What do you think?
Rate this book
Nonrequired Reading
Wislawa Szymborska's poems are admired around the world, and her unsparing vision, tireless wit, and deep sense of humanity are cherished by countless readers. Unknown to most of them, however, Szymborska also worked for several decades as a columnist, reviewing a wide variety of books under the unassuming title "Nonrequired Reading."
As readers of her poems would expect, the short prose pieces collected here are anything but ordinary. Reflecting the author's own eclectic tastes and interests, the pretexts for these ruminations range from books on wallpapering, cooking, gardening, and yoga, to more lofty volumes on opera and world literature. Unpretentious yet incisive, these charming pieces are on a par with Szymborska's finest lyrics, tackling the same large and small questions with a wonderful curiosity.
As readers of her poems would expect, the short prose pieces collected here are anything but ordinary. Reflecting the author's own eclectic tastes and interests, the pretexts for these ruminations range from books on wallpapering, cooking, gardening, and yoga, to more lofty volumes on opera and world literature. Unpretentious yet incisive, these charming pieces are on a par with Szymborska's finest lyrics, tackling the same large and small questions with a wonderful curiosity.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Wisława Szymborska
201 books1,481 followersWisława Szymborska (Polish pronunciation: [vʲisˈwava ʂɨmˈbɔrska], born July 2, 1923 in Kórnik, Poland) is a Polish poet, essayist, and translator. She was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature. In Poland, her books reach sales rivaling prominent prose authors—although she once remarked in a poem entitled "Some like poetry" [Niektórzy lubią poezję] that no more than two out of a thousand people care for the art.
Szymborska frequently employs literary devices such as irony, paradox, contradiction, and understatement, to illuminate philosophical themes and obsessions. Szymborska's compact poems often conjure large existential puzzles, touching on issues of ethical import, and reflecting on the condition of people both as individuals and as members of human society. Szymborska's style is succinct and marked by introspection and wit.
Szymborska's reputation rests on a relatively small body of work: she has not published more than 250 poems to date. She is often described as modest to the point of shyness[citation needed]. She has long been cherished by Polish literary contemporaries (including Czesław Miłosz) and her poetry has been set to music by Zbigniew Preisner. Szymborska became better known internationally after she was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize. Szymborska's work has been translated into many European languages, as well as into Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese and Chinese.
In 1931, Szymborska's family moved to Kraków. She has been linked with this city, where she studied, worked.
When World War II broke out in 1939, she continued her education in underground lessons. From 1943, she worked as a railroad employee and managed to avoid being deported to Germany as a forced labourer. It was during this time that her career as an artist began with illustrations for an English-language textbook. She also began writing stories and occasional poems.
Beginning in 1945, Szymborska took up studies of Polish language and literature before switching to sociology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. There she soon became involved in the local writing scene, and met and was influenced by Czesław Miłosz. In March 1945, she published her first poem Szukam słowa ("I seek the word") in the daily paper Dziennik Polski; her poems continued to be published in various newspapers and periodicals for a number of years. In 1948 she quit her studies without a degree, due to her poor financial circumstances; the same year, she married poet Adam Włodek, whom she divorced in 1954. At that time, she was working as a secretary for an educational biweekly magazine as well as an illustrator.
During Stalinism in Poland in 1953 she participated in the defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków who were groundlessly condemned by the ruling Communists to death.[1] Her first book was to be published in 1949, but did not pass censorship as it "did not meet socialist requirements." Like many other intellectuals in post-war Poland, however, Szymborska remained loyal to the PRL official ideology early in her career, signing political petitions and praising Stalin, Lenin and the realities of socialism. This attitude is seen in her debut collection Dlatego żyjemy ("That is what we are living for"), containing the poems Lenin and Młodzieży budującej Nową Hutę ("For the Youth that Builds Nowa Huta"), about the construction of a Stalinist industrial town near Kraków. She also became a member of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party.
Like many Polish intellectuals initially close to the official party line, Szymborska gradually grew estranged from socialist ideology and renounced her earlier political work. Although she did not officially leave the party until 1966, she began to establish contacts with dissidents. As early as 1957, she befriended Jerzy Giedroyc, the editor of the influential Paris-based emigré journal Kultura, to which she also contributed. In 1964 s
Szymborska frequently employs literary devices such as irony, paradox, contradiction, and understatement, to illuminate philosophical themes and obsessions. Szymborska's compact poems often conjure large existential puzzles, touching on issues of ethical import, and reflecting on the condition of people both as individuals and as members of human society. Szymborska's style is succinct and marked by introspection and wit.
Szymborska's reputation rests on a relatively small body of work: she has not published more than 250 poems to date. She is often described as modest to the point of shyness[citation needed]. She has long been cherished by Polish literary contemporaries (including Czesław Miłosz) and her poetry has been set to music by Zbigniew Preisner. Szymborska became better known internationally after she was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize. Szymborska's work has been translated into many European languages, as well as into Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese and Chinese.
In 1931, Szymborska's family moved to Kraków. She has been linked with this city, where she studied, worked.
When World War II broke out in 1939, she continued her education in underground lessons. From 1943, she worked as a railroad employee and managed to avoid being deported to Germany as a forced labourer. It was during this time that her career as an artist began with illustrations for an English-language textbook. She also began writing stories and occasional poems.
Beginning in 1945, Szymborska took up studies of Polish language and literature before switching to sociology at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. There she soon became involved in the local writing scene, and met and was influenced by Czesław Miłosz. In March 1945, she published her first poem Szukam słowa ("I seek the word") in the daily paper Dziennik Polski; her poems continued to be published in various newspapers and periodicals for a number of years. In 1948 she quit her studies without a degree, due to her poor financial circumstances; the same year, she married poet Adam Włodek, whom she divorced in 1954. At that time, she was working as a secretary for an educational biweekly magazine as well as an illustrator.
