tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post6597714421607402546..comments2023-11-05T10:11:31.578+00:00Comments on Just William's Luck: 2010 - A review of my yearWilliam Rycrofthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-69756344487978768412010-12-29T08:48:16.359+00:002010-12-29T08:48:16.359+00:00Its fascinating to read these lists isn't it. ...Its fascinating to read these lists isn't it. Amazing the variety - but also occasional commonalityTom Chttp://www.acommonreader.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-64437438938719711052010-12-27T08:59:00.491+00:002010-12-27T08:59:00.491+00:00Sigrun - like you I'm not exactly rushing to w...Sigrun - like you I'm not exactly rushing to watch Antichrist again but I'm sure that when I do I will spot more and more detail to admire. That rather enigmatic ending does have something rather Greek tragedy about it. They're all faceless which makes them look a bit like a mask-wearing Greek Chorus for a start. I'm struggling to remember one now but I'm sure there's a play that involves a man being torn apart - it sounds very Greek!William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-9258413190766942762010-12-27T08:53:56.280+00:002010-12-27T08:53:56.280+00:00Simon, thank you, I'm loving the blogger's...Simon, thank you, I'm loving the blogger's end of year lists too (far more than the newspaper equivalents) and am busy compiling a list of new books for the TBR pile. Generally speaking I found this year to be a really rewarding one for reading, I hope 2011 matches or even surpasses it.William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-39862071329197243002010-12-26T13:15:32.084+00:002010-12-26T13:15:32.084+00:00Totally agree on The Antichrist, such a beautiful,...Totally agree on The Antichrist, such a beautiful, gruesome and alluring film.<br /><br />There is something in the very end of the story: The man descending through the woods and the figures coming to greet him - or rip him apart, it made me think of a Greek tragedy ... but I'm not sure which.<br /><br />I should really go back to the movie, but to be honest, I fear watching it again, even if its one of the best I've ever seen - .Sigrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08550175979773645484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-56023813354187967672010-12-23T22:37:31.601+00:002010-12-23T22:37:31.601+00:00Great post William, nice to see music and film as ...Great post William, nice to see music and film as well as the wonderful books that you have rad during the year (though we are polar opposites on Room lol). I love theses end of year posts for pointing out the books that I should have given a whirl and can in the next year.Simon (Savidge Reads)http://savidgereads.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-89896290881411006972010-12-23T11:37:12.357+00:002010-12-23T11:37:12.357+00:00Thanks Lee.
And good luck.
(small print: this d...Thanks Lee. <br /><br />And good luck.<br /><br />(small print: this dare does not come with a moneyback guarantee!)William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-76078467060806422992010-12-23T11:11:05.103+00:002010-12-23T11:11:05.103+00:00Great list and I accept your dare!Great list and I accept your dare!Lee Monkshttp://leemonks.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-5192012132000992942010-12-23T10:53:54.812+00:002010-12-23T10:53:54.812+00:00Eek, thank god I was never drawn to the stage. Wh...Eek, thank god I was never drawn to the stage. Who knew my total lack of talent in Drama at school would turn out such a benefit?<br /><br />I missed Jerusalem too and was most annoyed to do so.<br /><br />I'm seeing The Rivals tonight, which given the cast I'm sure will be a lot of fun. Dealer's Choice come to think of it was another recent standout.<br /><br />Thanks for the Cause Celebre tip, I'll look out for it.Max Cairnduffhttp://www.pechorinsjournal.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-20280106029258861032010-12-23T08:44:08.906+00:002010-12-23T08:44:08.906+00:00I'm afraid that the only drawback to performin...I'm afraid that the only drawback to performing in the theatre every night is that it severely limits the opportunities one gets to go to the theatre oneself. Those midweek Matinees that might be possible are usually ruled out as I'm looking after two little ones. I heard good things about Enron and Blackwatch, was sad to miss After The Dance and Jerusalem, and predict that Thea Sharrock's production of Cause Celebre will be one to look out for next year. I was in the first major revival of that play at the Lyric, Hammersmith just after I left drama school and it's an absolute belter.William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-40610967128470181972010-12-22T19:23:24.147+00:002010-12-22T19:23:24.147+00:00I'm delighted to see Moon getting a mention.
