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Author
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Comment
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pinkolaestes
Registered User
(9/6/02 3:39:43 pm)
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do u know this story? latinamerican? Funeral and bookseller?
I am writing on "reconciliation" for a new book and a colleague steered me to the surlalune site, (what a lovely site) for I have been researching til my hair has caught fire and burnt down--(yes, I am near bald now---grin) to find the true source of the following story that I have heard in my life, but who wrote it???? and who/how to cite???? (the trouble with getting so old so quick--things start sliding off the hard drive) There have been many people, "from street poets to scholars" on the trail of this story for me, but so far, we are all coming up empty-handed-- I almost am feeling like I am in a fairytale myself---"and the woman had to ask the same question wherever she went...."
This is what I remember; it is a tale based no doubt on a fairytale of the kind perhaps of "Person's real soul revealed after death," and/or "trickster ...."
IN the story: There are several unrelated funerals. At or Shortly after, packages of books arrive C.O.D. that the deceased has ordered. The relatives pay the cost and find that the books the deceased ordered give an exactly opposite picture of the kind of life they led; something like this-- the mean crude man was reading romantic poety; the upright prim person was reading erotica, and so on. The twist to the story (and we have scoured o'henry and other twisty-ending masters) is that the bookseller is busy reading obituaries and just sending out books at random in order to make a living by getting the surviving relatives to pay the c.o.d. charges.
Okay, some have said this is Borges. I know Borges almost inside out... unless it is an out of print piece, i think it is not borges. Some have been sure it was Paz. As far as I can tell, it is not Paz... nor about 40 others.
Any ideas for me to go research would be greatly appreciated. Leads I will certainly follow up faithfully. Thank you in advance.
con cariņo,
cpe
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Midori
Unregistered User
(9/7/02 5:01:14 am)
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funerals
What a great little story. But I don't think it would be from a Latin American writer--if it were Borges, the shipped books would have been blank and acquired printed pages only after they had been touched by the receipiant, "imprinting" that which is deeply held (and hid) onto the pages (something odd and Magic Realism on the order of "Books of Sand") The twisty ending wants to give a logical, a simple and possible explanation for what otherwise seems fantastic--and that seems so contrary to Latin American fiction (at least among those who employ Magic Realism). It feels more European--on the order of a "Portrait of Dorian Gray." I don't know maybe Saki...but that may not be modern enough...I'll ask around and see if it rings any bells among the English teachers I know.
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Kate
Unregistered User
(9/7/02 1:49:24 pm)
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East European???
Oh dear, I am sure I have read this story. But the depressing thing is that I have no idea where--yet. At first, I thought maybe it was from Bruno Schulz's "Street of Crocodiles," but it's not, of course. Nor is it Kundera, though I wondered for a moment. Sadly, many of my books are all packed as I'm in the early stages of a move, so I'm just doing fruitless searches online (as I'm sure you already have) and not making much headway.
I think it is an East European story, personally--of course I could be completely wrong. But that's what I think . . . which hardly narrows things down. However, I am a relentless researcher and will do my best!
By the way . . . welcome to the board, and thanks for all your contributions to the literature of myth and fairy tales--if I'm guessing correctly by your 'username' who you are! Apologies if I am not.
Kate
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pinkolaestes
Registered User
(9/9/02 9:02:12 am)
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appreciation, and God Save the Kveen
Mis Midori and Kate; I just want to mention gratitude to you both for trying to help me with this mystery here. Thank you and thank you also for your kind words. I am still trying to find this story's origin. I had looked at Saki about a year ago; *I think* I have all Saki's work, but I could not find it there. The thing is, I prefer not to bring it into published work until I know whose story it is, even though I can endnote it with, saying I have heard this story and if anyone knows who/where it originates, ... but that is a much harder way to go. The person who originally sought the person who told them who told them who told them someone knew the originator of this story is a lit prof at c.u. who swore it was latin-american. I am beginning to think it is Trans-siberian. Just kidding.
I think you all are on the right track of poss. eastern european; there are wry humors there, that is true....and since you post I have been thinking and thinking in that direction, books, books, books at least in communist era of last 50 years, were NOT sold exactly, they were pub'd by state and sold for pennies to anyone 'who didn't want them,' as I know from my work in Hung., Poland, Romania, Czech. So, the story would have to be older than 50 years perhaps. I have out of our discussion sent off an email to Codrescu, if anyone is wry, and knows wryness, it is Andrei. (grin.)
I keep thinking too of England as a place where people liked to write about booksellers sometimes, but ....I don't know... I am still at a loss. Do you think England might be the setting for such a tale? Doos yous tink da Kveen mite no sometin abot it all? (copying my father's voice--this is what he would always say to me when something was right in front of my face but I couldn't see it...grin) I am hopeful it is not going to take Scotland Yard to track this down....
And, may I be so bold as to inquire, is this Midori, La Midori? if so, I have fine books from with my grandchildren... and thank you!
cc
cpe
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pinkolaestes
Registered User
(9/21/02 10:20:36 pm)
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update
I heard back from Anrei Codrescu about this story. No dice. Geez. He alsoi asked two literature profs experts on eastern european lit. He thinks I dreamt it, and wrote a very funny anecdote about a novel he dreampt once.
I am still asking for help, if you have any idea who else I can ask for help? Otherwise I will have to cite this as "story known but origin unknown" in the footnotes, which I hate to do leave it at loose ends like that.
Thank you for trying...
cpe
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fherman1
Unregistered User
(9/22/02 5:41:58 pm)
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Jorge Amado?
If this isn't Jorge Amado, author of_Dona Flor and her Two Husbands_, then it's certainly somebody on the same vibe.
Fred H.
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