El canto de la nieve silenciosa

by Hubert Selby Jr., José Luis Piquero (Translator)

El campeón de dados del barrio, el oficinista obsesionado por una muchacha que ve todos los días en el metro al ir al trabajo, los juerguistas de una noche de sábado, el comercial que basa su éxito en los pronósticos de las galletas de la suerte del restaurante chino, la madre de familia ingresada en el psiquiátrico, el mendigo cuya más preciada posesión, un abrigo, es también su mejor amigo… Los protagonistas de esta ficción corta están unidos por existencias insatisfactorias, con ilusorios estímulos que les permiten seguir adelante. Desprovistos de fe, sin futuro, pero tercamente aferrados a la vida, los personajes de Selby, dibujados con mano maestra, dolorosamente reales, no carecen de ternura y se parecen demasiado a cualquier hombre de la calle, a nosotros mismos.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Literature, Ebooks, American, 20th Century, The United States Of America

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Hubert Selby, Jr. was born in Brooklyn and went to sea as a merchant marine while still in his teens. Laid low by lung disease, he was, after a decade of hospitalizations, written off as a goner and sent home to die. Deciding instead to live, but having no way to make a living, he came to a realization that would change the course of literature: "I knew the alphabet. Maybe I could be a writer." Drawing from the soul of his Brooklyn neighborhood, he began writing something called "The Queen Is Dead," which evolved, after six years, into his first novel, Last Exit to Brooklyn (1964), a book that Allen Ginsberg predicted would "explode like a rusty hellish bombshell over America and still be eagerly read in a hundred years."

Selby's second novel, The Room (1971), considered by some to be his masterpiece, received, as Selby said, "the greatest reviews I've ever read in my life," then rapidly vanished leaving barely a trace of its existence. Over the years, however, especially in Europe, The Room has come to be recognized as what Selby himself perceives it to be: the most disturbing book ever written, a book that he himself was unable to read again for twenty years after writing it.

"A man obsessed / is a man possessed / by a demon." Thus the defining epigraph of The Demon (1976), a novel that, like The Room, has been better understood and more widely embraced abroad than at home.

If The Room is Selby's own favorite among his books, Requiem for a Dream (1978) contains his favorite opening line: "Harry locked his mother in the closet." It is perhaps the truest and most horrific tale of heroin addiction ever written.

Song of the Silent Snow (1986) brought together fifteen stories whose writing spanned more than twenty years.

Selby continued to write short fiction, screenplays and teleplays at his apartment in West Hollywood. His work appeared in many journals, including Yugen, Black Mountain Review, Evergreen Review, Provincetown Review, Kulchur, New Directions Annual, Swank and Open City. For the last 20 years of his life, Selby taught creative writing as an adjunct professor in the Master of Professional Writing program at the University of Southern California. Selby often wryly noted that The New York Times would not review his books when they were published, but he predicted that they'd print his obituary.

The movie Last Exit to Brooklyn, Directed by Uli Edel, was made in 1989 and his 1978 novel Requiem for a Dream was made into a film that was released in 2000. Selby himself had a small role as a prison guard.

In the 1980s, Selby made the acquaintance of rock singer Henry Rollins, who had long admired Selby's works and publicly championed them. Rollins not only helped broaden Selby's readership, but also arranged recording sessions and reading tours for Selby. Rollins issued original recordings through his own 2.13.61 publications, and distributed Selby's other works.

During the last years of his life, Selby suffered from depression and fits of rage, but was always a caring father and grandfather. The last month of his life Selby spent in and out of the hospital. He died in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California of chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease. Selby was survived by his wife of 35 years, Suzanne; four children and 11 grandchildren.

Reviews

[piperitapitta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canto della neve silenziosa****

Qualche tempo fa, mentre scorrevo su Anobii i commenti alla raccolta Trilobiti: i dodici racconti di un grande scrittore di Breece D'J Pancake, mi sono imbattuta in uno di questi dove, tra i vari feedback, qualcuno scriveva che non Dubus, non Pancake, non Carver, non Yates, erano i più grandi autori di racconti americani, bensì Hubert Selby Jr., e invitava tutti a leggere Canto della neve silenziosa.
L'ho letto, ora, ed è molto bello davvero; non so se sia uno dei più bei racconti che abbia mai letto, non credo, ma è senz'altro un racconto che vale la pena leggere.
Poi, in un altro momento, leggerò anche gli altri.




