Matthew Simmons—
“He died in a monstrous blooming rose of blood and fire outside of Munsan-ni, under a mortar attack. A week earlier, Chinese rounds had tracked a squad across a valley floor with relentless, elegant, fussy precision, killing two and wounding two.” An excerpt from Gilbert Sorrentino’s posthumous novel The Abyss of Human Illusion at The Brooklyn Rail.
Can’t wait to read the posthumous Sorrentino! Thanks for posting about this!
Can’t wait to read the posthumous Sorrentino! Thanks for posting about this!
I’ve been reading Sorrentino (older Sorrentino), been planning a big post on him, but you beat me to it!
I’ve been reading Sorrentino (older Sorrentino), been planning a big post on him, but you beat me to it!
You should still do your big post, Lily! We need more conversation about Sorrentino’s amazing work.
You should still do your big post, Lily! We need more conversation about Sorrentino’s amazing work.
I’m reading Little Casino right now. It’s just great. I’d never read him before, but John Domini’s Sorrentino article convinced me to give him a whirl, and I’m really glad I did.
I’m reading Little Casino right now. It’s just great. I’d never read him before, but John Domini’s Sorrentino article convinced me to give him a whirl, and I’m really glad I did.
Sorrentino is a great writer, very creative, great prose, but his incessant, bitter misanthropy dismays me. I understand being very jaded about “creative types” and publishing, but I don’t understand giving up on humanity and life.
Sorrentino is a great writer, very creative, great prose, but his incessant, bitter misanthropy dismays me. I understand being very jaded about “creative types” and publishing, but I don’t understand giving up on humanity and life.
Agreed. Please a long Sorrentino post.
I started on, and really enjoyed, Lunar Follies.
Agreed. Please a long Sorrentino post.
I started on, and really enjoyed, Lunar Follies.
Nice to see Sorrentino being discussed; I’ve been a fan since reading _The Moon in Its Flight_, a great collection of short pieces. _Lunar Follies_ is just great, as is _Red the Fiend_ (for entirely different reasons). In April – and sorry for this partial self-plug – _The Literary Review_ will publish my review-essay on _The Abyss of Human Illusion_, in case you’re interested, Matthew.
Jeff
Nice to see Sorrentino being discussed; I’ve been a fan since reading _The Moon in Its Flight_, a great collection of short pieces. _Lunar Follies_ is just great, as is _Red the Fiend_ (for entirely different reasons). In April – and sorry for this partial self-plug – _The Literary Review_ will publish my review-essay on _The Abyss of Human Illusion_, in case you’re interested, Matthew.
Jeff
For what it’s worth, I recently finished a still longer Sorrentino article-essay for an anthology, & so I’d be especially interested in anything Lily Hoang had to say. Oh & Jeff Bursey, I’ll look for your review.
For what it’s worth, I recently finished a still longer Sorrentino article-essay for an anthology, & so I’d be especially interested in anything Lily Hoang had to say. Oh & Jeff Bursey, I’ll look for your review.
I’m seconding (thirding?) reading more on Sorrentino, by Lily Hoang, John Domini, and anyone else.
When _Books in Canada_ was still publishing I wrote reviews of _The Moon in Its Flight_, _Lunar Follies_ and _A Strange Commonplace_. You can see them here —
http://www.jeffbursey.com/indexreviews.php
— if you scroll down to _Books in Canada_, and then look for May/June 2006 (LF and ASC) and June/July 2004 (MIIF), if anyone’s interested.
I’m seconding (thirding?) reading more on Sorrentino, by Lily Hoang, John Domini, and anyone else.
When _Books in Canada_ was still publishing I wrote reviews of _The Moon in Its Flight_, _Lunar Follies_ and _A Strange Commonplace_. You can see them here —
http://www.jeffbursey.com/indexreviews.php
— if you scroll down to _Books in Canada_, and then look for May/June 2006 (LF and ASC) and June/July 2004 (MIIF), if anyone’s interested.
Jeff, at last I caught up w/ a couple of those Sorrentino reviews. The LUNAR FOLLIES in particular impressed me: you got the laughing & slashing just right.
Jeff, at last I caught up w/ a couple of those Sorrentino reviews. The LUNAR FOLLIES in particular impressed me: you got the laughing & slashing just right.
John, thanks for those comments – I just got caught up with your blog. And my review of _Abyss_ is now out in _Literary Review_ (spring issue).
Jeff
John, thanks for those comments – I just got caught up with your blog. And my review of _Abyss_ is now out in _Literary Review_ (spring issue).
Jeff