emsemsems's review against another edition
2.0
While I enjoyed the excerpts published as one of those pastel blue-green Penguin miniatures, reading an entire book with Marías’ overwhelmingly ‘cocky’ tone was just mind-numbing — spaced out a few times to be honest. My experience of his writing (specifically this book — his non-fiction work) was already ‘compromised’ from the beginning anyway because in the book he goes on and on about some of the writers that I like very much (inaccurately telling their life ‘stories’ at that), and already know a bit too much of. Might suit another reader who either doesn't like the writers as much as I do, or better yet — know very little about the writers mentioned in his book. To clarify, I don’t think he was cocky with the intention of being cocky — I think he simply wanted to ‘seem’ funny or entertaining to his readers, but it truly just didn’t work for me at all. It’s not the kind of writing that I enjoy. But I wouldn’t call this a terrible book, just not the book for me.
Do you see what I mean? Not to my taste, this. Not my kind of 'humour'. Make it darker with more substance, please. Also, Charlotte Brontë absolutely did not ‘persuade’ Emily Brontë to publish her work — she basically stole her manuscripts? Persuasion, and theft, a world of difference, no? Also, ‘bakayaro’ (in Japanese) simply means ‘stupid fuck’ — Marías didn’t have to say that it was very ‘hard to translate’ or (make it even worse) try to romanticise/exoticise it (which he kind of did). Anyway, I do not recommend reading this book at all. Not a ‘shortcut’ to get to know these individual writers, more like being fed ‘gossip’ from an unreliable source.
'THE DEATH OF Yukio Mishima was so spectacular that it has almost succeeded in obliterating the many other stupid things he did in his life.'
Do you see what I mean? Not to my taste, this. Not my kind of 'humour'. Make it darker with more substance, please. Also, Charlotte Brontë absolutely did not ‘persuade’ Emily Brontë to publish her work — she basically stole her manuscripts? Persuasion, and theft, a world of difference, no? Also, ‘bakayaro’ (in Japanese) simply means ‘stupid fuck’ — Marías didn’t have to say that it was very ‘hard to translate’ or (make it even worse) try to romanticise/exoticise it (which he kind of did). Anyway, I do not recommend reading this book at all. Not a ‘shortcut’ to get to know these individual writers, more like being fed ‘gossip’ from an unreliable source.
adrianasturalvarez's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Si bien no puedo de buena fe calificar este libro con
estrellas (todavía no tengo suficiente confianza en mi
comprensión del español), puedo decir que realmente lo
disfruté. Escuché este libro en audio un poco todos los días
mientras caminaba hacia mi clase de español durante la
semana. La voz autoral de Marías me pareció reconfortante
encantadora y erudita como siempre.
estrellas (todavía no tengo suficiente confianza en mi
comprensión del español), puedo decir que realmente lo
disfruté. Escuché este libro en audio un poco todos los días
mientras caminaba hacia mi clase de español durante la
semana. La voz autoral de Marías me pareció reconfortante
encantadora y erudita como siempre.
daivarep's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
Very informative short biographies, but the selection is very male-centric and, although the author brags about including many nationalities, feels very limited in terms of cultures
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
jola_g's review against another edition
4.0
WELCOME TO WRITTEN LIVES
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Written Lives. I hope you will enjoy a stroll in the literary hall of fame. We are lucky: our guide will be the creator of this unique gallery of portraits painted with words, señor Javier Marías! You will meet him in a while. Autographs and photos after the visit, please.
First things first. Help yourself to the interesting facts and amusing anecdotes about popular writers. Just to give you a taste, one of my favourites, starring Rainer Maria Rilke, a nameless peacock and Eleonora Duse:
Bear in mind that it is just the outer layer and Written Lives offers much more. When you break the attractive shell of fun facts, you can peek into the abyss of a creative process. It is usually painful, not cute to watch. Listen carefully. You can often hear the clash between the authors' sensitivity and mundane real life.
Geliy Korzhev-Chuvelev, Typewriter.
Be prepared for delusions. It may turn out that the golden statue of your favourite writer, which you have been laboriously sculpting for years in your imagination, has a few unsettling cracks now or it may even be blown to smithereens. Truth about the author or dare to pretend it does not bother you?
