The Significance

The word count being devoted to the book review controversy on the internet and elsewhere is steadily rising, and, in an attempt to shine a light on all parties involved, the New York Times has run an interesting article on literary blogs, which features several of the blogs I read daily. (via Maud*)

In the midst of the hoopla, and considering any opinions I might throw at the debate would have the weight of aerogel, I'll link instead to this great old (1924!) review I stumbled across of the Bromfield book I'm reading, The Green Bay Tree. I appreciate the bluntness of an entire paragraph titled "The Significance." And the headline: "You will not soon forget John, Julia, Lily, Irene"... Too much!

I shouldn't really be reading Bromfield; I should have been inspired by PEN to pick up Tatyana Tolstaya, Natsuo Kirino, Dorota Maslowska, Massimo Carlotto. But Bromfield has once again charmed me with his first few pages - the brick house swallowed by wistaria vines, surrounded by wrought iron fences and factories just beyond, a woman returning home in thick Parisian veils and furs, wet snowflakes, dovecotes, ashtrays, enameled boxes, a cake-loving dog named Fifi and a red-cheeked farm girl - so Bromfield it will be.

Tolstaya, however, is on deck.

*Maud's post also features a photograph from the great Berenice Abbott, whose work serves as a fantastic time machine. This one is a favorite of mine. Also... this store window.

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