...I'm delighted to see Moon getting a mention.<br /><br />One of the nice things with these lists is they flag posts one might have missed before. I hadn't seen either Tony and Susan or The New Perspective. I'll print them off.<br /><br />Sacco is brilliant, I quite agree.<br /><br />I really like tune-yards, but it's not quite an album of the year for me. Hm. It's very recent but Jane's Berserker blows me away and new to me if not new the first Go! Team album is also just marvellous. Really though I've had such a good musical year it would be hard to get to a top ten let alone a top two or three.<br /><br />I have to read Stoner, but I've another Williams to read first that I already own.<br /><br />Oh, and however much you dare me I'm not reading 700 pages.<br /><br />No theatre best of? For me it's probably Enron and Black Watch (which I saw last night). Both use a range of innovtive(ish) techniques to bring complex stories to life. Both are marvellous. I love the theatre. At risk of saying something bland, there's something very special about that kind of artistic intimacy.Max Cairnduffhttp://www.pechorinsjournal.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-60009272400843760962010-12-17T15:39:14.785+00:002010-12-17T15:39:14.785+00:00Jeff - thank you for such a detailed comment. Ther...Jeff - thank you for such a detailed comment. There's been lots of debate around Josipovici's WEHTM but I'm going to start off with his stories after having read a great recommendation <a href="http://www.fictionuncovered.co.uk/review/fiction-uncovered-by-mark-thwaite-editor-readysteadybook/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I'm off to check out your other recommendations now and your thoughts on The Canal. Many thanks again for the comment.<br /><br />Kevin - A great comment, thank you, and I agree with you entirely. It has been fantastic to see small press titles contending with the big boys for the awards and triumph (I didn't realise the close connection between the two you mentioned). I also like your use of the word artisinal, spot on for describing the quality, attention to detail and clear love for the printed word that comes through in their publications and almost transfers itself to the reader by osmosis when you have the book in your hand. Try getting that on an e-reader!<br /><br />Stu - I look forward to reading your list but let me say straight away what an amazing achievement your reading challenge has been. Your dedication to translated fiction is laudable and I know you had thoughts of calling it a day but I'm very glad you've simply set yourself a further challenge. Good luck!William Rycrofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15056188088340973039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-49397132143961199442010-12-17T00:07:33.746+00:002010-12-17T00:07:33.746+00:00I ve had a great 2010 read over 120 books from 60 ...I ve had a great 2010 read over 120 books from 60 countries which was the goals plus for year ,I ve most enjoy circus Bulgaria will put together a list ,music wise deerhunter was a great album just grooving to springsteen promise which is strange love his stuff and hearing slightly different version of his classic is jarring ,film well not seen Alot this year a single man was quitew good ,all the best stuAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-75293469132082190232010-12-16T20:22:52.989+00:002010-12-16T20:22:52.989+00:00I didn't start 2010 with the goal of reading m...I didn't start 2010 with the goal of reading more translated or small press fiction, but, like you, my year-end favorites tilt in that direction. As you note, there were a lot of A-list, established authors who produced novels this year -- and in my opinion most of those were pretty average. I've only read two on your list, but we have similar themes in the gems we found -- new (or relatively unknown) authors, translated work and books that just plain had been overlooked provided the special surprises. I am heartened by that, actually. While the mainstream press is preoccupied with predicting the end of the physical book, these are the kind of works (be they new or re-issues) that I am confident will still be published in traditional form by smaller publishers, probably in even better physical volumes than we see from large publishers now. I find it interesting that both the Giller Prize winner, Johanna Skibsrud's The Sentimantalist, and the National Book Award winner, Jaimy Gordon's Lord of Misrule, had initial press runs of only 2,000 books. Skibsrud's publisher has two employees, Gordon's one. Both books are impressive physical volumes. And I am pretty sure that artisanal publishers like these two will continue their craft -- we are just going to have to count on the blogging world to discover these treasures for the rest of us. Many thanks for your contribution to that task.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7534509012046591314.post-38690787205117357502010-12-16T13:28:35.281+00:002010-12-16T13:28:35.281+00:00William, hello.
Interesting selection of books. M...William, hello.<br /><br />Interesting selection of books. My 2010 contained two very good translations of novels, or so they seemed to me: Mati Unt's _Brecht At Night_ (trans from estonian by Eric Dickens, 2009) and _Primeval and Other Times_ by Olga Tokarczuk (trans. from polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, 2009 or 2010).<br /><br />Further in fiction, I also read _The Canal_, and reviewed it here --<br /><br />http://quarterlyconversation.com/the-canal-by-lee-rourke<br /><br />-- in case you're curious.<br /><br />Two very good non-fiction titles are _The Novel_ by Steven Moore and Gabriel Jospovici's _What Ever Happened to Modernism?_<br /><br />I'm ending the year by reading _Slut Lullabies_ by Gina Frangello, and look forward to starting 2011 with the latest fiction titles by Josipovici and the latest by Joseph McElroy.<br /><br />You may be interested in my own novel, _Verbatim: A Novel_, which came out in October. It's a satire of legislative life told in lists of members, letters between bureaucrats and political debates set out in dual-column format. Enfield & Wizenty is the publisher, and you can get the book from them or Amazon.<br /><br />best,<br />Jeff BurseyJeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15813604798802451639noreply@blogger.com