Tag Archive for ‘Anna Karenina’
Lost in Translation
The Portuguese writer Clara Paulino thought she’d never find another language that could express the depth and nuance of her experience. And then she did: A few months ago I made the momentous discovery that I can write in English. Strange discovery, one might say, given that I have lived “in English” for the past seven years and teach Art History to American students. Yet it was the sound of Portuguese that welcomed me into this world, and English is [...]
Short Chapters
Anna Karenina is more than 800 pages long. So why does it feel shorter than many 300-page books? As I read this novel recently I noticed that Tolstoy cuts his long scenes into short chapters, usually no more than two or three pages. He often ends a chapter in a moment of suspense – a door opens, a provocative question is asked, a contentious group sits down to dinner, characters who’ve been circling each other finally begin to talk – [...]
Memorial Day
When you’re working on a novel, not writing is part of the writing process. At least that’s what I told myself today. It was a gorgeously mild and sunny day — Memorial Day; the park across the street from our house was filled with people biking, strolling, and listening to a military band that played for hours. (The music wafted across the pond: muted patriotism.) The kids were home from school, milling aimlessly around the house, and eventually I abandoned [...]