During Stalinism in Poland in 1953 she participated in the defamation of Catholic priests from Kraków who were groundlessly condemned by the ruling Communists to death.[1] Her first book was to be published in 1949, but did not pass censorship as it "did not meet socialist requirements." Like many other intellectuals in post-war Poland, however, Szymborska remained loyal to the PRL official ideology early in her career, signing political petitions and praising Stalin, Lenin and the realities of socialism. This attitude is seen in her debut collection Dlatego żyjemy ("That is what we are living for"), containing the poems Lenin and Młodzieży budującej Nową Hutę ("For the Youth that Builds Nowa Huta"), about the construction of a Stalinist industrial town near Kraków. She also became a member of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party.
Like many Polish intellectuals initially close to the official party line, Szymborska gradually grew estranged from socialist ideology and renounced her earlier political work. Although she did not officially leave the party until 1966, she began to establish contacts with dissidents. As early as 1957, she befriended Jerzy Giedroyc, the editor of the influential Paris-based emigré journal Kultura, to which she also contributed. In 1964 s
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
December 27, 2017
Niente è inutile, solo facoltativo
Il titolo parla chiaro: “Letture facoltative”. Qui non si tratta di letteratura “alta” e, no, nemmeno di poesia. Questo libro è una raccolta di recensioni brevissime (2-3 paginette ciascuna) che Wislawa Szymborska ha scritto commentando alcune pubblicazioni divulgative e manuali sugli argomenti più disparati, tipo:
- Come nascondere quello che proviamo sul lavoro e fingere quello che dovremmo provare
- Riparazioni e ammodernamenti in casa mia
- Vademecum per il turista a piedi
- Quando si ammala il cane
- 100 minuti per la propria bellezza
- L’uomo e quelli che vengono dallo spazio
- L’arte dello scrivere, ovvero Tu e il Tuo carattere
- Come smettere di preoccuparsi e iniziare a vivere
- Il piccolo libro degli abbracci (la terapia degli abbracci)
- Le sigarette sono sublimi
- Storia del vestiario
… e molto altro: in tutto sono 97 le pubblicazioni recensite.
Gli argomenti più strani offrono così alla Szymborska il pretesto per divagazioni curiose, argute, intelligenti, lievi; la prosa è piacevole, divertente, mai banale o pedante. Una boccata d’aria fresca.
Divaga, Wislawa, divaga quanto ti pare e piace; io sorrido stupefatta.
Dalla Prefazione:
In quanto un po’ all’antica, ritengo che la lettura sia il più bel passatempo mai escogitato dall’umanità. L’Homo ludens danza, canta, si produce in gesti pieni di significato, assume pose, si acconcia, banchetta e celebra elaborate cerimonie. Non voglio sottovalutare l’importanza di simili passatempi – senza, la vita umana scorrerebbe con una monotonia inimmaginabile e forse andrebbe allo sbando. Tuttavia si tratta di azioni di gruppo su cui aleggia, più o meno percettibile, quel certo odore da addestramento militare collettivo. Con un Libro in mano l’Homo ludens è libero. Almeno nella misura in cui gli è concesso esserlo. E’ lui a stabilire le regole del gioco, obbedendo soltanto alla propria curiosità. Gli è dato di leggere sia libri intelligenti, dai quali apprendere qualche cosa, sia libri sciocchi, perché anche da quelli è possibile ricavare informazioni. E’ libero di non leggere un libro sino alla fine e di cominciarne un altro dall’ultima pagina, risalendo verso l’inizio. E’ libero di farsi una risatina là dove non è previsto, o di soffermarsi inaspettatamente su parole che poi ricorderà per tutta la vita. E’ libero infine – e nessun altro passatempo lo consente – di prestare ascolto alle argomentazioni di Montaigne o di fare un tuffo nel Mesozoico.
(W. S.)
Il titolo parla chiaro: “Letture facoltative”. Qui non si tratta di letteratura “alta” e, no, nemmeno di poesia. Questo libro è una raccolta di recensioni brevissime (2-3 paginette ciascuna) che Wislawa Szymborska ha scritto commentando alcune pubblicazioni divulgative e manuali sugli argomenti più disparati, tipo:
- Come nascondere quello che proviamo sul lavoro e fingere quello che dovremmo provare
- Riparazioni e ammodernamenti in casa mia
- Vademecum per il turista a piedi
- Quando si ammala il cane
- 100 minuti per la propria bellezza
- L’uomo e quelli che vengono dallo spazio
- L’arte dello scrivere, ovvero Tu e il Tuo carattere
- Come smettere di preoccuparsi e iniziare a vivere
- Il piccolo libro degli abbracci (la terapia degli abbracci)
- Le sigarette sono sublimi
- Storia del vestiario
… e molto altro: in tutto sono 97 le pubblicazioni recensite.
Gli argomenti più strani offrono così alla Szymborska il pretesto per divagazioni curiose, argute, intelligenti, lievi; la prosa è piacevole, divertente, mai banale o pedante. Una boccata d’aria fresca.
Divaga, Wislawa, divaga quanto ti pare e piace; io sorrido stupefatta.
Dalla Prefazione:
In quanto un po’ all’antica, ritengo che la lettura sia il più bel passatempo mai escogitato dall’umanità. L’Homo ludens danza, canta, si produce in gesti pieni di significato, assume pose, si acconcia, banchetta e celebra elaborate cerimonie. Non voglio sottovalutare l’importanza di simili passatempi – senza, la vita umana scorrerebbe con una monotonia inimmaginabile e forse andrebbe allo sbando. Tuttavia si tratta di azioni di gruppo su cui aleggia, più o meno percettibile, quel certo odore da addestramento militare collettivo. Con un Libro in mano l’Homo ludens è libero. Almeno nella misura in cui gli è concesso esserlo. E’ lui a stabilire le regole del gioco, obbedendo soltanto alla propria curiosità. Gli è dato di leggere sia libri intelligenti, dai quali apprendere qualche cosa, sia libri sciocchi, perché anche da quelli è possibile ricavare informazioni. E’ libero di non leggere un libro sino alla fine e di cominciarne un altro dall’ultima pagina, risalendo verso l’inizio. E’ libero di farsi una risatina là dove non è previsto, o di soffermarsi inaspettatamente su parole che poi ricorderà per tutta la vita. E’ libero infine – e nessun altro passatempo lo consente – di prestare ascolto alle argomentazioni di Montaigne o di fare un tuffo nel Mesozoico.
