Red Dog by Willem Anker | International Booker Prize 2020 Review
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- čas přidán 23. 04. 2020
- Hi Guys, it’s Kamil here and this is my eighth review of International Booker Prize longlisted book, today we’re going to talk about the Red Dog by Willem Anker. Very Cormac McCarthy-esque novel.
This video is part of the project of reading and reviewing all International Booker Prize 2020 longlisted books, the next one coming up is Hurricane Season.
Links to reviews and the posting schedule below.
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Goodreads:
Red Dog: A Novel of the African Frontier by Willem Anker, Michiel Heyns (Translator)
/ red-dog
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Reviews Links and Posting Schedule
Sunday, 15th of March:
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
Review: • The Enlightenment of t...
Goodreads: / 35708940
Wednesday, 18th of March
The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
Review: • The Adventures of Chin...
Goodreads: / the-adventures-of-chin...
Sunday 22nd, of March
The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Michele Hutchison (Goodreads Author) (Translator)
Review: • The Discomfort of Even...
Goodreads: / the-discomfort-of-evening
Sunday 29th of March
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (Translator)
Review: • The Memory Police by Y...
Goodreads: / the-memory-police
Sunday 5th of April
The Eighth Life: for Brilka by Nino Haratischwili, Charlotte Collins (Translator),
Review: • The Eighth Life by Nin...
Goodreads: / the-eighth-life
Thursday the 9th of April
Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann
Review: • Tyll by Daniel Kehlman...
Goodreads: / tyll
Monday 13th of April
Mac and His Problem by Enrique Vila-Matas, Margaret Jull Costa (Translator), Sophie Hughes (Translator)
Review: • Mac and His Problem by...
Goodreads: / mac-and-his-problem
Saturday 25th of April
Red Dog by Willem Anker
/ red-dog
Sunday 26th of April
Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor
/ temporada-de-huracanes
Sunday 30th of April
The Other Name: Septology I-II (Septologien #1-2) by Jon Fosse,
/ the-other-name
3rd of May
Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
/ little-eyes
10th of May
Faces on the Tip of My Tongue by Emmanuelle Pagano, Jennifer Higgins (Translator), Sophie Lewis (Translator)
/ faces-on-the-tip-of-my...
17th of May
Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq
/ serotonin
#internationalbooker2020 #finestfiction #translatedfiction
You made me chuckle with the way you reenacted one of our greatest feats during those disgraceful discoveries. Before that it was called the Cape of Storms and the storm was only beginning for the rest of the "unknown" world after that crossing. Although I haven't read Blood Meridian yet, I like Cormac McCarthy's style so that comparison doesn't put me off, but repetition is something that makes my brain snap easily. Perhaps one day it will cross my path. :-)
I'm glad you chuckled, especially being Portuguese. You won't miss the world if you dont read it. It's an interesting and a very impressive book for a beginning writer, maybe even more interesting that it surrounded by the accusations of plagiarism ;-o.
I have this rule recently (let's say since a year or so) that I don't read reviews of books I'm reviewing so after posting this one, I read 2 articles , one in Guardian where the same critic was pointing out paragraphs basically copied pasted from Blood Meridian. It's even closer than I thought.
@@WhatKamilReads Me neither, Kamil, only after finishing a book or if I'm totally clueless about the content and I need some guidance. And when a reader, even if it's just one reader, sees the same things as me, I feel vindicated: I'm not crazy after all! :-)
Great video, as always, Kamil. I always make sure I never miss your reviews, I find them a good benchmark for my reading. Just a little observation, if I may :) We do not claim to have discovered the Cape of Good Hope, precisely because seafaring Europeans already knew of its existence :) Many have attempted to round and travel beyond it but the sea there was notoriously rough and no one had survived before Bartolomeu Dias. Hence the changing of the name to Cape of Good Hope, just as Paula aka azelia lopes mentioned. The rounding of the cape is seen as a feat in seafaring :) That aside, I am anti-colonialist so I'm happy to see a fellow Portuguese chuckling at the opening of your video. I also agree with her, it just paved the way for half of Europe to commit horrific acts upon half of the world.
After watching all your International Booker reviews, I think I'm most keen on "The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree", "Hurricane Season" and "The Adventures of China Iron". I don't think I can bring myself to read "Red Dog" if it's shrouded in accusations of plagiarism :-/
Hi Vanessa, thank you.
However its seems to be indeed Diaz who was the first European historically recorded to visit the Cape.
Britannica : “Cape of Good Hope, rocky promontory at the southern end of Cape Peninsula, Western Cape province, South Africa. It was first sighted by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 on his return voyage to Portugal after ascertaining the southern limits of the African continent. One historical account says that Dias named it Cape of Storms and that John II of Portugal renamed it Cape of Good Hope (because its discovery was a good omen that India could be reached by sea from Europe); other sources attribute its present name to Dias himself.” and many other sources attribute that to him.
There were discussions since ancient times that there’s a way across Africa to India but most sources seems to claim that it was Diaz’s trip to ever go that far and definitely the first one recorded to go that far to the Cape itself and beyond.
Great video! I can't wait to see your review on Hurricane Season. I've just finished the book and I am blown away, such a great book!
Thank you. I started reading and its very promising.
“Lol discoveries” 😂
I don’t know that I’ll check this one out, but another great review, Kamil. Really looking forward to your hurricane season review. It’s incredible.
