Ungentle Reader

[poliphilo]

Nightwood is hard going. It's a simple tale but she does sooo complicate it. 

Sure, it's atmospheric. And some of her turns of phrase have a startling beauty. 

But I'm getting old. I don't have the time and patience to re-read a sentence four times in order to squeeze the aphoristic juice out of it. 

Well, that's not entirely true. I do have the time and a modicum of patience but it makes me cranky to have to work so hard.

It's not as if she's saying anything really deep.

Bloody modernists!

This is where I could write an essay about how the modernist project was fuelled by snobbery and a disdain for the common reader- and how all of them were elitist and a good few of them were fascist- but I won't.

Listen to me, I'm getting to sound like a philistine. Damn.

Don't mind me, Djuna; I'm just a grouch. 

No need to see me out.  I'll leave by the tradesman's door.

Comments

modernist project was fuelled by snobbery

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

I might (might? hell, I will!) say the same thing about the avant garde movement that had the classical music world in its stranglehold in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Re: modernist project was fuelled by snobbery

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well, yes..

I have tried to like people like Harrison Birtwhistle but they defeat me...