(W. S.)
December 21, 2017
Immaginate di essere in un cafè di Parigi (chissà perchè mi è venuto in mente proprio Parigi) e avere di fianco a voi la poetessa (W. S.) che inizia a discorrere, divagare, conversare sull'ultimo libro da lei letto.
Ecco l'ambientazione che ho avuto di fronte agli occhi ogni volta che aprivo e leggevo il libro.
Wisława Szymborska decide un bel giorno di averne abbastanza dei libri pluripremiati, molto conosciuti e di dedicarsi, con la sua ineguagliabile ironia ed anche cultura, a letture che i media ed i giornali quasi non considerano, come saggi di divulgazione scientifica, manuali, monografie ecc... Si va da Pitagora a Riparazioni e ammodernamenti in casa mia, dal Vademecum per il turista a piedi a Vita dell'aristocrazia polacca nel XVII secolo, da L'uomo e quelli che vengono dallo spazio a L'essenza dei sogni ecc... ecc...
"Con un Libro, l'Homo Ludens è libero. Almeno nella misura in cui gli è concesso esserlo. E' lui a stabilire le regole del gioco, obbedendo soltanto alla propria curiosità. Gli è dato di leggere sia libri intelligenti, dai quali apprendere qualche cosa, sia libri sciocchi, perchè anche da quelli è possibile ricavare informazioni. E' libero di non leggere un libro sino alla fine e di cominciarne un altro dall'ultima pagina, risalendo verso l'inizio. E' libero di farsi una risatina là dova non è previsto, o di soffermarsi inaspettatamente su parole che poi ricorderà per tutta la vita."
Grazie amapola ;-)
Ecco l'ambientazione che ho avuto di fronte agli occhi ogni volta che aprivo e leggevo il libro.
Wisława Szymborska decide un bel giorno di averne abbastanza dei libri pluripremiati, molto conosciuti e di dedicarsi, con la sua ineguagliabile ironia ed anche cultura, a letture che i media ed i giornali quasi non considerano, come saggi di divulgazione scientifica, manuali, monografie ecc... Si va da Pitagora a Riparazioni e ammodernamenti in casa mia, dal Vademecum per il turista a piedi a Vita dell'aristocrazia polacca nel XVII secolo, da L'uomo e quelli che vengono dallo spazio a L'essenza dei sogni ecc... ecc...
"Con un Libro, l'Homo Ludens è libero. Almeno nella misura in cui gli è concesso esserlo. E' lui a stabilire le regole del gioco, obbedendo soltanto alla propria curiosità. Gli è dato di leggere sia libri intelligenti, dai quali apprendere qualche cosa, sia libri sciocchi, perchè anche da quelli è possibile ricavare informazioni. E' libero di non leggere un libro sino alla fine e di cominciarne un altro dall'ultima pagina, risalendo verso l'inizio. E' libero di farsi una risatina là dova non è previsto, o di soffermarsi inaspettatamente su parole che poi ricorderà per tutta la vita."
Grazie amapola ;-)
March 5, 2017
так, ніби у шимборської був ґудрідс, і вона читала дуже різне (енциклопедія ґудзиків у літературі? 100 найстрашніших диктаторів? збірка коротких переказів текстів для підготовки до шкільного іспиту з літератури зі вбудованими шпаргалками? check, check, & check – але так само третій том ґіббона про римську імперію, наприклад), а потім писала на все це відгуки, не дуже щедро роздаючи зірочки.
замість ґудрідсу, щоправда, була "газета виборча", колонка в якій мала більш-менш постійний обсяг, однак то єдина велика різниця. якщо книжка – суцільне dnf, шимборська про це чесно й каже: змогла продертися тільки через першу третину, але, знаєте, цей текст мені нагадав, що. і починаються її історії, враження, жарти і шпильки – те, за що, власне, я й прочитала ці п'ятдесят із хвостиком рецензій, бо, серйозно, не йдеться ж тут про цікавість до книжок, про які вони написані.
Napisałam „książka”, a powinnam napisać „Księga”. Nawet położyłam ją na wadze kuchennej: waży półtora kilograma. Ludzie poważni, którzy słusznie sądzą, że ocena dzieła według jego ciężaru jest zupełnym kretynizmem, proszeni są o nieczytanie poprzedniego zdania.
замість ґудрідсу, щоправда, була "газета виборча", колонка в якій мала більш-менш постійний обсяг, однак то єдина велика різниця. якщо книжка – суцільне dnf, шимборська про це чесно й каже: змогла продертися тільки через першу третину, але, знаєте, цей текст мені нагадав, що. і починаються її історії, враження, жарти і шпильки – те, за що, власне, я й прочитала ці п'ятдесят із хвостиком рецензій, бо, серйозно, не йдеться ж тут про цікавість до книжок, про які вони написані.
Napisałam „książka”, a powinnam napisać „Księga”. Nawet położyłam ją na wadze kuchennej: waży półtora kilograma. Ludzie poważni, którzy słusznie sądzą, że ocena dzieła według jego ciężaru jest zupełnym kretynizmem, proszeni są o nieczytanie poprzedniego zdania.
February 7, 2019
Wislawa Szymborska was no respecter of books; she was too much a lover of them. She read everything that came her way. One day it might be a history of textiles, the next a biography of Pythagoras, the next a book on caring for pet amphibians:
“I’m reading it only because since childhood I’ve derived pleasure from accumulating useless knowledge. And after all, who’s to say what’s useless and what isn’t? Take the instructions on how to mail frogs so that they arrive bright-eyed and frisky at their final destination: who knows when this may come in handy for personal or civic purposes?”
We once received a tadpole by mail. The size of a marble and as frisky as one could wish, it arrived in a sealed bag of water inside a little cardboard box. It was for my daughter, who is a skilled tadpole catcher, but this was the tadpole of a particular type of aquatic frog. It is several years old now, ugly and lethargic. The proffered waxworm is its only enthusiasm. I’m tempted now and then to mail it on again to someone new.
