Category: Book Reviews and Recommendations

Art That Makes You Feel Sick: Bae Suah’s A Greater Music, Translated by Deborah Smith

May 8, 2017

Bae Suah’s 에세이스트의 책상, translated into English by Deborah Smith and available as A Greater Music from Open Letter, has a wintry feel to it. To be fair, much of the book does take place in winter. But while A Greater Music covers a number of years and therefore seasons, it’s winter that casts its pervasive blanket over … More Art That Makes You Feel Sick: Bae Suah’s A Greater Music, Translated by Deborah Smith

More Twisted: Percival Everett’s Assumption Is Yours to Make

April 13, 2017

I may be developing a knack for reading books I can’t summarize. Sasha Sokolov’s Between Dog and Wolf was difficult to sum up because it lacks a linear plot. Percival Everett’s Assumption, on the other hand, has inspired personal reviews saying, in so many words, “Stop right here and go read the book! Everything is a spoiler!” … More More Twisted: Percival Everett’s Assumption Is Yours to Make

Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Sasha Sokolov’s Meaty Headtrip “Between Dog and Wolf,” Translated by Alexander Boguslawski

January 29, 2017

The painting shown above is Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Hunters in the Snow. As you can see, it’s a work of great depth and intricacy. However, as you may have guessed, I’ve placed it here because it’s special in the context of this review. References to The Hunters appear in translator Alexander Boguslawski’s notes for the … More Sasha Sokolov’s Meaty Headtrip “Between Dog and Wolf,” Translated by Alexander Boguslawski