These Possible Lives

These Possible LivesDiscover the captivating world of Fleur Jaeggy's essays in this intriguing collection, featuring profound insights into iconic writers such as Thomas De Quincey, John Keats, and Marcel Schwob. Each essay illustrates Jaeggy's mastery of conciseness and her unique poetic approach to the essay form. Explore the vivid portrayal of 19th century literary habits, where De Quinceys eccentricities and Keats's chilling reflections blend seamlessly into a

Discover the captivating world of Fleur Jaeggy's essays in this intriguing collection, featuring profound insights into iconic writers such as Thomas De Quincey, John Keats, and Marcel Schwob. Each essay illustrates Jaeggy's mastery of conciseness and her unique poetic approach to the essay form. Explore the vivid portrayal of 19th-century literary habits, where De Quincey’s eccentricities and Keats's chilling reflections blend seamlessly into a mesmerizing narrative. Jaeggy’s examination of a bygone era reveals delightful quirks of well-known authors, inviting readers into an enchanting literary exploration.

Dive into a realm of refined prose where Jaeggy navigates the complexities of creation and existential musings. Intertwining elements of surrealism and historical anecdotes, this collection paints a vivid tapestry of literary genius. With each page, we witness the ‘blue devils’ and ghostly apparitions of creativity that haunt these unwritten pieces—each essay teasing the boundaries between prose and poetry, thought and sensation.

Whether you are an avid fan of literary essays or a newcomer to Jaeggy's work, this collection promises to expand your understanding of the nuanced lives of its subjects. With free shipping and a delivery timeframe of up to 6 weeks, your journey into this extraordinary literary world is just an order away. Explore the fiery insights and stark imagery packed in these pages, a splendid addition to any connoisseur's bookshelf.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780811226875
Year: 2017
Publisher: W W Norton & Company


Description:
New Directions is proud to present Fleur Jaeggy's strange and mesmerizing essays about the writers Thomas De Quincey, John Keats, and Marcel Schwob. A renowned stylist of hyper-brevity in fiction, Fleur Jaeggy proves herself an even more concise master of the essay form, albeit in a most peculiar and lapidary poetic vein. Of De Quincey's early nineteenth-century world we hear of the habits of writers: Charles Lamb "spoke of 'Lilliputian rabbits' when eating frog fricassse"; Henry Fuseli "ate a diet of raw meat in order to obtain splendid dreams"; "Hazlitt was perceptive about musculature and boxers"; and "Wordsworth used a buttery knife to cut the pages of a first-edition Burke." In a book of "blue devils" and night visions, the Keats essay opens: "In 1803, the guillotine was a common child's toy." And poor Schwob's end comes as he feels "like a 'dog cut open alive'": "His face colored slightly, turning into a mask of gold. His eyes stayed open imperiously. No one could shut his eyelids. The room smoked of grief." Fleur Jaeggy's essays”or are they prose poems?”smoke of necessity: the pages are on fire.