Mark Marchenko Book Recommendations & Book Mentions

Mark Marchenko

@AskTheRavens @goodreads I like both! Proust is also in my to-read list, one of Nabokov's favourite works of fiction. I have way too many books in my list 😁 waiting for the new ones: Saunders' book on writing short fiction, Ishiguro's 'Klara and the Sun', @maxjohnporter's 'The Death of Francis Bacon'

Mark Marchenko

@NewPopLit A very good question. While in Edinburgh I was specifically studying several examples of forgotten, but rediscovered exceptional pieces of literature (nice example would be The Green Knight from medieval period and 'Stoner' by John Williams from not so long ago)

Mark Marchenko

Of all Russian novels the most popular among British is 'Master and Margarita' by Mikhail Bulgakov We just had a new edition of it published in Moscow, with illustrations and commentaries — a rare example of a great editorial design from a Russian publisher https://t.co/BBPnFLxFIv

Mark Marchenko

Now, a question: I am finally going to read George Saunders' book on writing short fiction. Is it better to read in in Eng, since he originally wrote it in Eng, or in Russian, since all of the short stories in case there are from Russian lit? @SaundersSociety any ideas? https://t.co/gvFC5QMHfG

Mark Marchenko

Second question: best books on Crusading in XI-XII centuries in Europe? As you may have guessed, mostly interested in (and around) the Siege of Lisbon. Amazon has pointed me to Routledge's 'Crusading as an Act of Vengeance, 1095–1216' by Susanna A. Throop, is it any good? https://t.co/aj4W00tcRt

Mark Marchenko

Still can't decide if I am grateful or disappointed that neither Steinbeck not Medieval scholars pay attention to «The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights».

Mark Marchenko

I am curious about what Russian literature scholars think about Tolstoy's 'What is art?' Just finished it. Tolstoy argues that the music of Liszt, Wagner, late Beethoven, is worthless, same as Shakespeare's plays, and his own 'War and Peace'. I think it's amusing, but no more.

Mark Marchenko

Finished Sophocles' Theban plays, & then Euripides' 'Bacchae', masterfully translated by @EmilyRCWilson Sophocles' plays are of immense emotional power and literary genius. 'Bacchae', unfortunately, didn't touch me nearly as much. To me they are on a completely different level https://t.co/2yjQEtCi39

Out of stock

Mark Marchenko

This is Ludwig Wittgenstein's bio written by Edward Kanterian. Not the best, but notable. Also, not as long as Ray Monk's, but in some cases more revealing. Reading it in parallel with Wittgenstein's 'Philosophical Investigations' (and Montaigne, but that's a different story). https://t.co/0L2frWRM4s

Mark Marchenko

This is Ludwig Wittgenstein's bio written by Edward Kanterian. Not the best, but notable. Also, not as long as Ray Monk's, but in some cases more revealing. Reading it in parallel with Wittgenstein's 'Philosophical Investigations' (and Montaigne, but that's a different story). https://t.co/0L2frWRM4s