La giornata di Fat Phil **
Ciao campione ****

[Hosein · Rating 4 out of 5]

به خودتون لطف کنین و این کتاب رو به فارسی نخونین. ترانه‌ی برف خاموش مجموعه‌ای از آثار کوتاه هیوبرت سلبی توی کل زندگیشه، منطقا لحن و مدل هر کدومشون متفاوته. اما توی ترجمه‌ی فارسی تمامشون لحن پیمان خاکسار رو دارن، که میشه لحن تولتز، فاولز و پالانیک. این آقا همه رو یه مدل ترجمه می‌کنه، کافیه ده صفحه از هر کتابی رو با نسخه‌ی اصلی تطبیق بدین تا متوجه بشین چه بلایی سر نثر اومده. از اون سمت چندتا از داستان‌ها توی نسخه‌ی فارسی حذف شدن که من حتی شک داشتم یکیشون سانسور خاصی بخوره.

در مورد خود کتاب هم باید بگم از نظرم جالب بود، نوع نثر هیوبرت سلبی اون رو متفاوت میکنه، به نظرم نمونه‌ایه از اینکه چطور نثر، میتونه محتوا رو تغییر بده و بهتر کنه. متن توی هر داستان شخصیت اصلی رو تحلیل می‌کنه، بخش‌های تاریک و روشن اخلاقش رو میکشه وسط و حتی قضاوت میکنه، اما میخواد جلوی مخاطب رو بگیره تا این کار رو نکنه. برای همین خوندن داستان‌ها واقعا باعث میشدن فکر کنم و تصمیم بگیرم چه نظری در مورد شخصیت‌ها دارم.

[Ryland Dinneen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very surprised that SOTSN doesn't seem to be a popular one for Selby. I personally loved every page of it, and some of the stories really left me feeling raw. Hubert's writing isn't the same as always - he still goes for the brutally realistic and the disturbing, but here he has mixed it up with stories that are far more tender to the touch. His writing is always full of love, no matter how hellish the situations can be, but the love shines through the pages here like it hasn't in any of his books before. He writes beautifully, delicately, dealing with the downtrodden and the misunderstood with tenderness and caring, no matter what happens to them. As opposed to the standard Selby fare (disturbing, violent, grisly), there are a few stories that really shine with sentimentality that never gets so overdone as to become cloying. Notable stories would include Of Whales and Dreams, and Song of the Silent Snow, which I think was my personal favourite. The imagery is vivid and fantastic, but the character is filled with emotional trauma just begging to be tended.

This is probably my shittiest book review ever, but I really loved this book. It's just beautiful, I have no other words. Read it whether you like Selby or not.

[KamRun · Rating 4 out of 5]

پیش از خواندن کتاب،با سلبی در فیلم "مرثیه ای برای یک رویا" ساخت آرونوفسکی آشنا شده بودم،به همین خاطر بنا به پیش فرض قبلی توقع زیادی از "ترانه برف خاموش" داشتم که در حین خواند کتاب و از داستان دوم به بعد کاملا برآورده شد.کتاب در واقع از 15 داستان کوتاه تشکیل شده که با توجه به تم اروتیک 3 داستان کتاب و عدم امکان چاپ آن ها در ایران،سه داستان در نسخه فارسی این کتاب قرار نگرفته است.برای داستان ها نمی توان سبک و موضوع خاصی در نظر گرفت.فقط می توان گفت نام شخصیت اول اکثر داستان ها هری است،اکثر کاراکتر ها دچار وسواس فکر و رفتاری هستند و بعضا در لحظه ای خاص دجار فروپاشی می شوند.دنیای سلبی دنیای سرد،ماتم زده و خشن است که به خوبی در داستان "پالتو" به تصویر کشده شده است.سلبی در نوشتن،کد های مخصوص به خود را دنبال می کند: عدم استفاده از علایم نگارشی،نثر بی تکلف و عامیانه،سادگی داستان و ...ا
از نظر من داستان پالتو،بهترین داستان کتاب بود.در حین خواندنش،چند داستان از هانریش بل در ذهنم تداعی شد.داستان زندگی مردی را روایت می کند که با یک پالتو - که حفظ جانش در زمستان به آن وابسته است - طرح دوستی می ریزد."سلام قهرمان"،"فال چینی"،"یک کم احترام" و "ترانه برف خاموش" نیز به ترتیب دیگر داستان های مورد علاقه من در این کتاب هستند

