I have a Master's degree in Spanish-language literature, but focused on Latin American rather than Spanish texts. For the last few months I've been reading post-war Spanish classics. I had heard mixed things about "La familia de Pascual Duarte", but I l loved it, and I think you will too given your pitch-black sense of humor. I especially enjoyed the early chapters, such as when a character drowns in a jar of olive oil, and before burying him they wipe him down so he "won't be too greasy on judgement day."
I'm waiting for you to mention that it's written entirely in present tense. A very simple technique that really immerses the reader into Cela's world. I taught English in Madrid years ago and in my first class I asked my students if they could recommend me a great novel to read and the unanimously chose the Hive. I'm glad they did. I loved it!!
I read this last summer and I’ve never seen anyone talk about it! I found it fascinating, and yes, the intro updates to the new editions at the beginning of the NYRB book were amazing. I laughed out loud a few times. Really great summary you’ve done!
La Colmena was made into a film by Mario Camus in 1982. Camilo José Cela has a cameo role in the film, as the writer who invents new words and who will listen to Don Ibrahim's speech addressed to the members of the Academy, while the latter rehearses it. In real life, Cela was already a member of the Royal Spanish Academy at that point. I don't remember much of the film; my impression is that all Spanish films up to Almodóvar were gloomy (with the exception of Saura's dance films). A rare comical film I saw was Mi querida señorita (1972) by Jaime de Armiñán. With all the attention to trans issues today, it would be sooo interesting to see this movie again.
It's been a while since I read it (it was a mandatory read as part of the High School curriculum in my youth), but I distinctly remember most of the things you have pointed out, especially the abruptness of doom and violence and the multiplication of characters and "fragments" of life as part of a bigger picture. Cela was "feared" for his distemper and his badmouthing whenever he was interviewed on TV, and he was as much admired as a writer as loathed as a person.
there's plenty of videos that talk about how scummy they are that will explain it better than me, but it goes from exploiting their therapists, to not checking properly if their qualifications are met, to selling personal information, etc etc and that putting aside that i think it's not a moral business system
Can I recommend the new translation of Jose Donoso's "The obscene bird of night" from New Directions? Think it might be to your taste. Truly mind altering.
I think you would like The Foundation by Antonio Buero Vallejo, also a Spanish author! This is a piece of theatre, the plot twist is surprising and I'll never forget about the main characters. 100% recommended!
Over 20 years ago I read his travel book , Journey to the Alcarria. Have to say I thought it was wonderful. Will keep an eye out for this. Another top class review
Hey Cliff, the short cut suits you quite well! It’d be great if you considered reviewing a Ukrainian novel called Death and The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov. Encapsulates the absurdity of things really well, and is damn fucking funny too.
I would say that you misread Celine, warmth is a big part of his style, at least his early one, in the first two books, before it got fragmentary and musical. He slaps and hugs the reader throughout, as one should for us readers have a tendency to snore. The way he describes the vivid life in the grandma-eyes, the one living in the shed in Journey, or the way he describes the beloved inventor in Death, it does not get much warmer than the passages of him sowing air ballon cloth, or how he helps the prostitutes by warning of approaching police.
This situation about being censured by the facist government that the author suported also happened here in Brasil with the writer Rubem Fonseca. He supported the militar dictatorship and had his short stories book Happy New Year censored because of his dirty stories. Also he is "mentioned" (not in a direct way) by Bolaño in Nazi Literature in the Americas (which, some people say, made him try to not let editors publish Bolaño in Brasil).
Another great Mexican author is actually it's someone you've read before. Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes might be up your alley. Dark as hell, but absolutely beautiful.
Hello, I've just discovered your channel, I really like it and I appreciate that you have tastes similar to mine. I read La colmena when I lived in Madrid for a few months and I was looking for a cool novel set in the wartime or post-war Madrid. In general I liked it, it is certainly interesting, and a good portrait of post war Madrid, but its ensemble nature made it hard to really connect with any of the characters or storylines. At times, I found it confusing and a little boring. However, I loved the ending: it is brilliant and gives the entire story a new, deeper and unexpected meaning. I enjoyed "La familia de Pascual Duarte" more. It’s cynical, at times darkly humorous, at others cruel. Plus, it features an unreliable narrator which I really love, and unfortunately is not very commonly used.
Woud recommend to you another famous but not famous in america writer who hated Cela, also happens to be that other most spanish of spanish writers of the 20th century-Juan Goytisolo.
Hi Clifford, I'm Spanish and a big fan. Just one thing: stained milk with a little bit of coffee does sound horrible. It's the other way around: coffee with a bit of milk
Ceia and Picasso friends? Curious, as Picasso left Spain in protest of Franco's dictatorship. One time friends before the war perhaps. None the less, thank you for this recommendation.
