tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post3090094364702396678..comments2023-12-24T17:41:42.989-08:00Comments on seraillon: Antonio Tabucchi on The Book of Disquietseraillonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17654593356535433945noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-51719257716500113792012-04-25T13:44:22.541-07:002012-04-25T13:44:22.541-07:00Tabucchi was apparently quite the joker. Stefano B...Tabucchi was apparently quite the joker. Stefano Benni, in a memorial printed in the French press, tells the story of attending a dinner with numerous writers where the conversation turned to the torments of writing and anguish of writer's block. When finally it was Tabucchi's turn to speak, he quietly said, "This never happens to me. I wake every morning at 5 a.m., work five hours straight through, and revise maybe one or two lines at the most. That's how I was able to write <i>Pereira Declares</i> in just a few months." There was a stunned, embarrassed silence at the table. After a couple moments, Tabucchi burst out laughing: “I'm kidding. None of it's true. I too can spend days on a single page. I just wanted to drive all of you mad.”seraillonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17654593356535433945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-74303476028010998942012-04-25T12:56:30.160-07:002012-04-25T12:56:30.160-07:00I am reading Requiem now. That crack about Latin ...I am reading <i>Requiem</i> now. That crack about Latin is a joke.Amateur Reader (Tom)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13675275555757408496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-12843736615367953442012-04-24T12:18:25.630-07:002012-04-24T12:18:25.630-07:00Caroline: I would not worry at all about missing ...Caroline: I would not worry at all about missing a lot in Tabucchi if you haven't read Pessoa. With very minor exceptions, Tabucchi's use of Pessoa is not in granular allusions, but rather in broad adoptions of Pessoan themes and motifs, which already form an integral part of the modern literary and philosophical landscape. As I noted in the prior post, one reason I was so drawn to <i>The Book of Disquiet</i> was the way it articulated recognizable elements of modern life that felt instantly, intimately familiar. The instability of identity; multiplicity; the mysteries to be found in the commonplace - you're there. <br /><br /><i>Requiem</i> is made for Portuguese.seraillonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17654593356535433945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-83428019806069735312012-04-24T10:58:39.650-07:002012-04-24T10:58:39.650-07:00I had a few of Tabucchi's books in my hand tod...I had a few of Tabucchi's books in my hand today. I'm still tempted by the idea of a Tabucchi week in June. I'm going to miss a lot once I start those in which Pessoa is so important without having at least started The Book of Disquiet. I read in the foreword of Requiem today that he chose to write it in Portuguese because his Latin wasn't good enough and Portuguese felt like the only language appropriate for the book. I like the idea, to write a book in the language which is the most appropriate.Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-61363446717314540642012-04-23T20:37:15.760-07:002012-04-23T20:37:15.760-07:00Richard: Thanks. I'm glad to be back too, and ...Richard: Thanks. I'm glad to be back too, and hope to stay that way. I have not heard of Sergio Pitol but will attempt to remedy that post-haste. I'm delighted to hear of someone else who shares my enthusiasm.seraillonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17654593356535433945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2609668304633418767.post-17300830335236248322012-04-23T19:49:10.797-07:002012-04-23T19:49:10.797-07:00Great to see you with back to back posts after you...Great to see you with back to back posts after your recent absence. Are you familiar with the Mexican writer Sergio Pitol? He's a big Tabucchi fan and has written many flattering pieces on Tabucchi and his work that remind me of what you share about Tabucchi on Pessoa here. By the way, nostalgia for what <em>might</em> have been is a great description of one of the things I've enjoyed most about Pessoa so far.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01746599416342846897noreply@blogger.com