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صديقة شبابي
سيدة تطاردها دائمًا أحلام بأمها الراحلة … رجل وامرأة في علاقة آثمة يتعديان مرحلة الإثارة الأولى في العلاقة، ويبدآن في مرحلة الألم والمتاعب … أرملة تزور قرية اسكتلندية بحثًا عن ماضي زوجها الراحل، ولكنها بدلًا من ذلك تكتشف حقائق مزعجة عن شخصية أخرى غريبة تمامًا … إن القصص العشر الرائعة التي تضمها هذه المجموعة القصصية لأديبة نوبل أليس مونرو الهدف منها ليس فقط التسلية والمتعة، وإنما أيضًا محاولة سبر أغوار التجربة الإنسانية بما فيها من أسرار. إن هذا الإبداع في الصياغة — القدرة غير العادية على إماطة اللثام عن كل ما هو في طَيِّ الكتمان — يجعل من هذه المجموعة القصصية حدثًا أدبيًا حقيقيًّا.
301 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1987
442 people are currently reading
6832 people want to read
About the author
Alice Munro
239 books6,596 followersCollections of short stories of noted Canadian writer Alice Munro of life in rural Ontario include
Dance of the Happy Shades
(1968) and
Moons of Jupiter
(1982); for these and vivid novels, she won the Nobel Prize of 2013 for literature.
People widely consider her premier fiction of the world. Munro thrice received governor general's award. She focuses on human relationships through the lens of daily life. People thus refer to this "the Canadian Chekhov."
(Arabic: أليس مونرو)
(Persian: آلیس مانرو)
(Russian Cyrillic: Элис Манро)
(Ukrainian Cyrillic: Еліс Манро)
(Bulgarian Cyrillic: Алис Мънро)
(Slovak: Alice Munroová)
(Serbian: Alis Manro)
People widely consider her premier fiction of the world. Munro thrice received governor general's award. She focuses on human relationships through the lens of daily life. People thus refer to this "the Canadian Chekhov."
(Arabic: أليس مونرو)
(Persian: آلیس مانرو)
(Russian Cyrillic: Элис Манро)
(Ukrainian Cyrillic: Еліс Манро)
(Bulgarian Cyrillic: Алис Мънро)
(Slovak: Alice Munroová)
(Serbian: Alis Manro)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
December 5, 2020
Alice Munro at this point is a favourite. One of the writers –like Morrison, Baldwin, Proust, Tolstoy, Woolf among others, I can always expect to leave me marvelled, impressed and feeling a sense of loss parting with her work.
This collection of short stories was no different. Ten stories, each exploring the past, showing that the past isn't always some far-off place we can easily look back on, as though it's an antique object we raise and peer at, but also an ever-present and even intrusive part of life.
In the first and eponymous short story, a daughter reconstructs and examines her dead mother's past and the people her mother knew in her earlier years. In this and most of the stories, places the characters lived in/knew of are revisited and so are the people they knew in the past. As I read I kept thinking to myself this book is a perfect example of what Munro does with a short story. Expand and stretch narrative in her brilliant way, when you think you know where the story is headed, you are diverted and then brought back as things round up in a wonderful way. Story begetting story within short story, she does it so well to the point she makes it look easy, it's almost annoying how easy she makes it all look.
Most of the characters here are dealing with loss, regret, falling in and out of love. A wonderful book where Munro does with stories the way you'd expect someone with some elastic material like a balloon to, shape it into marvellous forms and graciously present them to you.
This collection of short stories was no different. Ten stories, each exploring the past, showing that the past isn't always some far-off place we can easily look back on, as though it's an antique object we raise and peer at, but also an ever-present and even intrusive part of life.
In the first and eponymous short story, a daughter reconstructs and examines her dead mother's past and the people her mother knew in her earlier years. In this and most of the stories, places the characters lived in/knew of are revisited and so are the people they knew in the past. As I read I kept thinking to myself this book is a perfect example of what Munro does with a short story. Expand and stretch narrative in her brilliant way, when you think you know where the story is headed, you are diverted and then brought back as things round up in a wonderful way. Story begetting story within short story, she does it so well to the point she makes it look easy, it's almost annoying how easy she makes it all look.
Most of the characters here are dealing with loss, regret, falling in and out of love. A wonderful book where Munro does with stories the way you'd expect someone with some elastic material like a balloon to, shape it into marvellous forms and graciously present them to you.
October 21, 2018
Munro never disappoints. These are all wonderful stories. Though, plot-wise, my life is nothing like the stories here, I am left wondering after each story how Munro knows my inner life so well. Her grasp of human nature, her evocation of the world of her characters: all of it is astounding. The more I read of Munro, the more I am convinced of her genius.
February 26, 2023
I must have read this more than 10 years ago, but as I re-read these short stories, I wasn't surprised to find that I easily remembered each and everyone. They all came back with overtones of my earlier reading in comparison to how I was responding to them now. The book of course hasn't changed - what has changed is me, and I suppose my reading requirements. I remember reading these stories with a kind of squeamish satisfaction - similar to when you pass an accident, driving slowly to absorb the awful details but secretly satisfied that you are not involved - that nothing that bad has happened to you.
I think Munro has tapped into that side of our behaviour - our tendency to gawk at the misfortune of others - and let's admit it the pleasure or enjoyment of feeling that we've managed to avoid such disasters - so far.
In addition to the 'drama' - there is the gossipy nature of many of the female characters. I think Munro is accurate in that this is an aspect of the small-town mindset and unfortunately it does seem more prevalent among the females, although the men also have their share of undesirable qualities - they resort to drink or violence when the narrowness of their lives is too much.
In "Goodness and Mercy"; a mother and daughter are on a cross-Atlantic ship. The mother, Bugs, is dying, more quickly than expected. The daughter, Averill has paid for the trip, out of money left to her by a father - never seen. Jeanine, a fellow passenger, invites the others to a party towards the end of the journey. Bugs feels too ill to attend but Averill goes, dressed up in her mother's finery.
"Your mother is not coming to the party?" said the professor to Averill.
"Parties bore her," Averill said.
"I get the impression that many things bore her," the professor said. "I have noticed that with performing artists, and it is understandable. They have to concentrate so much on themselves."
"Who is this- the Statue of Liberty?" said the artist, brushing the silk of Averill's dress. "Is there a woman inside there at all?"
Averill had heard that he had been discussing her with Jeanine lately, wondering if she was possibly a lesbian, and Bugs was not her mother but her rich and jealous lover.
"Is there a woman or a hunk of concrete?" he said, moulding the silk to her hip.
Averill didn't care. This was the last night that she would have to see him.
The men appear to be the main meanies so far, but wait a bit - and you'll see how Jeanine 'shines' just a page later. Also that reference to the Statue of Liberty is a rather succinct pointer to Averill's lack of freedom.
Jeanine said that somebody had told her once that when the milk was sour you could suspect a dead body on the ship.
"I thought it was a kind of superstition," Jeanine said. "But he said no, there's a reason. The ice. They have used all the ice to keep the body, so the milk goes sour. He said he had known it to happen, on a ship in the tropics."
The captain was asked, laughingly, if there was any such problem on board this ship.
He said, "not that he knew of, no. And we have plenty of refrigerator space," he said.
"Anyway you bury them at sea, don't you?" said Jeanine.
"You can marry or bury at sea, can't you? Or do you really refrigerate them and send them home?"
"We do as the case dictates," said the captain.
And here the captain tells a story about his own experiences, which Averill realizes is a life-buoy thrown to her - and suggests the possibility of benefit to her despite the gruesome reality of her mother's impending death.
But look at the callous cruelty of all those "thems" uttered by Jeanine - the offhand way in which she pretends she is not referring to Bugs.
Most of the stories offer this pattern of cruelty and humiliations as part of the reality of ordinary lives, and alongside this jealousy and competitiveness between people there is also another side of human suffering. There is intense loneliness and isolation in many of the characters.
