Saturday, May 15, 2010

We are all part of history...and it is very sad.

All Souls Day by Cees Nooteboom is an interesting mix of a novel and a social commentary. Unlike Against the Grain, there is a real story here, interspersed with a whole lot of discussion about history and art. The real story here is very sad. This Dutch guy has lost his wife and child on a plane and he spends his time taking videos (he's a professional cameraman and is working on a documentary project for himself too) and talking with his friends in cafes. There's also an interesting young woman that he happens to come across.

The beauty of the book is really in the thoughts and discussions that he has with his friends. A lot of it went way over my head, but it was really interesting. My favorite thought though, was that clouds are the Holy Spirit's horses and they wander around the world making sure everything is OK. I like that thought a lot.

2 comments:

  1. Didn't you JUST get this book the other day? Dude. Quit being so fast!

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  2. hee hee... Marissa sounds like my wife commenting on me buying books!

    Anyway, I guess as you know about the list, you're aware of the 1001 Books spreadsheet and have a copy of the new v4 edition, right? If not, head over to the spreadsheet page on Arukiyomi.

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