Forum / Nobel Prize

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  Chris Okum

  Oct 09, 03:28pm

  Patrick Modiano? What? Did they pick his name out of hat? In all the years I've been reading Lit Crit - books that take both a macro and mico view of Post WW 2 lit - I have never seen Patrick Modiano's name mentioned, not once. Which means he's either been hiding and only known to a few - which doesn't seem to be the case - or his relevance is minimal. I used to get excited when they announced the Nobel, but not anymore. There are plenty of writers who have contributed greatly to the world of letters who could use the nod, I just don't know if Patrick Modiano is one of them. And there is one writer in particular - he's French as well - whose body of work over the last 20 years is as important a body of work as any writers during the same time frame. In a different era a writer like Michel Houellebecq would have been honored with a Nobel, but now, because of his perceived "success" he is disqualified, even though his novels reflect both sociologically and politically the best snap shot we have of the world we live in. Does any here have any idea on who they think the Nobel should have gone to?

• 
  James Lloyd Davis

  Oct 09, 04:45pm

  Funny you should mention that... I was just reading:

  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/emma-brockes-column/2014/oct/09/patrick-modiano-nobel-prize-literature-prize-philip-roth-loser

• 
  David Ackley

  Oct 09, 04:57pm

  Philip Roth must be cursed by (his own) expectation. William Trevor would be my candidate. Cormac is another. Anne Carson. Hilary Mantel may be getting there.

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  Henry Standing Bear

  Oct 09, 05:32pm

  Of those nominated, Haruki Murakami would be my pick. In general, Uncle Cormac is the one who is now most deserving. My opinion, of course.

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  Gary Hardaway

  Oct 09, 06:10pm

  If it isn't awarded to an English language poet, I am disappointed.

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  Adam Sifre

  Oct 09, 11:16pm

  I just want to say, that if you are rooting for certain people to win the Nobel prize, you are probably not the kind of person who gets invited to a lot of parties.

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  Chris Okum

  Oct 09, 11:26pm

  I don't get invited to a lot of parties. You're absolutely right, Adam. Because I don't have any friends. You, however, sound like you get invited to parties on a daily basis. You sound like a really fun guy to hang out with. You sound like you have a lot of friends. Your friends are probably very lucky to be friends with you. You seem like a nice guy.

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  James Lloyd Davis

  Oct 10, 01:33am

  I'm always dismayed when some writer I never heard of is awarded the prize, but that's a shortcoming on my part because I can only enjoy books that are published in English and I prefer American authors because I "get" the references. Good translators are, in my opinion, essential to world literature.

  Kudos to the French guy. I will now try to find a copy of one of his books. This one looks promising, even interesting:

  http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Person-Verba-Mundi-Book/dp/1567922813/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1412904455&sr=1-1&keywords=patrick+modiano

  I don't get invited to parties because I have so little I care to talk about and prefer listening and watching other people, which makes them nervous... But if I can read this book before anybody else... oh, how interesting and popular I'd suddenly become.

  "Let's invite James. He read that book."

• 
  Adam Sifre

  Oct 10, 02:10am

  I will have a party an invite you all. Don't worry, I have Jenga.

• 
  Mathew Paust

  Oct 10, 03:44pm

  Parties? What are they? I suspect the snob factor among lit people in any kind of gathering (except here, of course) is off the charts--tossing out the most obscure names imaginable while tacking close to the slickest observations about the de rigeurs voiced by the smartest folks at the gathering. Unless, of course, one's pose is that of the enfant terrible, which, despite its threatening front likely carries the most risk. I suppose it can get terribly complicated and tiring.

  But if Adam's hosting a party I just might consider a crash.

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  Ann Bogle

  Oct 12, 01:57pm

  Hi, all guys or men as you may prefer to be called. What have I done to celebrate the offering of the Nobel Prize in Literature? I have thought about it. There is a lot of pressure on the decision that rewards only one international author of any genre each year. Please post responses to his work if you have read the French author who won. I gather that he has been relatively underknown/underappreciated? I was hoping Roth would win.

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