In "Hold Me Fast, Don't Let Me Pass" a widow, named Hazel visits a town in Scotland that her husband used to visit during the war years. He was a Canadian pilot who had joined up with the British RAF. Hazel stays in a small hotel that is run by Annette, whom she quickly realizes is her husband's lover from that distant past. Hazel becomes involved, to a certain extent in the busy lives of Annette's contemporaries. Dudley Brown introduces himself to Hazel in the hotel, he's involved with Annette but at the same time there is a younger woman a red-head who pines after him. She lives with her child out of the village with the old lady, Miss Dobie - the same old lady that Jack, Hazel's husband lodged with back in 1940. This if you like is the story - apparent, but really there is a slightly different emphasis if you take note of a small paragraph at the beginning.
[Hazel] was a person you would not be surprised to find sitting by herself in a corner of the world where she didn't belong, writing things in a notebook to prevent the rise of panic. She had found that she was usually optimistic in the morning but the panic was a problem at dusk.
And there quite succinctly is the real story; it's a theme that is picked up in most of the other stories. I remember that my favourite from 10 years earlier was "Wigtime" and also "Differently" - both of these stories focus on a sexual intrigue - a woman in both cases leaving her husband, looking for broader horizons, more freedom. I remember reading these for the details of the affairs - how a woman could simply fall out of her marriage and into another man's bed - why? was the question I asked myself with delicious lasciviousness. But really - at this point in my reading neither of these stories drew me. I found love intrigues, the jealousies, the sorrows of partners deceived or forgotten rather bland, flat - and I wonder if this is in fact an element of Munro's style. On the surface her stories appear to be about all the dramas the highs and lows of daily life and yet, I found Hazel's "panic" present in these stories too.
In "Wigtime" two friends, who have known each other since they were in school, meet up and discuss how their lives have evolved over the years.
The other night when [Anita] had been sitting beside her mother's bed, waiting to give her mother an injection, she had thought about men, putting names one upon another as if to pass the time, just as you'd name great rivers of the world, or capital cities, or the children of Queen Victoria. She felt regret about some of them but no repentance. Warmth, in fact, spread from the tidy buildup. An accumulating satisfaction.
"Well that's one way," said Margot staunchly. "But it seems weird to me. It does. I mean- I can't see the use of it, if you don't marry them."
We've just heard the story of how Margot gets her big house, out of her husband; several years ago she caught him in an affair with a young girl. And now she says "all I'd have to say was 'Wigtime', if he baulked at buying her anything she might need.
Margot concludes with a confession to her friend Anita:
"I'll tell you what I do," she said. "I go out and see Teresa."
"Is she still there?" said Anita with great surprise. "Is Teresa still out at the store?"
"What store?" said Margot. "Oh, no! No, no. The store's gone. Torn down years ago. Teresa's in the County Home. They have this what you call the Pyschiatric Wing out there now."
And so Margot relates how she goes out to see the woman whose husband she took, many years ago.
There is always with Munro this undercurrent to what is said in the main story. Often the extremes of human behaviour are very painful to read and yet there is also this softening as the characters in the stories either forgive themselves or make peace with what they have or haven't achieved in their lives - especially in relation to how all their "big" passions take on less and less importance as time passes.
I don't know whether I like these stories or not anymore. I feel as if there is a sane and subtle ridiculing of the human experience - but also something quite cold and callous about her interpretation of life. I'm not quite sure what she is offering as an alternative to her observations.
I think Munro has tapped into that side of our behaviour - our tendency to gawk at the misfortune of others - and let's admit it the pleasure or enjoyment of feeling that we've managed to avoid such disasters - so far.
In addition to the 'drama' - there is the gossipy nature of many of the female characters. I think Munro is accurate in that this is an aspect of the small-town mindset and unfortunately it does seem more prevalent among the females, although the men also have their share of undesirable qualities - they resort to drink or violence when the narrowness of their lives is too much.
In "Goodness and Mercy"; a mother and daughter are on a cross-Atlantic ship. The mother, Bugs, is dying, more quickly than expected. The daughter, Averill has paid for the trip, out of money left to her by a father - never seen. Jeanine, a fellow passenger, invites the others to a party towards the end of the journey. Bugs feels too ill to attend but Averill goes, dressed up in her mother's finery.
"Your mother is not coming to the party?" said the professor to Averill.
"Parties bore her," Averill said.
"I get the impression that many things bore her," the professor said. "I have noticed that with performing artists, and it is understandable. They have to concentrate so much on themselves."
"Who is this- the Statue of Liberty?" said the artist, brushing the silk of Averill's dress. "Is there a woman inside there at all?"
Averill had heard that he had been discussing her with Jeanine lately, wondering if she was possibly a lesbian, and Bugs was not her mother but her rich and jealous lover.
"Is there a woman or a hunk of concrete?" he said, moulding the silk to her hip.
Averill didn't care. This was the last night that she would have to see him.
The men appear to be the main meanies so far, but wait a bit - and you'll see how Jeanine 'shines' just a page later. Also that reference to the Statue of Liberty is a rather succinct pointer to Averill's lack of freedom.
Jeanine said that somebody had told her once that when the milk was sour you could suspect a dead body on the ship.
"I thought it was a kind of superstition," Jeanine said. "But he said no, there's a reason. The ice. They have used all the ice to keep the body, so the milk goes sour. He said he had known it to happen, on a ship in the tropics."
The captain was asked, laughingly, if there was any such problem on board this ship.
He said, "not that he knew of, no. And we have plenty of refrigerator space," he said.
"Anyway you bury them at sea, don't you?" said Jeanine.
"You can marry or bury at sea, can't you? Or do you really refrigerate them and send them home?"
"We do as the case dictates," said the captain.
And here the captain tells a story about his own experiences, which Averill realizes is a life-buoy thrown to her - and suggests the possibility of benefit to her despite the gruesome reality of her mother's impending death.
But look at the callous cruelty of all those "thems" uttered by Jeanine - the offhand way in which she pretends she is not referring to Bugs.
Most of the stories offer this pattern of cruelty and humiliations as part of the reality of ordinary lives, and alongside this jealousy and competitiveness between people there is also another side of human suffering. There is intense loneliness and isolation in many of the characters.
In "Hold Me Fast, Don't Let Me Pass" a widow, named Hazel visits a town in Scotland that her husband used to visit during the war years. He was a Canadian pilot who had joined up with the British RAF. Hazel stays in a small hotel that is run by Annette, whom she quickly realizes is her husband's lover from that distant past. Hazel becomes involved, to a certain extent in the busy lives of Annette's contemporaries. Dudley Brown introduces himself to Hazel in the hotel, he's involved with Annette but at the same time there is a younger woman a red-head who pines after him. She lives with her child out of the village with the old lady, Miss Dobie - the same old lady that Jack, Hazel's husband lodged with back in 1940. This if you like is the story - apparent, but really there is a slightly different emphasis if you take note of a small paragraph at the beginning.
[Hazel] was a person you would not be surprised to find sitting by herself in a corner of the world where she didn't belong, writing things in a notebook to prevent the rise of panic. She had found that she was usually optimistic in the morning but the panic was a problem at dusk.
And there quite succinctly is the real story; it's a theme that is picked up in most of the other stories. I remember that my favourite from 10 years earlier was "Wigtime" and also "Differently" - both of these stories focus on a sexual intrigue - a woman in both cases leaving her husband, looking for broader horizons, more freedom. I remember reading these for the details of the affairs - how a woman could simply fall out of her marriage and into another man's bed - why? was the question I asked myself with delicious lasciviousness. But really - at this point in my reading neither of these stories drew me. I found love intrigues, the jealousies, the sorrows of partners deceived or forgotten rather bland, flat - and I wonder if this is in fact an element of Munro's style. On the surface her stories appear to be about all the dramas the highs and lows of daily life and yet, I found Hazel's "panic" present in these stories too.
In "Wigtime" two friends, who have known each other since they were in school, meet up and discuss how their lives have evolved over the years.
The other night when [Anita] had been sitting beside her mother's bed, waiting to give her mother an injection, she had thought about men, putting names one upon another as if to pass the time, just as you'd name great rivers of the world, or capital cities, or the children of Queen Victoria. She felt regret about some of them but no repentance. Warmth, in fact, spread from the tidy buildup. An accumulating satisfaction.