[Nood-Lesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il primo racconto non è il migliore dei biglietti da visita da mettere sotto il naso di chi volesse sbirciare la raccolta in libreria. Sono due paginette scarse che non lasciano presagire cosa si leggerà successivamente.
Magari si tratterà del racconto a cui l’autore si sentiva maggiormente legato; avete notato anche voi che spesso i legami autorali con le opere sono inversamente proporzionali al loro successo?
Meglio andiate a pagina undici e cominciate da lì, meglio ancora a pagina ventidue se volete essere conquistati subito. Un attimo, proprio a pagina ventidue Harry scrive: non è una cosa che programmi, te la godi e basta; ti distendi, ti ci abbandoni e stai allegro.
Harry è il protagonista della maggior parte dei quattordici racconti. Il nome ricorre, i personaggi cambiano. Harry è il corrispettivo di un certain monsieur Dupont o del sig. Rossi, un uomo sempre diverso e sempre uguale “che la mano dei tarocchi non sa mai giocare”.
In sequenza ci sono due titoli “San Martino” e “Un po’ di rispetto”, sono quelli che ho preferito in assoluto perché raccontano aspetti della paternità che sarebbe difficile raccontare fuori dalla finzione letteraria. Mi sono piaciuti perché la finzione è ben fatta, credibile, mescolata con sensazioni che il buon Hubert-Harry-Harold deve aver provato sulla propria pelle.

I racconti rimanenti non mi sono piaciuti altrettanto nonostante vi sia quello che dà il titolo al libro, verosimilmente il più famoso e ve ne sia un altro intitolato “Il cappotto” evidente omaggio a Gogol.
La raccolta si colloca come prodotto intermedio fra l’irresolutezza di Carver e il pessimismo di Yates. Non mancano alcool, amarezza, disperazione, in alcuni passaggi grotteschi c’è però un certo compiacimento nel raccontare, come se ciò divertisse chi lo sta facendo. Chi ha condannato le solitudini di Yates perché le trovava troppo pessimiste, in Selby JR. troverà una quota di speranza superiore anche a quella dei principianti di Carver e degli sconfitti di Cheever.
Voglio che il messaggio sia chiaro: la neve silenziosa non sfigura a fianco delle raccolte Monstre alle quali ho fatto riferimento.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb...and not even his most acclaimed!

The Coat, Of Whales and Dreams, and Song of the Silent Snows.... perfection. All the stories in this collection are incredible writing. I cannot wait to read everything this man has written.

[Steven Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a novel when it is in fact a collection of short stories. Anyone familiar with Selby Jr. novels won't be surprised to hear that he covers the same sort of ground here; with some hard-hitting, angst, and despairing writing that digs deep into the psyche of its characters, who are mostly the kind of folk that society would tend to ignore. Not as powerful or gut-wrenching as Requiem for a Dream or Last exit to Brooklyn, but Selby Jr. rarely gives the reader easy ride here. His portrait of gritty realism is at times second to none. Favourite stories were - Hi Champ, Fortune Cookie, A Penny For Your Thoughts, The Sound, Song Of The Silent Snow.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read any Selby before, but he seems to have quite a talent for portraying those on the margin, or somehow afflicted, with a remarkable emotional resonance. The highlights of the collection included:

Hi Champ (4.0) - A man completely lacking in self-confidence doesn't seem to believe the obvious, that someone, a woman, might actually like him for him.

Fortune Cookie (4.0) - A salesman's superstitions become a compulsion.

The Coat (5.0) - A bum forms a deep bond with his coat, with the coat and alcohol being his only means of shutting out the misery of the world.