Do not despair. Get ready for serendipitous discoveries. Chances are some of the authors depicted in Written Lives will pique your interest.
The thing you might find irritating is Marías' authoritative selection of authors for his gallery created with a mixture of affection and humour. Remember that it is not a regular literature course but a capricious, subjective array of glimpses, short snippets. Personally, I would prefer Marías to include more female writers. More geographical and ethnic diversity would be a big plus also. Another issue: the word portraits are uneven, as it often happens in collections. My favourite vignettes are on Rainer Maria Rilke, Djuna Barnes and Isaak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). Some are slightly disappointing.
Leonid Pasternak, The Passion of Creation
Now I would like to address the visitors who expect idealistic apotheoses of beloved authors. I hope I have already made myself clear: your wish will not be granted. The portrayals you will find here are multidimensional and present humans, not impeccable inhabitants of an ivory tower. Humans, with the baggage of flaws and quirks. Sometimes repelling humans, vide the vignettes on Malcolm Lowry and Arthur Rimbaud.
A friendly warning: beware of the guide. Señor Javier Marías' erudition, humour, charm, subtlety, sensitiveness are of a dangerously bewitching kind – you may end up with a crush. We accept no responsibility for loss of your heart. Even if it is A Heart So White.
Last but not least, we are thrilled to bits to have you here and wish you a memorable visit. Right now, I want to turn the floor over to señor Javier Marías.
John Whytock, The Writer.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Written Lives. I hope you will enjoy a stroll in the literary hall of fame. We are lucky: our guide will be the creator of this unique gallery of portraits painted with words, señor Javier Marías! You will meet him in a while. Autographs and photos after the visit, please.
First things first. Help yourself to the interesting facts and amusing anecdotes about popular writers. Just to give you a taste, one of my favourites, starring Rainer Maria Rilke, a nameless peacock and Eleonora Duse:
As for the diva Duse, to whom Rilke was devoted, even though he met her when she was old and mad and already in poor health, his intimacy with her was cut short by a peacock which, in the middle of an idyllic picnic on one of Venice’s islands, walked stealthily over to where they were taking tea and unleashed its awful, hoarse shriek right in the ear of the actress, who fled not only the picnic, but Venice itself. In some whimsical way Rilke identified with the peacock, a fact that brought with it strange feelings of remorse and kept him awake all night.
Bear in mind that it is just the outer layer and Written Lives offers much more. When you break the attractive shell of fun facts, you can peek into the abyss of a creative process. It is usually painful, not cute to watch. Listen carefully. You can often hear the clash between the authors' sensitivity and mundane real life.
Geliy Korzhev-Chuvelev, Typewriter.
Be prepared for delusions. It may turn out that the golden statue of your favourite writer, which you have been laboriously sculpting for years in your imagination, has a few unsettling cracks now or it may even be blown to smithereens. Truth about the author or dare to pretend it does not bother you?
Do not despair. Get ready for serendipitous discoveries. Chances are some of the authors depicted in Written Lives will pique your interest.
The thing you might find irritating is Marías' authoritative selection of authors for his gallery created with a mixture of affection and humour. Remember that it is not a regular literature course but a capricious, subjective array of glimpses, short snippets. Personally, I would prefer Marías to include more female writers. More geographical and ethnic diversity would be a big plus also. Another issue: the word portraits are uneven, as it often happens in collections. My favourite vignettes are on Rainer Maria Rilke, Djuna Barnes and Isaak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). Some are slightly disappointing.
Leonid Pasternak, The Passion of Creation
Now I would like to address the visitors who expect idealistic apotheoses of beloved authors. I hope I have already made myself clear: your wish will not be granted. The portrayals you will find here are multidimensional and present humans, not impeccable inhabitants of an ivory tower. Humans, with the baggage of flaws and quirks. Sometimes repelling humans, vide the vignettes on Malcolm Lowry and Arthur Rimbaud.
A friendly warning: beware of the guide. Señor Javier Marías' erudition, humour, charm, subtlety, sensitiveness are of a dangerously bewitching kind – you may end up with a crush. We accept no responsibility for loss of your heart. Even if it is A Heart So White.
Last but not least, we are thrilled to bits to have you here and wish you a memorable visit. Right now, I want to turn the floor over to señor Javier Marías.
