A gentle reader requested to know a bit more about Torgny Lindgren. And so ever one to oblige those seeking knowledge about my favorite writers, you all shall be punished for his curiosity. I have only five books, I don't know how many are available in translation: The Way of a Serpent , Light , Sweetness , Bathsheba , and Merab's Beauty . The first three that remain most vividly in my mind--the first a story about a wicked landlord who collects the rent from a family in rural Sweden and when the money runs out begins to exploit the women of the household. The title is taken from proverbs 30:19 the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. (KJV) And though my recollection is at something of a distance now, at least two, and possibly all three of these is developed in the course of a very short novel. Perhaps the best description of the book is gritty and realistic. I...
Sometimes I think that McEwan thinks all women discovered the idea of sex suddenly about 1940. His themes of women's sexual awareness ARE better suited for Edwardian times.
ReplyDeleteDear Connie,
ReplyDeleteI blush to admit that I haven't read enough McEwan to even be able to agree. My introduction was _On Chesil Beach_ and I've been disinclined to pursue any others I've picked up to their conclusion. I'm sure they are fine works, but I just haven't discovered the access point yet.
shalom,
Steven