Szymborska was a poet, of course, but I have never read her poems. She wrote in Polish and poetry in translation makes me nervous. How disconcerting to flip through two editions of Cavafy at the bookshop and find the same poem Englished in incompatible ways. Neither can be the real Cavafy.
Luckily, there is only one translation available of Szymborska’s Nonrequired Reading, permitting me the illusion that language is no barrier. Clare Cavanagh’s fluid renderings help. She seems almost to achieve what Szymborska herself called “that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes – how on earth do I put this? – becomes a second original.”
They pose as book reviews but these brief essays (none longer than two pages) open up, one little door at a time, into the wide world. With no more method than childlike curiosity allows, Szymborska considers the proper value of fairytales, the plight of Dostoyevsky’s wife, the challenges of Lilliputian metabolism, the joy of Louis Armstrong, the enigmatic Vandals, the professional rivalries of paleontologists, medieval bathing habits, the love lives of body builders, the near-immortality of certain paramecia, and much more.
Useless knowledge is godly knowledge, to my way of thinking. As the owner of a ninety-year-old house, I am obliged to value the practical variety, but the gratification in knowing how to unclog a drain or repair a plaster wall extends no farther than the act itself. There is a higher pleasure, I think, in knowledge that serves no function but to delight.
“I’m reading it only because since childhood I’ve derived pleasure from accumulating useless knowledge. And after all, who’s to say what’s useless and what isn’t? Take the instructions on how to mail frogs so that they arrive bright-eyed and frisky at their final destination: who knows when this may come in handy for personal or civic purposes?”
We once received a tadpole by mail. The size of a marble and as frisky as one could wish, it arrived in a sealed bag of water inside a little cardboard box. It was for my daughter, who is a skilled tadpole catcher, but this was the tadpole of a particular type of aquatic frog. It is several years old now, ugly and lethargic. The proffered waxworm is its only enthusiasm. I’m tempted now and then to mail it on again to someone new.
Szymborska was a poet, of course, but I have never read her poems. She wrote in Polish and poetry in translation makes me nervous. How disconcerting to flip through two editions of Cavafy at the bookshop and find the same poem Englished in incompatible ways. Neither can be the real Cavafy.
Luckily, there is only one translation available of Szymborska’s Nonrequired Reading, permitting me the illusion that language is no barrier. Clare Cavanagh’s fluid renderings help. She seems almost to achieve what Szymborska herself called “that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes – how on earth do I put this? – becomes a second original.”
They pose as book reviews but these brief essays (none longer than two pages) open up, one little door at a time, into the wide world. With no more method than childlike curiosity allows, Szymborska considers the proper value of fairytales, the plight of Dostoyevsky’s wife, the challenges of Lilliputian metabolism, the joy of Louis Armstrong, the enigmatic Vandals, the professional rivalries of paleontologists, medieval bathing habits, the love lives of body builders, the near-immortality of certain paramecia, and much more.
Useless knowledge is godly knowledge, to my way of thinking. As the owner of a ninety-year-old house, I am obliged to value the practical variety, but the gratification in knowing how to unclog a drain or repair a plaster wall extends no farther than the act itself. There is a higher pleasure, I think, in knowledge that serves no function but to delight.
November 1, 2016
como excusa de reseñar distintos libros de diversas materias (libros científicos, novelas, ensayos) Szymborska divaga sobre algún recuerdo que le despierte la materia de la cual acaba de leer. Y esas divagaciones son magníficas, a menudo nada tienen que ver con el libro reseñado, pero resultan más interesantes. Algunos pequeños poemas en prosa, frases sarcásticas y la certeza que leer a veces no tiene nada que ver con lo que estamos leyendo. Excelente.
December 1, 2017
Vi ricordate il non-compleanno di Alice? Ecco, per analogia potremmo definire queste delle non-recensioni.
La descrizione del contenuto delle letture è parziale o addirittura mancante, dell'autore non si parla quasi mai, il commento è spesso uno spunto per le divagazioni. Le letture stesse, non a caso, sono definitive facoltative, cioè perdibili senza rimpianti; libri di divulgazione scientifica senza troppe pretese, manuali dei più svariati argomenti, da quello del perfetto bricoleur al piccolo trattato di scrittura cinese, dalle istruzioni per l'allevamento domestico di rettili e anfibi all'immancabile manuale di yoga.
Il vantaggio principale di questo tipo di libri è che non finiscono né bene né male, nota maliziosa Szymborska.
E inoltre, "fin dall'infanzia mi è sempre piaciuto accumulare nozioni superflue. D'altra parte come si fa a sapere in anticipo cosa sia necessario e che cosa no?".
Un tono colloquiale, un umorismo sottile, il gusto per i dettagli e il quieto stupore per la varietà della vita che troviamo nella sua poesia; alcuni capitoli si potrebbero in effetti definire poesie in prosa.
La curiosità divertita per un sapere minuzioso, esaustivo che cataloga il mondo ma non lo contiene.
" Il poeta, indipendentemente dal grado di istruzione, età, sesso e preferenze, nel fondo dell'anima è e rimarrà sempre un erede spirituale delle tribù primitive. L'interpretazione scientifica del mondo non esercita su di lui una grande influenza. E' un animista, un feticista che crede nelle forze segrete che sonnecchiano in ogni cosa ed è convinto che con l'aiuto di parole opportunamente scelte riuscirà a risvegliarle".
La descrizione del contenuto delle letture è parziale o addirittura mancante, dell'autore non si parla quasi mai, il commento è spesso uno spunto per le divagazioni. Le letture stesse, non a caso, sono definitive facoltative, cioè perdibili senza rimpianti; libri di divulgazione scientifica senza troppe pretese, manuali dei più svariati argomenti, da quello del perfetto bricoleur al piccolo trattato di scrittura cinese, dalle istruzioni per l'allevamento domestico di rettili e anfibi all'immancabile manuale di yoga.
Il vantaggio principale di questo tipo di libri è che non finiscono né bene né male, nota maliziosa Szymborska.
