EEG: A Novel

so-so

Talk, talk, talk....which isn‘t necessarily a bad thing, but there was little coherence or a through-line to any of Drndic‘s tales, except for suffering, which is perhaps the point. It is Eastern Europe after all. Her voice is unique and breathlessly chaotic, but her nearly fleshless, disembodied 1st person narrator never really let this reader in.

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

So I‘ve completely lost track of what day it is @Jennifer3 đź…đź¤¦â€Ťâ™€ď¸Ź I‘ll admit I‘m still not where I‘m supposed to be with this book. I think it‘s just not the right fit for my mood right now. I‘ll read a few pages and then my mind will start thinking about what else I could be reading, and that is never a good sign. đź– How have you come along with it?

Jennifer3 @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm - Yes, I seem to be struggling to read at all. I am still working from home and Covid has surged here in Arizona so my mind is on work, how I am behind but I am a supervisor and we have issues coming up as a result of the situation and working remotely. Want to check to return to it in a few weeks to see if we feel differently about it? 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 Sounds like a plan! I‘m sorry work is difficult right now. I hope it starts going as smoothly as it can for you. These are some crazy times. I‘ll wait for you to give me the thumbs up, in your own time! Don‘t feel rushed or obligated. Stay safe!! âť¤ď¸Źâť¤ď¸Źâť¤ď¸Ź 4y

Jennifer3 @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm You stay safe too!!! 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Checking in with my book club for #BTBA2020. @Jennifer3 and @ulyssesartmiller . I didn‘t see anything pop up for tonight‘s book club and just want to make sure you guys are doing well. âť¤ď¸Źâť¤ď¸Ź

I managed to catch up on my reading, just barely! đź… Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!!

Jennifer3 I am good was just checking in myself but hadn‘t finished the message yet. What do you think of the book as we dive in deeper? 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 Good to hear! đźŠ There was a bit where for some reason I couldn‘t get into it as much as in the beginning. I think it had more to do with my mood than the book, but still. The heartbreaking statistics about the death camps and the chilling account of the Sardinenpackung graves in the forest certainly caught my attention again. I cannot imagine being any of the people in these events, on either side. It‘s just insane. How about you? 4y

Jennifer3 Yes, there was a period where they are talking about Rovinj and the community...it was so hard to get through that section. And he‘s I agree the statistics and the death camps definitely makes me think about how anyone survived that time period and the heartbreak of it all. 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 Wanted to give you a heads up that I won‘t be able to make the meet this Sunday due to Father‘s Day. I still haven‘t heard anything from @ulyssesartmiller either. Did you want to reschedule for another day or just catch up next Sunday? 4y

Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 Let‘s just catch up the following Sunday. What do you think? 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 I was hoping you‘d say that, because I‘ve totally fallen behind again and this next week is busy for me. đź…đź‘Ť 4y

Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 I have too, so that is why I wanted more time! Take care and have a good week! 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 Thanks! You too! 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Frightening sometimes how current events can mirror history...

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Phew! Snuck in some pages!

This bit definitely hit a bit close to the current situation...

#BTBA2020

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

#BTBA2020 it‘s the little things đź¤Ł

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

DrndiÄ‡ originally wrote this in Croatian, but it‘s interesting to me how over here in the states, we‘re butchering English just as badly. I know I‘m a perpetrator more often than I‘d probably like to admit. đź…

Does anyone else speak any other language(s) that they feel this applies to? Is this universal across our little blue planet? Are our languages degenerating? đź¬đź±

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

#BTBA2020 discussion #1: I was curious why the book is called EEG, so I looked up the acronym. The first result was for Electroencephalography, which is an electrode test used on psychology patients to diagnose brain death, among other things (note: Andreas Ban is a retired psychologist). (more in the comments)

ulyssesartmiller But there's also another definition for the acronym EEG: the â€śEastern European Group,â€ś a UN regional group which includes Croatia, Russia, Latvia, Poland...all countries included in Drndic's/Ban's ruminations of Fascism, economic disparity, genocide, and chess. Seems to me that Drndic is diagnosing a sort of â€śbrain death of governmentâ€ś or â€śbrain death of societyâ€ś within the Eastern European Group through these topics. Do you agree/disagree? Why? 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 4y

Jennifer3 I completely agree!!! I knew about the EEG because of my job as a social worker and because I have a lot of medical/mental health knowledge as a result. Plus, he seems to talk about how things have changed for that region. I get the feeling there is a mental health component as occasionally there are comments that seemed to be meant for the narrator. The narration seems to be a stream of conscious type writing. 4y

