Elizabeth Nelson's Blog
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
A couple months ago I wrote a blog post about Beginning War and Peace. I was a bit nervous at the time that it might be my last blog post about the book. After all, Tolstoy's classic is so long, and life is so busy. But determination won through, and I am now 3/4 of my way through what many site as the world's greatest novel.
My biggest surprise? It's an easy read.
OK, maybe not The Little Engine that Could easy, but War and Peace is certainly not as difficult as it is made out to be. I can read it on the bus and before bed, and it's even good airplane reading. This is due in part to the brilliant translators, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, who have maintained the feeling of an old book but used language that is easily accessible to the modern reader.
All this has me wondering: why do people make such a big deal out of this book's difficulty? It seems to me that, in an age of multitasking and instant gratification, adults in our culture are overwhelmed by the possibility of spending more than a couple weeks on a book.
Ironically, kids don't seem to have any problem with the concept of long books ever since the advent of Harry Potter. Perhaps their generation will be more prepared to take up a large tome by Tolstoy when they're older.
There is still hope for the older generations, though. The majority of people look at me strangely when they see me toting around War and Peace, but I've been surprised by how many people stop to talk about the time they read it. Universially, those who read it are glad they did.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Today we celebrate the birhday Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. While other names like Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky are more familiar to non-Russians, Pushkin is thought to be the most revered national writer in Russia and a founder of Russian literature.
Pushkin was born into an elite Moscow family and was known for having an African great-grandfather. Pushkin was published and well-known in the high society literary community by the time he was in his mid to late teens.
In his early twenties, Pushkin became a political radical. He was censored by the govornment and left for remote regions, where he became interested in Freemasonry. When he was allowed to return to the city, his connections to the Decemberists worried those in power. He continued his literary career and was even so lucky as to meet Nikolai Gogol.
Pushkin married the beautiful Natalya Goncharova but was troubled by her affairs and his social role. In 1837, at the age of 38, he challenged his wife's alleged lover to a duel. Pushkin lost, and died two days later from his wounds.
Were he alive today (at the ripe old age of 209), Pushkin might not be planning any big celebrations. He was born on May 26th, 1799 of the Julian calender, which would be June 6th according to the Gregorian calender that we use today. Also, birthdays are traditionally less important in Russia than a person's "name day", in which they are celebrated on the day that honors the Russian Orthodox saint that shares their name.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
For many writers, winning a Nobel Prize in Literature would seem like the pinnacle of a career. It is the most prestigious prize for writing in the world and, despite the inevitable controversey that accompanies it, most recipients are pretty pleased.
Not Doris Lessing. The most recent recipient says that, while the prize may have brought her greater fame, it has stunted her literary progression. At 88 years old, after publishing dozens of novels, plays, and short stories, she'd still like to be working on that next novel. But with the constant demands of the media to be interviewed, recorded, and photographed, Lessing no longer has the energy or solitary time to devote to her work.
The prize money, now over 1 million US dollars, is awarded to aid the writer in continuing their work. But if it is hindering Lessing, is the Nobel really achieving its goal? The recognition of our too-often unrecognized artists, writers, and thinkers is a worthy purpose, but at what cost?
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Since the end of WWII, Hitler's controversial "Mein Kampf" has been banned in Germany, but this may not last much longer. Some people are pushing for its release, along with critical academic notes. Though it has been widely available in other countries and on the internet, it would be a significant transition to print it for sale in Germany again.
It may surprise some people to learn that it is mainly academics and anti-Nazi figures who are pushing for its release. This is because, according to German copyright law, the book will become public domain 70 years after the author's death. In this case, the book will become public in 2015.
