Members banned from this thread: Truth Detector and CFM


Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 16 to 21 of 21

Thread: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  1. #16 | Top
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Posts
    57,777
    Thanks
    35,457
    Thanked 50,276 Times in 27,089 Posts
    Groans
    22
    Groaned 2,975 Times in 2,692 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople View Post
    Agreed. I’ve watched some of his lectures and thought he was a completely unlikeable asshole. There is no arguing though the serious risks he took, his courage or his talent as a writer. The man had seriously big balls. It’s almost miraculous he wasn’t shot.

    I will say this in my youth Solzhenitsyn, Twain and Heller were the most influential writers in my youth but I can say this without qualification.

    As great an artist as Solzhenitsyn was...he wasn’t in the same league as Mark Twain. Then again I can’t think of anyone in modern Literature who is. Dickens is a remote second. Can’t think of anyone else who comes close, at least in the English language.
    ^^ A fine trio of writers.

    My pick for the greatest writer of English prose in the modern era is Joseph Conrad. Which is pretty weird since he was Polish and didn't learn English until well into his 20s.

    In some respects, English translations of Solzhenitsyn, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky do not do full justice to the prose in the original Russian, nonetheless even in translation one can really sense the talent and vision these writers had.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to Cypress For This Post:

    Mott the Hoople (03-01-2020)

  3. #17 | Top
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    108,120
    Thanks
    60,501
    Thanked 35,051 Times in 26,519 Posts
    Groans
    47,393
    Groaned 4,742 Times in 4,521 Posts
    Blog Entries
    61

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople View Post
    I knew he was an abrasive prick who held America in low regards and considered American popular culture a cancer from some videos of some of his lecture. He about had a stroke when he was asked about American Rock n Roll. Let’s just say he made it clear he wasn’t a fan.

    What a writer though.
    Someone mentioned Joseph Conrad. Did you know he lived in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex for several years, very close to where I was brought up? He wrote the Nigger of the Narcissus and started writing Heart of Darkness there. He probably chose the location as it is very close to the River Thames. It's strange to think that he spoke without a trace of accent when speaking French but had a heavily Polish accent when speaking English yet he chose English for all his great writings, true genius.
    Last edited by cancel2 2022; 03-01-2020 at 12:37 PM.

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to cancel2 2022 For This Post:

    Mott the Hoople (03-01-2020)

  5. #18 | Top
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    26,547
    Thanks
    9,552
    Thanked 11,902 Times in 7,962 Posts
    Groans
    2,333
    Groaned 1,669 Times in 1,547 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Havana Moon View Post
    Someone mentioned Joseph Conrad. Did you know he lived in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex for several years, very close to where I was brought up? He wrote the Nigger of the Narcissus and started writing Heart of Darkness there. He probably chose the location as it is very close to the River Thames. It's strange to think that he spoke without a trace of accent when speaking French but had a heavily Polish accent when speaking English yet he chose English for all his great writings, true genius.
    Unfortunately not close enough for any of his smarts to have rubbed off on you, though.

  6. #19 | Top
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    55,018
    Thanks
    15,249
    Thanked 19,001 Times in 13,040 Posts
    Groans
    307
    Groaned 1,147 Times in 1,092 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Havana Moon View Post
    Someone mentioned Joseph Conrad. Did you know he lived in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex for several years, very close to where I was brought up? He wrote the Nigger of the Narcissus and started writing Heart of Darkness there. He probably chose the location as it is very close to the River Thames. It's strange to think that he spoke without a trace of accent when speaking French but had a heavily Polish accent when speaking English yet he chose English for all his great writings, true genius.
    Heart of Darkness is a masterpiece.
    You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!

  7. #20 | Top
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    108,120
    Thanks
    60,501
    Thanked 35,051 Times in 26,519 Posts
    Groans
    47,393
    Groaned 4,742 Times in 4,521 Posts
    Blog Entries
    61

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople View Post
    Heart of Darkness is a masterpiece.
    It is indeed, he loved the Thames and London. By contrast Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski aka Joseph Conrad travelled to the Congo, made one return trip on the river, from Kinshasa to Kisangani, and decided that was enough for him. He was signed up for three years but he had seen enough and quit, never to return.
    Last edited by cancel2 2022; 03-01-2020 at 07:30 PM.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to cancel2 2022 For This Post:

    Mott the Hoople (03-02-2020)

  9. #21 | Top
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio
    Posts
    55,018
    Thanks
    15,249
    Thanked 19,001 Times in 13,040 Posts
    Groans
    307
    Groaned 1,147 Times in 1,092 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Havana Moon View Post
    It is indeed, he loved the Thames and London. By contrast Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski aka Joseph Conrad travelled to the Congo, made one return trip on the river, from Kinshasa to Kisangani, and decided that was enough for him. He was signed up for three years but he had seen enough and quit, never to return.
    Oh bet he had seen more than enough to inspire his novel. The Belgian occupation of the Congo was pretty horrific.
    You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!

Similar Threads

  1. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: A Warning to the West
    By cancel2 2022 in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 57
    Last Post: 03-03-2020, 08:58 PM
  2. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
    By Guno צְבִי in forum Off Topic Forum
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 03-01-2020, 11:02 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Rules

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •