- The Man Who Was Thursday
- Por G. K. Chesterton
- Novela • 58.817p • Inglés
- Worldwide Classics / Noviembre 2004
In the nightmarish and paradoxical world we live in, with ubiquitous secret services and terrorist plots galore, it is time to reread the surreal tale of espionage written a century ago by G. K. Chesterton. About it, Kingsley Amis wrote:
I have read it so many times since that, if a sentence anywhere in it were put in front of me, I bet I could be pretty accurate about what was in the next one. And yet it remains the most thrilling book I have ever read.
A special production to commemorate the IX anniversary of Badosa.com.
«The suburb of Saffron Park lay on the sunset side of London, as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset. It was built of a bright brick throughout; its sky-line was fantastic, and even its ground plan was wild. It had been the outburst of a speculative builder, faintly tinged with art, who called its architecture sometimes Elizabethan and sometimes Queen Anne, apparently under the impression that the two sovereigns were identical. It was described with some justice as an artistic colony, though it never in any definable way produced any art...»
Claves: all, man, professor, face, eyes
Creo que GK Chesterton es uno de los pensadores más completos de los últimos siglos y, por lejos, el más lúcido del siglo XX.
Javier
Sin duda, Chesterton es un ensayista y pensador inteligente, pero lo que hace que sus ensayos tengan ese atractivo especial son, ante todo, esas gemas brillantes que los enriquecen: me refiero a sus paradojas desopilantes.
En el siglo XX, existen ensayistas más demoledores y rigurosos (como Bertrand Russell o George Santayana) que Chesterton, básicamente porque no mezclaban poesía y filosofía en la argumentación de sus textos, lo cual los hace más rigurosos y científicos, pero menos divertidos que los del vecino de Beaconsfield.
Comoquiera que un ensayo debe ser inteligente y divertido, Chesterton sí podría ocupar el nº 1 como maestro en el ensayo genérico, pero no como el nº 1 en ensayo filosófico, que ocuparía seguramente Russell o Santayana, ya que Chesterton dio muestras de ser más artista que filósofo (su prolijidad, sus ganas de "pintar el pueblo todo de rojo", es la razón, como se opina en la biografía de Ward). De hecho, su catolicismo le hizo demasiado conservador con respecto al sexo (del que en sus ensayos no se habla, si no es a la manera de San Pablo), al valor social de la mujer (en casa cuidando hijos), a la ciencia (v.g. criticó a Einstein dando por supuesto que la relatividad era un despropósito, sin justificar sus argumentos por la vía científica, sólo con poesía y teologia apologéticas; también luchó por demoler los cimientos del darwinismo con poesía, lo cual es poco riguroso, filosóficamene hablando), al Arte (criticó el verso libre con vehemencia en sus ensayos, cuando, paradójicamente, siempre sintió un amor whitmaniano; despreciaba a Picasso y a la vanguardia; nunca los entendió, ni pretendió hacerlo: en este sentido, Santayana como esteta fue mucho más apreciativo y un crítico más racional y medido; véase su The Sense of Beauty, o The Life of Reason para ello).
Ricardo Mena
- An Autobiography
- Por Anthony Trollope
- Biografía • 101.034p • Inglés
- Worldwide Classics / Noviembre 2003
In our 8th Anniversary, we are proud to announce the first publication in ebook form of the fascinating Autobiography of Anthony Trollope. The book by the Victorian author is a literary biography. Trollope writes about his miserable childhood and about his parents, but, above all, he writes about writing.
Trollope understands literature as a craftsmanship and his Autobiography could be called “A Memoir of the Craft.” He talks with insight about his books and his contemporaries, like Thackery, Eliot, or Dickens, and about the building of a career in the literary world: his early rejections, his relationship with publishers, the economics of publishing. The book is full of advice for the aspiring writer and it’s a pleasurable reading experience even for the reader not acquainted with Trollope’s novels.