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ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 YES. I almost added a second component to this question based exactly on that idea: that perhaps Ban is also suffering from several types of â€śbrain deathâ€ś : his suicide attempts despite the fact that living beings tend to fight for their survival; his abhorrence of social norms and social interactions despite humans being social creatures. 4y

Jennifer3 Yes. And I get the impression that he is also near end of life and is looking back contemplating everything he has experienced as he must think he is nearing end of life that isn‘t necessarily a suicide attempts again. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Agree wholeheartedly with you both! I had no idea what EEG could stand for but had assumed it would sooner or later be revealed in the book. đź… Ban seems keyed in to all the little tiny deaths that make up life experience. It‘s like he‘s writing a big hate-letter to all the jealousies, squabbles, love affairs, and rivalries that form a breeding ground in the psyche of the human race for the hate that makes government atrocities possible. 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 Oooh, I like that. a hate-letter. Actually, it's funny....before her death, DaĹˇa DrndiÄ‡ did an interview with the Paris Review, and she's quite scathing in it about people: it's here if you or @Jennifer3 are interested in seeing her perspective: https://bit.ly/3cJ2dZU 4y

Jennifer3 I love that, a hate letter! That makes even more sense about how the book is written. Checking out the link to the author‘s interview now. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Omg...I love her... I already knew I did, but that interview cinches it. My god, even her interviews are quotable! đźŤ 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm â€śArt should shock, hurt, offend, intrigue, be a merciless critic of the merciless times we are not only witnessing but whose victims we have become.â€ť âť¤ď¸ŹđźŤâť¤ď¸Ź 4y

Jennifer3 Wow! She is interesting to interview, sometimes I felt like there was an almost lecture in her answers. Fascinating person, too bad she is no longer with us. 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 right?! â€śIt is not my job to interpret what I write.â€ś She's so angry people don't think for themselves anymore (including the interviewer LOL), and I think her frustration with the general autopilot comes through in Ban's personality, when he gets sassy about generic well-wishers during holidays or when he sneers at predictable get-togethers by the nouveau riche of his town. 4y

Jennifer3 Yes! Her answers made me feel like I should try harder to think and exercise my brain more. However, I love that she doesn‘t think she should interpret. I have always loved how books bring something different to each of us which is influenced by our experiences, understanding and independent thought. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 @ulyssesartmiller Lol, yes, she definitely has that, â€śDo you REALLY need me to explain it?â€ť kind of attitude in the interview. đź…âť¤ď¸Ź I love that answer though. I just recently read The Return of Merlin by Deepak Chopra and he has a foreword in the beginning actually explaining to you how you should mentally digest his book. Heaven forbid you take your own interpretation from the story! Brain? What‘s that used for? đź¤¦â€Ťâ™€ď¸Ź 4y

Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 @ulyssesartmiller That is disappointing to have instruction from the author. I love the sass of Dasa. I might have to try another of her books after this. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 Yes! I‘ve added her others to my TBR because I know I won‘t be able to get enough. đź… 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 yeah, and I also think that interpretation really should be the sole responsibility of the consumer. I tend to believe that art is only half created by its production; the other half is how the consumer interprets/reacts to/experiences the art. 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 she said her own favorite she wrote was Doppelgänger. That one for sure is on my TBR. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 Agreed, I honestly find it quite odd when people do get overly protective of the interpretation of their art. Just as none of us ever reads the same story despite reading the same book, so to none of us sees the same way when looking at the same painting, sculpture, etc. Art can only be art when there is someone else there to drape their own perspective on it. The more perspectives, the better the art. đź¤·â€Ťâ™€ď¸Ź 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm There‘s a painting that hung in my city‘s art museum that was both a dragon and a man. At first glance, it was just an abstract painting, but depending on the person, they would suddenly see one of the two pictures. It was incredible listening to my classmates talk about seeing a man when I could CLEARLY see there was a dragon. If we didn‘t know there was not one, but two hidden images by talking to each other, I wouldn‘t remember it so well. 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 Who's it by? That sounds interesting! 4y

Jennifer3 @ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 I love what you said about art and interpretation. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller Gah, I‘ll have to search for that. đź… I haven‘t seen it since grade school. Let me see if I can go dig up info on it. 4y

Jennifer3 I would love to see the man/dragon painting. It reminds me of the young woman/old woman picture they use in psychology. 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 I‘ll definitely have to get back to you guys. I just scrolled through 45 pages of their contemporary art database online and didn‘t find it yet. They don‘t have images of everything either. I‘ll keep looking and if push comes to shove, I‘ll call/email them and try and describe it like a crazy person. đź…đź¤Łđź¤Łđź‚ 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 hahahaha omg such dedication is unnecessary, I promise!! 4y

