Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Have I Killed This Blog?... And, Zadie Smith on Novel-Writing

Where did you go? Even SAS is silent.

Zadie Smith on Novel-Writing and the Dream of the Perfect Novel

posted by VVG @ Wednesday, January 17, 2007

6 Comments:

At 3:35 PM, Blogger Lulu said...

Speaking of Zadie, I finally got around to reading "On Beauty." Was anybody else as disappointed with it as I was? I found it to be gassy and tedious, overwritten and underdeveloped. But it encouraged me to seek out (or reread) other novels about academia, like "Publish and Perish" and "Lucky Jim." When thinking of life behind those brick walls and ivied ramparts, what biting, funny, or painfully accurate accounts would you recommend?

 
At 5:37 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

I agree with all of your assessment. I pride myself on finishing books, and when the due date came up for On Beauty I was halfway through it and felt no desire to renew it - so I didn't. Try Straight Man by Richard Russo - funny, biting book about academia. Hope all are well, and enjoying their new year. Hasta luego.

 
At 6:03 PM, Blogger Sobieski said...

I'm not sure I can post on this blog, being from the oughsix one, and I suppose I'm biased and all, but I don't think On Beauty is strictly a book about "the academy" -- for example all the bits about Levi and Zora and Kiki -- it's set in a university town but there's much more to it than "academic satire," I think -- I read a draft of it while reading workshop stories my first semester and it sure seemed more compelling to me than Mullins' latest spiel etc (Hi Dave - love ya) . . .

 
At 8:33 PM, Blogger Lulu said...

I didn't think it was strictly about the academy. It just reminded me how much good material can be mined from that perilous, backstabbing, incestuous, greedy, occasionally noble and often nearsighted environment. Henry Kissinger once said that the battles are so fierce in academia because the stakes are so small. And I love to see men in tweed go at it.

 
At 9:31 AM, Blogger VVG said...

Sobieski,

Here's one vote for you to post all you want.

What do you mean, you read a draft of it? Confusion.

 
At 3:08 PM, Blogger SAS said...

From what I've heard there's a tale of romance and intrigue behind that draft-reading. I will admit to not hearing anything until someone I live with said something and I will also admit to not actually knowing anything.

 

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