I support Mark's point of view! Even if The Old Man... is
pleasant to read, a nicely packaged moralistic tale, just
tell me where it fits with the Hemingway everybody sanctified
for short action plots and behaviourist style of
writing?
I always had the impression that at the end Hem was
regretting not having been someone like Steinbeck (in the
writing department)... And my guess is that works like the
Old Man is just an attempt to be.
And I really think Steinbeck is better than
Hemingway.
I'm obviously not "English educated" and I'm surprised to
learn that Conrad is considered as a "classic" -as someone
pointed out here- in the American lit classes
(secondary level I guess). I always saw him more like a
"pioneer", not justly rewarded... than a mummified classic. I
like Conrad a lot and I consider him as one of the fathers of
the modern novel, not only by its style but also by his look
on life, achievements and human condition. That's
announcement of modern lit! My impression is that one can
easily miss the point with that writer, and probably your
teachers did (?) Do not forget he wrote some of his major
pieces at he end of the XIXth century! He's also the real
writer for what concerns "action" philosophy and behaviour...
Hem is a mockery in that sector, trying to live artificially
what he wrote about. Somebody here say he's superficial...
and I agree. But Hem has a merit and influence: his trimming
of style and phrases, are probably more influential than his
"philosophy of action" he puts in the novels .
First time I red "Typhoon" that was my choice, not school's
(in French translation first and later in the original text),
I discovered a different voice with that writer even if the
novel was not entirely satisfactory. And I went on with my
further discoveries of Conrad, by my own. I suggest that some
of you seeming to doubt about Conrad read (or re-read)
'Youth'; this short novella ( 50 pages or so) is a fantastic
example of "holding back", nothing spectacular, even a
traditional construction of the recit... but it's the
unwritten that works on you. It was written before Heart of
Darkness- this one is really intricate and I can understand
it does not attract very young readers. But it's a major
piece.
By its modernity Conrad was certainly influential on many
writers of the 20th century, and is certainly also one of the
missing links that could make something like Noir novels
possible (I don't try to tell you,however, that he was at the
origin of Noir- even if one of his major character's name was
Marlow
-Youth and Darkness)
A last word about "..Darkness..". It's not Apocalypse Now
(Coppola) that will render justice to Conrad- this is on my
book as one of the most unjustified inflation of a mediocre
film (some good shots here and there)of modern cinema. I'm
even thinking that Coppola (with all his craftsmanship) is an
inflated author- the Godfather things are just good for a
general audience thinking its a kind of Italian version of
'Dallas'.
OK I stop here. Too long already.
E.Borgers Hard-Boiled Mysteries http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384
--- Mark Sullivan <
DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net> wrote:
> PB asked Dave:
>
> "Interesting critical stance. How'd you feel
about
> THE OLD MAN & THE
> SEA?"
>
> I just finished saying some books are best short
and
> tight. However, I
> would not use Old Man and the Sea as my example
(if
> I were going to the
> classics, I'd probably choose Heart of Darkness).
I
> always thought the
> reason this book was so popular among high
school
> English teachers was
> because the symbolism was so overt, knocked you
over
> the head, that no
> student could possibly miss it. As so often
happens
> with the Oscars,
> Hemingway's late career award was probably
more
> about honoring his
> entire career than for the particular work
under
> question.
>
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