Casanova in Bolzano

Title: Casanova in Bolzano

Author: Sandor Marai

Genre: Literature

Edition: Vintage Books, Nov 2004 (294 pages)

From the Cover:

Another rediscovered masterpiece from the author of the Embers – a sensuous, suspenseful, aphoristic novel about the world’s most notorious seducer and the encounter that changes him forever. In 1756, Giacomo Casanova escapes from a reputedly inescapable Venetian prison. He resurfaces in the Italian village of Bolzano, where he sets about refurbishing his person and finances. Then he receives an unwelcome visitor.

He is the aging but still fearsome Duke of Parma, who years before defeated Casanova in a duel over a ravishing girl named Francesca, sparing his life only on condition that he never see her again. Now he has taken Francesca as his wife – and intercepted a love letter from her to his old rival. He could kill Casanova on the spot. Instead he makes him an offer, one that is logical, perverse and irresistible. Turning a historical episode into a dazzling fictional exploration of the clasp of desire and death, Casanova in Bolzano is further proof that Sandor Marai is one of the most distinctive voices of the twentieth century.

My Thoughts:

Casanova in Bolzano is a novel written by the Hungarian writer, Sandor Marai. Whilst the main character is based on the infamous Italian womanizer Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt (April 2, 1725 – June 4, 1798), the storyline is pure fiction, and is merely Marai’s portrayal of Casanova’s romantic character.

When I first read the blurb I was pretty excited. It made me feel like I was in for an enchanting, historical love affair, full of passion and betrayal. Fortunately, I didn’t need to get past page 40 to realize that the novel was a complete disappointment. The prose was dull and long-winded, with paragraphs that lasted up to 2 whole pages before the next break. The storyline was filled with boring monologues making one believe Casanova to be a pompous character rather than an edgy yet romantic soul. And there was naught of passion or anything resembling that hot romantic desire that you would expect from a situation of forbidden love. It’s not until the final section of the book that Casanova finally encounters the Duke of Parma and the ravishing Francesca – the first ¾ of it was just about Casanova and his tiring monologues.

Easily one of the worst books I’ve read this year, though to be fair, it was translated from Hungarian to English, a factor that may have contributed to the lackluster writing.

p/s: Sandor Marai is more popularly known for his other novel, Embers, which is an international bestseller.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Author: Jane Austen

Genre: Romance, Literature

First Published: 1813

Pages: 368

Challenge: The Jane Austen and Romance Reading Challenge 2010

Mr Bennet is an apathetic man of the working class, with no estate to his name. For Mrs Bennet, it became imperative then that her single mission in life is to marry off her 5 daughters to respectable gentlemen with some form of fortune. As the Bennet ladies mingle with society in search of a man, Elizabeth, the 2nd of the Bennet girls, quickly discovers that those with riches are not only full of pride, but are also prejudiced in their opinion of others with lesser possessions. Is Elizabeth right to judge the rich and famous as so? Will she ever find a man that will love her for what she is and not what she is worth? Or will her ready opinions of people render her guilty of being prejudiced herself?

It goes without saying that my favourite character of the entire plot would be Ms Elizabeth Bennet herself. Though she may not be as pretty and good-natured as Jane, she’s smart, head-strong and bursting with personality. My least favourite character (in fact I pretty much loathe her) is the girls’ mother, Mrs Bennet. She is forceful, pompous and the most inconsiderate mother one could ever wish for. As for the infamous Mr Darcy, his extreme arrogance was such a turn-off for me at first, but as the book progressed, his attitude was well more understood.

I believe Jane Austen has a gift for making her characters come to life. They are so believable and full of depth, it’s impossible not to feel some form of emotion over each character. I say this is a must-read for all inspiring writers and book-lovers alike.

The Catcher in the Rye

Author : J.D. Salinger
Genre : Literature
First Published : 1945

Brief: This novel centres around a high-school boy; Holden Caulfield. It is written in first person, as narrated by Caulfield himself.

The first thing that struck me when I read the first few pages of this book was how much it sounded like I was reading a personal blog instead of a much-talked about novel. It wasn’t so much of the writing style (being in first person), but it was more of the profanity and swearing that appeared in almost every page that made me feel like I was just reading some random individual’s journal. I managed to get over the countless “craps” and “Chrissakes” after a while and found a few interesting points worth mentioning.

Holden’s story, as how he views the world, is none at all conclusive. His perspective on things invokes a major question. Was he merely a rebellious teenager or was he a schizophrenic? His thoughts were incoherent, tending to jump from one topic to another, yet he expressed each random thought with clarity. He also appeared to be unusually irrational at times, like the time he wouldn’t stop asking cab drivers where the ducks disappeared to in winter. There were also some incidences in the story suggesting that Caulfield was delusional. It’s quite obvious that he’s a cynic who hated almost everything and everyone. On the other hand, he was also shown to be extremely sincere and protective when it came to kids or women. Personally, Caulfield to me looked like he was on the onset of having a mental illness. Rebellious teenagers are usually attention seekers, something Caulfield wasn’t really fond of.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this was a great book. There was no high point in the story, though it does have some interesting moments, and it definitely leaves you with some food for thought.

*Update
J.D. Salinger has passed away on the 27th of January 2010 at the age of 91. Salinger died of natural causes at his home. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in a small, remote house in Cornish, N.H. (Associated Press).

Thursday Finds...

I woke up feeling a little low today. Not really sure why. Perhaps it was the weather or the fact that I had tonnes of work but would rather lie in bed and rest my limbs. Perhaps it was time for my monthly womanly ritual...or perhaps I was just in dire need of a holiday. Who knows...women are complicated anyway.

I did manage to throw on something nice and drag myself reluctantly to work though (thank god for that - completely forgot I had a signing ceremony to attend) . After a few hours of clearing endless email, rummaging through files, preparing a credit paper and rushing for the signing gig, I suddenly had an inspiration. I thought the best way to cure this mild bout of depression was to go shopping...but not the haphazard-I-would-regret-later kind of shopping....more like the this-is-a-great-investment kind of shopping. I decided to go book-hunting at Kinokuniya. And true enough, that light-grey cloud of depression slowly lifted and revealed the bright yellow sun that I missed this morning. And this is what lifted my spirits today:

I love classics but am shameful to admit that I haven't really read that many, especially such famous ones like these. Kinokuniya was having a 20% sale on classic literature so I jumped at the opportunity. Nothings beats the joy of a good sale, even if it's just books....am truly a happy camper now :)