A comment from the blogkeeper at Underbelly (thank you Buce) inspired me to look this up. I was fairly certain that I had reviewed the book in the recent past, and so I discovered this. a good book is worth appreciation--over and over and over again. Also, while you are appreciating, you might want to take in Underbelly's look at Helena as well. La Belle Hélène on March 18, 2005 8:11 AM In reading Helena last night I stumbled across a large number of passages I would like to share. But I thought the more important thing to share was an observation. Evelyn Waugh liked this best among his books. There are a good many reasons why this might be so: it is splendidly written--both the prose and the coherence are several notches above some of his earlier, more frenetic work. It is tightly done, with just the right strokes and exactly the right selection of detail. But I suspect the reason Waugh prized this above all the other works is that in t...
But he is among the greatest and most original novelists alive. Why he has not been given the Nobel is a mystery.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Wilson,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to find another who is even aware of him. The internet truly makes available the wide world of readers. I couldn't agree more with your evaluation. The only thing I can figure is that they stand for too traditional a moral view of the universe. Once upon a time Francois Mauriac could win a Nobel Prize--but now that view is no longer respectable--hence Mr. Lindgren languishes without a prize. It doesn't matter, so long as he keeps writing.
Thank you for commenting.
shalom,
Steven
Could you tell us a bit more about Torgny Lindgren?
ReplyDeleteI checked the local library, and all it has is an international short story anthology with one of his stories.
Dear Fred,
ReplyDeleteThis will require more than a simple response. I hope to compose something this evening to meet the need.
Thank you for asking.
shalom,
Steven