For small doses of Vollmann, I highly recommend The Atlas! A palindromic series of stories melding fact and fiction, with a handful being absolutely staggering works. “The Butterfly Stories” and the five “Houses” pieces will take your breath away.
Hey Scott. I was really pleased to stumble across your feed. Not enough people are covering Vollmann on UA-cam. With regards to You Bright and Risen Angels, I think "Our Oriental Heritage" (an essay by Miles Leibtag) is an indispensable companion to "cracking" the novel, if you ever had the interest in exploring it further. I talk about it ad nauseum in my latest attempt to dissect Vollmann on my feed.
Thanks, Trystero contact. I like Vollmann and find him interesting but he's not the sort of writer I want to take into the bathtub very often or soon, however well it's explained. But glad to hear his stuff gives you pleasure! Stay safe and thanks for writing. s
I'm so glad to hear you affirm that you can really love reading Vollmann and not be able to read the whole book, have to close it because it's too boring or time-wasting, etc. I can’t finish things like Europe Central either. I think he sticks to the most radical freedom of imagination (lets it go even if it gets to be bad writing) -- regardless if the book is unsellable, unreadable. I do think you should read Rainbow Stories. It's mostly extreme horror, but with such passages as: “I imagine that head sailing, sailing down the long yellow tunnel, blinking in wonder at the view,while the killer rolled away in his car, being anxious, as we all are, to avoid being convicted of manslaughter, and long after the killer had lost himself in the night traffic of Chinatown that head remained aloft, fixated in its astonishment within the eternal rushing of the tunnel…” (p.4)
Thanks, Ron. Yeah, I find the guy interesting, especially in slightly smaller doses. I did a lot of reading of Vollmann recently, but some time in the future, when I'm not feeling so claustrophobic, I'll give Rainbow Stories a try! Keep safe. S
Great video and review! I'm looking forward to The Lucky Star. I haven't read Rainbow Stories yet, but I've read his other two in the so-called "love trilogy," The Royal Family and Whores for Gloria, and loved them both. The Royal Family in particular. I guess it's now a tetralogy?
The new book is quite similar in content to those other books and I believe it is part of the series, though there’s a book about “Dolores” coming along as well...I get them all confused!
For small doses of Vollmann, I highly recommend The Atlas! A palindromic series of stories melding fact and fiction, with a handful being absolutely staggering works. “The Butterfly Stories” and the five “Houses” pieces will take your breath away.
Thanks for the suggestions, Jerry. And welcome to the bathtub! s
@@Scottmbradfield Happy to be here! Your series on JR brought me in, really helpful for such a layered but enjoyable and uproarious work.
Vollmann and Oates need to increase their output. Damn slackers...
Absolutely. Tell them both to stop watching ESPN and get some writing done! S
I loved the lucky star it was so deeply heartbreaking. Some of the writing was incredibly eerie and metaphysical.
Yeah I agree, there are some really lovely passages in Lucy Star... stay safe in the bathtub! s
Hey Scott. I was really pleased to stumble across your feed. Not enough people are covering Vollmann on UA-cam. With regards to You Bright and Risen Angels, I think "Our Oriental Heritage" (an essay by Miles Leibtag) is an indispensable companion to "cracking" the novel, if you ever had the interest in exploring it further. I talk about it ad nauseum in my latest attempt to dissect Vollmann on my feed.
Thanks, Trystero contact. I like Vollmann and find him interesting but he's not the sort of writer I want to take into the bathtub very often or soon, however well it's explained. But glad to hear his stuff gives you pleasure! Stay safe and thanks for writing. s
I'm a self confessed Vollmaniac.
Currently reading The Rainbow Stories.
I appreciate his vaulting ambition.
I'm so glad to hear you affirm that you can really love reading Vollmann and not be able to read the whole book, have to close it because it's too boring or time-wasting, etc. I can’t finish things like Europe Central either. I think he sticks to the most radical freedom of imagination (lets it go even if it gets to be bad writing) -- regardless if the book is unsellable, unreadable. I do think you should read Rainbow Stories. It's mostly extreme horror, but with such passages as:
“I imagine that head sailing, sailing down the long yellow tunnel, blinking in wonder at the view,while the killer rolled away in his car, being anxious, as we all are, to avoid being convicted of manslaughter, and long after the killer had lost himself in the night traffic of Chinatown that head remained aloft, fixated in its astonishment within the eternal rushing of the tunnel…” (p.4)
Thanks, Ron. Yeah, I find the guy interesting, especially in slightly smaller doses. I did a lot of reading of Vollmann recently, but some time in the future, when I'm not feeling so claustrophobic, I'll give Rainbow Stories a try! Keep safe. S
Great video and review! I'm looking forward to The Lucky Star. I haven't read Rainbow Stories yet, but I've read his other two in the so-called "love trilogy," The Royal Family and Whores for Gloria, and loved them both. The Royal Family in particular. I guess it's now a tetralogy?
The new book is quite similar in content to those other books and I believe it is part of the series, though there’s a book about “Dolores” coming along as well...I get them all confused!
Butterfly stories was also very good and strange and is part of the series.