«In writing these pages, which, for the want of a better name, I shall be fain to call the autobiography of so insignificant a person as myself, it will not be so much my intention to speak of the little details of my private life, as of what I, and perhaps others round me, have done in literature; of my failures and successes such as they have been, and their causes; and of the opening which a literary career offers to men and women for the earning of their bread...»
Claves: work, man, life
- Adolphe
- Por Benjamin Constant
- Novela • 31.524p • Francés
- Worldwide Classics / Febrero 2000
In this short psychological novel of 1816 by Benjamin Constant, the young and hesitant Adolphe describes his relationship with Elléonore, a woman older than himself. Adolphe is of course Benjamin Constant while for the character of Elléonore he mainly drew inspiration from Anna Lindsay, one of his lovers, and from Madame de Staël, writer, thinker and political figure at that time, with whom Benjamin Constant kept a long and fluctuating passion.
«Ellénore obtint dès son arrivée d’être rétablie dans la jouissance des biens qu’on lui disputait, en s’engageant à n’en pas disposer que son procès ne fût décidé. Elle s’établit dans une des possessions de son père. Le mien, qui n’abordait jamais avec moi dans ses lettres aucune question directement, se contenta de les remplir d’insinuations contre mon voyage...»
Claves: amour, coeur, vie, père
I have just completed the small but fascinating book Adolphe by Benjamin Constant. It was so entertaining and insightful. I am now reading The Red Notebook. Both are printed together in a Signet Classics volume, published in 1959. I found this book while browsing through a bookcase at my cottage. I have no idea how the book got there; maybe it was left by a guest. It has obviously been there for some time judging by its appearance. But I can never bring myself to throwing out a book and in this case am very glad I didn’t. I truly am enjoying this writer which is why I Googled him and am now writing this e-mail.
Esther
Hola, he leído a Benjamín Constant (Adolfo), me parece un ser increíblemente excepcional. Me encanta su forma de narrar, su simplicidad, su honestidad al expresar, sencillamente maravilloso. Me gustaría poder leer Céline, pero no sé cómo ubicar esa novela. Gracias por la página.
Victoria
Salvador Giner
- Mucky Pups
- Por Peter Miller
- Novela • 33.809p • Inglés
- Global Fiction / Julio 2001
Comic novel by Peter Miller set in Scotland. Meet the band: Mitch, Mungo, Flopsy, Honeysuckle, Woody, Tuppenny Rice, Treacle, and, of course, Mister Billington Fox.
«Stewpot head-butted the doorbell. He did it in slow motion. He hair-butted it really. There was no sound. Misjudging the distance, he ended up bent over at a right-angle, staring at the fag-butt floor...»
Claves: dog, hair, head, face
Hi, I was dumbfounded, as i zipped up my zippers, to see my name being used. Does Peter really know someone named Mitch Haycock? I am from the states, just curious... with "zipped lips"
Mitch Haycock
zipperless in Bayfield, Wisconsin
54814
Bayfield County Coffee company
home of the zippy coffee
Mitch Haycock
- The Iberian Horseshoe — A Journey
- Por Steve Porter
- Autobiografía • 37.215p • Inglés
- Global Fiction / Diciembre 2007
Travelling through Spain and Portugal. A literary non-fiction work by Steve Porter, from Scotland.
«The Sandeman silhouette, a figure with cape and a broad rimmed hat, was enjoying his eternal glass of port. Illuminated in the evening light but with his back to my camera, his anonymity remained intact...»
Claves: Spanish, time, day
I have read some poems by Steven Porter and I liked them very much. He has a big poetry knowledge and a large sensitivity to write poems. Now I’m interested in his new book The Iberian Horsehoe because I want to know his point of view about Spanish people and about my country. I would like you to publish more things by Steven Porter.