John Whytock, The Writer.
heyep's review against another edition
5.0
This is a lovely collection of short, semi-fictional biographies of notable writers. Marias definitely achieves his puropse - "to treat these well-known literary figures as if they were fictional characters" - without straying into the realms of fan fiction-y fantasy. His longer essay on author photos, with samples from his own collection, was also interesting.
andthyme's review against another edition
4.0
a really charming wee book, of brief biographies of famous writers in the styles in which people write about unknowns. makes me want to reread All Souls, the only previous book of his which i've read.
merixien's review against another edition
4.0
Ünlü yazar biyografilerine Marias’ın ironik ve kibirli anlatımıyla şöyle bir göz atmak isterseniz bu kitap aradığınız şey.
Biyografilerin bilinen detayları yerine yazarların da bir noktada sıradan insanlıklarına- daha doğrusu kusursuzluklarını lekeyelen sıradışılıklarına- dair küçük anektodlar şeklinde. Kitapta kullandığı dil öylesine kibirli ve espirili ki bu kitap sayesinde Marias’ın favorilerini ve nefret ettiklerini çok net ayırabiliyorsunuz. Benim bazen çok şaşırdığım, bazen de kahkahalarla güldüğüm bir kitap oldu. Eğer bu kitaptan beklentiniz yazarlara dair detaylı bilgiler edinip, hayatlarını kafanızda oturtmak ise sizin için yanlış kitap olabilir. Zira büyük bir beklentiniz olmadan okuduğunuzda keyif alacağınız bir edebi gıybetler kitabı. Açıkcası kendisiyle oturup bir Real Madrid maçı izleyip, devre aralarında da edebiyat dünyasını çekiştirmeyi çok isterdim. Zira kendisi asla düşmanı olmak istemeyeceğiniz insanlardan.
Biyografilerin bilinen detayları yerine yazarların da bir noktada sıradan insanlıklarına- daha doğrusu kusursuzluklarını lekeyelen sıradışılıklarına- dair küçük anektodlar şeklinde. Kitapta kullandığı dil öylesine kibirli ve espirili ki bu kitap sayesinde Marias’ın favorilerini ve nefret ettiklerini çok net ayırabiliyorsunuz. Benim bazen çok şaşırdığım, bazen de kahkahalarla güldüğüm bir kitap oldu. Eğer bu kitaptan beklentiniz yazarlara dair detaylı bilgiler edinip, hayatlarını kafanızda oturtmak ise sizin için yanlış kitap olabilir. Zira büyük bir beklentiniz olmadan okuduğunuzda keyif alacağınız bir edebi gıybetler kitabı. Açıkcası kendisiyle oturup bir Real Madrid maçı izleyip, devre aralarında da edebiyat dünyasını çekiştirmeyi çok isterdim. Zira kendisi asla düşmanı olmak istemeyeceğiniz insanlardan.
bobbo49's review against another edition
4.0
While a bit uneven, this unusual collection of brief (4-5 page) glimpses into the lives of 20 writers is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but filled with very personal snapshots of the chosen subjects. I picked this up from Matthew after reading the Conrad piece at his house, and certainly enjoyed reading the balance of the book.
mxd's review against another edition
3.0
This was a quick and enjoyable read, focusing not on the kinds of stories that elevate people to mythical proportions, but rather those idiosyncrasies that make them very human. I particularly liked this, about the bookish Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa:
He is always described as walking wearily along, looking very distinguished, but with somewhat careless gait, his eyes alert and holding in his hand a leather bag crammed with books and cakes and biscuits on which he would have to survive until evening, since lunch was never served at home. He carried that famous bag with great nonchalance, quite unconcerned that volumes of Proust should be sitting cheek by jowl with tidbits and even courgettes. Apparently the bag always contained more books than were strictly necessary, as if it were the luggage of a reader setting off on a long journey, who was afraid he might run out of reading matter while away. According to his wife, he always had some Shakespeare with him, so that 'he could console himself with it if he should see something disagreeable' on his wanderings.
I love that part, as a bookish person, and someone who finds great consolation in reading.
