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...
I've tried to read his work, but there's just too much snark for my taste.
ReplyDeleteIf you figure it out, let us know. I don't get him either.
ReplyDeleteI'm not convinced either but I'd like to try. The guidance I was offered was to start with Brief Interviews With Hideous Men. It is on my shelves but I haven't done more than flick through it yet.
ReplyDeleteDear Anthony,
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think I have that one as well. It certainly is more manageable than _The Broom of the System_ or longer, more complex works.
shalom,
Steven