I neglected to add that Borges’ story “The Aleph” is a clear influence, particularly with MC-638 having the Solenoid in his house just as the Aleph is located in a person’s house. Other parallels between the works are more subtle, but that is the salient one.
This review lead me to your channel, thank you for this video! I finished the book yesterday and wasn't as blown away by it as many others seem. While watching videos by people who absolutely loved it helped me understand why it wasn't the book for me, I also felt like many reviews were very navel gazing themselves. Thank you especially for pointing out the misogyny of the narrator, no one else I've seen has mentioned it and I found it very jarring given there didn't seem to be a point to it. I also share the feeling of finding the narrator a bit insufferable, so did not see myself in him and his "I am the centre of the universe" attitude. I really liked the science parts of the novel, the section about the tesseract was probably my favourite. Thank you also for all the recommendations at the end! Really need to read some Clarice Lispector and now interested in Ava and The Hidden Reality. Now following your channel, looking forward to have a look through your other videos.
This is such a great and necessary review thank you! I've really enjoyed a lot of videos and takes on this book, but this is certainly the least hagiographical and most engaged with its limitations, which is a very good thing
Thanks! Solenoid has generated quite a bit of praise. There are certainly features to admire, but I didn't find it as original in my reading as some others had, particularly in regard to Judge Schreber's Memoirs, and I thought prospective readers should be aware of the others features I observed. I hope that you enjoy it if you choose to read it. Cheers, Jack
Brilliant!! Not to disrespect anyone but I had seen a few reviews of this from the experimental tome novel fanboys who went total gaga over the book. I bought the book and have found it difficult, heavy going, confusing and depressing at times. You articulated the reasons for this almost perfectly, especially the narcissistic style of writing. Although it is a highly ambitious piece of work and has many awe inspiring moments I have found it hard to assess what the author is actually trying to communicate and what is the overall arch or theme of the work. To sum it all, it is definitely the most interesting piece of text I have read in a long long time but also has its downsides.
I completely agree! About once a month I find someone admitting that there are quite severe faults in Solenoid, but so many of the responses have completely dismissed any criticism of the text. I find so many other voices that I learn from and want to spend time with compared to Solenoid's narrator and the very arch style that is employed. I hope you're having a nice end to this week! Cheers, Jack
I've felt the narcissism. it's there in the author as well, not just the character. As for overall arch or theme, like seinfeld its a book about nothing but it feels good to go through and find gems here and there.
I have just finished the book. Great review. I'm glad you are mentioning the narcissism and the misogyny. As a woman, I was quite put off by some of those fragments and his general attitude. I thought the book was briliant but far from perfect.
This was an excellent video. The bit about Finnegans Wake being written for God, and your mention of The Anatomy of Melancholy both made me smile. Thank you!
I just finished reading it this morning. I had previously read Nostalgia and was hoping S would be better. It is in some ways but not in others. I listened to one reviewer who calls S the greatest novel of this century. Certainly this cannot be the case, at least not in my opinion. Hopefully the century will continue for 70 more years and produce many novels greater than this one. It shouldn't be difficult.
i had seen a handful of videos on this book that all made it sound like it will go down in history as something truly unique. well i finally have it and am 66 pages in… it can go from beautifully distilled passages into some really cliche lines at the drop of a hat. the one i have just read was how the old man says ‘you didn’t choose the house, the house chose you’. i just cannot let that slide without it tainting my experience at least a little. I also feel that some of the best passages in the book so far (i’m very early into it) are merely summaries or extensions of the ideas presented in other stories, such as Borges’ Aleph, like you have mentioned. yet i will read on! favorite metaphor so far: very beginning, comparing himself to the seed of a blue, green fruit while he’s submerged in his bath water to kill the lice. it’s just gives me a pleasant sensory tingle for some reason haha (i know there are more profound pieces, i have them underlined as well) thank you for the video! i was beginning to worry that deep vellum had paid off all of the other youtubers… i’m not making any accusations but it’s strange that you are the only person i’ve found willing criticize it
I agree, there is a whiplash experience to many passages. It has been nice to see a few folks share that they see the flaws in Solenoid. I wanted to speak to the full experience of the book not just its heights. I hope that you enjoy the rest of it! Let me know what you think when you finish. Cheers, Jack
I’m not sure I’m going to try this one. I feel like my desire to puzzle my way through dense, strange books has diminished appreciably over the last few years.