Of Whales and Dreams (4.0) - Beautiful vision of man and the sea in idyllic harmony, each a crucial part of the other.

Song of the Silent Snow (4.0) - The existential musings of a man recovering from a nervous breakdown, unanchored and unable to re-form the major connections in his life. On an early morning walk through freshly falling snow he starts to become strangely connected to the smaller, unnoticed wonders all about.

[Arash · Rating 4 out of 5]

_
فقط داروها نبود که نمی گذاشتند غلت بزند و زنش را لمس کند و دلگرمش کند و به او بگوید که دوستش دارد و از همه چیز ممنون است، بیشتر مسئولیتی که چنین حرکتی به همراه آورد مانعش بود. کاش می شد جوری لمسش کند که همه چیز را خوب بفهمد، اگر می شد مثل گذشته ها دستش را آرام روی گونه ی زنش بگذارد و احساس عشقش را درون او جاری کند، آن وقت او هم بر می گشت و لبخند می زد و دستش را می گرفت و می بوسید. نمی توانست در برابر چنین چیزی مقاومت کند ولی او هم در عوض مجبور می شد دنبال لغت و عبارت بگردد که برایش ممکن نبود. یک آن احساس کرد که توان تحمل مسئولیت عشق را ندارد... مسئولیت زندگی.
_

کتاب با دو داستان خیلی خوب شروع میشه و کم کم از ریتم میفته تا دوباره به داستانی خوب و جذاب برسه. در کل از پنج یا شش داستان خوشم اومد که برای منی که اهل داستان کوتاه خواندن نیستم راضی کننده بود. درونمایه اصلی بسیاری از داستانها مشکلات روحی و رفتاری شخصیت هاس که عموما هری یا هرولد نام دارن. عدم اعتماد به نفس، وسواس فکری، اضطراب اجتماعی و فردی، عدم مسئولیت پذیری از جمله مباحث مطرح شده در داستانهاست. در بسیاری از داستانها نوعی کنترل پذیری هم از طرف شخصیت ها شاهد هستیم، پدری که شدیدا سعی در مطیع کردن و کنترل فرزند خود است، کارمندی که تحت کنترل و سلطه کارفرمایانش است، بچه ای که در محله تحت زور و کنترل و کتک از سوی همبازیهایش قرار میگیرد. از نویسنده کتاب رکوئیم (مرثیه ای) برای یک رؤیا انتظار کتابی با چنین ساختاری رو داشتم. یجورایی جای اون سه داستان که بر اساس محتوا مجوز چاپ در کتاب رو نگرفتن خالی بود.

[arcobaleno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un unico tema: solitudine, paura, angoscia, in 15 variazioni.
I primi racconti hanno ritmi assordanti, serrati, timbri di tamburi, percussioni:
In testa aveva una ridda di pensieri. Gli esplodevano nel cranio. Gli trapassavano orecchie e naso. Gli zampillavano poi dalla bocca e gli si avvolgevano intorno alla testa e gli si cacciavano in gola.
Poi il ritmo si calma e negli ultimi predominano le voci di violini e flauti, con i loro lamenti umani che sollevano in un’altra dimensione e placano l’anima:
e allora la sentì, agli inizi molto debolmente e tuttavia distintamente. Sentì la neve cadere lenta nell’aria, ogni fiocco con un suono proprio e distinto e non ostacolato nella caduta così che i suoni di tutti quei fiocchi non mescolavano né stridevano ma si fondevano invece in un unico canto, quello della neve, che lui sapeva che pochi avevano mai udito. E, pur restando dolce, quel canto diventava sempre più forte.
E, oltre alla musica, le parole evocano immagini. Due in particolare:

Telemaco Signorini, La sala delle agitate al San Bonifazio in Firenze – Ca’ Pesaro, Venezia
e
Claude Monet, La gazza - Musée d’Orsay, Parigi

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 2 out of 5]

