Maybe the great 20th Century novel. This is a book to be savored, read and reread. If you've not read this, you won't understand what all the discussion is about (people love or hate the book, many find it boring or confusing). From the horrors and confusion of life.... he finds...beauty. This was the first literature that I thought was as beautiful as a symphony...
Even in translation, Rilke
is the greatest poet (reading him in German is
better).
This is the voice of the lone poetic soul looking
at life. If you read Rilke, he will touch your soul.
excerpts Rilke Duino Elegies (1&2) You Who Never Arrived and the Book of Hours
A great work of Hesse; the wolf live in a man, but seeks to be tamed
My favorite work of Hesse, I've often reread it; life offers many paths, one of passion and the other of control and restraint. Two friends walk these paths for a lifetime, which path is ultimately the most fulfilling?
The last and greatest of Hesse's novel. About the "meaning" and purpose of life and It's experiences; about transcending the individual viewpoint and seeing the Grand Design behind it all.
Doestoevsky writes of the human condition, deep and at the same time entertaining. Pevear's translation is best.
Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time by Joseph Frank
A great 1,000 page biography of Dostoevsky. The greatest biography I've every read, every paragraph is full of history, philosophy, aesthetics and the life of the writer.
I would love to read this paragraph by paragraph in a discusssion group, every page is full of literary, philosophical and historical references that could be discussed for hours.
One amazing,
joyous, poignant adventure, you'll reread this.
If the author tightened this by 30 pages and
strengthened the ending this would be one of the
great modern novels.
A wonderful historical novel on the life of Rodin. Like looking over his shoulder as he creates his masterpieces.
Live fully, awake in this moment. This is the expression of the Enlightened mind. My favorite Buddhist book
An annotated Shakespeare is essential, this is a good option, or pickup the Arden individual copies (not the single volume Arden that eliminated the greats annotations in the individual volumes)
This is a most poetic translation. John Ciardi was a great poet himself, and his use of semi-terza rima required a great literary genius. Reading this translation gives us a sense of what it would be like to read in the original language, how the poetry sounded and felt. It's so well done that sometimes it's hard to believe that this is only a translation of the masterpiece
Not the greatest literature, but a interesting plot and message: This book's economic message is timely.
One Robe, One Bowl: The
Zen Poetry of Ryokan
A great, touching, meaningful, beautiful set of Zen poems.