Welcome to Litsy!

I am gobsmacked at how deeply I enjoyed the whimsicality of the opening story, “A Morning,“ yet hated absolutely every other piece in this little book! While the first story was a hilarious portrayal of office workers goofing off – obviously a timeless and universal theme, as it was written more than a century ago - the rest of these are over-earnest, moony, simpering, and soporific. Yuck.

The first story from this collection – a story originally written in 1907 - made me indescribably joyful. Some things are timeless, no?

#QuoteOfTheDay

Here is my #red reading log notebook and a happy stack of NYRB selections.

#30daysofreadathon (a day late)

I just had to get this after reading the wonderful review by @batsy !

OK, people, you need to read this review and then if you're even half as entranced as I was by it, you need to follow this wonderful Litten @batsy - who wrote it - and read this book. But especially follow her!

http://www.popmatters.com/review/girlfriends-ghosts-and-other-stories-by-robert-...

My review of this mercurial and frequently surprising book is in its entirety here http://www.popmatters.com/review/girlfriends-ghosts-and-other-stories-by-robert-...

A beguiling and perplexing collection of feuilletons and prose pieces, many of which were written after Walser achieved some fame and success with his novels. Walser's writing is bird-like, ambiguous, flitting from one idea to another. The tone is light and swift-footed, but it's a fugitive kind of lightness--underneath, Walser is burrowing into some deep stuff and can often be unsettling. It's necessary to read him closely. #LitsyAtoZ

"Today, thank God, I'm back in the pink again, which I definitely deserve because I'm a nice person. How was it for me yesterday? I was emotionally ill. Full of thoughts, I ran about vehemently and at the same time galled [...] What illusions can do to us! Brain power, you're weird!"