HSJ’s only story collection, released in 1986, lacks the power of his novel work—those books thrive on slow-building doom and the repetitive grind of addiction and madness, whereas these vignettes can’t attribute their weaknesses to style. Selby’s affinity and loyalty to the down-and-outs of New York never relented, unlike Lou Reed, who switched from bourgeois reformist to street-smart wiseguy in the space of two albums (listen to New York then play the laughable The Blue Mask to see my point). Like Reed’s 80s lyrics, some of the material here is nigh-unreadable: Selby makes Writing-101 mistakes in stories like horror schlock ‘The Sound’ or the diabolical mess ‘Liebesnacht.’ A more direct approach suits the form, with the epistolary ‘Im Being Good’ and ‘Indian Summer’ among the stronger hits—surprising shocks of reality from lives barely held together with lint-fluffed sticky tape. But Selby’s style (and inability to advance beyond that style) simply doesn’t satisfy in the same way as those masterpieces, and Selby’s standards are lightyears beyond the writing in evidence.

[Nazanin Banaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

چقد داستان‌هاش فضای غریبی دا‌شت. زمستون، تنهایی، فروپاشی و افسردگی. انقدر حس‌ها و افکار خوب توصیف شده بود که یه جاهایی نمیتونستم پیش برم از این حجم از سنگینی و خاطراتی که بهم هجوم میاره. تمام احساسات گنگی که قادر به بیانش نبودم هیچوقت.. داستان پالتو، داستان بلوغ و ترانه ی برف خاموش بیشتر از بقیه درگیرم کرد، اما همه‌ی داستان‌ها به شدت قوی بودن.

[Zantaeus Glom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone-cold masterpiece! Utterly essential.

[Gypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

یه مجموعه‌داستان‌کوتاهِ زمستونی که موقع خوبی خوندمش و طی حرکتی محمدقاضی‌وار! نذاشتم ریحانه بخره و بخوندش و خودم خریدم و خوندمش. :))

من از شخصیت سلبی خوشم اومد. مرثیه‌ای برای یک رؤیا رو در حالتی دیدم که اگه یه‌کم حالم بد بود باهاش زارزار گریه می‌کردم، ولی این اتفاق نیفتاد. بااین‌حال اونقد جسارت و ذهن مریض‌گونه‌شو دوست داشتم که اینو بخرم، اسمش هم واقعاً دلمو برد. اسمشو که دیدم گفتم من باید اینو بخرم، پشت جلدو خوندم دیگه نتونستم جلوی خودمو بگیرم. داستان‌ها همون اندازه مریض‌گونه‌ن، با پیرنگ‌های مختلف. یه مجموعه‌داستان‌کوتاه که تقریباً همۀ شخصیت‌اول‌هاش هری‌ان(حالا اینکه همۀ هری‌ها یه هری‌ان یا نه هم نکتۀ جذابیه) و به‌هم ربطی ندارن حتی از نظر سوژه، ولی این تمِ بیمارگونه رو دارن. نویسنده هم داستانی با پیرنگ مدرن داره، هم کلاسیک مثل داستان پالتو. ولی عمدتاً همون مدرنن به‌نظرم. یه کار سبک و جسورانه‌ست. نمدونم سه بدم یا چار. بیشتر داستان‌هاشم دوست داشتم، جز یکی دو تا که به‌نظرم خیلی داستان هم نشده بودن! ینی یه جورایی حسی پیش رفته بودن، منم از نظر حسی خوشحال‌تر ازون بودم که باهاشون همراه شم.

[Amene · Rating 3 out of 5]

خيلي خوب بود چند وقتي بود مجموعه داستان كوتاهي اينقدر جذاب و متفكرانه نخونده بودم.فلسفه ي شيرين و لذت بخشي پشت تمام قصه ها بود.

[Nick G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps my favorite collection of short stories, a must for any short story fan.

[Mr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

These struck me as more modern and maybe a bit darker Cheever stories. I loved most of them.

[Pooriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان‌هایی پر از دیوانگی! دیوانگانی که به جامعه انضباطیِ آسایشگاه‌روانی هدایت می‌شوند توسط جامعه کنترلی. جامعه‌ای که هرکس در آن نقشی دارد (باید نقشی داشته باشد!)، نقش پدر، کارمند (کارگر)، فرزند، نقش کنترلگر در جامعه کنترلی!‏

تمامیت این جامعه کنترلی منجر به چیزی به اسم بیماری‌های روانی می‌شود، لازمه‌ی این جامعه وجود چنین ناهنجاری‌هایی‌ست، وجود کسانی که نقش را نمی‌پذیرند یا در میانه‌ی نقش‌پذیری فرو می‌پاشند و از قالبی که جامعه برای آن‌ها تعیین کرده بیرون می‌آیند. خانواده‌ که جزو نهادهای مقدس در این جوامع به‌شمار می‌رود و قرار است انسان‌ها را به هم نزدیک و محبتشان را به هم ثابت کند، حالا باعث تیرگی هرچه بیشتر روابط می‌شود، فرد بیشتر از پیش احساس بیگانگی و معناباختگی می‌کند. زمان به عنوان یکی از مکانیزم‌های سازنده‌ی این جامعه باعث ایجاد وسواس جبری می‌شود، یک دقیقه هم یک دقیقه است! شعار زمانمندی در جوامع سرمایه‌داری. تلویزیون تمام هستی افراد را در بر می‌گیرد، نیاز احترام فرزند به پدر بدل به تماشای تلویزیون می‌شود و این‌بار پدر است که دست به انتقامی علیه تلویزیون می‌زند و در موقعیت گروتسک برخورد فیزیکی پدر با تلویزیون، پسر خواستار کشته شدن پدر توسط کنترلگرهای جامعه (پلیس) می‌شود و با لذت فیلم دستگیری پدر را بارها و بارها تماشا می‌کند (توسط رقیب پدر، تلویزیون تماشای دستگیری به صورت مکرر ممکن می‌شود!). احساس وابستگی بیش از حد فرد به یک پالتو که خود جامعه سرمایه‌داری مسبب آن است باعث خشم‌آلود شدن نماینده این جامعه در لباس روانپزشک می‌شود، احساس وابستگی بیش از حد مرد الکی به پالتو از آن‌رو که به سرنوشت جنازه‌های یخ زده بر زمین که تنها راه کندنشان از زمین یخ بسته با لودر است، دچار نشود.‏

تصویری که سلبی از جامعه آمریکا و نمادهای زندگی آمریکایی می‌دهد به شدت ممکن و هولناک است. حرفی که نیویورک تایمز درمورد این کتاب می‌زند؛ «برای این‌که آثارش [سلبی] را درک کنید باید دلهره‌ی حاکم بر آمریکا را تجربه کرده باشید» همان‌قدر واقعی‌ست که ناتوانی فرد در این جامعه‌ی به اصطلاح آزاد برای بیان دوست داشتن کسی که تنها راهکارش تا پایان عمر تماس گرفتن به شماره تلفنی‌ست که صدای ضبط شده معشوق را پخش می‌کند، حقیقت و نامید کننده است.‏

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of stories is excellent, notably "The Coat". The protagonists are all named Harry or Harold, with only one exception. At first I thought they all referred to the same person, but one or two of the stories make that seem unlikely. Reading about it on damazon, I came across an angry exchange between two reviewers: one complained on the Harry thing and the other said the complainer had "missed the point," implying some arcane significance to them all being Harry that was obvious to the ins. Hmmm, the protag from Requiem For A Dream is named Harry--I think one of the main guys in Last Exit to Brooklyn is, too. So maybe there is some weird point! Anyway, it's a nice touch, whatever it stands for.

[Andy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Basically every character in each story is so unbearably neurotic you want to slap them in the face with a dead fish. It’s one thing to create these neurotics in the Fifties (a time when there was a reason for said anxiety). Forty years later to have this nutty behavior in every story is merely annoying.

[Louis Zieja · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times crude, at times poetic, often trancendent. My favorite kind of short story collection: one that reads better as a complete work, a novel of unconnected characters.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by the author of Requiem for a Dream. The heroes of the stories are always torturing themselves. I love the toughness and empathy.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

the title story is one of my top 5 short stories.

