The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

New Directions was founded in 1936, when James Laughlin (1914–1997), then a twenty-two-year-old Harvard sophomore, issued the first of the New Directions anthologies. “I asked Ezra Pound for ‘career advice,’” Laughlin recalled. “He had been seeing my poems for months and had ruled them hopeless. He urged me to finish Harvard and then do ‘something’ useful.”

I’ve included a link to the authors they publish:

https://www.ndbooks.com/author/

Here’s their books:

https://www.ndbooks.com/books/

August 16 New Directions are releasing a series called Storybook ND, novellas meant to be read in one sitting, much like Peirene Press books. Among them is the new Krasznahorkai.

https://www.ndbooks.com/series/storyb...

These all sound very good!

Agree Wyndy, I've had my eye on the Tawada for a while, I was definitely seduced by the cover design.

Didn’t James Patterson try this with his Bookshots?!!
https://www.jamespatterson.com/landin...

Joking, mostly. Excited for the Krasznahorkai which I did not know was coming out.

Novellas are great for busy people, or periods when life is unpredictable.

All 6 ND Storybooks, each under 80 pages, can be bought as a bundle for $80.

https://www.ndbooks.com/shop/

Are the ND storybooks abridged works that are published elsewhere?

David wrote: "Are the ND storybooks abridged works that are published elsewhere?"

I believe they are just shorter works packaged to be read in a "single sitting" (a few short stories in one volume; really short novellas; etc.).

Wendy, I see from instagram that your collection of ND storybooks have arrived. What's the verdict?

Yes!! Thank you for giving me the chance to brag, which I was going to do anyway.
They’re really cool vintage covers, smooth and shiny with silver spines. New Directions really ran with the story book idea because at first glance they look like children’s books.
Paul would heartily approve of the length: the longest one is 96 pages, the rest are under 80 pages.

The authors are Yōko Tawada
Helen DeWitt
Osamu Dazai
Clarice Lispector
César Aira and
László Krasznahorkai!

Sounds great. Bit disappointing though they only ship to US, which does seem quite common. Is there a tax or other legal reason, or is it more than the home market is sufficiently big they don’t need to bother (overseas postage is clearly hassle - as the UK indies have found as delivery is rather out of your control unless you pay a lot of money).

In the US, books from New Directions can easily be purchased on Amazon. Is that an option in the UK?

WndyJW wrote: "YYes!! Thank you for giving me the chance to brag, which I was going to do anyway.
They’re really cool vintage covers, smooth and shiny with silver spines. New Directions really ran with the story book idea because at first glance they look like children’s books."

You are a bad influence, Wendy. I just purchased a set for myself.

These ones don’t seem to be on Amazon, no. Blackwells are selling them but they do sometimes show books in stock which aren’t.

Yay, David! (Ha, I just Alexis Rose say, “Ew, David”)

I hope you can get them, Paul. I could buy them and ship them to you as you’ve done for me.

Paul, I think the shipping is the only consideration. Shipping is atrocious! I sent a single paperback book to Scotland and it cost $32. Weirdly, it would have been around the same if I shipped it to Canada.

Wow, yet mailing a book within the US is only a few dollars if you choose media mail.

Wendy I am about to potentially post you a brick. Hope it doesn’t turn out to be prohibitive.

The only good thing is that pounds - which is what I will pay in - aren’t worth much in dollar terms any more.

Well it can’t be prohibitive because you already paid for the book so I have to pay you. Unless….I’ll email you.

Is everyone else aware this was released today A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by New Directions?

I’ve had my eye on it. Has anyone read it?

I just ordered it because Krasznahorkai is an auto-buy author for me. I don’t know when I’ll read it. Probably when some grown up makes me stop buying books, but who is going to do that?

It is out in UK in Jan so I will buy it then.

David wrote: "I’ve had my eye on it. Has anyone read it?"

I read it and loved it, it worked perfectly for me as my first foray into K.

I’m glad to see that you liked it, Vesna. I have a number of Krasznahorkai to read yet. No prizes for me over the next few months so I hope to get caught up on elective reading.

Not a big deal but the cover for the hardcover ND Storybook edition of Spadework for a Palace is wrong.

The actual ND edition has this cover ,
but on Goodreads it has this cover .

Can a librarian correct it, please?

I know but it was the cover they originally advertised

BUT….

The last time I changed a cover in similar circumstances I got an official Goodreads warning.

So I am leaving well alone.

Well, Goodreads is wrong, but it’s a small thing.

It looks like we will get a new one from Olga Ravn in September, My Work. I also see it in the Lolli catalogue but that edition doesn't seem to be up yet on GR.

We need a like or heart button for posts. I’d like to ❤️ David’s post.