Thank you Brooke, I started reading Hurricane Season and it definitely pulls you in by the shoulders from the very first page. Very engrossing so far.
OMG! Your “discovery” bit at the beginning ... hilarious. 😂😭 Really wanting time get to this one for my South Africa project. I think it will add a unique perspective.
Happy to make you laugh :). This one can be a bit tedious so take that into account before jumping on it :) but overall a worthy read.
EXCELLENT review Kamil! Sadly I haven't read any Cormac McCarthy. I think maybe I should start with The Road if and when I do.
Thank you Didi, lovely to hear that. The Road is a good place to start. There are only 3 of his titles I haven’t read yet but there are defining at least 4 I read and would love to revisit.
Your review is very interesting, although I think that I will more likely read Blood Meridian, as I am particularly interested in my country's (USA) history of brutalizing and stealing this beautiful and abundant land from the Native Americans (even to this day). You may want to read the online review of Red Dog from the Times Literary Supplement.
I have listened to all of your Booker Prize Longlist book reviews. So far the only book that interests me is Tyl (and maybe The Greengage Tree). In particular you have convinced me to stay away The Discomfort, the subject of which I find to be a real turn-off. I love listening to you, and you have introduced some very interesting books that I may not have encountered on my own.
Thank you for your continued effort to make these videos. You are very interesting, articulate, and intelligent. You read many more books than I do (42 last year), and I don't even have a job like you!
You definitely would make a correct choice reading Blood Meridian over Red Dog. I also reviewed Blood Meridian a few years back.
After I posted my video, I did read the review of Red Dog from Time Literary Supplement as well as The Guardian. I do read reviews after I post my own, I do it only after as I don't want to be unintentionally impacted by other people's opinions. I read about those two paragraphs pointed out in those two reviews that were showing that Anker's basically copied them from Blood Meridian. That's sad, as I said there's enough good writing of his own, even if hugely inspired, that those elements of plagiarism take away from what he managed to create.
It looks like I'm doing a bad job as there's only one book you found interesting :)
Seems like a book that could fulfill the prompt to read outside my comfort zone.
Yes, and most of the people comfort zones :)
Another great review. I was particularly interested in hearing your views on this book as I've been hesitant about picking it up. As a lover of African history, the focus of the book appeals to me but the brutality in the narration makes me a bit wary. But after your review, I am leaning a bit more towards reading it as it has peaked my curiosity.
There's a disappointing conversation surrounding this book, related to the fact that Anker plagiarized at least two paragraphs from Blood Meridian. I felt Blood Meridian's presence very strongly in the book and as I said some of the writing felt dangerously close, but there are two paragraphs that were basically copied pasted from the other book.
Hi Kamil - Great review! You were very succinct and colourful in your criticism. I haven’t read any views but got wind that there was controversy surrounding the novel, which I assume to be the plagiarism to which you refer. At least you were kind enough to say the author has his own promise and need not have emulated his work in this novel on Cormac McCarthy, whether in full or in part. As post-colonial studies feature strongly in my academic background, I am intrigued by this but sense, perhaps there may be stronger “fictional” accounts from around the globe. That said, I’m more interested than not interested in reading Red Dog. In terms of other books that are exhausting but brilliant, This Little Life comes to mind. It is a long book of a tragic past that keeps revealing a new layer of deep pain and disturbing circumstances. Personally, I was going through a very difficult period in my life, so I don’t think spending time with this book was the best thing to do. But I still appreciate it and consider the author to be highly skilled and empathetic. I still haven’t started Hurricane Season. 😖
Hi Shaun, yes you understood it all correctly, there's a plagiarism shade concerning this novel. I wasn't sure about it writing this review, as I try not to read reviews before I write my own but the resemblance is even closer than it seemed to me.
I read some articles afterwards, and there are some paragraphs, practically copied from Blood Meridian.
This book can be quite tedious with it's repetitive plot, but still there a lot of great writing and fantastic historical context in it.
However I would say it's very different from The Little Life in terms of emotions it evokes, as much as I would agree that Yanagihara's was exhausting, it was exhausting emotionally, but it was intended to be like that by the writer. However, at least I, I couldn't put it down, while with The Red Dog, I sometimes could pick it up. I think Yanagihara did something extraordinary with The Little Life.
I'm sorry to hear about your difficult period and I hope it is over already and you are doing well.
WhatKamilReads I see that you did a review of This Little Life, so I will check that out. As for me, all is fine - I was referring to a period a couple of years’ back (but thanks for asking 🤗).
Glad to hear all is well. In terms of A Little Life review you’ll see a younger version of myself that should chillax :) too intense for my taste. 😂
WhatKamilReads I just read the review and will leave my thoughts on that video. You are a bit hard on yourself - no chill-axing required.
i still dont know if i want to read this. on one side, the concept sounds very imteresting, on the other side, i am not looking forward to limbs flying around and children being ripped apart
I can definitely understand that.
The book is a total rip off of blood meridian
I didnt want to be too harsh but there’s way too much that’s almost copied from McCarthy’s book.
@@WhatKamilReads nor do I. I give anybody the benefit of the doubt thats willing to put in the time it takes to write a novel, but this is classic case plagiarism. There are passages that he rips off per detail and is too lazy to even use synonyms for mcarthys verbiage.