I've only read a few books whose sole objective appears to be 'every single sentence needs to be revelatory'. Ulysses, Lolita, and Under The Volcano stand out most. Reading Permanent Earthquake by Evan Dara, it feels like a similar objective,maybe not execution - but Jesus it's unrelenting.
ๆฌ/ book ใจใดใกใณใปใใผใฉใๅคฑใใใในใฏใฉใใใใใฏใ "The Lost Scrapbook" by Evan Dara
ใจใดใกใณใปใใผใฉ/ ๆจๅๅๅฝฆ่จณใๅคฑใใใในใฏใฉใใใใใฏใ(ๅนปๆฏๆธๆฟ) ่ชญไบ
ใใฎใใใ่ชญใฟๅฟใใ ใฃใใๅๅใฏใฉใธใชใๆๅใงใใฅใผใใณใฐใใใจใใฎใใใซๅใๅใใซๆงใ
ใชไผ่ฉฑใๅฑ้ใใใ่ชฐใไฝใซใคใใฆ่ฉฑใใฆใใใฎใใใใใชใใใฎใใใใใใใใใใฎใจใใฝใผใใใจใฆใใใใใใใๅพๅใซใชใฃใฆใใฅใผใใณใฐใๅใใจใใฒใจใคใฎใงใใใจใซใใฉใผใซในใใใใใใฆๅๅใฎไผ่ฉฑใๅทปใ่พผใใงๆๆถใฎๅฑ้ใซใชใใใใใฆ..... ้ณๆฅฝ็ใจใใฃใฆใใใๆงๆใ ใใใผใฉใฎ็ด ๆงใใชใใฃใผใใปใใฏใผใบใชใฎใงใฏใชใใใจๆใใใใฎใ้ ทใใไฝๅใไปใฎไฝๅใ่ชญใใงใฟใใใ/้็ใๆฑบใพใฃใใใใงๅใฐใใใใใ
The Japanese edition of Evan Dara's debut novel, The Lost Scrapbook, has been awarded the Grand Prize at the 11th Japan Translation Awards.
Grateful to Yoshihiko Kihara (@shambhalian.bsky.social) and Genki Shobo (@genki-shobou.bsky.social) for carrying it across.
evandara.org/2025/04/28/t...
Colm Tรณibรญn reporting from his home in LA for the @londonreview.bsky.social...
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
While reading โPermanent Earthquakeโ I felt that Dara was slipping. Maybe that was a prejudice against the fantastical occluding my critical eye. Years on now I find myself reflecting on it weekly.
For those seeking a taste of Daniel Green's critical acumen, we point you to his thoughtful survey of Evan Dara's body of work (published prior to Permanent Earthquake): www.thereadingexperience.net/tre/2020/05/...
From Evan Dara's The Lost Scrapbook...
And a โโMerry Christmas, the man threatenedโ from all of us at Dalkey Archive
It's about six and change from us if you ever wanna chance it. 2025: We live for the bit? Anyway, see ya on the other side of Evan Dara.
Our favorite photo of the thread...
"All this to say, itโs brilliant. Itโs devastating, and hilarious, and among the best pieces of [f]iction Iโve ever had the joy of finding."
#postmodernliterature
"I seek out experimental fiction, but even having read countless books in that lane, this one still manages to do things with language that I donโt think Iโve ever seen done before..."
#evandara
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
โ
Those last 30 pages or so of Permanent Earthquake are still messing me up 3 years later. Not sure how he pulled that off. Such a great novel.
The word spreads slowly, but it does spread, one reader at a timeโฆ
โLiterature โ even though people usually study it author by author โ is always a dialog amongst many voices which intersect and reply to each other within literature and outside it.โ
โ Italo Calvino
Words must be *aware of* one another when they are put into play, otherwise each one would lie down on the page indifferently, as satisfied simply to be there as the things of pure existence are.
- William Gass
I had to pause this to finish Miley, but since thatโs now in, Iโm finishing this up. Itโs going directly to indie publishers, so any suggestions are welcome!
Translation: "Evan Dara is great. There are no other similar works. I will definitely buy Kihara-sensei's translation. I have all of Dara's works. I also got the digital-only 'Mose Eakins' when it was released for free/with a tip system. @libro"
These are my favorite books of the year.
1 Gravityโs Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
2 The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
3 Nox by Anne Carson
4 The Blue Clerk by Dionne Brand
5 Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
6 Permanent Earthquake by Evan Dara
7 Solenoid by Mircea Cฤrtฤrescu
Keeping good company...