E inoltre, "fin dall'infanzia mi è sempre piaciuto accumulare nozioni superflue. D'altra parte come si fa a sapere in anticipo cosa sia necessario e che cosa no?".
Un tono colloquiale, un umorismo sottile, il gusto per i dettagli e il quieto stupore per la varietà della vita che troviamo nella sua poesia; alcuni capitoli si potrebbero in effetti definire poesie in prosa.
La curiosità divertita per un sapere minuzioso, esaustivo che cataloga il mondo ma non lo contiene.
" Il poeta, indipendentemente dal grado di istruzione, età, sesso e preferenze, nel fondo dell'anima è e rimarrà sempre un erede spirituale delle tribù primitive. L'interpretazione scientifica del mondo non esercita su di lui una grande influenza. E' un animista, un feticista che crede nelle forze segrete che sonnecchiano in ogni cosa ed è convinto che con l'aiuto di parole opportunamente scelte riuscirà a risvegliarle".
April 26, 2017
Як вже писала verbava, це такий ґудрідз, тільки опублікований - принагідні враження про украй еклектичний набір книжок (не питайте, що поєднує історію ґудзиків, теорему Ферма, історію роду слимаків, автобіографії акторів і популярний треш рівня "100 найгірших тиранів"), припорошений зворушливо старосвітськими уявленнями про прекрасне (аж серце стискається - навіть добрі поети-нобеліанти врешті стають старосвітські, то що ж казати про простих смертних?) і подекуди просто чарівними замальовками на тему. Скажімо, вичитавши, що ті, кого імператорами проголошувало військо, гинули у Римській імперії в середньому незабаром і неприємно, Шимборська уявляє такого свіжоспеченого імператора, який втікає, стає натомість рибалкою і живе довго і щасливо.
February 21, 2019
Wislawa Szymborska es graciosa, medida y por sobre todo tiernísima.
Este libro recopila todas las reseñas de libros que hizo a lo largo de muchos años: literatura best seller, biografías y manuales. Con dulce prosa y breve, mezcla apreciaciones personales, relaciones poco comunes y partes de los libros reseñados. Todo esto con tanta habilidad que te hace sentir que un manual de modales puede ser todo un mundo.
Wislawa Szymborka hace todo bien, la poesía y la prosa, con palabras justas y precisas, jamás ambiciosa ni dramática.
“Un gran amor” es un comentario al libro que escribió la esposa de Dostoyevski:
«De él (del texto) podría inferirse que la joven esposa sentía por su enfermo, maníaco y genial marido, sobre todo compasión. Por el contrario, Anna lo amaba de veras con admiración ciega y humildemente (...) Anna se quitaba de buen ánimo la sortija de su dedo, los pendientes de sus orejas, y el último chal de sus hombros para que Fedia pudiese venderlo todo, jugárselo y perderlo de nuevo(...) Ante tales circunstancias, los observadores ajenos se preguntaban: ¿Qué debe ver ella (él) en él (ella)?. Mejor no hagamos ese tipo de preguntas: los grandes amores nunca tiene explicación. Al igual que un arbolillo en una ladera rocosa, uno nunca sabe cómo crecerá, qué es lo que lo sostiene, de dónde saca su sustento o qué milagro es el que hace que broten esas verdes hojas(...)Ryszard Przybylski escribe en el prólogo, medio en broma (pero en serio), que el diario de Anna podría servir como guía a las esposas (...) Desgraciadamente, la experiencia de la autora no podrá servirle de mucho a nadie. Anna no se valió de ningún método. Simplemente, su paciente amor era inherente a ella»
Este libro recopila todas las reseñas de libros que hizo a lo largo de muchos años: literatura best seller, biografías y manuales. Con dulce prosa y breve, mezcla apreciaciones personales, relaciones poco comunes y partes de los libros reseñados. Todo esto con tanta habilidad que te hace sentir que un manual de modales puede ser todo un mundo.
Wislawa Szymborka hace todo bien, la poesía y la prosa, con palabras justas y precisas, jamás ambiciosa ni dramática.
“Un gran amor” es un comentario al libro que escribió la esposa de Dostoyevski:
«De él (del texto) podría inferirse que la joven esposa sentía por su enfermo, maníaco y genial marido, sobre todo compasión. Por el contrario, Anna lo amaba de veras con admiración ciega y humildemente (...) Anna se quitaba de buen ánimo la sortija de su dedo, los pendientes de sus orejas, y el último chal de sus hombros para que Fedia pudiese venderlo todo, jugárselo y perderlo de nuevo(...) Ante tales circunstancias, los observadores ajenos se preguntaban: ¿Qué debe ver ella (él) en él (ella)?. Mejor no hagamos ese tipo de preguntas: los grandes amores nunca tiene explicación. Al igual que un arbolillo en una ladera rocosa, uno nunca sabe cómo crecerá, qué es lo que lo sostiene, de dónde saca su sustento o qué milagro es el que hace que broten esas verdes hojas(...)Ryszard Przybylski escribe en el prólogo, medio en broma (pero en serio), que el diario de Anna podría servir como guía a las esposas (...) Desgraciadamente, la experiencia de la autora no podrá servirle de mucho a nadie. Anna no se valió de ningún método. Simplemente, su paciente amor era inherente a ella»
Read
February 1, 2020„Gal kam nors tai atrodys senamadiška, tačiau aš manau, kad knygų skaitymas tai nuostabiausias iš visų žmonijos sugalvotų užsiėmimų. Homo ludens šoka, dainuoja, išraiškingai gestikuliuoja, pozuoja, puošiasi, puotauja ir rengia rafinuotas ceremonijas. Nenoriu nuvertinti tokių žaidimų svarbos – be jų žmonių gyvenimas taptų neapsakomai nuobodus, o gal net visai praeitų veltui. Tačiau visi šie žaidimai bendri, daugiau ar mažiau primenantys karinių pratimų mokymą. O homo ludens su knyga yra laisvas. Bent jau tiek, kiek galima būti laisvam. Jis pats, vedamas smalsumo, kuria žaidimo taisykles. Jis skaito ir protingas knygas, iš kurių gali ką nors sužinoti, ir kvailas, nes jose irgi yra tam tikros informacijos. Jis gali nebaigti skaityti vienos knygos, o kita pradėti nuo pabaigos ir perskaityti iki pradžios. Jis gali kikenti dėl visai nejuokingų dalykų arba staiga sustoti ties žodžiais, kuriuos įsimins visam gyvenimui. Jis gali tai, ko nepatirs darydamas ką nors kitą, – išgirsti, apie ką samprotauja Montaigne'is ar akimirkai atsidurti mezorojuje.“
April 26, 2020
Sono una raccolta di “cianfrusaglie letterarie”, una raccolta delle letture invisibili. Quelle che non si recensiscono e che non sono sicuramente oggetto di disquisizioni alte, filosofiche, della crème culturale. Sono un libro piccolo, umile, pieno di frammenti di preziose gemme, che si svelano generosamente a coloro che mi prenderanno con la cautela che si riserva a una poesia.