"Well that's one way," said Margot staunchly. "But it seems weird to me. It does. I mean- I can't see the use of it, if you don't marry them."
We've just heard the story of how Margot gets her big house, out of her husband; several years ago she caught him in an affair with a young girl. And now she says "all I'd have to say was 'Wigtime', if he baulked at buying her anything she might need.
Margot concludes with a confession to her friend Anita:
"I'll tell you what I do," she said. "I go out and see Teresa."
"Is she still there?" said Anita with great surprise. "Is Teresa still out at the store?"
"What store?" said Margot. "Oh, no! No, no. The store's gone. Torn down years ago. Teresa's in the County Home. They have this what you call the Pyschiatric Wing out there now."
And so Margot relates how she goes out to see the woman whose husband she took, many years ago.
There is always with Munro this undercurrent to what is said in the main story. Often the extremes of human behaviour are very painful to read and yet there is also this softening as the characters in the stories either forgive themselves or make peace with what they have or haven't achieved in their lives - especially in relation to how all their "big" passions take on less and less importance as time passes.
I don't know whether I like these stories or not anymore. I feel as if there is a sane and subtle ridiculing of the human experience - but also something quite cold and callous about her interpretation of life. I'm not quite sure what she is offering as an alternative to her observations.
September 9, 2017
Wow, what a ride.
Disquieting. Merciless. Thought-provoking.
Two sisters, one man. Much misery.
Men and women and their ascribed roles moving from generation to generation and leaving track on their children. Changing the pattern requires an effort that not all women are ready to make. Do we get any choice at making effective decisions about what our life is going to be like?
Religion, society and fear become the worst enemies towards emancipation. There is no time to hesitate, because life releases a blow when one is not expecting it, and it cuts our plans short. Cautionary tale with subversive undertone, quintessentially Munro.
Disquieting. Merciless. Thought-provoking.
Two sisters, one man. Much misery.
Men and women and their ascribed roles moving from generation to generation and leaving track on their children. Changing the pattern requires an effort that not all women are ready to make. Do we get any choice at making effective decisions about what our life is going to be like?
Religion, society and fear become the worst enemies towards emancipation. There is no time to hesitate, because life releases a blow when one is not expecting it, and it cuts our plans short. Cautionary tale with subversive undertone, quintessentially Munro.
February 11, 2014
Coming back to Alice Munro - she speaks to me in an entirely new way, now. Stories of adult daughters and mothers and sickness and grief; infidelities and eccentricities; stories of aging - the "sardonic droop of defeat" (Differently, p. 218). Stories of women's friendships. Stories of how life happens to people, and what they become when it does. All perfectly realized, quiet and wise, perfectly told and told completely. Captured into a form over which Munro exerts complete control, making it all look so easy. Stunning.
October 31, 2020
Munro elbeszélései azért tűnhetnek lassúdadnak, mert egy olyan térben játszódnak (a vidéki Kanadában), ami a cselekménytelenség leheletét árasztja magából. Olyan, mintha itt nem történne, nem is történhetne semmi érdemleges, épp ezért csattan hangosan minden pofon, épp ezért olyan hangos minden botrány. Közben meg a Munro-elbeszélés minden, csak nem eseménytelen, sőt, igazából kifejezetten gazdag cselekményben, hisz komplett életek vannak szűk 35-50 oldalba tömörítve. A kötet novelláira jellemző, hogy két idősík van egymásra montírozva: a múlt és az évtizedekkel későbbi fiktív jelen, ahonnan a szereplők visszatekintenek egykori önmagukra. A két idősík közé rétegzett évek pedig olyanok, akár a mikroszkóp lencséje: rajtuk keresztül az érintettek alaposabban, talán okosabban tanulmányozhatják egykor elkövetett hibáikat.
Hm, talán elhamarkodottan használtam a "hiba" kifejezést. Mert mi is a hiba? Létezik hiba, ami már az elkövetés pillanatában az, vagy csak a következmény teszi azzá? Tény, hogy Munro szereplői többnyire elkövetnek valamit, amitől addig konvencionális mederben csordogáló életük sajátos irányt vesz. De a tett mögé ékelt idő nem csak lencseként működik, hanem egyben el is mossa annak hiba-jellegét: nem ítélkezésre, hanem tanulmányozásra buzdít. Mert ha megéltük, tettünk következménye nem következmény, hanem maga a megélt élet.
Munro azon ritka írók közé tartozik, aki egyszerre tud szívvel és ésszel írni. Senki nem tud annyit a kapcsolatok felszíne alatt meghúzódó titkos vágyakról és elvágyódásokról, mint ő.
Hm, talán elhamarkodottan használtam a "hiba" kifejezést. Mert mi is a hiba? Létezik hiba, ami már az elkövetés pillanatában az, vagy csak a következmény teszi azzá? Tény, hogy Munro szereplői többnyire elkövetnek valamit, amitől addig konvencionális mederben csordogáló életük sajátos irányt vesz. De a tett mögé ékelt idő nem csak lencseként működik, hanem egyben el is mossa annak hiba-jellegét: nem ítélkezésre, hanem tanulmányozásra buzdít. Mert ha megéltük, tettünk következménye nem következmény, hanem maga a megélt élet.
Munro azon ritka írók közé tartozik, aki egyszerre tud szívvel és ésszel írni. Senki nem tud annyit a kapcsolatok felszíne alatt meghúzódó titkos vágyakról és elvágyódásokról, mint ő.
May 19, 2014
Alice Munro's short stories are always a delight to read, and Friend of My Youth is no exception. In almost every collection of hers I have read, there is a line or two of description that makes me start out of my chair and realize, yes, that perfectly describes something I have been feeling.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
April 29, 2013
’Amistad de juventud’ es un colección de diez relatos que bien pueden considerarse pequeñas novelas. Por las páginas de estas diez historias, transitan mujeres que rememoran su pasado y a las que vamos conociendo a través de sus sueños y deseos, así como de las decisiones que las han perfilado en lo que son en la actualidad. Una mujer que sueña con su madre muerta; una maestra que se ha de hospedar por un tiempo en casa de unos cameronianos; la aventura de una mujer casada; el viaje en barco que realizan una mujer al borde de la muerte y su hija; algunos retazos de la vida de una poetisa, etc. Estos son solo algunos de los elementos que componen estos cuentos. Pero en ellos hay mucho más, porque aunque se trate de historias cortas, Alice Munro no necesita mucho más de que esas pocas páginas para abordar la complejidad de lo que podemos encontrarnos en una novela.
La mayoría de las mujeres que retrata Munro comparten deseos de libertad y domesticidad, se debaten entre el anhelo por la seguridad de un hogar y su afán de independencia. Y aún cuando siguen los imperativos de su libertad personal, estos personajes, a diferencia de muchos otros de la ficción contemporánea, que son incapaces de reinventarse a sí mismos sin hacer tabula rasa, son capaces de tender lazos con ex amantes, amigos de la infancia o parientes lejanos, reconociendo que el pasado ha dado forma al futuro.
Estamos, por tanto, no ante historias dulces, sino antes historias realistas, escritas (o traducidas) con la minuciosa y excelente prosa que es habitual en Alice Munro. Historias que, si bien no llegan al nivel de otras que he leído anteriormente, siguen siendo igual de recomendables.
La mayoría de las mujeres que retrata Munro comparten deseos de libertad y domesticidad, se debaten entre el anhelo por la seguridad de un hogar y su afán de independencia. Y aún cuando siguen los imperativos de su libertad personal, estos personajes, a diferencia de muchos otros de la ficción contemporánea, que son incapaces de reinventarse a sí mismos sin hacer tabula rasa, son capaces de tender lazos con ex amantes, amigos de la infancia o parientes lejanos, reconociendo que el pasado ha dado forma al futuro.
Estamos, por tanto, no ante historias dulces, sino antes historias realistas, escritas (o traducidas) con la minuciosa y excelente prosa que es habitual en Alice Munro. Historias que, si bien no llegan al nivel de otras que he leído anteriormente, siguen siendo igual de recomendables.