Luisa
Just a note to let you know how much I dislike Steve Porter’s The Iberian Horseshoe. His arrogance makes me believe he’s an American in disguise. Cheers,
Wade Bell
- The Crier’s Sacrifice
- Por Nathan Black
- Novela • 68.614p • Inglés
- Global Fiction / Octubre 1999
Nilrid, a young town crier, is thrown into a world of espionage and danger as he tries to stop an evil goddess. A fantasy novel by Nathan Black. Suitable for young readers.
«In the town of Fyr’nay, the Royal News Service was already up and running. The sun had barely managed to peek its rim over the horizon, but in the large, wooden building, messengers and agents were creating a general state of chaos...»
Claves: boy, wizard, king
- Fraudulent Fertilisation
- Por Ricardo Ludovico Gulminelli
- Novela • 111.047p • Inglés
- Global Fiction / Mayo 2002
Alicia needs help from Doctor Álvez. But Doctor Álvez has been waiting for a girl like this for several months and now that he has found her, he has a very important, crucial and perverse task for her: he will try to put a revolutionary idea into practice...
Finally in English, the novel by Ricardo Ludovico Gullminelli about the legal and moral consequences of the scientific advance in the field of artificial insemination. Translated from Spanish by Peter Miller.
«To be honest with the readers of this book, I must confess that the story which breathes life into it is not the fruit of my imagination. An old friend told it to me, melancholy and inebriated, on a night out drinking...»
Claves: child, love, life, father
Wonderful. I think that the story is fascinating, the situacion is provocative, and the end is surprising. Congratulations. It’s a fantastic book. I’m so happy to have found it.
Federico
In my opinion, Ricardo Ludovico Gulminelli is an excellent writer... I’m from Miami Beach (Florida) and I have been studying Spanish since 1999 and I’m very happy indeed that I had the opportunity to be able to read this wonderful book. I know that I liked it because he described everything so well, as if he had lived it, and I felt very identificated. I hope to read more materials from Ricardo Ludovico Gulminelli. Thank you!
Mary Jones
I fell in love after reading the description of the character Roberto Burán of Fraudulent Fertilisation (Episode 11). The man I am currently dating is so much like him... except, he’s not an Attorney. I work with Attorneys. I’m a legal assistant... and I think Attorneys are so fascinating!
Lucía Pérez
Me gustó la obra: me hizo sentir deseos de seguir leyendo página a página, no sólo por la trama, también porque me sentí identificado con su protagonista, su forma de ver las relaciones, su concepto de la mujer como compañera e igual. Hay también manifestaciones sobre determinados temas (aborto, matrimonio) que comparto y me hicieron reforzar mis propias opiniones.
Soy un asiduo lector y hacía mucho tiempo que un libro no me despertaba tantas emociones. Gracias a Badosa por publicar libros así (además gratuitos).
Javier Fdez.
Creo que se trata de una novela-folletín que, en cuanto atañe a aspectos judiciales, está muy bien documentada; se nota que el autor procede de la abogacía y judicatura. En el e-mail que le envié, le dije que vale más un folletín bien relatado que novela suspirada, pero no conseguida. Salut i tenis-sala.
Enric
Como escribe de lo que entiende, se le entiende todo lo que escribe. Salut i tenis-sala.
Enric
Éste ha sido un gran libro, donde el lector se va adentrando a la vida de cada uno de los personajes, es un libro bien documentado en cada uno de los temas a los que se refiere. Debo felicitar a Badosa.com por brindarnos este servicio.
Claudia Sandoval
Mi opinión es que es una historia excelente. Me atrapó verdaderamente leer el libro, me enseñó, comprendí lo complejo que puede ser un tema que parece tan simple. Es un orgullo tener académicos de tan alto estirpe, espero que el Dr. Ricardo Gulminelli haga otras obras tan interesantes como es Fecundación fraudulenta.
Alejandra Bacone
Es un libro muy interesante, muy bien planteado, que lo atrapa en su lectura de principio a fin. Lo recomiendo ampliamente.
Leonor Martínez