I could see you finding a way into this, Quentin. You may find different connections from what I did, so I'd be curious to learn what you think if you do read it. Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Nicolae Manolescu, the critic who launched Cartarescu's career, roasted "Solenoid" by saying it feels like the "verbal delirium" of Joyce. That speaks volumes about Manolescu's more recent conservatism, but it actually has a behind the scenes motive, Manolescu has been the president of the Romanian Writers Union for nearly 20 years, and at one point Cartarescu tried to publicly criticise how the Writers Union works now. As a result, Manolescu roasted then-recently published Solenoid. And as a reaction to this, Cartarescu has withdrawn his criticism and passively accepted a poetry award from him, without ever complaining again about the Writers Union. Which was a great disappointment for me as a young writer, a proof that Cartarescu is really, as detractors have always considered him, a hugely opportunistic and vane person. Back in high school, when I had no critical thinking yet, I was a Cartarescu stan, now I can't even stand his cringe takes on many subjects. When interviewed in Sweden, he tried to paint himself as a progressive militant, while here he rubs shoulders with right-wing people like the deeply anti-modern, homophobic reactionary Patapievici, also edited by Humanitas. The same publishing house also edited a book by Dugin and Olavo de Carvalho. I'm still fond of Cartarescu's earlier books in a nostalgic way, but also I hardly reread them anymore because I'd hardly be able to relate anymore with his pages filled with a deluge of questionable metaphysics. His whole "Cathedral of Literature" shtick is also highly irritating. Back in the '80s, he was more authentic, he used insider references and alluded to Romanian poets who are not necessarily well known and canonical, now it looks like he keeps reminding himself to name drop Kafka and other mentions he thought will bring him international canon recognition. Which happened, but at what cost?
Wow, thank you for sharing that context. I wasn't aware of the criticism or disputes around the Romanian Writers Union nor the reactionaries that he shares an editor with. Are there Romanian poets you'd recommend from that earlier period? Thank you again for providing that critical perspective. I hope you have a good week. Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Well, Cartarescu's poetry then was an ironic mishmash of influences that included American modernist and Beat poetry too, but Romanian poets he seemed to cherish (or at least he name dropped them) included Anton Pann, Eminescu, Macedonski, Nobel nominee Arghezi (I'm not sure, but Arghezi might be cited in Solenoid as well, the motto from Blinding is written by him), Ilarie Voronca, up to then-contemporaries like Leonid Dimov, Mircea Ivanescu (not related to Cezar Ivanescu, the poet who denounced Cartarescu for "plagiarism" for not having marked as such a quote from Laurence Sterne in "The Fall") and the dubious near-pedophile Emil Brumaru, not to mention his colleagues of the 80s generation, like Traian T. Cosovei and Florin Iaru, as they name dropped each other. All the best!
Is there a redeeming (uplifting) value to be had with this book? I just do not have enough of myself to donate to this reading experience. I think I will have to pass, sorry.
I kept waiting for there to be a shift, and it happens in the final dozen pages. There are some really interesting moments, but the total felt much less than the sum of its moments. Hope you’re doing well, Lee. Cheers, Jack
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I neglected to add that Borges’ story “The Aleph” is a clear influence, particularly with MC-638 having the Solenoid in his house just as the Aleph is located in a person’s house. Other parallels between the works are more subtle, but that is the salient one.
This review lead me to your channel, thank you for this video!
I finished the book yesterday and wasn't as blown away by it as many others seem. While watching videos by people who absolutely loved it helped me understand why it wasn't the book for me, I also felt like many reviews were very navel gazing themselves.
Thank you especially for pointing out the misogyny of the narrator, no one else I've seen has mentioned it and I found it very jarring given there didn't seem to be a point to it.
I also share the feeling of finding the narrator a bit insufferable, so did not see myself in him and his "I am the centre of the universe" attitude.
I really liked the science parts of the novel, the section about the tesseract was probably my favourite.
Thank you also for all the recommendations at the end! Really need to read some Clarice Lispector and now interested in Ava and The Hidden Reality.
