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2.0 out of 5 stars
Sorry--I just don't get it!, June 9, 2002
This review is from: History or Messages from History (Green Integer) (Paperback)
"History or Messages from History" is a short work by the legendary Gertrude Stein. The back cover notes that this work was first written in 1930. It reads like an extended prose poem.
I found "History" to have an experimental flavor, but ultimately I found it largely incoherent. There are a number of cryptic or nonsensical statements on history. Examples: "In history one does not mention dahlias mushrooms or hortensias"; "Intention is not history nor finality finality is not history. Think what is history"; "What is history it does not leave dogs for cows."
Stein's language is occasionally whimsical, musical, and/or absurd. One fun snippet: "April is fully a holy day too / A holiday for a shoe." But overall, I didn't get much out of "History." Check it out if you're a hardcore Steinian.
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