Will someone please get this thread back on topic?

OK, I'll try.

I just started Edmond Privat's "Vivo de Zamenhof". A bit tough sledding for someone not exactly fluent, but then how else do I get there?

Recommended? Not? Stylistically, I mean. I've already decided the topic interests me.

I had a copy of Privat's book when I was a beginner about twenty years ago, but a more experienced esperantist told me at the time, that the book would be too difficult for me at my stage of learning, proceeded to mooch it off me, and I never saw it again!

I have another copy now and I'm going to give it a bash, but I also have a translation by Ralph Eliott, which I hope will help if I get into difficulty.

I often recommend short stores to beginners. It's a good way to get normative language (not simplified for beginners) in manageable small doses.

I like Sten Johansson. He probably doesn't qualify as "the greatest stylist and the best prose" but I think his stuff is a good read.

"Denaska kongresano" is a collection of stories (named for one of the stories in the collection.

The story "Denaska Kongresano" itself is a strangely quirky look at Esperanto culture, and the story is packed with little Esperanto-related or linguistic in-jokes.

Bruso:Will someone please get this thread back on topic?

OK, I'll try.

I just started Edmond Privat's "Vivo de Zamenhof". A bit tough sledding for someone not exactly fluent, but then how else do I get there?

Recommended? Not? Stylistically, I mean. I've already decided the topic interests me.

Very good. I like it that you mentioned Edmond Privat. From a historical point of view, he is a very important figure in the Esperanto movement. I have the book you mentioned. I agree that It is not too easy for beginners, specially with that rather poetic tone.

The importance of Edmond Privat lies in the fact that he was probably the first person in the Esperanto movement who examined style, tone and nuance in Esperanto. I enjoyed reading "Esprimo de sentoj en Esperanto". This book is specifically about Stilistiko. Also, Charles Bally, the great French linguist and the founding-father of Stylistics redacted it. It is just 51 pages long and can be read in one setting and in just a few hours. A pretty rewarding experience. I suggest you start with that.

Privat has a simple and clear style of writing. His books are pretty readable, and a good starting point for moving on to other giants.

raymond2:I enjoyed reading "Esprimo de sentoj en Esperanto". This book is specifically about Stilistiko. Also, Charles Bally, the great French linguist and the founding-father of Stylistics redacted it. It is just 51 pages long and can be read in one setting and in just a few hours. A pretty rewarding experience. I suggest you start with that.

Sounds interesting.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

Bruso:

raymond2:I enjoyed reading "Esprimo de sentoj en Esperanto". This book is specifically about Stilistiko. Also, Charles Bally, the great French linguist and the founding-father of Stylistics redacted it. It is just 51 pages long and can be read in one setting and in just a few hours. A pretty rewarding experience. I suggest you start with that.

Sounds interesting.

Thanks. I'll take a look.

You are welcome.

My initial idea was concentrating on major literary works, but I understand that a lot of us users here are neither “komencantoj” nor “kvazaŭ-denaskulaj E-parolantoj”. Lots of ambitious fledgling Esperantists looking for ways to transcend beyond their current level in a matter of weeks. So I am also willing to talk about useful short books that influence our cognition in a positive way.

We all have to know that in this arena, the key to success is persistence. Reading “Esprimo de sentoj en Esperanto” or any other short book is definitely useful, but it would only take you so far and it’s not gonna make you fluent overnight.

You have to read and read and read. Nobody will regret reading almost all the books by Claude Piron, specially ‘bonlingvimo’. I remember reading this book in one day:

“Noveloj, Rakontoj, aparte en facila lingvo”

It’s short and it’s very creative in the way words and sentences are arranged. Sometimes Claude Piron deliberately uses strange combinations just to let you know that you can trust your intuition in Esperanto and let the words flow spontaneously. For a very simple example, I rarely hear sentences like 'mi malvolis ke li faru tion'. It’s completely correct, but normally you don’t hear people saying it in this way. Malvoli is not a word you can find in your dictionary, but Piron makes use of it and with his writing style demonstrates how playful you can be with words. His writings may later seem rather formulaic and mechanical but they are extremely helpful in the path towards fluency.

This also means that it’s not advisable to give too much attention to people who constantly try to correct your grammatical mistakes and disappoint you. Well, it is important that you observe grammatical laws but, at this stage, one shouldn’t get disappointed if they forget a finaĵo or occasionally misplace commas and semicolons!

Speaking of short readable books, I remember reading “Japana Esearo N-ro 1”. It’s a series of articles by Japanse Esperantists. Pretty fun to read and contains some useful vocabulary.

Two days ago I received a copy of "Marvirinstrato" written by the young American author Tim Westover. I haven't read it yet. It has already won several literary prizes. Has anyone read this book,and if yes what is your idea on its style and general quality? I'll start reading it as soon as possible, but it would be nice to hear the ideas of people who have already read it.

The good news is that because of Mr.Westover's generosity, the book is available on Amazon and as a free Creative Commons download.

I don't know about "greatness" but I recommend anything by Claude Piron, aka Johan Valano. His fiction is typically "light" but engaging. The main thing is that, a schematist at heart, he is very resourceful in the way he uses Esperanto. I always learn a lot about the expressive power of the language from reading his works.

I have an undying dislike of "Gerda Malaperis", though. What a slog. I could barely get through it.

I think the trick is to read it while your Esperanto still isn't very good, so you're so thrilled to understand it that you don't realize what a boring story it is.

Actually, our new course being developed for lernu was inspired by Gerda Malaperis - our goal was to build a course around a specially written new 'instructional story' that would actually be interesting to read, in its own right.

I've read a couple of Piron's essays and enjoyed them, but Gerda scared me off from trying to read any more of his fiction.

erinja:I have an undying dislike of "Gerda Malaperis", though. What a slog. I could barely get through it.

Well, now that you mention it, I wasn't thinking of that one. I agree it's pretty tedious.

I've read a couple of Piron's essays and enjoyed them, but Gerda scared me off from trying to read any more of his fiction.

Yes, I was thinking of his essays and also his "Ĉu...?" books, which are fun to read. Even the pornographic Ĉu Ŝi Mortis Trafike is pretty entertaining, and has a lot of amusing wordplay.