5/19/2023 0 Comments The Opposing Shore by Julien GracqYes, it's adequate and in fact more than accurately sums up the book as a whole, but as a five-dollar word in such saturated usage it seems a bit, well, exorbitant. In the case of The Opposing Shore, it seems that much of the original French story and tone remained intact (or, failing that, translator Richard Howard did an excellent job of conveying his own sense of weight upon the book), but for the life of me I half wanted to pitch the book across the room every time the SAT-caliber somnolent/somnolence showed up, which appeared to be every two or three pages. The thing about reading books in translation is that, when something seems just a bit funky or otherwise off, it's difficult to tell who, precisely, is at fault. Longer Thoughts and Explanation of Recurring SAT Word Up There Anything but plot-heavy, this introspective novel can get lost in itself but is rewarding for those willing to put in a bit of effort it is, however, probably not for everybody and could use a bit more spice. Imaginary, yet Mediterranean, city-state Orsenna is on the brink of decay when a young nobleman, in the position of military observer at a lonely faraway outpost, inadvertently embarks upon a course of events that may awaken Orsenna from its somnolence and 300-year cold war with cross-sea rival Farghestan.ĭespite its occasional somnolence, The Opposing Shore is an excellent exploration of boundaries and of fading political power, firmly in place as a response to the catastrophic wars of the 20th century.
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