May 7, 2019
Wisława escribió reseñas de un montón de cosas diferentes: guías de yoga, reparación del hogar, cuidado de anfibios, tapicería, recetas para cocinar papas, memorias de gente desconocida, divulgación científica sobre geología, biología, estadística, ¡hasta de calendarios!, y todas son brillantes y divertidas. Casi todos los textos en este libro son sobre libros como esos, de los que usualmente no hablan (o hablaban) quienes escriben y/o critican y reseñan literatura, pero que en librerías se venden como pan caliente.
Aunque también hay algunas reseñas que sí hablan de personajes famosos, como la biografía de Ella Fitzgerald, la correspondencia de Verne, los ensayos de Montaigne y la poesía de Miłosz. Lo que más me gustó de esos textos es que Szymborska habla más de ella y el resto del mundo que de esos personajes. Nos cuenta cómo la hace sentir la voz de Ella; compadece a la madre de Verne que debía leer cartas en las que le describía la consistencia de su popó después de ir baño, o de su esposa, a la que solo encontraba atractiva por ser rica; habla de todas las razones por las que Montaigne pudo haber muerto antes de escribir sus ensayos y que Miłosz come chuletas cuando va a un restaurante y cómo, a pesar de encontrarse con él muchas veces, no se atrevía a hablarle.
Me gustó mucho ver que alguien a quien admiro no le importaba escribir así: reseñas que muchos creían que no eran reseñas, en las que ella, su vida, lo que ha visto, lo que piensa y las personas y animales a su alrededor son más importantes que hablar de una novela en términos académicos, de si la poesía es la reina de la literatura o si un ensayo está bien estructurado. Le interesaban más, como dice en una reseña sobre un libro de grandes misterios, los árboles que crecen, el sonido de las hojas y las ranas sobre la hierba.
Después de leer este libro tengo ganas de silbar como pájaro o ponerme a croar.
Aunque también hay algunas reseñas que sí hablan de personajes famosos, como la biografía de Ella Fitzgerald, la correspondencia de Verne, los ensayos de Montaigne y la poesía de Miłosz. Lo que más me gustó de esos textos es que Szymborska habla más de ella y el resto del mundo que de esos personajes. Nos cuenta cómo la hace sentir la voz de Ella; compadece a la madre de Verne que debía leer cartas en las que le describía la consistencia de su popó después de ir baño, o de su esposa, a la que solo encontraba atractiva por ser rica; habla de todas las razones por las que Montaigne pudo haber muerto antes de escribir sus ensayos y que Miłosz come chuletas cuando va a un restaurante y cómo, a pesar de encontrarse con él muchas veces, no se atrevía a hablarle.
Me gustó mucho ver que alguien a quien admiro no le importaba escribir así: reseñas que muchos creían que no eran reseñas, en las que ella, su vida, lo que ha visto, lo que piensa y las personas y animales a su alrededor son más importantes que hablar de una novela en términos académicos, de si la poesía es la reina de la literatura o si un ensayo está bien estructurado. Le interesaban más, como dice en una reseña sobre un libro de grandes misterios, los árboles que crecen, el sonido de las hojas y las ranas sobre la hierba.
Después de leer este libro tengo ganas de silbar como pájaro o ponerme a croar.
February 26, 2018
Me gustó harto la Wislawa. Me encantó que se hiciera tantas preguntas aún sabiendo que no todas iban a ser resueltas, que creo que es algo a lo que hay que aspirar. Me gustó tambiém que hablara de cualquiera cosa que se le ocurriera y siempre fuera profundo e inmenso. Tengo muchas ganas de leer más de ella y de algunas cosas de las que menciona en el libro.
June 1, 2022
Z tych krótkich felietonów na temat przeczytanych lektur wyłania się obraz noblistki o genialnym poczuciu humoru, pogodzie ducha i wielkiej inteligencji. Publikując te komentarze do często absurdalnych książek Wisława Szymborska potrafiła przemycić w nich wiele wspaniałych refleksji na temat otaczającego ją i zmieniającego się na przełomie wieków świata. Bardzo przyjemny w lekturze i ciekawy zbiór, zachęca do sięgnięcia po Wszystkie lektury nadobowiązkowe.
March 4, 2015
3.5/5
La poetisa, ensayista y premio nobel polaca Wisława Szymborska fue una mujer que indudablemente tenía mucho de lo que hablar. En sus textos se percibe con flagrante facilidad el caudal de conocimientos que atesoraba Szymborska y el ingenio lúcido, luminoso, que derrocha cuando es la página escrita la que le toma la palabra. A lo largo de 'Siempre lecturas no obligatorias', el tercer volumen que publica Ediciones Alfabia de su prosa reunida, encontramos infinidad de pequeñas píldoras en forma de reseñas, artículos o prólogos a otros libros donde Wisława Szymborska ofrece su opinión experta en materias tan dispares como la aristocracia polaca, la genialidad sin precedentes de Dickens, la problemática inherente a una traducción defectuosa, el inmortalizado estatus social de Pompeya, la importancia de aprender a recitar en las escuelas, la meteorología o incluso la vital necesidad de tomar café para despertar la productividad de todo ente creativo. "¿Con qué se activaba Platón cundo se despertaba medio atontado por las mañanas?", pregunta Szymborska ante la fiel expectación de un público entregado a sus brillantes cavilaciones. De apenas un par de páginas de longitud, todos y cada uno de los textos aquí recogidos resultan perfectos para leer de manera ocasional y dejarse llevar plácidamente por una de las mentes más inquietas de las letras europeas, aunque la excesiva heterogeneidad de lo expuesto a veces impida esbozar una visión sólida y más enriquecedora de sus reflexiones.