It is argued that the publication of a critical edition may proactively counter the efforts of Neo-Nazis who might use the book as propaganda once the rights to the text are public. German historians would also like more access to the text as a tool for understanding their country's history.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Issues of intellectual property is central to a recent court case involving J. K. Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series. Rowling is suing Steven Vander Ark, one of her biggest fans, the creator of a fan website with a lexicon of Harry Potter terminology, and, most recently, the author of The Harry Potter Lexicon in published book form. It is the publication of the website material in a for-profit book that is the cause of the lawsuit.
Much of the material in the book was identical to the web copy, and yet Rowling had no problem allowing him to publish it online. She even gave the website an award. The real reason that she is suing is that Vander Ark’s lexicon would be in direct competition with the lexicon that she plans to release.
I find Rowling’s distinction between web and print publication disturbing. The implication of her case is that the web is a free-for-all where anything goes.
Plagiarism is plagiarism, no matter what form of publication it comes in or what level of profit it yields. It is convenient for Rowling to make these distinctions, but the same ideas may be harmful to others. What about a photographer whose clients pay for an image to use on their website? If other people infringe on the photographer’s copyright by publishing it on their own websites, even if it is not for profit, the value of the photograph may lessen in the eyes of the original clients.
Vander Ark was certainly wrong to plagiarize, but Rowling’s case is being argued in a way that could be harmful to other writers and artists. The internet is not some parallel universe, regulated by different laws. Let’s support our artists and writers by treating their intellectual property with respect, online as much as in print.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
I’ve just returned from a brief trip to Turkey, a country where there seems to always be some juicy literary controversy and a heap of new books.
The not-so-grand tradition of imprisoning Turkish writers who speak too freely goes back a long time, but has made headlines in recent years. Journalists and literary figures, like the venerated poet and notorious communist Nazim Hikmet, were persecuted long before Orhan Pamuk made Turkish freedom of speech a hot topic in Western newspapers. However, many Turks feel that Pamuk’s statements on genocide were political angling for the Nobel Prize in Literature, which he received in 2006. They believe that Yasar Kemal, a Kurd and long-respected writer from Anatolia, was robbed of the prize.
These days, a newer writer on the scene is being billed as “the next Orhan Pamuk”. Elif Shafak is in many ways quite different from Pamuk, but the comparison is apt in terms of her political bent, interest in Ottoman culture, and wide availability on the shelves of Western bookstores. Her novel, “The Flea Palace”, made a big hit in America, amongst others.
Meanwhile, not many other pieces of quality Turkish literature are being translated into English these days. It’s a shame, because what has been translated is so good. If you’re interested in pursuing Turkish literature beyond Orhan Pamuk, pick up a copy of “Memed, My Hawk” by Yasar Kemal or “The Other Side of the Mountain” by Erendiz Atasu.
And I’ll be hoping there are some new English translations on the shelves by the time I make my next trip.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
War and Peace is not the least intimidating book I’ve ever opened. At 1215 pages, it makes a time-consuming read. At 4 lbs, it makes a formidable doorstop.
But I’m excitedly making my way through it. My interest in Russian literature was first sparked by a class on Leo Tolstoy, and he has remained a favorite writer ever since. Though I’ve read Anna Karenina and many of Tolstoy’s novellas and short stories, I always knew that I’d have to take on War and Peace to call myself a true lover of Tolstoy. After all, how can I know that it is true love if I don’t test it?
The timing is perfect; a new translation was printed in 2007 by the renowned translating couple, Richard Pevar and Larissa Volokhonsky, who have been making fresh translations of Russian classics, like Crime and Punishment and Dead Souls. Their translation of Anna Karenina in 2000 was a popular pick in Oprah’s Book Club.
In War and Peace, they have managed to translate Tolstoy’s words into smooth English without compromising the vitality of the text. Pevear and Volokhonsky are known for staying true to the original, and have kept the large French passages, often translated into English along with the Russian, in the original language. A translation is in the footnotes at the bottom of the page.
The first 150 pages have not left me disappointed, neither in the novel nor the translation. Let’s hope that I can say the same after the next 1,050 pages. In weeks to come, look to the World Literatures site for a series of articles breaking down the book’s plot and themes, such as my first article, War and Peace: Volume I, Part I, as well as some updates on my progress.