[Narjes Dorzade]

بیشتر همان «مرثیه‌ای برای یک رویا» بود_
رویاهایی تشنه و زیبا

[Eva Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

He querido acercarme a Hubert Selby Jr. por primera vez con este libro de relatos. Como ocurre con toda colección, hay algunos que han brillado más que otros, pero todos juntos forman una peculiar estrella que no deja indiferente. 15 relatos. 15 existencias insatisfactorias aferradas a la vida. Una curiosa coincidencia es que la mayoría de los protagonistas que habitan en estos relatos comparten el mismo nombre: Harry. Pero no son la misma persona. Hay muchos Harries así como sueños y miserias.

El canto de la nieve silenciosa que da título al libro es el último relato, de una belleza tan abrumadora que se ha convertido para mí en la joya de esta antología. Solo por eso ya ha merecido la pena leer todos los demás. Seguiré acercándome a este autor y su agónica escritura con otras obras. Tres estrellas y media que serán cuatro para que no deje de brillar y atraer a otros lectores.

[Keith [on semi hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Song of the Silent Snow' as a beautiful, touching tale, was such a wonderful way to end this collection. Out of the whole set I think there were only one or two I just couldn't feel, some people said this set of stories stinks but, maybe I'm being bias as a HSJ fan, I thought this could be easily traced as the basis for what would finally become an incredible set of final stories. I'm glad to have to have read them but would suggest for others to come to this set having previously read his more notable work.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all of Selby Jr's novels, and have to say that I enjoyed them more than I did this collection. Selby's work can be hard hitting thematically and challenging to read stylistically, and while this approach was effective at times in this collection, at other times it seemed a little forced. Not a book that I'd consider revisiting and I would recommend investing time in his novels rather than this collection should anyone wish to read his work.

[Il Pech · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raccolta uscita ventidue anni dopo il suo esordio Ultima fermata Brooklyn. E si sente.

Scrittura più adulta e consapevole.
I personaggi sono sempre perdenti, avvinazzati, paranoici, frustrati, psicotici, e Selby cerca di farci vedere nelle loro menti, con risultati altalenanti.

I racconti sono spigliati e semplici, in contrasto con la tortuosità dello slang anni '60 e i flash dei drogati folli dei suoi primi libri.
Meno raptus esplosivi, più ragionata ricerca di un finalone col punto esclamativo.

È che tolto lo slang, alla prosa di Selby resta ben poco. Non è scrittore da idee folli, colpi di scena, intrecci brillanti.
Come avrai capito, non sono esaltato. Raccolta scorrevole, nulla più. Anzi, molti racconti sono abbastanza banali.
Da Selby mi aspettavo i fuochi d'artificio invece l'ho trovato stanco.

[Julian Meynell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories. As with all collections of short stories it varies in quality. It does not have the same intensity as the very best of Selby's writings, but some of it is really very good. He is at his best when he is exploring the intimate horrors of the lowest dregs of society in the tales. I find Selby to be always right on the money when he does this. He is the most accurate person on the life in the gutter of America. His writing here has its brilliance and subtlety but it is not as full of rage as his best work. My book's introduction compared him to Dante which is a very intelligent comparison.

As always, he is a deeply Christian and ethical writer. He has a remarkable compassion and empathy which I think goes far beyond almost any writer and it is the most striking thing about his work. A great but uneven collection, which confirms my opinion that Selby is one of the most unjustly neglected writers in history.

Beautiful, horrific and true.

[Eve Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fat Phils Day
Went over my head

Hi Champ
Was brilliant, pure, utter Shelby.

Double Feature
Had a lot of Bukowski in it. Maybe it HAD Bukowski in it.

Fortune Cookie
Building up like only Shelby can BUT predictable if you've read him enough.

A Penny for Your Thoughts
A lot like The Demon. Can't make up my mind.

Liebesnacht
Some of the best writing. Ever.

The Sound
Highly intense. Did I mention this one was intense?

Im Being Good
Very unlike Selby. Loved it!

Indian Summer
Very, very Selby. Brilliantly constructed and the story is imbeded in my mind.

A Little Respect
Probably the funniest, true fiction I've read in eons.

Puberty
Very moving.

The Coat
Not so intense, not so passionate, not so much. Ok.

The musician
Not really interesting

Of Whales and Dreams
Ok

Song of the Silent Snow
Beautiful