La poetisa, ensayista y premio nobel polaca Wisława Szymborska fue una mujer que indudablemente tenía mucho de lo que hablar. En sus textos se percibe con flagrante facilidad el caudal de conocimientos que atesoraba Szymborska y el ingenio lúcido, luminoso, que derrocha cuando es la página escrita la que le toma la palabra. A lo largo de 'Siempre lecturas no obligatorias', el tercer volumen que publica Ediciones Alfabia de su prosa reunida, encontramos infinidad de pequeñas píldoras en forma de reseñas, artículos o prólogos a otros libros donde Wisława Szymborska ofrece su opinión experta en materias tan dispares como la aristocracia polaca, la genialidad sin precedentes de Dickens, la problemática inherente a una traducción defectuosa, el inmortalizado estatus social de Pompeya, la importancia de aprender a recitar en las escuelas, la meteorología o incluso la vital necesidad de tomar café para despertar la productividad de todo ente creativo. "¿Con qué se activaba Platón cundo se despertaba medio atontado por las mañanas?", pregunta Szymborska ante la fiel expectación de un público entregado a sus brillantes cavilaciones. De apenas un par de páginas de longitud, todos y cada uno de los textos aquí recogidos resultan perfectos para leer de manera ocasional y dejarse llevar plácidamente por una de las mentes más inquietas de las letras europeas, aunque la excesiva heterogeneidad de lo expuesto a veces impida esbozar una visión sólida y más enriquecedora de sus reflexiones.
February 3, 2015
What a marvelous book! Can I give it six stars? Well known for her poetry, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize, Wislawa Szymborska for many years wrote a newspaper column, Nonrequired Reading. This is a fine selection of nearly 100 of these pieces. The books she considers are on stunning array of topics, a testament to her inexhaustible curiosity. The works become launch pads for her always fresh, often quixotic musings and observations. Every piece entertains and surprises; every piece opens up a new way of seeing. The same is true of her poems, which I've read and reread to my great pleasure ever since that happy day my son gave me a copy of Poems, New and Collected 1957-1997.
December 31, 2018
Este es un libro peculiar. A lo largo del libro, esta autora polaca aborda lecturas bastantes eclécticas: manuales para tapizar paredes, sobre jardinería, libros de autoayuda, autobiografías, novelas, divulgación científica e incluso el calendario. A partir de alguna publicación, medita, relfexiona, analiza o comenta; ya sea algo relacionado con la misma obra o algún recuerdo, posición o reflexión que le suscite. Encontré este libro estimulante: con Wislawa aprendes sobre temas muy variados, que quizá nunca hayas considerado y obtienes otras perspectivas. Es fascinante leerla: no puedo esperar a leer su poesía, o Más lecturas no obligatorias.
August 13, 2024
“Preguntas y respuestas, y, después de las respuestas, más preguntas… Y así hasta el infinito. ¿Y qué hay de malo en ello? Especulemos un poco e imaginemos un futuro tremendamente lejano en el que la humanidad -en el caso de que aún exista- lo sepa todo. Se acabará eso de preguntar, porque no habrá motivo para ello. No habrá misterios, conjeturas, ni dudas sobre el más mínimo detalle. Todo, incluido el cosmos, habrá sido explorado, comprobado, medido, calculado y descargado en algún computador galáctico… El pasado radiografiado de parte a parte, y el presente en la palma de la mano. ¿Y el futuro? ¿Acaso sería posible algún futuro en tales condiciones? La omnisciencia se aparece ante mí como una catástrofe incomparable con cualquier otra: la parálisis de la imaginación, el silencio absoluto.”
October 12, 2023
3,75 🦔
Tym Słowackim mnie przekonała.
Tym Słowackim mnie przekonała.
April 24, 2022
Amo esta obra de una manera que no se puede expresar con palabras. Es una colección de reseñas breves sobre obras muy diversas, que van desde materias como Arqueología y Música hasta Biología o "Consejos de etiqueta ". En todas, Szymborska nos presenta en una prosa maravillosa reflexiones que tienen o no que ver con la lectura, pero que siempre abarcan la ironía que caracteriza a esta autora junto con su increíble capacidad de concentrarse en el lado menos obvio, el que nadie ve, para dotarlo de un significado poético. Dosifiqué esta lectura porque no quería que terminara, y disfruté cada página entre asombros, reflexiones y carcajadas. Es todo lo que se le puede pedir a un buen libro y más.
May 27, 2024
One of the defining books of my life, lovingly reread over the years. Szymborska marries erudition, humor, and insatiable curiosity here. Western readers may not realize just how much effort it took her to get her hands on the books from the pre-1989 selection. Publishing under communism was limited not only by censorship but also by great material constraints. There was usually just one edition of most books, and often with a very small number of copies printed.
Szymborska's commitment to reading and reviewing typically overlooked books for her column resulted in a fascinating history of the changing publishing market in Poland. The reviews themselves are little masterpieces when it comes to structure and wit.
This selection includes also her final, previously uncollected, reviews. And Clare Cavanagh proves yet again that she's a fantastic translator.
Szymborska's commitment to reading and reviewing typically overlooked books for her column resulted in a fascinating history of the changing publishing market in Poland. The reviews themselves are little masterpieces when it comes to structure and wit.
This selection includes also her final, previously uncollected, reviews. And Clare Cavanagh proves yet again that she's a fantastic translator.
