new books
just purchased all aunt hagar's children, the new collection of short stories by edward p. jones. jones also wrote the known world, a rather interesting and beautifully written book, set in antebellum virginia, about the seemingly unlikely topic of black slaveowners and their black slaves. the known world has received all kinds of critical acclaim, and was named one of the most important books of the century (or something like that) by the new york times.
i'm only on the first story of all aunt hagar's children, but it, too, seems to have the same beautiful style. i know writers don't often want their work to be described as beautiful, fearing that a compliment of their aesthetic means that their substance leaves nothing to be complimented, but jones's aesthetic is impossible to ignore. his sentences are finely crafted, each word seems to be chosen with great care and attention, and though his structure is simple, unornamented, not flowery, it's just...well, beautiful. but he's also deeply exploring his characters and their world: all of these stories are set in washington d.c.
well, i'll write more when i finish it. and i'm very much looking forward to finishing it.
i'm only on the first story of all aunt hagar's children, but it, too, seems to have the same beautiful style. i know writers don't often want their work to be described as beautiful, fearing that a compliment of their aesthetic means that their substance leaves nothing to be complimented, but jones's aesthetic is impossible to ignore. his sentences are finely crafted, each word seems to be chosen with great care and attention, and though his structure is simple, unornamented, not flowery, it's just...well, beautiful. but he's also deeply exploring his characters and their world: all of these stories are set in washington d.c.
well, i'll write more when i finish it. and i'm very much looking forward to finishing it.
Labels: literature
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