Now following your channel, looking forward to have a look through your other videos.
Such a great novel. Every and each line is breathtaking, like a vault full of jewels.
I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.
Cheers, Jack
I watched this, as a Romanian I wonder why Cărtărescu is not a bigger writer internationally. He is a very Intelligent and nice man also.
Thanks for sharing. What is your favorite work from Cărtărescu?
This is such a great and necessary review thank you! I've really enjoyed a lot of videos and takes on this book, but this is certainly the least hagiographical and most engaged with its limitations, which is a very good thing
Thanks! Solenoid has generated quite a bit of praise. There are certainly features to admire, but I didn't find it as original in my reading as some others had, particularly in regard to Judge Schreber's Memoirs, and I thought prospective readers should be aware of the others features I observed. I hope that you enjoy it if you choose to read it.
Cheers, Jack
Brilliant!! Not to disrespect anyone but I had seen a few reviews of this from the experimental tome novel fanboys who went total gaga over the book. I bought the book and have found it difficult, heavy going, confusing and depressing at times. You articulated the reasons for this almost perfectly, especially the narcissistic style of writing. Although it is a highly ambitious piece of work and has many awe inspiring moments I have found it hard to assess what the author is actually trying to communicate and what is the overall arch or theme of the work. To sum it all, it is definitely the most interesting piece of text I have read in a long long time but also has its downsides.
I completely agree! About once a month I find someone admitting that there are quite severe faults in Solenoid, but so many of the responses have completely dismissed any criticism of the text. I find so many other voices that I learn from and want to spend time with compared to Solenoid's narrator and the very arch style that is employed. I hope you're having a nice end to this week!
Cheers, Jack
I've felt the narcissism. it's there in the author as well, not just the character. As for overall arch or theme, like seinfeld its a book about nothing but it feels good to go through and find gems here and there.
I have just finished the book. Great review. I'm glad you are mentioning the narcissism and the misogyny. As a woman, I was quite put off by some of those fragments and his general attitude. I thought the book was briliant but far from perfect.
Very nice discussion. I really loves the writing in this book but I see your points. Thank you for such a balanced analysis.
Glad you enjoyed it. Cărtărescu provides plenty of ideas to think on and around. I hope you’re having a nice weekend!
Best, Jack
This was an excellent video. The bit about Finnegans Wake being written for God, and your mention of The Anatomy of Melancholy both made me smile. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words. Have you read Solenoid? I’m curious about everyone’s thoughts on it. Hope you’re having a nice week, Michael.
Cheers, Jack
Very good video, Jack! I don't think I'll get to this anytime soon but as always I really enjoyed hearing you talk about it.
Thanks, Michelle!
I just finished reading it this morning. I had previously read Nostalgia and was hoping S would be better. It is in some ways but not in others. I listened to one reviewer who calls S the greatest novel of this century. Certainly this cannot be the case, at least not in my opinion. Hopefully the century will continue for 70 more years and produce many novels greater than this one. It shouldn't be difficult.
i had seen a handful of videos on this book that all made it sound like it will go down in history as something truly unique. well i finally have it and am 66 pages in… it can go from beautifully distilled passages into some really cliche lines at the drop of a hat. the one i have just read was how the old man says ‘you didn’t choose the house, the house chose you’. i just cannot let that slide without it tainting my experience at least a little.
I also feel that some of the best passages in the book so far (i’m very early into it) are merely summaries or extensions of the ideas presented in other stories, such as Borges’ Aleph, like you have mentioned.
yet i will read on! favorite metaphor so far: very beginning, comparing himself to the seed of a blue, green fruit while he’s submerged in his bath water to kill the lice. it’s just gives me a pleasant sensory tingle for some reason haha (i know there are more profound pieces, i have them underlined as well)
thank you for the video! i was beginning to worry that deep vellum had paid off all of the other youtubers… i’m not making any accusations but it’s strange that you are the only person i’ve found willing criticize it
I agree, there is a whiplash experience to many passages. It has been nice to see a few folks share that they see the flaws in Solenoid. I wanted to speak to the full experience of the book not just its heights. I hope that you enjoy the rest of it! Let me know what you think when you finish.