January 3, 2017
Le regalo todos las estrellas del universo GR a Szymborska. Cada reseña es una excusa para desplegar alguna reflexión o idea sobre esto o aquello: la poesía, la muerte, el devenir de la Historia o la vida de los animales o las brutalidades de los monarcas europeos. Saltarse a los consagrados, a los clásicos, a los recalcitrantes nombres del canon es, además, un gesto que se agradece para respirar de tanta consagración, de tanto "apunte sobre la poesía de X", "examen de la figura de la mujer en la poesía de Y".
December 13, 2015
Tanti piccoli aneddoti si nascondono fra le pagine di Wislawa Szymborska che ci regala pagine divertenti alternate a riflessioni più profonde che diventano spesso un gioco, un artificio per poter scrivere e usare le pagine altrui per svelare pensieri che in altre occasioni non sarebbero mai arrivati sulla carta.
https://justanotherpoint.wordpress.co...
https://justanotherpoint.wordpress.co...
May 25, 2017
I have little time to write a review as complete as I would like to, but if I must, I guess I can summarize my impressions of this book in the following words: Beautiful, heartwarming, genuine, and spontaneous. I loved how it was simply so noticeable how much Szymborska enjoys both reading and writing.
March 26, 2017
Me tomé todo el tiempo para leer este libro. Una mente curiosa, irónica y encantadoramente perspicaz para volver a mirar el arte incomprendido y rabiosamente personal de la lectura.
April 6, 2024
An utter joy like everything she writes. Short entries that are delightful, poignant, and “useless” in the best possible way. Fun to read with morning coffee when you don’t want something long/heavy. Always with that special Eastern European eye — don’t be too charmed, question everything, enjoy small things, don’t try to categorize, embrace mystery.
April 8, 2021
Short prose pieces from a favorite poet. Taken from her regular book review column, the wide-ranging books provide a jumping off point for her insights on an equally wide ranging number of topics. The best poets write the best prose- it doesn’t get better than this. Highly recommended!
May 3, 2020
I spent a delightful afternoon reading this collection of book reviews. Many of them read like a short story, and the author's wit and gentle derision were enchanting, as well as her curiosity and the obvious pleasure she took in exploring any subject matter. But I was crushed to discover that this was only a very small selection from the literary column she wrote for several decades, the bulk of which doesn't exist in translation. This is enough to make me want to learn Polish.
February 2, 2021
This is a book made up of essays somewhat like this one--little vignettes of impressions, short reviews of books. And like most such things, while they sometimes offer interesting perspectives on the subjects, they ultimately tell you more about the author.
What I discovered is that I find Ms Szymborska an agreeable companion. The bites were small, appetizing, flavorful, and the meal brief enough not to grow stale. But this book suffers from the limitations of the form--it is only what it is, a series of thoughtful, clever, and very short essays about various works and the contingent meditations they provoke. This author thinks interesting thoughts, and as befits a woman who lived through both the second world war and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Poland, she is nat particularly Pollyannaish about human nature, but she's not particularly dark, either. She finds a nice sweet spot.
This was one of those books that was mentioned somewhere else in an intriguing context, and so I eventually followed up(thank you 'want to read' list! Its nice to have a place to store one's future aspirational reading), half expecting a revelation. This is not quite that, it's merely the thoughts of someone I would want in any book club, a writer of varied tastes and thoughtful perspectives.
What I discovered is that I find Ms Szymborska an agreeable companion. The bites were small, appetizing, flavorful, and the meal brief enough not to grow stale. But this book suffers from the limitations of the form--it is only what it is, a series of thoughtful, clever, and very short essays about various works and the contingent meditations they provoke. This author thinks interesting thoughts, and as befits a woman who lived through both the second world war and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Poland, she is nat particularly Pollyannaish about human nature, but she's not particularly dark, either. She finds a nice sweet spot.
This was one of those books that was mentioned somewhere else in an intriguing context, and so I eventually followed up(thank you 'want to read' list! Its nice to have a place to store one's future aspirational reading), half expecting a revelation. This is not quite that, it's merely the thoughts of someone I would want in any book club, a writer of varied tastes and thoughtful perspectives.
April 25, 2012
I recently stumbled across the copy of a review of Nonrequired Reading by Nobel winner Wislawa Szymborska that I had torn out of a 2002 issue of Book magazine. I remember that it inspired me to check out a copy from the library. I sometimes struggle to read a book of poetry, so I was happily surprised to find these easily digestible one to two page lyrical essays that vary wildly in topic.
Nonrequired Reading is a collection of Szymborska's weekly column for Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland's largest daily newspaper, in which she was supposed to review books. However, as she says in her own words, "I am and wish to remain a reader, an amateur, and a fan, unburdened by the weight of ceaseless evaluation. Sometimes the book itself is my main subject; at other times it's just a pretext for spinning out various loose associations. Anyone who calls these pieces sketches will be correct. Anyone insisting on 'reviews' will incur my displeasure."
As the reviewer in Book magazine said "the results are something like a cross between a volume of familiar essays and a found poem." If you ever come across a copy of this book, I highly recommend picking it up.
Nonrequired Reading is a collection of Szymborska's weekly column for Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland's largest daily newspaper, in which she was supposed to review books. However, as she says in her own words, "I am and wish to remain a reader, an amateur, and a fan, unburdened by the weight of ceaseless evaluation. Sometimes the book itself is my main subject; at other times it's just a pretext for spinning out various loose associations. Anyone who calls these pieces sketches will be correct. Anyone insisting on 'reviews' will incur my displeasure."
As the reviewer in Book magazine said "the results are something like a cross between a volume of familiar essays and a found poem." If you ever come across a copy of this book, I highly recommend picking it up.
December 13, 2018
I love Szymborska. I love her glittering mind and her hard won wit. I love how she made it clear that thinking is preferable to not thinking, and that she was secure enough in her knowledge not to put on airs. These sketches are fantastic samples of the wide range of topics she was interested in; from wallpaper to witchcraft, from mummies to Medici, from fossils to Ella Fitzgerald. She had a hungry mind and strong opinions, but even when she disagreed with a something she did so in a manner that revealed a more constructive line of thinking, or that shone a light on potential pitfalls. In her introduction she makes it clear that even from stupid books we may learn something - and she distills her own learning for us. Ah, I am in love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews