Arnon

Since we are so buddy-buddy, let me compliment you with this entry in particular. It has everything--social comment, personal history, art, a system of inclusion/exclusion... And with the explosives, it even has a McGuffin.

Ruger

Yeah, and its about walkiing, and breathing, and about airports, and planes, computers and traveling and interhuman contact, and its autobiographical, and about thinking and cognition, and about the clouds and maybe even a little bit about semantics and national security and idolatry and being drunk with the nectar of it.

Two comments a day, keeps mental illness away.

Joep

and Rutger

@Arnon
If you want to stay a selectee, you have to consider your part of the performance act too. Maybe a good occasion to renew your talent as an actor. I was thinking of an act as the first ironic suicide bomber, for example. But take care, some guys over there do not appreciate comedy s I would.

@Rutger, I'm really curious: why the change in tone? You hated Arnon's writing, you pointed out his every mistake on this blog (both in his use of grammer as in his views). What happened? Did you come to the insight that being a judgemental and cynical person harms yourself more than it harms others? If so, how? Was it Victor?

Noa

It was you, actually. You made me realize that it is very bad and immoral to be judgmental and cynical, and that it harms myself more than it does others. The new me is my new way of trying to harm others, including you, again.

@Rutger

Alright, fair point. But, please don't be out to harm me as I'm afraid I wouldn't survive. If I agree to roll over and play dead now, would you spare me?

I would be back

After recovering from the kicks in the teeth the other day ( and a few visits to my dentist) I am glad to be back. Especially Noa's harsh verdict did hurt me quite a bit; Monica's strange threat on the other hand was rather funny/silly.

Kertész favourite sentence in Kafka's Process did help me get over the united verbal spanking: "The verdict doesn't appear out of the blue, for the procedure slowly alters into this verdict.". Yes, I guess I had it coming. Though the magnitude was totally out of proportion, so were my posts. I sincerely hope we are even now.

Which brings me to Deep Throat: one of those haphazard events which keep on popping up in the news. Yeah, I am sorry, but it is in there, too. The cheer magnitude of the sexual revolution can be perfectly analized on the hand of this infamous porn movie. In the seventies a former Minsiter of Justice ( Van Agt;) had to figure out if this film was suited for a bigger audience: under or over 49 seats...

Well, pretty soon we ( The Dutch) all can have a look at it. On Public Television. This makes the audience of the former 49-seater nationwide .

Cheers!

Arnon's censorship

Allthough I haven't been polite & courtious, I don't think an author with the stature like Mr. Grunberg can afford to put an hold on the optional websitelink he himself has put there. ( Yes, we all know it is his site)

That smells like censorship, which seems to aknowledge my earlier statement Mr. Grunberg likes fans, nothing but fans on his blog. By nature blogging is, as Joep stated before, an open-ended medium. ( No, writers don't like to be censored)

Victor

Which optional websitelink are you talking about? And how is this witheld from you?

@ Joep

When you look at the names of the commentators under their comment, you will notice that some names light up in blue. That means you can click on their name and have access to another website, usually the commentators own one.
Yesterday I noticed that F.E. click on Neria's name you reach Umandrea in wich she comments the comments of this blog, quite funny actually. The best link so far is in my opinion Rutger's. Victor had a link too, but that one isn't active for the moment.

Mieke

Ah, ok. I didnt knew VC had one too.

@ Victor, as said before: writers should know to be prepared for criticism. And if you keep screaming how flabbergastingly brilliant your work is and you are, then you can expect people to put your claims to a test. Be happy I took you seriously enough to do so. And remember, It's only my personal opinion. You could also choose to laugh at how stupid I am for not recognizing your remarkable talent. I'd still like to read a short story of yours.

Neria

Thanks for contributing to my already crippling sense of self-awareness.

Joep

No dear, you're funny punto. Beyond suspicion. (plus, i corrected my unclear entry , you where funny in two different occasions). Of course i'm the one with the problem because i felt guilty to laugh at your reply to Manon. Luckily, today with Rutger I had the right justification to do so without pangs of conscience.

i'm already making a huge transgration when i answer you here, i think both Arnon and I like it when we keep a huge distance from each other.

*Manon, are you in search for Chefs (London's Le Cordon Bleu graduates)?

I'm so sorry,

Mieke I meant.

@ Neria

What do you mean? If I am in want of a chef? Not really, but I know people who are.

Mieke

Thanks Mieke, I had something in mind but let's leave it this way for the moment.

Newark

When I flew from Newark to London with my dad we were selected to. He is a diabetic, and has all the necessary papers to explain everything about his syringes etc. But a guy with a gun in his hands, asked him to open really slowly his small case with his insulin-tubes and injections. they treated us in a shameless way, as if we were the biggest criminals. They took me to a room to ask questions. I'll never forget that moment.

@Noa

so you would like to read a short story: need an email adress, don't I?

But seriously, Noa: the pain wasn't caused by your critic , for your 'review' clearly came from a person not willing or able to read the synopsis of Donkerland. First comes the synopsis, followed by the book itself. Occasionaly novels have deeper layers then mere reading of fragments ( of fragments of text) suggest.

Which brings me to Kertész ;) Now there is a true genius, for his writing is the best, even about the worst.

Cheers!

@Victor, let me ask you something - when people buy your book in the store, does it come with a synopsis? A handguide of 'Crebolder for dummies'?
And please stop being so condescending to me - I wrote a novel which was published a few months ago, most people on thos forum know this. But I choose not to abuse this space for my own purposes. I'm here for the same reasons most die-hards are here: escape.