May 15, 2024
Fran Lebowitz on Toni Morrison: “She’s one of my best friends, and she is the only wise person I’ve ever known. I know lots of very smart people, but I only know one wise person.” I listened to Fran say this a while ago now, but it stuck. There are very intelligent writers, who craft these stories and novels packed with strong feelings of empathy and compassion for how and why people behave, and live, as they do. There are masterful works, humanist or not, formally inventive and innovative, by brilliant minds – wisdom isn’t required. Wisdom is something else. I don’t know what wisdom is the way I know that 1 + 1 = 2. But I feel strongly that Alice Munro was not only an intelligent writer, person and artist, but a wise one. I know Alice Munro can’t be the Alice Munro to everyone that she is to me. For others that writer will be someone else, if they’re lucky to have found them. I’m just grateful she is that artist for me – who really wrecks me and is so close to me I feel like I can touch her.
December 22, 2009
Small town southern Ontario settings, ordinary people going about nothing more spectacular than living, loving, working, dying; but Alice Munro turns the seemingly mundane into glowing, jewel-like tales that reveal the ‘shameless, marvellous, shattering absurdity’ of life. Each story leaves you faintly breathless, full of wonder at how she can so smoothly pull back the curtain, reveal the essence, the core of being. What I particularly loved in this, her seventh collection, first published in 1990, is how she allows you to see the kernel of the creative process, how she speculates as to the motivation of the figures she has created from newspaper reports or a letter of her mother’s, how she makes the reader party to her lack of real knowledge about them. But then how can we ever know another person? We don’t even know ourselves.
October 2, 2022
Aunque no me gusta leer cuentos debo decir que esta autora me da ganas de hacerlo.
reseña completa en:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg6olqWFgnP/
reseña completa en:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg6olqWFgnP/
October 4, 2022
En la feria del libro antiguo en mayo también compré Amistad de juventud de Alice Munro que me ha gustado muchísimo. En 2013 leí Demasiada felicidad que me encantó y me apetecía volver a esta autora canadiense. Me reafirmo en todo lo que escribí hace nueve años, que pedazo de escritora es la Munro y como me gustan sus relatos. Es buenísima. Sus historias no se parecen a las de nadie más, parece tener el superpoder de con un chasqueo de dedos meter mágicamente al lector en el mundo que retrata cada uno de ellos como hacía Mary Poppins con los niños al meterlos en los dibujos de Bert. Empiezas a leer y, sin saber cómo, estás sentada con los personajes en su mesa de la cocina asistiendo a sus diálogos, estás en medio de una cena de matrimonios en la que ellos no ven a sus mujeres, vas en coches en los que se completan infidelidades con amantes que no son más que "ejercicio", como dice una de las protagonistas de uno de los cuentos de este volumen. Con Munro no lees los relatos, no los ves desde fuera, estás en ello, en este caso con todas esas mujeres que son o fueron amigas y cuyas amistades, de alguna manera, las hicieron quienes son.
Otra cosa que hace Munro en esta colección de historias de amistades es derivar la historia de un personaje a otro, haciendo que el lector acompañe a cada uno casi sin darse cuenta hasta que lo piensa y dice «pero...¿yo no había venido aquí con Anne?» Y sí, habías llegado a la fiesta con Anne pero las vidas de todos, las de los personajes de los relatos y las nuestras, se entrelazan con hilos visibles y también invisibles que en este caso solo Munro ve y decide guiarnos por ellos.
Todos los relatos, menos uno, me han gustado muchísimo, especialmente tres: Manzanas y Naranjas, ¡Oh de qué sirve!, El día de la peluca y De otro modo.
«Con Ben había entrado, cuando los dos eran muy jóvenes, en un mundo de ceremonia, de seguridad, de gestos, de disimulo. Apariencias ingenuas. Más que apareciencias. Tretas ingenuas. (Cuando se fue pensó que nunca más utilizaría tretas). Había sido feliz alli, de vez en cuando. Había estado triste, inquieta, desconcertada y feliz. Pero dijo con mucha vehemencia. Nunca, nunca. «Nunca fui feliz» dijo.
La gente siempre lo decía.
La gente hace cambios trascendentales, pero los cambios que se imagina».
Leed a Alice Munro por el amor de Dios.
Otra cosa que hace Munro en esta colección de historias de amistades es derivar la historia de un personaje a otro, haciendo que el lector acompañe a cada uno casi sin darse cuenta hasta que lo piensa y dice «pero...¿yo no había venido aquí con Anne?» Y sí, habías llegado a la fiesta con Anne pero las vidas de todos, las de los personajes de los relatos y las nuestras, se entrelazan con hilos visibles y también invisibles que en este caso solo Munro ve y decide guiarnos por ellos.
Todos los relatos, menos uno, me han gustado muchísimo, especialmente tres: Manzanas y Naranjas, ¡Oh de qué sirve!, El día de la peluca y De otro modo.
«Con Ben había entrado, cuando los dos eran muy jóvenes, en un mundo de ceremonia, de seguridad, de gestos, de disimulo. Apariencias ingenuas. Más que apareciencias. Tretas ingenuas. (Cuando se fue pensó que nunca más utilizaría tretas). Había sido feliz alli, de vez en cuando. Había estado triste, inquieta, desconcertada y feliz. Pero dijo con mucha vehemencia. Nunca, nunca. «Nunca fui feliz» dijo.
La gente siempre lo decía.
La gente hace cambios trascendentales, pero los cambios que se imagina».
Leed a Alice Munro por el amor de Dios.
Read
December 18, 2017"Un uomo può minare alla radice la tua vita per un tempo non prevedibile, e poi un bel giorno: finito. Da non credere". (Dal racconto 'Parrucca')
Una donna sta pranzando con suo marito in un ristorante della British Columbia e nel locale scorge un tale che assomiglia a un uomo di cui era stata innamorata. Un fatto tutto suo, iniziato e finito nei pensieri. E tornando a casa, tra file di larici in auto e poi sul traghetto per Prince Rupert, si sente scollata, proprio così, dice, scollata da suo marito e si chiede se un tale, che ormai è una fantasma, può farla soffrire di un'emozione che il suo matrimonio non può offrirle, perché starci? E nei racconti di Alice Munro, questa donna che si chiami Anita o Margot, va via. E nella vita non succede. E allora, un giorno mi disse un'amica: per me Alice Munro ci prende solo per il culo.
Nei racconti di Alice Munro c'è una donna sposata che non ha nessuna passione per il suo vicino aitante e noioso, che la scruta, la osserva mentre prende il sole in giardino; il marito è geloso e il marito di lei nei racconti di Alice Munro fa del tutto per far sì che avvenga il fattaccio, che lei vada da lui una sera con la scusa di portargli delle coperte per l'inverno. Il marito vuole sperimentare sulla pelle quale sia il fondamento della sua gelosia. Ma nei racconti di Alice Munro, come se non bastasse l'assurdo che lei vada davvero da lui, nei racconti di Alice Munro lui la rifiuta. Lei torna a casa e suo marito capisce del rifiuto dal fatto che lei si versa da bere del gin assoluto, non avendolo mai fatto, e poi esclama: Non parliamone più. Mai più. I racconti di Alice Munro detta così sembrano strambi, inverosimili, quasi quasi racconti di chi ci prende un po' per il culo con metodo. Invece i racconti di Alice Munro li può scrivere solo lei, il lettore sa che da qualche parte il mondo di Alice Munro potrebbe essere vero, sa che ha dovuto scrivere i suoi racconti straordinari per dire che il guizzo - che conquista il cuore - non lo sappiamo dire, e sta in momenti che per dirli, ci vuole Alice Munro.
Tutti i 10 racconti sono notevoli, se dovessi sceglierne alcuni direi: Amica della mia giovinezza, Arance e mele, Five points, Diversamente, Parrucca.
Una donna sta pranzando con suo marito in un ristorante della British Columbia e nel locale scorge un tale che assomiglia a un uomo di cui era stata innamorata. Un fatto tutto suo, iniziato e finito nei pensieri. E tornando a casa, tra file di larici in auto e poi sul traghetto per Prince Rupert, si sente scollata, proprio così, dice, scollata da suo marito e si chiede se un tale, che ormai è una fantasma, può farla soffrire di un'emozione che il suo matrimonio non può offrirle, perché starci? E nei racconti di Alice Munro, questa donna che si chiami Anita o Margot, va via. E nella vita non succede. E allora, un giorno mi disse un'amica: per me Alice Munro ci prende solo per il culo.