@@BigItalian7 His writing is not especially conservative aside from his use of rhyme and meter in certain poems. He is famous for his political conservatism in a context of modernist poetry that was largely populated with Communists (with a capital-C) if not fellow travelers, as per my answer. Likewise his mentor in Ezra Pound-the early work of Pound (eg, A Lume Spento, A Quinzaine for This Yule, along with a decent amount that would be later collected in Personae) is quite conservative in its form, despite his later iconoclastic Cantos. In Pound's case, we have the joining of iconoclastic poetics with literal fascist politics. Eliot and Wyndham Lewis, one time close friends of Pound, saw the writing on the wall and did not follow him down THAT path, despite their professed traditional political conservatism.
Would love to see a book from / about Ukraine (or from Ukranian author) and if you already did one and I missed it - please do point me to that video. Thanks, much love from Kyiv
When it comes to the Spanish civil War and actually makes perfect sense that this author fought on the side of Franco. The socialists and the Communists we're incredibly brutal two Spanish civilians. They destroyed the churches, and they killed authors. That's why mini smart people like Camilo ran to that side. Quite frankly so did many priests. The opposition to the fascists (fascism is no better than socialism or communism) we're just as awful and brutal. I don't know that there was necessarily a good guy and a bad guy in that situation.
Franco was based and his own story itself is quite incredible. In Morocco. Also their are tons of right wing authors and poets. Celine, Junger, Mishimi, Yeats, Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis. Practically all the modernists.....its not out of the ordinary. You think any artist before the 18th and 19th century was some liberal communist :/
I have a Master's degree in Spanish-language literature, but focused on Latin American rather than Spanish texts.
For the last few months I've been reading post-war Spanish classics. I had heard mixed things about "La familia de Pascual Duarte", but I l loved it, and I think you will too given your pitch-black sense of humor. I especially enjoyed the early chapters, such as when a character drowns in a jar of olive oil, and before burying him they wipe him down so he "won't be too greasy on judgement day."
I am Spanish and I studied at a school named after this author :) Glad you enjoyed ❤
Nice cut, Cliff. Lookin sharp. Glad you put this in my radar.
I'm waiting for you to mention that it's written entirely in present tense. A very simple technique that really immerses the reader into Cela's world. I taught English in Madrid years ago and in my first class I asked my students if they could recommend me a great novel to read and the unanimously chose the Hive. I'm glad they did. I loved it!!
I read this last summer and I’ve never seen anyone talk about it! I found it fascinating, and yes, the intro updates to the new editions at the beginning of the NYRB book were amazing. I laughed out loud a few times. Really great summary you’ve done!
La Colmena was made into a film by Mario Camus in 1982. Camilo José Cela has a cameo role in the film, as the writer who invents new words and who will listen to Don Ibrahim's speech addressed to the members of the Academy, while the latter rehearses it. In real life, Cela was already a member of the Royal Spanish Academy at that point.
I don't remember much of the film; my impression is that all Spanish films up to Almodóvar were gloomy (with the exception of Saura's dance films). A rare comical film I saw was Mi querida señorita (1972) by Jaime de Armiñán. With all the attention to trans issues today, it would be sooo interesting to see this movie again.
Drop the skincare routine
I can appreciate your honesty
Leche Manchada is literally a Latte Macchiato. It’s Italian the latter.
It's been a while since I read it (it was a mandatory read as part of the High School curriculum in my youth), but I distinctly remember most of the things you have pointed out, especially the abruptness of doom and violence and the multiplication of characters and "fragments" of life as part of a bigger picture. Cela was "feared" for his distemper and his badmouthing whenever he was interviewed on TV, and he was as much admired as a writer as loathed as a person.
love you, love cela, love that you talked about cela. but man i do hate betterhelp. no one should still be sponsored by them
Please, could you tell me what do you not like about betterhelp? Just interested, thanks in advance!
there's plenty of videos that talk about how scummy they are that will explain it better than me, but it goes from exploiting their therapists, to not checking properly if their qualifications are met, to selling personal information, etc etc
and that putting aside that i think it's not a moral business system
@@queasyApothecary Mmm, I see, thanks for the answer!
Can I recommend the new translation of Jose Donoso's "The obscene bird of night" from New Directions? Think it might be to your taste. Truly mind altering.
I think you would like The Foundation by Antonio Buero Vallejo, also a Spanish author! This is a piece of theatre, the plot twist is surprising and I'll never forget about the main characters. 100% recommended!
Over 20 years ago I read his travel book , Journey to the Alcarria. Have to say I thought it was wonderful. Will keep an eye out for this. Another top class review
cool material, very interesting subject to talk about!
Thank you for your videos, I will check this book soon. I would like to recommend you Germinal by Emile Zola, have you read it?
Great choice, a brilliant author, Cela is truly one of the giants.
Your description of the author’s personality gave me the image of a Spanish Logan Roy from Succession
The new light is a nice touch. It evens out the image, if that makes sense. And it gives a warmer tone to the video.
He needs to dim the ceiling light. I think.
Hey Cliff, the short cut suits you quite well! It’d be great if you considered reviewing a Ukrainian novel called Death and The Penguin by Andrey Kurkov. Encapsulates the absurdity of things really well, and is damn fucking funny too.