And wish me luck.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Last week I wrote about JSTOR, a phenominal academic article resource on the web. Today I'd like to talk a bit about another electronic resources for bookworms: online libraries like Project Gutenberg and Questia.
Project Gutenberg started in 1971, well before the "internet age" hit and became widespread. Over the years, Project Gutenberg has strived towards its goal of making information and literary texts easily available for free to anyone around the world with an internet connection.
Though you may not want to read entire books on your computer (unlike Amazon's Kindle, your computer screen will make your eyes hurt after too many pages of text), this is a terrific resource for reminding yourself of an important passage from a classic book, doing a bit of research, or starting a book to decide if you want to purchase it.
Questia is, in many ways, a similar resource. Unlike Project Gutenberg, Questia is not free; to access their entire library, a subscription is $19.95/month. To subscribe ONLY to the Literature Library, a monthly subscription is $9,95.
For people who live in remote areas with limited local library resources, this can be a good deal. It is also convenient for people who do everything electronically. Questia has a wide scope of material. If you want to see what they have, you can search their libraries and read selections without subscibing.
There are many more resources out there, but these are just two that have helped me research over the years. Neither of these websites are especially slick or up-to-date looking, but if the text is readable, that's all you really need.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
I don't know how the rest of the world lives without JSTOR.
If you have been associated with a college or university in the past few years, you know what I mean. JSTOR is an amazing resource that allows access to nearly every recent academic article, as well as archived articles from the pre-computer age. For bookworms, JSTOR is an opportunity to access different viewpoints and deepen our understanding of the literature we read.
Take for example, the book I am reading now: Knots, by Nuruddin Farah. It is the story of a Somali-Canadian woman who returns to the war-torn country of her roots in the wake of her son's death. I am interested to know more the author, so i search for "Nuruddin Farah" in JSTOR's Advanced Search, specifying only full articles within JSTOR. Within the second, 63 articles are a mouse click away, from "On Nuruddin Farah" to an interview with the author to articles written by Farah himself.
This kind of academic access is far beyond the scope of Google.
But there's a catch; JSTOR's universe of academic information is only available through universities and some libraries. So how does a non-student access JSTOR?
* Check with your local libraries to see if they have access. You will have to go to the library in person every time you want to search JSTOR.
* If you ever had an online login with a university, see if it still works. Perhaps they haven't disabled it and you can still access JSTOR, although you are no longer associated with the institution.
* Sign up for a class at your local university. You will likely receive full library access and be able to access JSTOR in the convenience of your home through the university library website.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Normally, I am quite critical of books turned into movies. One of my favorite books, The Power of One, was nearly ruined by the unfaithful adaptation, the recent version of The Golden Compass was disastrous, and even Gregory Peck didn't quite live up to my Atticus Finch. However, the recent adaptation of The Kite Runner is the exception to the rule; not only did I enjoy the movie, but I cried more in the theater than I did when I first read the book two years ago.
The Kite Runner, the international bestseller by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan. It is the story of two boys, one wealthy child named Amir and his servant, Hassan. They are best friends, and Hassan is intensely loyal to Amir. However, Amir betrays Hassan by failing to save him from rape and then by framing him as a thief to deliver himself from shame. War and Russian invasion intervene and Amir and his father escape to America while Hassan and his father remain. Years later, Amir must confront his own wrongdoing, as well as his father's imperfections. He makes a dangerous trip into modern Afghanistan to save Hassan's son and redeem himself.