Nei racconti di Alice Munro c'è una donna sposata che non ha nessuna passione per il suo vicino aitante e noioso, che la scruta, la osserva mentre prende il sole in giardino; il marito è geloso e il marito di lei nei racconti di Alice Munro fa del tutto per far sì che avvenga il fattaccio, che lei vada da lui una sera con la scusa di portargli delle coperte per l'inverno. Il marito vuole sperimentare sulla pelle quale sia il fondamento della sua gelosia. Ma nei racconti di Alice Munro, come se non bastasse l'assurdo che lei vada davvero da lui, nei racconti di Alice Munro lui la rifiuta. Lei torna a casa e suo marito capisce del rifiuto dal fatto che lei si versa da bere del gin assoluto, non avendolo mai fatto, e poi esclama: Non parliamone più. Mai più. I racconti di Alice Munro detta così sembrano strambi, inverosimili, quasi quasi racconti di chi ci prende un po' per il culo con metodo. Invece i racconti di Alice Munro li può scrivere solo lei, il lettore sa che da qualche parte il mondo di Alice Munro potrebbe essere vero, sa che ha dovuto scrivere i suoi racconti straordinari per dire che il guizzo - che conquista il cuore - non lo sappiamo dire, e sta in momenti che per dirli, ci vuole Alice Munro.
Tutti i 10 racconti sono notevoli, se dovessi sceglierne alcuni direi: Amica della mia giovinezza, Arance e mele, Five points, Diversamente, Parrucca.
October 17, 2014
فن القصة القصيرة من الفنون الأدبية التى أشعر تجاهها بالذنب , فن عظيم يُبذل فيه جهد كبير ولكن لا يجد قبوله الذى يليق به عند جمهور الأدب.
المهم : هذا عمل لأديبة وُصفت فيما وُصفت ب تشيكوف العصر وأنها أحدثت ثورة فى بناء القصة القصيرة . أديبة حازت نوبل للآداب لعام 2013 .
لطالما كان أجمل الأدب أبسطه ونحن هنا أمام أدب بسيط . وصف مبسط للمشاعر الإنسانية مع عمق ظاهر يجعلك تُدرك جميع الجوانب المُرادة .
تقديم شامل للشخصيات وعرض ظريف لجوانبها .
الترجمة جيدة تدل على لغة العمل العظيمة .
مجموعة تتكون من 10 قصص قصيرة .
كل قصة منهم بناء محكم تدل على جهد كبير مبذول فيها , كل قصة جرعة أدبية مكثفة تعطيك شيئًا من الإشباع الأدبى .
فى المجمل : مجموعة قصصية جيدة.
المهم : هذا عمل لأديبة وُصفت فيما وُصفت ب تشيكوف العصر وأنها أحدثت ثورة فى بناء القصة القصيرة . أديبة حازت نوبل للآداب لعام 2013 .
لطالما كان أجمل الأدب أبسطه ونحن هنا أمام أدب بسيط . وصف مبسط للمشاعر الإنسانية مع عمق ظاهر يجعلك تُدرك جميع الجوانب المُرادة .
تقديم شامل للشخصيات وعرض ظريف لجوانبها .
الترجمة جيدة تدل على لغة العمل العظيمة .
مجموعة تتكون من 10 قصص قصيرة .
كل قصة منهم بناء محكم تدل على جهد كبير مبذول فيها , كل قصة جرعة أدبية مكثفة تعطيك شيئًا من الإشباع الأدبى .
فى المجمل : مجموعة قصصية جيدة.
May 15, 2024
Happy to tag this as read — I'm always going to be reading Alice Munro.
I had a grand plan of reading Alice Munro's work in order of publication date. I did start at the beginning, and read her first book, and I skipped around this book, since I am too wild to read short stories in order. So I did read this one, too, and reread some of it.
My grand plan is maybe never going to happen. Newer books call to me, from other authors and Alice too. But I just have to say: I love Alice Munro!! ❤️
I had a grand plan of reading Alice Munro's work in order of publication date. I did start at the beginning, and read her first book, and I skipped around this book, since I am too wild to read short stories in order. So I did read this one, too, and reread some of it.
My grand plan is maybe never going to happen. Newer books call to me, from other authors and Alice too. But I just have to say: I love Alice Munro!! ❤️
June 25, 2022
Altre storie
Mi ha sempre incuriosito provare ad immaginare in che modo Alice Munro riesca a creare la struttura così particolare ed inimitabile dei suoi racconti.
Se cioè la scrittrice lavori all’inizio su una traccia delineata in modo tradizionale secondo un itinerario articolato e personaggi predefiniti nei loro rapporti e nel loro destino, una traccia su cui successivamente rimescola come tessere di un puzzle i flashback, le divagazioni, gli ambienti, i personaggi “secondari”, i ricordi, le notizie riferite quasi sottotraccia, fino ad ottenere un amalgama dotato dell’effetto ammaliante, imprevedibile e un po’ straniante che caratterizza la sua prosa e rende le sue storie così simili alla vita.
O se invece le nascano come un dono naturale, addirittura di getto, l’ispirazione e la capacità di proiettarci fin dalle prime righe, senza preamboli, all’interno di esistenze, vicende, relazioni umane che si evolvono e talora si contraddicono dando l’impressione ingannevole che perfino la voce narrante ignori le svolte e le giravolte che la sorte riserverà ai personaggi, ribaltando sovente il ruolo stesso di protagonisti e comprimari.
Anche volendo prodursi in questo vano esercizio, si finisce puntualmente per concludere che il piacere risiede nel lasciarsi andare al flusso della narrazione e godersene il risultato, come ad esempio nelle fulminee dissolvenze che dall’intimità di un personaggio, quasi sempre femminile, esplorano il mondo circostante, andando a soffermarsi sui dettagli dell’interno di un soggiorno, di un paesaggio lacustre o del malinconico arredamento di un pub dell’Ontario rurale e provinciale.
Anche in questa raccolta si tratta in definitiva di storie ordinarie di vita quotidiana prive di avvenimenti forti, tragedie o eventi traumatici di particolare risonanza se non per coloro che vi trovano coinvolte le loro fragili esistenze. Ed ecco che di tanto in tanto, nel corso del racconto e dopo un salto narrativo di anni, veniamo informati quasi incidentalmente dell’avvenuta morte di un personaggio o del suo essersi trasferito altrove; esce quasi in punta di piedi dal racconto che tuttavia procede avvolto nella delicata e soffusa atmosfera creata dalla Munro, impressa nella nostra memoria anche dopo la lettura come un mondo realmente visitato, forse un sogno che assomiglia molto alle nostre vite.
Mi ha sempre incuriosito provare ad immaginare in che modo Alice Munro riesca a creare la struttura così particolare ed inimitabile dei suoi racconti.
Se cioè la scrittrice lavori all’inizio su una traccia delineata in modo tradizionale secondo un itinerario articolato e personaggi predefiniti nei loro rapporti e nel loro destino, una traccia su cui successivamente rimescola come tessere di un puzzle i flashback, le divagazioni, gli ambienti, i personaggi “secondari”, i ricordi, le notizie riferite quasi sottotraccia, fino ad ottenere un amalgama dotato dell’effetto ammaliante, imprevedibile e un po’ straniante che caratterizza la sua prosa e rende le sue storie così simili alla vita.
O se invece le nascano come un dono naturale, addirittura di getto, l’ispirazione e la capacità di proiettarci fin dalle prime righe, senza preamboli, all’interno di esistenze, vicende, relazioni umane che si evolvono e talora si contraddicono dando l’impressione ingannevole che perfino la voce narrante ignori le svolte e le giravolte che la sorte riserverà ai personaggi, ribaltando sovente il ruolo stesso di protagonisti e comprimari.
