Imaginary journeys
Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino My rating: 4 of 5 stars Kublai Khan is the ruler of an empire too vast for him to imagine, so he enlists the young Venetian, Marco Polo, a reknowned traveler, to describe to him the cities he has visited. It is possible that the great Khan’s empire exists only … read more »
Journey to nowhere
Voyage au bout de la nuit by Louis-Ferdinand Céline My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ferdinand Bardamu begins his journey to nowhere at age twenty when, caught up in the enthusiasm of a marching band, he joins the army — in 1914. He recounts for us his panic and disgust in the bloody, muddy warfare … read more »
In Iran, 6
This is a continuation of the series, “10 Days in Iran,” on our 12-person tour with The Nation magazine. Previous notes have discussed the urban density of Tehran and our visit to the carpet museum; the world-historical importance of Iran and its influence on our world today; Shi’ism’s rule and its contradictions, including contestatory art; … read more »
The journey continues
My resolutions for the new year include continuations of projects begun last year or many years before. From last year: reviews of books read in 2018 but as yet unreviewed, and completion of my promised series of reports on our ten-day tour of Iran, last September. From earlier: Completion of my novel The Bookbinder Improved … read more »
Homo Phantasiosus
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari My rating: 4 of 5 stars Very enjoyable history of humanity, cleverly written and very comprehensive. At times I felt that I was reading “World History for Dummies,” because with such a broad scope, a lot of the coverage is almost inevitably superficial. You will … read more »