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[gobetween]

Around 4am this morning, after waking up for some reason, I grabbed one of the New Yorkers I had neglected of late and started flipping through. Since I almost always like the Personal Histories in the magazine, I paused there and was thrilled to see a story by one of my favorite writers, Ryszard Kapuscinski. I read it greedily and found out more

Comments

[gobetween]

Right now I'm reading his book about the last Shah of Iran and the revolution there. Not as fluid and pretty as some of his other writing, but the read is timely enough. With lines like "During the last 25 centuries of their recorded history the Iranians have always, sooner or later, managed to outwit anyone with the impudence to try ruling them", I wonder if I should send a copy to Dubya (not that he reads).

I love his stories from Africa, though. A review of one such book in the Economist pointed out some inconsistencies in his analysis and facts (research on international affairs and history was probably a bit more difficult at that time, I imagine). But even that nitpicker found the literature of it "magnificent" and said "Mr Kapuscinski tells it as it felt, rather than as it was, describing-sometimes, it seems, distastefully relishing-whatever is bizarre, humiliating, disgusting, exotic." What more do you need to be transported and know what it's like to live another's life? :)

[thevfrchick]

Greetings, Erin! It was a pleasure to see you tonight, albeit briefly. The writer to whom you refer in this post sounds like he's had quite the interesting journey to inspire his life's writing. It does seem sad that he would die in that way after all he's battled but such is the random nature of life.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Anita

[gobetween]

Hey lady! Great seeing you, too! I have several of Kapuscinski's books if you ever want to check out more :)

[liberpolly]

how funny, his books were ones of the first i red in polish. don't remember much of them, though...him and stanislav lem...both died recently...