Excited to read, thank you for this open letter! I really, really relate to this: "How does the fantasy of the places we might live, or the books we might write, or the people we might love, create a contrast or a harmony with the places we do live, or the people we do love, or the books we have written? It seems we can only create a series of truces with this tension."
Hmm, only a bit less than a year late (my algorithm). I loved these. I was so struck by how packed with feeling her spare, unadorned prose hit me. Real estate, the cost of living (and now I can’t remember the other). I was learning Spanish while reading these and, like a lot of us who don’t learn grammar until
we are learning another’s, so much of it is an accumulation of the preterite (what is that in English?) that sneaks up on you in the most wonderful way. Even given their quotidian observations, these had a huge effect on me. I saw sometime recently this Harold bloom
quote and it is how I feel about these; “We read [he was referring to the great works but I think it could just be “we read” or maybe it’s just me, “I read”] to find ourselves, more fully and more strangely than otherwise we could hope to find.”
I loved this! I just read Real Estate (my first encounter with Deborah Levy) about a month ago and her words are still generously living in me. Do you have recommendations for any of her other nonfiction?
This post inspired me, I’ve never read Levy and just now got two of her books (including this one) from the library. Looking forward to read, thank you! I’m a big fan of many of the other authors you mentioned so this seem to be right up my alley!
This is beautiful. I too would like to write letters to Deborah Levy, or even better, have her come over for dinner and feed her Turkish delight and anything else she'd ask for.
Excited to read, thank you for this open letter! I really, really relate to this: "How does the fantasy of the places we might live, or the books we might write, or the people we might love, create a contrast or a harmony with the places we do live, or the people we do love, or the books we have written? It seems we can only create a series of truces with this tension."
Thank you Catherine! I love Deborah Levy. I recently wrote about losing home too, and quoted Real Estate at the beginning of my essay...https://rosiewhinray.substack.com/p/precariat-blues
Thank you!
Perfectly timed & wonderful post. I just finished The Cost of Living and am ravenous to read Real Estate, even more so now.
One of my favourites of hers! She is South African, as am I 🥰
love this - and the image of books as keys opening doors embiggening the self-scape
And I think everyone should read these.
Hmm, only a bit less than a year late (my algorithm). I loved these. I was so struck by how packed with feeling her spare, unadorned prose hit me. Real estate, the cost of living (and now I can’t remember the other). I was learning Spanish while reading these and, like a lot of us who don’t learn grammar until
we are learning another’s, so much of it is an accumulation of the preterite (what is that in English?) that sneaks up on you in the most wonderful way. Even given their quotidian observations, these had a huge effect on me. I saw sometime recently this Harold bloom
quote and it is how I feel about these; “We read [he was referring to the great works but I think it could just be “we read” or maybe it’s just me, “I read”] to find ourselves, more fully and more strangely than otherwise we could hope to find.”
I loved this! I just read Real Estate (my first encounter with Deborah Levy) about a month ago and her words are still generously living in me. Do you have recommendations for any of her other nonfiction?
This post inspired me, I’ve never read Levy and just now got two of her books (including this one) from the library. Looking forward to read, thank you! I’m a big fan of many of the other authors you mentioned so this seem to be right up my alley!
This is beautiful. I too would like to write letters to Deborah Levy, or even better, have her come over for dinner and feed her Turkish delight and anything else she'd ask for.