The book is gripping and an easy read, and the movie has the same effect. It is fun without being superficial, heart-warming without being cheesy, and serious without being depressing. If possible, read the book first. Then head to the theater to enjoy a rare film that does justice to the book it is based on.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Today, February 2nd, is the birthday of Russian-born author Ayn Rand. She was born in St. Petersburg in 1905 as Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum in a non-observant Jewish family. Her family fled to Crimea after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, but she returned to Petersburg for University a few years later. In 1925 she traveled to America for a “visit”, but stayed in Chicago for 6 months before moving to Hollywood. She married an actor and became an American citizen in 1931.
Though Rand spent most of her life as an American, eventually settling in New York, she never stopped looking back and critiquing her native Russia (or, for most of her life, the Soviet Union). Some of her early work, such as We the Living and Red Pawn, were set in Russia. Other works, such as her famous Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, were set in New York but thematically influenced by her experiences of a harsh life in Russia.
Ayn Rand was a very ideological writer, often putting conceptual aspects of her work above characterization. For this reason, her greatness as a writer is often contested; is she great because she saw so deeply into social conflict? Or is she a poor writer, because her books lack full characters?
Rand began the philosophical system, Objectivism. In her theory, the only absolute in a man’s life is his happiness. Values external to ourselves are not intrinsic to the world, but exists in our minds because they have been entrenched there by history. Ayn Rand died in 1982, but there are still followers of her theory today.
Happy birthday, Ayn.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Recently, the release of Amazon’s Kindle has sparked a debate about the relationship between technology and the written word. Can a screen replicate the experience of curling up with a paperback? Will technology transform the publishing industry? Will the quality of literature decline as it becomes easier to publish electronically? Will public and private libraries become obsolete?
These questions aren’t as far-fetched as they may seem; not only does Kindle boast over 90,000 titles, but other forms of electronic reading like“cellphone novels” are gaining popularity. The cellphone novel became trendy in Japan, following the availability of unlimited text messaging in recent years. This year, five of the 10 bestselling books in Japan were cellphone novels. Cellphone novels are published in installments as the author writes them, much the way Dickens delivered his work to the public.
Will there be a Dickens of the cellphone? According to a cover article in this Sunday’s New York Times, “many cellphone novelists had never written fiction before, and may of their readers had never read novels before”. This certainly bodes well for increasing the number of readers in the world, but does it bode well for the quality of our literature? While the latest Japanese trashy novel may be written for a cellphone, Murakami still writes for print. But for how long?
I, for one, love the printed word. I love the feel of a book in my hands, the smell of old pages, and the crinkling sound that a newspaper makes. Reading is mostly about the words, but it’s also a visceral experience.
Yet I’m curious. Becoming an electronic reader may bring me convenience that I can only dream of as a print reader. For now, I’ll keep stocking up my beloved print library. Maybe next year, I’ll be compiling chapters as text messages.
Posted by Elizabeth Nelson
Universities may offer majors like World Lit and Comparative Lit, but region or language-specific studies like English, French Lit, Spanish Lit, etc. are traditionally the norm. They continue to dominate. The categories we study in school both affect and reflect our culture's understanding of literature - right down to the topic divisions in Suite101's Reading section.
The problem with the traditional categories is that they reinforce a false perception of what literature is. Great novels and poetry are about the human heart, not about national boundaries. Even authors who prefer to write stories that could only be set in a particular time or place are influenced by great authors from around the world and across history.
Writers have always known that they are connected beyond national boundaries. For example, when Orhan Pamuk was persecuted by the Turkish Republic for, among other things, supporting Turkish authors' freedom of speech, writers from around the world - José Saramago, Gabriel García Marquez, Günter Grass, Umberto Eco, Carlos Fuentes, Juan Goytisolo, John Updike, and Mario Vargas Llosa - voiced their support.
Examining literature as a whole tradition allows us to talk about the connections between times, authors, and genres. It also allows us to recognize the importance of authors from non-Western countries who might otherwise be disregarded as "other".
Hopefully, the World Literatures section will become an active forum for topics like these. That's why I'm excited to be the new Featured Writer here, writing my first blog post. Let's start talking about books!
- Elizabeth