Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Thursday, September 3. 2020

Novels du Jour: The novels of Mark Helprin

 Who he is:


"Educated at Harvard, Princeton, and Oxford, MARK HELPRIN served in the Israeli army, Israeli Air Force, and British Merchant Navy. He is the author of, among other titles, A Dove of the East and Other Stories, Refiner's Fire, Winter's Tale, and A Soldier of the Great War. He lives on his farm in Virginia."


(I hate that term, "educated at...". No, that doesn't happen. Wherever in life, one educates oneself - or doesn't. Nothing against Helprin - remarkable guy, and a humble one.)


I feel Soldier of the Great War is his magnum opus, but readers may differ. If you start with him, you will want to read all of them. 

Posted by The Barrister in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 16:13 | Comments (10) | Trackbacks (0)

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Read about half of A Soldier of the Great War. Beautifully written , but the description of alpine warfare was so realistic as to make me give it up.
Try Freddy and Fredericka.
Hilarious.
#1 RickinJax on 2020-09-03 18:51 (Reply)
All his novels and stories are wonderful, but I'd say that Refiner's Fire is his best, with Winter's Tale a close second. Refiner's Fire is, for me, the ultimate Bildungsroman, and Winter's Tale creates an unforgetful fantasy version of New York CIty.
#2 Donald H Wacome (Link) on 2020-09-03 20:00 (Reply)
Freddy & Fredericka was my beach book a few summers back. Quite embarrassing, laughing out loud among the palm trees. Could not stop laughing and could not put it down.
#3 Captn TJ on 2020-09-04 08:15 (Reply)
Great call on the Helprin. Try "Memoir from Antproof Case." Also, "In Sunlight and in Shadow"; both novels have a lovely strain of romance running through them yet not schmaltzy; don't quite know how he does it but it's wonderful ...
#4 Dex Quire (Link) on 2020-09-04 12:01 (Reply)
With respect, it seems to me that 'educated at' does not lead me to deny his agency in the education process. Both his willingness and their ability to host him at a physical location were then necessary for an education. (hosting implies classroom, not dorm)
#5 wishing for a cool screen name on 2020-09-04 15:58 (Reply)
Once in a great while you will read an author's works simply because of the way he puts words together. I did not care too much for the story of Refiner's Fire, but read it all because of Helprin's amazing talent. A Soldier of the Great War is one of the five best books I have ever read.
#6 SgtBob (Link) on 2020-09-04 16:01 (Reply)
I just want to add, Barrister, that I really enjoy your series. Besides my personal thirst for reading material, I'm making a list and checking it twice for birthday and holiday gifts, too.
#7 jma on 2020-09-04 16:56 (Reply)
Helprin's my favorite writer, though few of my friends have heard of him. His latest is "Paris in the Present Tense," and it's highly recommended.

Apparently he was "canceled" long ago by the NY literati because he holds conservative political and military views, although his novels and short stories are anything but polemical. What he can do with the language is just dazzling.
#8 Dan on 2020-09-04 18:52 (Reply)
In addition to the literary virtues and accomplishments noted by other commenters, Mr. Helprin has been a consistently thoughtful and powerful writer on security matters. See, for example, his 2015 article "Indensible Defense' in National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/06/indefensible-defense
#9 Axel Kassel on 2020-09-04 21:22 (Reply)
I followed him back in the day until he hit the skids hard with alcohol. Didn't know he was back.
#10 james wilson (Link) on 2020-09-06 16:51 (Reply)

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