Anche volendo prodursi in questo vano esercizio, si finisce puntualmente per concludere che il piacere risiede nel lasciarsi andare al flusso della narrazione e godersene il risultato, come ad esempio nelle fulminee dissolvenze che dall’intimità di un personaggio, quasi sempre femminile, esplorano il mondo circostante, andando a soffermarsi sui dettagli dell’interno di un soggiorno, di un paesaggio lacustre o del malinconico arredamento di un pub dell’Ontario rurale e provinciale.
Anche in questa raccolta si tratta in definitiva di storie ordinarie di vita quotidiana prive di avvenimenti forti, tragedie o eventi traumatici di particolare risonanza se non per coloro che vi trovano coinvolte le loro fragili esistenze. Ed ecco che di tanto in tanto, nel corso del racconto e dopo un salto narrativo di anni, veniamo informati quasi incidentalmente dell’avvenuta morte di un personaggio o del suo essersi trasferito altrove; esce quasi in punta di piedi dal racconto che tuttavia procede avvolto nella delicata e soffusa atmosfera creata dalla Munro, impressa nella nostra memoria anche dopo la lettura come un mondo realmente visitato, forse un sogno che assomiglia molto alle nostre vite.
August 12, 2019
Her gün bir öykü okuma niyetiyle başlayıp elimdeki Bolanolar’dan sebep “her gün” kısmında atlamalar olsa da sonunda bitirdim.
Alice Munro’yu ilginç buluyorum. Tarzını tamamen sevdiğimi söylemek zor ama anlattığı her hikayenin içinde beni yakalayan muhakkak birşeyler oldu. Kimi zaman karakterler, kimi zaman atmosfer ve bir anda düz bir çizgide giden hikayeyi alıp onlarca yıl öncesine ya da sonrasına taşıyarak anlatıya başkalaşım geçirtmesi.
Özellikle Gençlik Arkadaşım, Benzeşmezlikler ve İyilik ve Merhamet öykülerini bir başka sevdim.
“Tanrı’ya olan inancını yitirdiğinden beri ilk defa bu kadar mutluydu. (Bunu bu şekilde ifade etmek yetersizdi. Murray daha ziyade sanki kapalı tutulan bir odaya girmiş ya da bir çekmeceyi açmış ve inancının bir ağaç dalı gibi kuruyup gittiğini, o odanın ya da çekmecenin bir köşesinde bir toz yığınına dönüştüğünü görmüştü.)”
İnancını yitirmenin okuduğum en iyi anlatımlarından biri. Benzeşmezlikler öyküsünden...
Alice Munro’yu ilginç buluyorum. Tarzını tamamen sevdiğimi söylemek zor ama anlattığı her hikayenin içinde beni yakalayan muhakkak birşeyler oldu. Kimi zaman karakterler, kimi zaman atmosfer ve bir anda düz bir çizgide giden hikayeyi alıp onlarca yıl öncesine ya da sonrasına taşıyarak anlatıya başkalaşım geçirtmesi.
Özellikle Gençlik Arkadaşım, Benzeşmezlikler ve İyilik ve Merhamet öykülerini bir başka sevdim.
“Tanrı’ya olan inancını yitirdiğinden beri ilk defa bu kadar mutluydu. (Bunu bu şekilde ifade etmek yetersizdi. Murray daha ziyade sanki kapalı tutulan bir odaya girmiş ya da bir çekmeceyi açmış ve inancının bir ağaç dalı gibi kuruyup gittiğini, o odanın ya da çekmecenin bir köşesinde bir toz yığınına dönüştüğünü görmüştü.)”
İnancını yitirmenin okuduğum en iyi anlatımlarından biri. Benzeşmezlikler öyküsünden...
May 1, 2020
Alice Munro es una de mis escritoras favoritas y quizás también es la culpable de que me lea tantos relatos, cuentos, que no son más que otra forma de descubrir también autores nuevos, porque ¿qué mayor talento puede tener un escritor que comprimir toda una vida, toda una historia en unas pocas páginas?? Alice Munro es una maestra en este aspecto y la culpable, como he dicho antes, de que a través de ella, llegara a otros magnificos cuentistas. En mi caso concreto, primero fue Alice Munro y luego vino Chejov, Si, es un sacrilegio pero ya digo, gracias a ella llegué a los demás.
"Tienen una historia de pasión, del mismo modo que tienen una historia las familias, o las personas que han ido juntas a la escuela. No tienen mucho más. Nunca han comido juntos, ni han ido a ver una película".
La maravilla de sus historias radica quizás en su forma elíptica de narrar, sus saltos en el tiempo: no te lo te cuenta todo o si te lo cuenta, lo hace de una forma soterrada. Uno de sus cuentos puede ser también varios cuentos a a vez, lo que me parece un prodigio total, la capacidad de la autora de saltar de una historia a otra dentro de un mismo relato mientras que cuenta como niñas crecen y se convierten en mujeres, otras se arriesgan en infidelidades y que también las hace crecer como mujeres, y otras envejecen recordando su juventud. En mi caso cuando empiezo uno de sus libros de relatos es como abrir una caja de tesoros. Es complicada a veces en el sentido de que parece que te escondiera algo durante la lectura, pero cuando llegas al final de sus relatos, te sientes en la necesidad de reelerlo para descubrir más capas escondidas, quizá por una pista o por un pequeño detalle que te deja entrever entre lineas hacia el final.
"Los problemas empezaron, quizá, en cuánto se dijeron que se amaban ¿Por qué hicieron aquello: definir, exagerar, confundir lo que fuera que sintieran?" Parecía algo obligado eso era todo...."
En "Amistad de Juventud" no hay historias malas, solo hay una con la que no conecté pero eso no significa necesariamente que sea una mala historia. Todas tienen el nexo común de la amistad, de amigas que se reencuentran, otras, amigas que se traicionan, y en la mayoría de los casos, esto solo demuestra que en la vida no hay blancos ni negros, sino una infinidad de gama de grises. A continuación, pequeñas reflexiones en torno a los nueve cuentos de esta antologia:
1.Amistad de juventud: lo que no se dice o no se cuenta pero que Alice Munro consigue colar entre lineas, es siempre lo más fascinante de sus cuentos. Aquí la narradora empieza hablándonos de su madre pero termina hablando de Flora, una amiga de juventud, uno de esos personajes femeninos munronianos elípticos y llenos de aristas. Ambiente rural y mujeres nada idealizadas, todo lo contrario. Me flipa esta escritora.
2. Five Points: Dos historias entrelazadas: por un lado la de Brenda, envuelta en una relación extramarital con Neil y por otro la historia de Maria, que surge del recuerdo que Neil tiene de ella. Dos historias que tienen en común el sexo, usado como un poderoso lazo de manipulación, de control... Una historia lleva a la otra, como una de esas cajas chinas que se multiplican.No hay nada que dure eternamente.
3. Meneteseung: La narradora (la misma Alice Munro, imagino) reconstruye la vida de Almeda Roth, una poetisa que vivió entre 1840 a 1903, y lo hace a través de un prólogo de uno de sus libros y del periódico local, pero lo bueno es como la narradora va creando su propio personaje: la crea o la imagina, no como la ven otros, o como lo que le llega de ella. Un cuento magistral.
4.Agárrame Fuerte, No Me Sueltes: Una viuda viaja al pueblo donde su marido pasó parte de su estancia durante la guerra. Su marido se pasó décadas hablando de las anécdotas y del amor de juventud de aquellos años. Pero cuando la viuda llega, nadie se acuerda ya de Jack...la memoria y los recuerdos son tan selectivos y subjetivos. ¿Quizás los recuerdos de Jack tampoco eran objetivos y se los medió inventó?
5. Naranjas Y Manzanas: Este es uno de sus cuentos más elipticos, quizás haya uno o dos cuentos más que se podrían sacar de aquí, leyendo entre lineas. Murray nos habla de como conoce a su mujer y de como se casa con ella, y de como un día cuando llega a casa, su vida cambia por completo. Es una maravilla de cuento porque una vez terminado, te das cuenta que si lo relees quizás podrías verlo desde otra perspectiva.