Cheers, Jack
Dude, keep reading
I’m not sure I’m going to try this one. I feel like my desire to puzzle my way through dense, strange books has diminished appreciably over the last few years.
Ha. I'm with you Brian.... Until one cones up and biffs me on the nose....
I blame all that Faulkner each August, Brian!
Cheers, Jack
Good. Simplicity is the key. You don't need 900 pages to maybe, send a message.
@BookishTexan Understandable, seeing you march under the banner of mr. balzac's bon-vivant facies :)
Sounds like a pretty ballsy book! Definitely gonna sample it before i try it, though.
Great stuff, Jack!
I could see you finding a way into this, Quentin. You may find different connections from what I did, so I'd be curious to learn what you think if you do read it.
Cheers, Jack
I'm sold! Sounds great
I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
Cheers, Jack
I liked that little jab at Finnegan’s Wake.
It's always fun to use Joyce as a foil. Hopefully someone can pay Cartarescu the same courtesy! I hope you're well, Duncan.
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Nicolae Manolescu, the critic who launched Cartarescu's career, roasted "Solenoid" by saying it feels like the "verbal delirium" of Joyce. That speaks volumes about Manolescu's more recent conservatism, but it actually has a behind the scenes motive, Manolescu has been the president of the Romanian Writers Union for nearly 20 years, and at one point Cartarescu tried to publicly criticise how the Writers Union works now. As a result, Manolescu roasted then-recently published Solenoid. And as a reaction to this, Cartarescu has withdrawn his criticism and passively accepted a poetry award from him, without ever complaining again about the Writers Union. Which was a great disappointment for me as a young writer, a proof that Cartarescu is really, as detractors have always considered him, a hugely opportunistic and vane person.
Back in high school, when I had no critical thinking yet, I was a Cartarescu stan, now I can't even stand his cringe takes on many subjects. When interviewed in Sweden, he tried to paint himself as a progressive militant, while here he rubs shoulders with right-wing people like the deeply anti-modern, homophobic reactionary Patapievici, also edited by Humanitas. The same publishing house also edited a book by Dugin and Olavo de Carvalho.
I'm still fond of Cartarescu's earlier books in a nostalgic way, but also I hardly reread them anymore because I'd hardly be able to relate anymore with his pages filled with a deluge of questionable metaphysics. His whole "Cathedral of Literature" shtick is also highly irritating. Back in the '80s, he was more authentic, he used insider references and alluded to Romanian poets who are not necessarily well known and canonical, now it looks like he keeps reminding himself to name drop Kafka and other mentions he thought will bring him international canon recognition. Which happened, but at what cost?
Wow, thank you for sharing that context. I wasn't aware of the criticism or disputes around the Romanian Writers Union nor the reactionaries that he shares an editor with. Are there Romanian poets you'd recommend from that earlier period? Thank you again for providing that critical perspective. I hope you have a good week.
Best, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Well, Cartarescu's poetry then was an ironic mishmash of influences that included American modernist and Beat poetry too, but Romanian poets he seemed to cherish (or at least he name dropped them) included Anton Pann, Eminescu, Macedonski, Nobel nominee Arghezi (I'm not sure, but Arghezi might be cited in Solenoid as well, the motto from Blinding is written by him), Ilarie Voronca, up to then-contemporaries like Leonid Dimov, Mircea Ivanescu (not related to Cezar Ivanescu, the poet who denounced Cartarescu for "plagiarism" for not having marked as such a quote from Laurence Sterne in "The Fall") and the dubious near-pedophile Emil Brumaru, not to mention his colleagues of the 80s generation, like Traian T. Cosovei and Florin Iaru, as they name dropped each other.
All the best!
I LOVED this book.
It has definitely been popular among most who have read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Cheers, Jack
to put your potential misogynistic worries concerning the author at rest: ruclips.net/video/XW9e2oMeaXc/видео.html
Is there a redeeming (uplifting) value to be had with this book? I just do not have enough of myself to donate to this reading experience. I think I will have to pass, sorry.
I kept waiting for there to be a shift, and it happens in the final dozen pages. There are some really interesting moments, but the total felt much less than the sum of its moments.
Hope you’re doing well, Lee.
Cheers, Jack
I think that this is the difcernece betwen eastern european postmodern literature and the north american. The lack of humour 😅