A fun read, which I probably gorged on too quickly because the only other thing I can remember is a portion on what portraits say about the sitter, and the example of Edgar Allen Poe who may look as though he's aloof and would rather be crying into a dainty glass of absinthe than have his photographs taken, but from the reading of the image looks as if he's gone to great lengths to project a very specific kind of image (emo, Goth, rotten cinnamon roll too impure for all worlds).
Mind you, I took everything in this book with a pinch of salt because there's something very cheeky about the tone of his book, and it's hard to tell what you should take seriously (and I kind of liked that).
He is always described as walking wearily along, looking very distinguished, but with somewhat careless gait, his eyes alert and holding in his hand a leather bag crammed with books and cakes and biscuits on which he would have to survive until evening, since lunch was never served at home. He carried that famous bag with great nonchalance, quite unconcerned that volumes of Proust should be sitting cheek by jowl with tidbits and even courgettes. Apparently the bag always contained more books than were strictly necessary, as if it were the luggage of a reader setting off on a long journey, who was afraid he might run out of reading matter while away. According to his wife, he always had some Shakespeare with him, so that 'he could console himself with it if he should see something disagreeable' on his wanderings.
I love that part, as a bookish person, and someone who finds great consolation in reading.
A fun read, which I probably gorged on too quickly because the only other thing I can remember is a portion on what portraits say about the sitter, and the example of Edgar Allen Poe who may look as though he's aloof and would rather be crying into a dainty glass of absinthe than have his photographs taken, but from the reading of the image looks as if he's gone to great lengths to project a very specific kind of image (emo, Goth, rotten cinnamon roll too impure for all worlds).
Mind you, I took everything in this book with a pinch of salt because there's something very cheeky about the tone of his book, and it's hard to tell what you should take seriously (and I kind of liked that).
remocpi's review against another edition
4.0
Recuerdo que en lengua y literatura hacíamos de vez en cuando ejercicios de descripción. Nos daban una imagen, un retrato de alguien, por ejemplo, y teníamos que describirlo literariamente. También describíamos (nos los inventábamos) el carácter y otros rasgos que podían no apreciarse en la foto. Al terminar, nuestro profesor (Don Fernando, de gratísimo recuerdo) nos leía la descripción que él había hecho. Siempre aprendía muchísimos con estos ejercicios, pues haber fracasado en algo te convierte en un poco más experto en ese algo y aprecias mejor y en más profundidad cómo otra persona lo hace bien.
Al llegar a este libro de Marías, que creo que fue el primero suyo que leí, me sorprendió que el hijo de su madre dejara en simple bocetos las descripciones que hacía mi profesor de lengua. Marías entra y sale del detalle al paisaje, del rasgo a la personalidad, del gesto al dato biográfico, de la prosopografía a la etopeya. Vez tras vez. Es un espectáculo leerlo. A veces ves, lo ves, que se está recreando, porque te cuela tres frases redondas y ves que no cambia de tema para poder colar la cuarta y la quinta, que también son redondas pero que ya no aportan tanto. Pero le quedan bien.
Otras veces parece que tiene cuentas que ajustar con los autores que describe, porque los apuñala muy discretamente, con fino estilete, describiendo casi de pasada detalles que forman, seguro, parte de lo más vergonzoso de la vida de los descritos.
Me gustó el libro, como fuente de historias sobre personas y como ejercicio literario. Muy recomendable.
Al llegar a este libro de Marías, que creo que fue el primero suyo que leí, me sorprendió que el hijo de su madre dejara en simple bocetos las descripciones que hacía mi profesor de lengua. Marías entra y sale del detalle al paisaje, del rasgo a la personalidad, del gesto al dato biográfico, de la prosopografía a la etopeya. Vez tras vez. Es un espectáculo leerlo. A veces ves, lo ves, que se está recreando, porque te cuela tres frases redondas y ves que no cambia de tema para poder colar la cuarta y la quinta, que también son redondas pero que ya no aportan tanto. Pero le quedan bien.
Otras veces parece que tiene cuentas que ajustar con los autores que describe, porque los apuñala muy discretamente, con fino estilete, describiendo casi de pasada detalles que forman, seguro, parte de lo más vergonzoso de la vida de los descritos.
Me gustó el libro, como fuente de historias sobre personas y como ejercicio literario. Muy recomendable.