6. Fotografías de Hielo: Austin tiene 70 años, recién viudo y está a punto de rehacer su vida. En apenas unas pinceladas, la Munro te hace un retrato de un hombre con una vida que había sido plena, y que ahora, se siente inútil, aunque durante todo el cuento no es eso lo que parece. Y las primeras frases del cuento son toda una declaración de intenciones. Deja un sabor agridulce este cuento pero es la vida misma.
"Los padres y los hijos, Karin -dice suspirando, suspirando jocosamente-. Oh, que red tan enmarañada tejemos cuando tenemos hijos. Luego ellos siempre quieren que seamos los mismos, quieren que seamos padres... Les trastorna terriblemente que hagamos algo que ellos no creían que fuésemos a hacer. Terriblemente."
7.Oh, De Qué Sirve: Es de las historias que menos me han gustado de Alice Munro, encima está dividida en tres partes y se hace eterna. No me voy a extender porque no disfruté con ella.
8. De Otro Modo: Otro de esos cuentos donde Alice Munro explora sobre la complejidad de las relaciones ¿amorosas? o la infidelidad. En esta antología hay otro cuento parecido que habla sobre infidelidades, pero realmente de lo que te está aquí hablando es de Georgia y de su relación de amistad con Maya. Por lo que sé de la vida de Alice Munro, podría ser algo autobiográfico porque Georgia también trabajó en una libreria oyendo las historias de los clientes que entraban, pero no es tan importante este detalle.
9. El Día de la Peluca: Otra nueva historia de amigas que se reencuentran, y ese reencuentro lleva a Anita a recordar su adolescencia con Margot, ambas hijas de granjeros, unidas en sus bromas y en la tonteria de la edad. Pero algo ocurre que las distancia, un hombre... y cuando ya adultas se vuelven a reencontrar y a recordar..., quizás el prisma y la perspectiva ya no sea igual, la vida misma. Un cuento maestro.
"Ella se siente inquieta, pero feliz. Su felicidad es hermética y privada, no de la clase que sale de uno y lo empaña todo y te hace desconsiderado con lo que dices. Muy al contrario. Se siente ligera, hiriente e inconexa."
"Tienen una historia de pasión, del mismo modo que tienen una historia las familias, o las personas que han ido juntas a la escuela. No tienen mucho más. Nunca han comido juntos, ni han ido a ver una película".
La maravilla de sus historias radica quizás en su forma elíptica de narrar, sus saltos en el tiempo: no te lo te cuenta todo o si te lo cuenta, lo hace de una forma soterrada. Uno de sus cuentos puede ser también varios cuentos a a vez, lo que me parece un prodigio total, la capacidad de la autora de saltar de una historia a otra dentro de un mismo relato mientras que cuenta como niñas crecen y se convierten en mujeres, otras se arriesgan en infidelidades y que también las hace crecer como mujeres, y otras envejecen recordando su juventud. En mi caso cuando empiezo uno de sus libros de relatos es como abrir una caja de tesoros. Es complicada a veces en el sentido de que parece que te escondiera algo durante la lectura, pero cuando llegas al final de sus relatos, te sientes en la necesidad de reelerlo para descubrir más capas escondidas, quizá por una pista o por un pequeño detalle que te deja entrever entre lineas hacia el final.
"Los problemas empezaron, quizá, en cuánto se dijeron que se amaban ¿Por qué hicieron aquello: definir, exagerar, confundir lo que fuera que sintieran?" Parecía algo obligado eso era todo...."
En "Amistad de Juventud" no hay historias malas, solo hay una con la que no conecté pero eso no significa necesariamente que sea una mala historia. Todas tienen el nexo común de la amistad, de amigas que se reencuentran, otras, amigas que se traicionan, y en la mayoría de los casos, esto solo demuestra que en la vida no hay blancos ni negros, sino una infinidad de gama de grises. A continuación, pequeñas reflexiones en torno a los nueve cuentos de esta antologia:
1.Amistad de juventud: lo que no se dice o no se cuenta pero que Alice Munro consigue colar entre lineas, es siempre lo más fascinante de sus cuentos. Aquí la narradora empieza hablándonos de su madre pero termina hablando de Flora, una amiga de juventud, uno de esos personajes femeninos munronianos elípticos y llenos de aristas. Ambiente rural y mujeres nada idealizadas, todo lo contrario. Me flipa esta escritora.
2. Five Points: Dos historias entrelazadas: por un lado la de Brenda, envuelta en una relación extramarital con Neil y por otro la historia de Maria, que surge del recuerdo que Neil tiene de ella. Dos historias que tienen en común el sexo, usado como un poderoso lazo de manipulación, de control... Una historia lleva a la otra, como una de esas cajas chinas que se multiplican.No hay nada que dure eternamente.
3. Meneteseung: La narradora (la misma Alice Munro, imagino) reconstruye la vida de Almeda Roth, una poetisa que vivió entre 1840 a 1903, y lo hace a través de un prólogo de uno de sus libros y del periódico local, pero lo bueno es como la narradora va creando su propio personaje: la crea o la imagina, no como la ven otros, o como lo que le llega de ella. Un cuento magistral.
4.Agárrame Fuerte, No Me Sueltes: Una viuda viaja al pueblo donde su marido pasó parte de su estancia durante la guerra. Su marido se pasó décadas hablando de las anécdotas y del amor de juventud de aquellos años. Pero cuando la viuda llega, nadie se acuerda ya de Jack...la memoria y los recuerdos son tan selectivos y subjetivos. ¿Quizás los recuerdos de Jack tampoco eran objetivos y se los medió inventó?
5. Naranjas Y Manzanas: Este es uno de sus cuentos más elipticos, quizás haya uno o dos cuentos más que se podrían sacar de aquí, leyendo entre lineas. Murray nos habla de como conoce a su mujer y de como se casa con ella, y de como un día cuando llega a casa, su vida cambia por completo. Es una maravilla de cuento porque una vez terminado, te das cuenta que si lo relees quizás podrías verlo desde otra perspectiva.
6. Fotografías de Hielo: Austin tiene 70 años, recién viudo y está a punto de rehacer su vida. En apenas unas pinceladas, la Munro te hace un retrato de un hombre con una vida que había sido plena, y que ahora, se siente inútil, aunque durante todo el cuento no es eso lo que parece. Y las primeras frases del cuento son toda una declaración de intenciones. Deja un sabor agridulce este cuento pero es la vida misma.
"Los padres y los hijos, Karin -dice suspirando, suspirando jocosamente-. Oh, que red tan enmarañada tejemos cuando tenemos hijos. Luego ellos siempre quieren que seamos los mismos, quieren que seamos padres... Les trastorna terriblemente que hagamos algo que ellos no creían que fuésemos a hacer. Terriblemente."
7.Oh, De Qué Sirve: Es de las historias que menos me han gustado de Alice Munro, encima está dividida en tres partes y se hace eterna. No me voy a extender porque no disfruté con ella.
8. De Otro Modo: Otro de esos cuentos donde Alice Munro explora sobre la complejidad de las relaciones ¿amorosas? o la infidelidad. En esta antología hay otro cuento parecido que habla sobre infidelidades, pero realmente de lo que te está aquí hablando es de Georgia y de su relación de amistad con Maya. Por lo que sé de la vida de Alice Munro, podría ser algo autobiográfico porque Georgia también trabajó en una libreria oyendo las historias de los clientes que entraban, pero no es tan importante este detalle.
9. El Día de la Peluca: Otra nueva historia de amigas que se reencuentran, y ese reencuentro lleva a Anita a recordar su adolescencia con Margot, ambas hijas de granjeros, unidas en sus bromas y en la tonteria de la edad. Pero algo ocurre que las distancia, un hombre... y cuando ya adultas se vuelven a reencontrar y a recordar..., quizás el prisma y la perspectiva ya no sea igual, la vida misma. Un cuento maestro.
"Ella se siente inquieta, pero feliz. Su felicidad es hermética y privada, no de la clase que sale de uno y lo empaña todo y te hace desconsiderado con lo que dices. Muy al contrario. Se siente ligera, hiriente e inconexa."
May 23, 2025
well, a set of very interesting stories, well described and with implicit sexual elements, I liked it!
