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BROOKLYN BOY MAKES GOOD
Like a sermon described in the novel, the language in “Witz” is “scripted to sound,” designed to capture the verbal distortions of East Coast speech. We hear of “Mortal Beach” and “Soygens General.” But while the scale of the sentences comfortably exceeds the lung capacity of most readers (Cohen isn’t afraid to unfurl a five-page sentence), the prose constantly highlights language’s sonar qualities: “At lot’s edge, last scattered lungs of leaves still hang from the boughs, breathe uneasy.” Cohen’s sentences are fluid, living things: “This lulling, ship’s loll, . . . a remnant, a reminder of the darkness, . . . and, flying across that sky a fish lands on the deck, at the forecastle, the fallen castle.”
Read the full review. And kudos, l’chaim, and cheers.
Tags: Joshua Cohen, witz
that is one trotsky-lookin’ dude. i need to read this book now.
I ordered Witz nearly two weeks ago and am still waiting for it. I’m dying here.
Bought Witz yesterday. Excited for it.
THIS WAS IT–NOT THE REVIEW, BUT YOUR LINK, JUSTIN TAYLOR. YOU FINALLY MADE ZZZZZIPP DO IT. I HAVE ORDERED WITZ.
BRIDGE & TUNNEL WAS REALLY GOOD
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME I GUESS
not someone who usually goes for “five page sentences” and all that other big book excess, but what the hell — i’m in.
witz is a word forest. really glad to see Cohen’s getting all this great pub. books like this need to be read.
I ordered Witz nearly two weeks ago and am still waiting for it. I’m dying here.
Bought Witz yesterday. Excited for it.
THIS WAS IT–NOT THE REVIEW, BUT YOUR LINK, JUSTIN TAYLOR. YOU FINALLY MADE ZZZZZIPP DO IT. I HAVE ORDERED WITZ.
BRIDGE & TUNNEL WAS REALLY GOOD
IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME I GUESS
“a brave and artful attempt to explore and explode the limits of the sentence” — that’s beautiful.
not someone who usually goes for “five page sentences” and all that other big book excess, but what the hell — i’m in.
Great review.
witz is a word forest. really glad to see Cohen’s getting all this great pub. books like this need to be read.
I’m 150 pgs. into Witz, reading it sporadically because the density of those sentences can be exhausting, but I’m enjoying it more and more. The extremely slow pace of the plot avoids the usual loss of continuity in reading so intermittently.
“a brave and artful attempt to explore and explode the limits of the sentence” — that’s beautiful.
This is a nice appreciation, best I have seen yet.
Great review.
I’m 150 pgs. into Witz, reading it sporadically because the density of those sentences can be exhausting, but I’m enjoying it more and more. The extremely slow pace of the plot avoids the usual loss of continuity in reading so intermittently.
This is a nice appreciation, best I have seen yet.
“Stephen Burn’s latest book is “Jonathan Franzen at the End of Postmodernism.” He teaches at Northern Michigan University.”
that is terrifying…
“Stephen Burn’s latest book is “Jonathan Franzen at the End of Postmodernism.” He teaches at Northern Michigan University.”
that is terrifying…
What kind of crazy book is this??? Do writers really HAVE to indulge their egos at the expense of the reader??
Not for me!
I like it when writers push. This seems nicely pushy.
What kind of crazy book is this??? Do writers really HAVE to indulge their egos at the expense of the reader??
Not for me!
I like it when writers push. This seems nicely pushy.