HERE AND NOW: LETTERS 2008-2011 PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Paul Auster,J. M. Coetzee | 256 pages | 16 May 2013 | FABER & FABER | 9780571299263 | English | London, United Kingdom Here and Now: Letters 2008-2011 PDF Book Coetzee then notes that, when Nabokov taught at Cornell, he would have his students draw a physical map of the rooms described in the books they read, leading to a discussion of how helpful that might be, how a reader views a work, and whether inconsistencies in, say, the small detail of a carpet color are truly important. About Paul Auster. What are other modern collections of letters similar to this one? Since the authors discuss, among other things, matters concerning 'style', I just felt drawn to the title of Said's book. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Even with my very little experience of both these writers, I feel that both these writers write from I randomly picked this book up. The friendship between Paul and John is just pure and amazing! Home Page World U. Arriving at the end of the print-letter tradition, Paul Auster and J. Published March 7th by Viking first published Hardcover , pages. The demise of letter writing is the cause of widespread lament. Patrick Lapeyre. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. Commie Girl in the OC. It was nice to know that they share a cordial bond and are ultimately good people with usual family lives. Return to Book Page. Pass it on! In his ongoing obsession with the loops and whorls of coincidence, Auster wonders at one point about the fact that in the course of a few days, at Cannes, where he is a judge on the Prize jury, and then in Chicago at a book event, and in a New York hotel where he is waiting to take Juliette Binoche out to lunch, he has happened to bump into Charlton Heston. Neither Auster nor Coetzee comes with too much form for self-deprecatory comedy, but still you wait in vain for even a trace of the kind of unalloyed venom or convincing insecurity displayed by Philip Larkin and Kingsley Amis, say, in a similar context. Marcellus Emants. About The Star. Paperback —. Coetzee Although Paul Auster and J. Auster and Coetzee several I really enjoyed this recent exchange of letters between writers Paul Auster and J. First, that animals in India, the ones he saw, like pigs, cows, dogs, monkeys, were not treated cruelly but were accepted and tolerated for their habits and characteristics, even for behaviors that intrude upon the sphere of men. Letters are a curious thing. Original Title. Daniel Quinn. And, based on this book, can never be as engaging for the external reader as for the people in the correspondence. They write in passing about their families, their travels, various books and films, their own novels. After a meeting at an Australian literary festival brought them together in , novelists Paul Auster and J. Here and Now: Letters 2008-2011 Writer Coetzee is almost exactly what one would expect from his novels: coldly analytical, undeniably intelligent, and a bit odd. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. View all 7 comments. About The Star. They propose topics and then discuss them through to the end. In some letters, they have talked a lot of sports particularly football. Auster analyses the taciturn nature of male bonding. Neither Auster nor Coetzee comes with too much form for self-deprecatory comedy, but still you wait in vain for even a trace of the kind of unalloyed venom or convincing insecurity displayed by Philip Larkin and Kingsley Amis, say, in a similar context. Other editions. Lists with This Book. What a lovely subway read. There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. The earlier letters have a faltering stop-start quality. Show 25 25 50 All. The letter itself is a dying object, and a hint of anachronism runs through the correspondence. I am in a funk. I wanted to keep going, find out how it "ended," but it of course never really ended. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Patrick Lapeyre. Log in here. Follow Telegraph Books on Twitter. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. What the book can teach though, is about how to conduct a friendship through written correspondence. Neat little chunks of insight. The reader overhears. Jun 26, Lisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: audiobook , favorites. The way of having endless discussion about nothing and everything. We want answers. Auster's is in the loneliness of losing those with shared memories. These tropes play to neither author's advantage. The calibre of serious discussion varies: they are good on the effect of the mother tongue on writers, on Kafka's eating habits and the hermeneutics of sport, though not so penetrating on the Arab Spring or the financial crisis. Auster's start more fawningly "yours in friendship" or something like that, after a personal wish to meet again and hoping everything's going well. I wish now to read a similar correspondence between Carver and Bartheme, or Didion and Sontag. It is when they have both loosened up that they reveal much more of their minds. More Entertainment. The flap copy doesn't suggest that it would be anything otherwise. In the first you find, or pose for yourself, a great question. It is why we like him. Montreal writer Dimitri Nasrallah is the author of two novels, most recently Niko. In another moment, Auster reveals how he was tempted to punch a hostile critic and adds the fantastic detail that the critic looked as if he were fully expecting to be punched. Here and Now: Letters 2008-2011 Reviews Aug 22, Mahatma rated it really liked it. And the themes in their books, complex and often profound are lost in a distanced and vanilla account of their not-too-strongly-held opinions. Peter Lovesey. As they express dismay, from writerly gripes to the tyranny of the mobile phone, Coetzee observes: "How does one escape the entirely risible fate of turning into Gramps, the old codger who, when he embarks on one of his 'Back in my time discourses', makes the children roll their eyes in silent despair? Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. No Future for You. The way of having endless discussion about nothing and everything. Aug 24, Martin rated it really liked it. Madcap May. View 2 comments. Bland though the writing may be, these two use each other to bounce off ideas, and always with a great and deep respect for their reader. Coetzee is older than Auster by seven years, and both men are happily married to long- time spouses. Over the course of four years the two men share their philosophies on the nature of the world, give each other ideas for future books and discuss inspirations for previous books, share concerns over whether or not their works will live on after they are gone, and critique the way most authors change their writing style as they get older. Auster and Coetzee began corresponding as a way to spark creative ideas in one another. With no introduction and only skeletal notes, it plunges you cold into a wide-ranging exchange taking in sport watching and playing , cinema watching and writing for and politics watching and despairing of and much else. Preview — Here and Now by Paul Auster. I often skipped those pages and hoped for themes I enjoyed most— writing, language, literature. The two writers quickly fall into their allotted roles. But also, a reader can find some really interesting tidbits in these letters, like abo Some ask why? A Posthumous Confession. Mar 07, Minutes Buy. The genre has possibilities that have been only faintly outlined here. So I remain in two-minds every time it comes to Auster It gives you a sense of the tone of their friendship that this theme of their conversation does not involve exclamatory commentary on last night's outrageous sending off, or the particular psychosis of this or that coach, but a running debate about whether their watching of sports on television is at heart an aesthetic or an ethical pleasure or simply a waste of time that could better be devoted to the serious business of literature. Trivia About Here and Now: Let The two men are not equally intelligent, nor equal writers, but how would that work, to speak of it among friends? To view it, click here. By Dimitri Nasrallah Fri. Oct 31, David Allison rated it did not like it. But towards the middle their letters begin to flag, as the writers agree more and more and it becomes more difficult to remember who exactly is talking, whereas their voices were more pronounced and stylized in the beginning. And literature is meant to be the peering into another's personal letters without that person knowing. As such, dear book, I think we should break up. It intrigued me to read some of their books. Report an error. Subscribe to Independent Premium. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. Coetzee, or enjoy reading authors reflect on their careers and thought processes, this book will probably not be very interesting. John D. Life is Short and Desire Endless. Some ask why? Coetzee plays the pessimist to Auster's optimist.