For those who like to read about personal relationships and characters with complex profiles.
For those who like to read about personal relationships and characters with complex profiles.
February 1, 2008
Reading this was a long time in coming. The story "Meneseteung" that I read five years ago in the Best American Stories of the 20th Century was actually the first Alice Munro that I had come across and then over the years countless people--mainly writers--have mentioned her as a favorite. This stands to reason: Munro is a writer's writer. She spins tales; she writes real stories. Yet they have a modernism and sophistication that transcends time, place, trends, gender... everything. Her style reminds me Ann Beattie, Raymond Carver and (good) Margaret Atwood, and maybe the reason for this is that her stories are as real as the stuffy subway platform on a rainy Thursday afternoon.
What's interesting about some of her stories in this collection, like "Oranges and Apples" and "Wigtime" is the way they unwind and meander, and as you read you think the story ends there but it ramps up again, like a tunnel narrowing and then opening into another large room. It's amazing what she can pack into a story, and granted these are all New Yorker-length manuscripts but, a story like "Differently" spans the entire life of Georgia, the main character, in doing so, gliding through marriage, divorce, and the death of her parents. Many of Munro's women are products of the '70s boom in divorce. They grew up in the late '50s, became disillusioned in the '60s and then freed themselves via the change in the cultural barometer during the '70s, so many of her characters are private case studies of the turbulence of those years. Yet despite this very narrow type of experience, the stories definitely transcend.
What's interesting about some of her stories in this collection, like "Oranges and Apples" and "Wigtime" is the way they unwind and meander, and as you read you think the story ends there but it ramps up again, like a tunnel narrowing and then opening into another large room. It's amazing what she can pack into a story, and granted these are all New Yorker-length manuscripts but, a story like "Differently" spans the entire life of Georgia, the main character, in doing so, gliding through marriage, divorce, and the death of her parents. Many of Munro's women are products of the '70s boom in divorce. They grew up in the late '50s, became disillusioned in the '60s and then freed themselves via the change in the cultural barometer during the '70s, so many of her characters are private case studies of the turbulence of those years. Yet despite this very narrow type of experience, the stories definitely transcend.
October 23, 2015
Alice Munro -- master of the short story, winner of the Nobel -- why did these stories leave me stone cold? Could it be that I'm not much into the politics of sex and how they play out between lovers, husbands and wives, and best friends? No. That's a theme with universal appeal. And the writing is seamless -- I have no issue there. The problem is, once you peel off the paper and ribbon, there's no soul underneath. These stories are written with a dispassionate eye that mostly skims the surface. They're too gossipy for me. Too petty. They don't have any heart.
September 7, 2012
Kinda boring. Well-written, but each tale of domesticity and humdrum-ity fell flat for me after the first two stories. Just too much husbands and wives and domestic ho-hum. I understand there's plenty under the surface there, but I GOT BORED, YO. I actually stopped reading with 100 pages left. Onward!
November 25, 2016
3 tähteä ei suinkaan ole keskinkertainen vaan parempi kuin hyvä. Tämän kirjan kohdalla kiinnostava. Ne nuoruudenystävät - niistähän meillä kaikilla riittää tarinoita!
Lisäksi novellien rakenne. Nyt oli erityisen hyvä. Hienot siirtymät nyt-hetkestä nuoruuteen. Ja takaisin.
Nuoruudenystävät olivat tosi hyvää kirjaseuraa. Ei mitään elämää suurempaa, mutta jos lisää löytyisi lukisin.
Lisäksi novellien rakenne. Nyt oli erityisen hyvä. Hienot siirtymät nyt-hetkestä nuoruuteen. Ja takaisin.
Nuoruudenystävät olivat tosi hyvää kirjaseuraa. Ei mitään elämää suurempaa, mutta jos lisää löytyisi lukisin.
March 15, 2022
A good collection of ten engaging short stories about ordinary people. I liked all the stories. The characters are concisely described. The events in each story are simple and interesting. For example, a widow visits where her husband stayed in Scotland during the war and catches up with the characters he associated with. A woman escapes from a difficult marriage only to find herself in an equally difficult affair. A number of the stories are about characters reflecting on their teenage years and how friendships can grow over time or simply fade away.
Alice Munro fans should find this book a satisfying reading experience.
This book was first published in 1990.
Alice Munro fans should find this book a satisfying reading experience.
This book was first published in 1990.
November 4, 2020
Friend of My Youth - Alice Munro
أظن أن هذا أول عمل كامل ورسمي أقرأه لأليس مونرو، قرأت لها قصص متفرقة سواء مترجمة أو غير مترجمة.
لكن هذا أول عمل كامل وكتاب يحمل اسمها.
لكن هذا العمل لم يكن الخيار المناسب ليكون أول لقاء رسمي بها.
قصص مملة وعلى ذات النسق مع أنها مكتوبة بشكل جيد.
لكن لم تكن مبهرة أو حتى جيدة جدًا، لا بأس بها فقط.
أظن أن هذا أول عمل كامل ورسمي أقرأه لأليس مونرو، قرأت لها قصص متفرقة سواء مترجمة أو غير مترجمة.
لكن هذا أول عمل كامل وكتاب يحمل اسمها.
لكن هذا العمل لم يكن الخيار المناسب ليكون أول لقاء رسمي بها.
قصص مملة وعلى ذات النسق مع أنها مكتوبة بشكل جيد.
لكن لم تكن مبهرة أو حتى جيدة جدًا، لا بأس بها فقط.
November 6, 2015
Great portraits of humanity. I love Munro! Her characters are unexpected, interesting, empathic, and wonderful. I love her. Very recommended.
September 18, 2021
Just loved this! Another queen of the short story to add to my forever reading list.
September 15, 2020
Although academics have made a career from the oeuvre of Alice Munro - AM: Paradox and Parallel; AM: Art and Gender; AM: writing her lives; AM: Mothers and Other Clowns; etc etc etc.... - she does not need to be laboured over. In the case of this book, take short story writer Alan Beard's five line review. A line for each star. I agree. It's an especially good collection.
Rather than elaborate unnecessarily on that, I am merely going to note that I more or less found myself on the page in the story 'Oranges and Apples'. Amongst other things, it's a story about how a person reads and relates to the rest of the world. I will write it down some time.
Rather than elaborate unnecessarily on that, I am merely going to note that I more or less found myself on the page in the story 'Oranges and Apples'. Amongst other things, it's a story about how a person reads and relates to the rest of the world. I will write it down some time.
December 16, 2021
Promedio, 4
Alice Munro, de un tiempo para acá, se ha convertido en mi escritora favorita de Relato, no hay nadie que sepa narrar, con tal maestría, lo cotidiano; esas elecciones incomprensibles en la vida de hombres y mujeres que las han moldeado hasta convertirlas en lo que son.
Este libro reúne 10 relatos, donde circulan en sus páginas, múltiples vidas de hombres y mujeres que rememoran los deseos y los sueños que enterraron hace quizá demasiado tiempo.
No hay nada más trascendental que la vida misma.
Alice Munro, de un tiempo para acá, se ha convertido en mi escritora favorita de Relato, no hay nadie que sepa narrar, con tal maestría, lo cotidiano; esas elecciones incomprensibles en la vida de hombres y mujeres que las han moldeado hasta convertirlas en lo que son.
Este libro reúne 10 relatos, donde circulan en sus páginas, múltiples vidas de hombres y mujeres que rememoran los deseos y los sueños que enterraron hace quizá demasiado tiempo.
No hay nada más trascendental que la vida misma.
May 26, 2012
This lady stuns me in so many ways. She offers lessons in subtlety. Yes, brilliance can be quiet. Munro takes the past and modernizes it, rereads it with a more savvy and uncertain lens, with paradox. Themes of female sexuality, of desire, of deception (self and other), of (dis)connection, of still-present pasts, permeate this collection. No one escapes his/her history or historical contexts; individuals’ lives do not play out in a vacuum; generations are different, but it’s still complicated and takes conjecture to pinpoint how and why (the title story is an excellent primer on these issues, but they relate to every story). And, her endings!, they seem to snap right off, break their branch in interesting ways: often with an honest getting so far.
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