Thank you for the recommendation! The book sounds like something I would like.. and it is translated into my language (Finnish)!
I would say that you misread Celine, warmth is a big part of his style, at least his early one, in the first two books, before it got fragmentary and musical. He slaps and hugs the reader throughout, as one should for us readers have a tendency to snore. The way he describes the vivid life in the grandma-eyes, the one living in the shed in Journey, or the way he describes the beloved inventor in Death, it does not get much warmer than the passages of him sowing air ballon cloth, or how he helps the prostitutes by warning of approaching police.
This situation about being censured by the facist government that the author suported also happened here in Brasil with the writer Rubem Fonseca. He supported the militar dictatorship and had his short stories book Happy New Year censored because of his dirty stories. Also he is "mentioned" (not in a direct way) by Bolaño in Nazi Literature in the Americas (which, some people say, made him try to not let editors publish Bolaño in Brasil).
Another great Mexican author is actually it's someone you've read before. Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes might be up your alley. Dark as hell, but absolutely beautiful.
I recently read his novella entitled "Vlad"--and quite enjoyed it.
Carlos Fuentes is Mexican not Spanish .
Man, Carlos Fuentes was a Mexican author! 🙈
Hello, I've just discovered your channel, I really like it and I appreciate that you have tastes similar to mine.
I read La colmena when I lived in Madrid for a few months and I was looking for a cool novel set in the wartime or post-war Madrid.
In general I liked it, it is certainly interesting, and a good portrait of post war Madrid, but its ensemble nature made it hard to really connect with any of the characters or storylines. At times, I found it confusing and a little boring. However, I loved the ending: it is brilliant and gives the entire story a new, deeper and unexpected meaning.
I enjoyed "La familia de Pascual Duarte" more. It’s cynical, at times darkly humorous, at others cruel. Plus, it features an unreliable narrator which I really love, and unfortunately is not very commonly used.
Can you please do a review on ismail kadare the pyramid
His book The Siege is the first gift I ever gave to my wife.
@@severianconciliator1862 the author just died recently yesterday actually
Woud recommend to you another famous but not famous in america writer who hated Cela, also happens to be that other most spanish of spanish writers of the 20th century-Juan Goytisolo.
(famously Genet's only aesthetic confidante for many years while Goytisolo lived in exile in Paris)
Bold of you to assume I know any non-Anglo authors.
Hi Clifford, I'm Spanish and a big fan. Just one thing: stained milk with a little bit of coffee does sound horrible. It's the other way around: coffee with a bit of milk
Latte macchiato, which means the same thing as leche manchado in Italian appears to be fairly popular.
Ceia and Picasso friends? Curious, as Picasso left Spain in protest of Franco's dictatorship. One time friends before the war perhaps. None the less, thank you for this recommendation.
Very intriguing book
Unsolicited feedback: Get a new lighting setup, something with warmer light and tone
2:45....yeah...so glad we're not speaking German....
I suppose conservative poetry will always have its champion in TS Eliot.
Been a while since I read him, what makes him conservative?
@@BigItalian7 his political opinions
And Yeats.
@@xgryphenx enlightening reply. was asking what about his writing was conservative
@@BigItalian7 His writing is not especially conservative aside from his use of rhyme and meter in certain poems. He is famous for his political conservatism in a context of modernist poetry that was largely populated with Communists (with a capital-C) if not fellow travelers, as per my answer. Likewise his mentor in Ezra Pound-the early work of Pound (eg, A Lume Spento, A Quinzaine for This Yule, along with a decent amount that would be later collected in Personae) is quite conservative in its form, despite his later iconoclastic Cantos. In Pound's case, we have the joining of iconoclastic poetics with literal fascist politics. Eliot and Wyndham Lewis, one time close friends of Pound, saw the writing on the wall and did not follow him down THAT path, despite their professed traditional political conservatism.
Would love to see a book from / about Ukraine (or from Ukranian author) and if you already did one and I missed it - please do point me to that video. Thanks, much love from Kyiv
yeah Spain... ...and Greece...Portugal...South Africa till 1994!
Hi hon, so freaking hot and humid in chicago. Bleech...blessings from chicago.
When it comes to the Spanish civil War and actually makes perfect sense that this author fought on the side of Franco. The socialists and the Communists we're incredibly brutal two Spanish civilians. They destroyed the churches, and they killed authors. That's why mini smart people like Camilo ran to that side. Quite frankly so did many priests. The opposition to the fascists (fascism is no better than socialism or communism) we're just as awful and brutal. I don't know that there was necessarily a good guy and a bad guy in that situation.
Maybe right-wingers can be funny and intelligent.
2nd
1st
Franco was based and his own story itself is quite incredible. In Morocco. Also their are tons of right wing authors and poets. Celine, Junger, Mishimi, Yeats, Ezra Pound, Wyndham Lewis. Practically all the modernists.....its not out of the ordinary. You think any artist before the 18th and 19th century was some liberal communist :/