2015: The Year of Reading Women discussion

Discussion and Group reads for Nathalie Sarraute

Wiki (English and French):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathalie...

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathalie...

I am hoping to read Tropismes at some point, possibly over summer break. Any takers?

Also, hi.

I've heard great things about that one, Nicole! Perhaps.

I can also vouch for The Use of Speech.

I vaguely remember reading "Martereau" in college...if it's over summer break, I'd give something a swing.

Summer is a very fungible category for me. I (spoiled) actually have two chunks of summer break: the last two weeks of June and then three weeks in late July early August.

I'm more so--end of May (officially, end of June, at least for this year, soon to be end of May) to mid-August! Still have work to do, but more flex time to schedule it, and read!

So tentatively, end of June or sometime in August?

I'm gone the last couple of days to a conference, but yes, that would work (just wouldn't comment til July). Or August.

Ok, I have the book checked out from the library and am officially on vacation. Any takers?

Just a quick word in favor of Tropismes (which I finished): it's really very good, and not long at all. Very much worth a read.

Nicole wrote: "I am hoping to read Tropismes at some point, possibly over summer break. Any takers?

Also, hi."

Can anyone tell me a bit about Tropismes ? I clicked on the link, but all it gives is an overview of her work.

Dustin--
She takes the title of the book from the realm of biology: a tropism is a response to stimulus (think of sunflowers following the sun during the day, heliotropism, for an example).

The book is composed of very short vignettes, some only a couple of pages, which describe something like this for people. Each drops you into a situation without context or character names, and describes (in lovely prose) the action/reaction and the situation of the people involved, using only pronouns. She eschews interiority and other traditional strategies for developing character in favor of observing these moments which tell us something about a larger situation or problem.

I found it beautifully written and hugely enjoyable to read. It's also noteworthy as a moment in literary history: this book is a key text for establishing the nouveau roman movement.

Nicole wrote: "Dustin--
She takes the title of the book from the realm of biology: a tropism is a response to stimulus (think of sunflowers following the sun during the day, heliotropism, for an example).

The b..."

Wow, thank you so very much, Nicole! This is great insight, and much appreciated. I'm intrigued.:)

If it brings the book more readers, I'm happy.

Nicole wrote: "If it brings the book more readers, I'm happy."

Exactly!