks or where the break in Zhenguan should be (I had to look it up), but I will note that the names carry thematic significance: DaXin literally means "Great/Big New" so this character may signal renewal and bringing something fresh into the life of ZhenGuan, which means "Virtuous/Upright View/Appearance" and indicates perhaps a more conservative, idealistic character. Underlining the symbolic nature of the eating of sweet potato broth, my Taiwanese wife scoffed that nobody would ever actually eat such a dish. Re the defense of not including the bad things going on in Taiwan at that time, Taiwanese novels/movies are accused, rightly, of being overly sentimental, which I would tend to agree with (to the point where a smiling young woman in a flowery dress riding a bicycle through the countryside has become a movie cliche over here). Perhaps it's understandable that artists in a fledgling democracy don't want to create work that is politically divisive or opens up old wounds unnecessarily, but the result is a strong disconnect between how the past is represented and what it was genuinely like. Most enjoyable video, can't wait for the next one!
My pleasure! And thanks once again for the extra insight into what is going on in the book. The symbolism of the names makes perfect sense with the ending and how Zhenguan speaks of the pain of her relationship with Daxin as a catalyst of change and transformation in her life.
Thank you... I just discovered you. I love how you engage with the books that you've read and your obvious passion. This review, your thoughts and questions have me doing some serious thinking. You've made some valid points. I will be ordering this book this week! Please keep doing what you're doing.😊
@@Elnora-i6e Thank you so much. Change is inevitable and unpredictable isn't it? 😋 However, I can assure you this will never be anything but a passion project.
@@Elnora-i6e Yes, by all means take your time. I wouldn't encourage or expect anyone to "binge" my videos. Use it as an index of ideas and spend more time researching and reading what you like instead!
@@squishyam I read almost every single day, an average of 2 hours. Multiple books going at once. Like I've been working on Ovid more than a month but have read a lot of shorter books over that time period in 2-3 or 4-5 days. Not all books demand to be read slowly either, in my opinion.
I believe The Wonderful Adventures of Nils was written to teach children about geography, so it might not be super enjoyable as adult literature (I started it once and DNF'd). I have read a book of Lagerlof's short stories (titled The Girl From the Marsh Croft), and really enjoyed it. I've always thought I would get around to Gosta Berling someday.
@@jennyhirschowitz1999 "We achieve nothing. Life hurls us like a stone, and we sail through the air saying, "Look at me move." - I put a star by that the first time I read it before I did this video (from #348)
The definitive Richard Zenith translations of this masterpiece and Pessoa’s poetry. Also find Zenith’s biography of Pessoa…. He worked on this over sixteen years………….going through the chest of Pessoa’s notes. Richard Zenith = the pre-eminent Pessoa scholar and translator. He lives in Lisbon. I will never stop reading Disquiet …… Pessoa and his heteronyms are constant companions. I share their misanthropic traits for the sake of self-preservation. Miss Jenny
Ty Mike for another interesting/thought provoking video. I must look for this book. Of course I will be going to my local independent for a used copy if available. If it’s not, then the proprietor will add it to my list.
The way you describe your conception of the book seems quite similar to what Canetti expressed in his essay “The First Book: Auto-da-Fé", included in "The Conscience of the Words": 5 schizophrenics experiencing the world in their own manner. Have you read this essay? It makes the reading of the book way better.
@@jb38894 Awesome! I haven't read that essay but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention for when I return to this book. I am amazed how much insight I've gained just from the comments on this video!
Good on you for committing to read Alan Paton’s ‘Cry, the Beloved Country’. We should all, in these troubled times, read that South African classic…! 📚
I never heard of Pessoa before I visited Lisbon recently, I stayed in a converted Airbnb of one of the many places where he lived. I became fascinated by this character’s life and his writings, a genius indeed, he died very poor, but now there are hotels, shopping places, etc that have his name. I’m still learning about this guy and all his 75 or so different heteronims o heteronimos as he called them. I will be going to Portugal again and look forward to living the experience of learning more about his life. There’s still a lot of written material that he left in a trunk, about 25 thousand papers they’re are trying to put together. Thanks for the video.
@@raulmeiojas6453 That's amazing. Reading his poetry written under the heteronym Alberto Caeiro in the original language has made an even deeper impression on me than this book. To never ask life to be what life is not. (Or something to that effect.)
@@raulmeiojas6453 please see my comments in this thread …….. the pre-eminent Pessos scholar Richard Zenith continues to sort out the cntents of the contents of the trunk. Rreading and re-reading Pessoa and his myriad heteronyms gave me a humble reason to keep quietly going …… if only for the sake of exquisitey simple language I can quietly understand. Thank you for your comment. My ties to Pessoa go back to Durban…… Miss Jenny
Thanks for your video! I would encourage you to leave up your old videos. They are part of the dialog about the book and could make people aware of a book or author they had never been exposed to. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on other books in the future, no matter what direction you take!
I don't agree with you when you say there's no other medium that can provide us with tools to deal with the current socio-economic & political situation other than books. Don't get me wrong I love books, they're one of my favourite mediums to gather knowledge from but it'll be disingenuous of me to discount other mediums that have had a profound impact on me namely films & documentaries, video games, music etc to name a few. Overall though this video was quite insightful, keep up with it! An early congratulations from my side for your soon to be 1000 subscribers achievement.
@@realprabhudutta Thank you! I don't think the others can't have some value, but I am convinced books are the best medium. Not the only, but the best. It's the only one containing thousands of years of human experience and knowledge. I enjoy music, film and have been influenced by games as well! Perhaps it is better said that there are things only literature can give us. Another thought - There is also the aspect of how much energy and money is required to create films and games that makes it an inaccessible to most people to create. Writing is a more level playing field as long as one has education.
Mike's manager, congratulations on the video, listening here from Brazil and since I was young I have read the works of our academy president, Mr. Machado de Assis, the Immortal president Allow me to recommend another work by Machado called Esau and Jacob. Regardions,
@mikereadstheworld thanks! Out of stock everywhere, unfortunately. And on amazon, it's way too expensive😂 You were lucky to get it in time! Great review. I really enjoy your videos!
@@iuniaichim5876 Thanks. Wow...I just looked and it was a fraction of that price when I researched and bought it, probably around a year ago. Also heavily used as I point out in the video. Hopefully there will be a reprint.
@@TheLinguistsLibrary I'm not sure if I understand what you mean, but feel free to tag me in descriptions or a shoutout in the video or whatever, I always look for opportunities to do that when I feel it's relevant or I cover a similar author/book as someone I'm connected with here :)
@@mikereadstheworld Tag videos are specific prompts we make videos about, so that other readers on booktube can find you. If I tag you will have to make the video, get it? Look up the #countingthedaystag and you will see what I mean.
@@TheLinguistsLibrary Oh yeah I get what you're saying now! I've seen those videos and sometimes watch them, but I guess have a specific format and focus of how I'm organizing my videos around the works and authors themselves, so I don't think those kinds of videos would be my thing. Thank you for offering, though, I appreciate it.
