 |
 |
Riding on a shoeshine and a smile is very sad. Always. But alas trying to grow stuff in the backyard is usually bathos. ----Original Message Follows---- From: kasper salonen <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Abrupt Snap - What is the saddest book ever written? Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:31:01 +0300 I haven't read that many sad novels, but "A farewell to arms" definitely comes to mind. and in the realm of drama "Death of a salesman", I think we can agree, is absolutely wrenching. KS On 26/04/07, Jennifer Compton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >have you ever read Testament To Youth ? gaspingly achingly sad and yet >redemptive with the soldiers arriving at the field station with stories of >angels they had seen on the battlefield - or should I say above the >battlefield? they seemed to be usually hovering above > >I don't know any of the writers you mention - but writers who have made me >laugh out loud while I am reading them are Jerome K. Jerome (Three Men In A >Boat) Thurber (I was reading him on my first visit to Venice last year and >I >was having Thurber screams on the Grand Canal )and Clive James - Unreliable >Memoirs. > >Also I always beg the son not to put a Bill Hicks video on because he makes >me wet myself and beg for mercy. > >----Original Message Follows---- >From: Barry Alpert <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Abrupt Snap >Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:02:49 +0100 > >At the time, "Post Office" was dangerously funny for me, though I haven't >read Bukowski since. I didn't have an extremely sad experience during that >stay in the hospital, so I'm a bit surprised your husband had an equally >painful physiological experience with a very sad book. > >If a writer can make me laugh hysterically during a live reading (examples >which come to mind right now include Ed Dorn, Ed Sanders, Anne Waldman, >Christian Bok, & Jaap Blonk), I consider that reaction as a marker of high >quality. > >Barry > > >On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:20:14 +1000, Jennifer Compton ><[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > >Is Post Office funny? I have been meaning to read that for a while. > > > >You made me remember husband in hospital for 2 hernias. He begged for >books > >that weren't funny so I got him Testament Of Youth by Vera Brittain, >which > >is the saddest book I know. > >But it was no good. He told me that weeping was as painful as laughing. > > > >cheers - jen > >_________________________________________________________________ >Advertisement: House hunt online now! ninemsn.realestate.com.au >http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fninemsn%2Erealestate%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fcgi%2Dbin%2Frsearch%3Fa%3Dbhp%26t%3Dres%26cu%3DMSN&_t=758874163&_r=HM_Txt_Link_Oct06&_m=EXT > _________________________________________________________________ Join the millions of Australians using Live Search. Try live.com.au http://ninemsn.com.au/share/redir/adTrack.asp?mode=click&clientID=740&referral=million&URL=http://live.com.au