Literary Obscure Nominations • April 2013

[fantasyfan]

Originally Posted by issybird

I was waiting for fantasyfan to nominate something by Stella Benson, but since he hasn't, I see I must!

The potted bio from various places:



Unfortunately, most of her work isn't available in ebook. I know fantasyfan has read I Pose, therefore, I'll nominate This Is the End available at manybooks. And it's short!

A review of This is the End from Goodreads:

You beat me to it! I was thinking of that very novel! {I started it just recently.}

Project Gutenberg also has it in various formats:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11324

I'll second This Is the End

[Synamon]

I'll third The Return and This is the End.

[caleb72]

I'll fourth "This is the End"

I would like to nominate The Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot. I believe that it does qualify as obscure, and I would also argue as literary. That and I was disappointed that mythology/folktales never made it as a category in that other book club .

The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.

It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala played an instrumental role in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland's language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917.

The first version of The Kalevala (called The Old Kalevala) was published in 1835. The version most commonly known today was first published in 1849 and consists of 22,795 verses, divided into fifty songs The title can be interpreted as "The land of Kaleva" or "Kalevia". (from Wikipedia)

It can be found at PG, and if an epub will do for you in the MR Library here.


I would also like to nominate Roman de la Rose by Guillaume de Lorris & Jean de Meun. Here is what Kenneth Clarke had to say about it in his book Civilisation:

For two hundred years the Roman de la Rose was with Boethius and the Bible the most read book in Europe. I don't know many people who have read it through today, except perhaps in pursuit of a degree. But of course the effect of these romances on nineteenth-century literature was decisive . . .

Ever since I read that I have been interested in reading the book that for 200 years was as read as the Bible .

I could not locate any ebook in English translation, but PG has it in the original French. Paperbooks in English are available though.

Put The Return on the fully nominated list.

[Billi]

I second the Kalevala (and hope not to insult all the Finish people by calling their national epos "obscure" ).

[Billi]

For me, some steampunk novel would fit into this category. But I a) don't know any title to propose and b) have my doubts if it counts as "literature". So if anyone has a good idea?

[caleb72]

Steampunk is usually what I call a "style-over-substance" sub-genre.

I'm not saying it's impossible for Steampunk to be literary in the sense that this club uses the term, but it's probably a bit of a struggle to find a good example.

[issybird]

I was sitting on my last nom to see what might need a boost, so Kalevala's got it.

[fantasyfan]

I'll fourth Kalevala.

Originally Posted by Billi

I second the Kalevala (and hope not to insult all the Finish people by calling their national epos "obscure" ).

Perhaps I should have stated that probably obscure to most non-Finns. I at least had never heard of it until someone spoke to me of it at a weekend Finnish heritage festival held in a town a little south of my location not much over a year ago. It was described to me as “the Finnish Beowulf.” Certainly I intended no slight of Finland, Finns, or any of Finnish heritage.

[paola]

Maybe it is late, but I will throw in as my third nomination Chess - A novel, by Stefan Zweig. He is totally unknown to me, but wikipedia tells me he was one of the best known authors in the world (!) in the 20s and 30s. The blurb from Goodreads on the novel reads:

Chess Story, also known as The Royal Game, is the Austrian master Stefan Zweig's final achievement, completed in Brazilian exile and sent off to his American publisher only days before his suicide in 1942. It is the only story in which Zweig looks at Nazism, and he does so with characteristic emphasis on the psychological.

Travelers by ship from New York to Buenos Aires find that on board with them is the world champion of chess, an arrogant and unfriendly man. They come together to try their skills against him and are soundly defeated. Then a mysterious passenger steps forward to advise them and their fortunes change. How he came to possess his extraordinary grasp of the game of chess and at what cost lie at the heart of Zweig's story.

It fits the supershort category, as it is just over 60 pages long in paperback. Kobo sells it for £2.99 (Penguin Edition) in the UK.

[Bookworm_Girl]

I will second Chess Story.

[Billi]

With pleasure I third Chess Story (Schachnovelle).

For those who are interested to read the original: it is in our library here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=204228

[sun surfer]

I'll second Roman de la Rose and fourth Chess Story.