Jennifer3 @ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 I agree that level of dedication is not needed! 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 Lol, gotcha! đźśđź‚đź¤Łđź‚ 4y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Well if I DO run across it, I‘ll remember you guys. đź…đź‘Ť 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Another gorgeous quote that I had to reread to savor. âť¤ď¸ŹđźŤâť¤ď¸Ź

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

I have often told people that a quote I try to live by is, â€śI disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.â€ť Often attributed to Voltaire, it‘s from Evelyn Beatrice Hall‘s book The Friends of Voltaire. I think any sort of thought policing or eradication of free speech/thought is one of the most terrifying scenarios mankind can face. I don‘t have to agree with you to think you have the right to speak freely.

ulyssesartmiller I couldn't believe in this part that coming up with new chess strategies was equated to radicalist/unSocialist thinking. But I suppose that for some governments, any excuse is good enough. 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

This paragraph! âť¤ď¸ŹđźŤâť¤ď¸Ź I love how beautiful DrndiÄ‡ makes this sound while still giving you chills. Horrific moments are written out in such poetic prose, it‘s intense and wonderful!

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Ban has just finished lamenting the run around he received in attempting to enroll his son in school upon their return to the country, concluding with 2 key points.

This novel surprises me and speaks to me with every single line. I did not expect to like it this much. I truly hope it continues to delight me, I‘ve already added DrndiÄ‡‘s other novels to my TBR. She‘s glorious. Ban is glorious. I‘m so glad I joined the buddy read for this! #BTBA2020

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Two out of the many wonderful quotes in this book. I LOVE DaĹˇa Drndic‘s writing style. @ulyssesartmiller said it best in their post of the same novel. *rubs forehead* đźś

I often tell people that Bernard from the British show Black Books is my â€śspirit animalâ€ť. This character, Andreas Ban, is starting to close in on that first place slot. I think I‘m just a crotchety, sarcastic old man, deep down underneath the friendly, spunky redhead exterior. đź…

ulyssesartmiller Bahahaha oh Andreas...yelling at nuns for taking too much time in the clinics and sassing at well-wishers! đź¤Ł maybe he just needed some chimkens in his life... 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller For sure! đź‚ (edited) 5y

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

#BTBA2020 preach!

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

DaĹˇa DrndiÄ‡, bursting from the page and prodding you and your literary expectations very sharply in the forehead. I already am in love with this book. #BTBA2020

Geenee DaĹˇa DrndiÄ‡... But what does it mean? What language is this? đź•đź¤·đźŹ˝â€Ťâ™€ď¸Ź 5y

ulyssesartmiller @Geenee DaĹˇa DrndiÄ‡ is the name of the author. She is Croatian. 5y

Geenee Ohhhhh. Thank you đź™Ź 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Love your description of her writing! Spot on! đźŤđź‘Ť 5y

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

@Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 #BTBA2020 reading schedule! Do we want to do our weekly discussions on Sundays? What times of day work for everyone? I‘m wide open, but also in CST, so as long as it‘s not, you know, 2am my time I‘m good đź‚

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Sweet!! đź¤đź†đź¤ Sunday‘s work perfectly for me, I always have them off work. I‘m pretty open with time too, but I‘m in EST. đź… 5y

Jennifer3 Sundays work for me. I am on Pacific time because it is spring/summer and we don‘t change our clocks in Arizona. 5y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 so how about 6pm central on sundays? 5y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Jennifer3 I‘m jealous! We used to not change, then only a few years ago they put us on the rotation. đź¤¦â€Ťâ™€ď¸Ź @ulyssesartmiller Perfect! đź‘Ť 5y

mirnas That translation od EEG has just won the prize for best English translation of a foreign literature. 5y

ulyssesartmiller @mirnass yes!! That‘s why we‘re reading it, actually! đź 5y

Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 @ulyssesartmiller I forgot to reply and say that works for me. How are we planning to do it? I am also trying to figure out what 92 pages is on the Kindle edition! 4y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 Cool! I was planning to post a couple questions and tag you both in the post. 4y

Jennifer3 That is perfect! 4y

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

It‘s here!!! Very excited to read this, the fiction winner for the 2020 BTBA, even if it wasn‘t the one I was rooting for. đź… @ulyssesartmiller is hosting a buddy read for it and I‘m stoked it got here so quickly!! Thank you, Amazon Prime! đźŤ
#BTBA2020 #buddyread

ulyssesartmiller That is awesome!! I‘m getting my copy tomorrow, it‘s gonna be so good! 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Yes! I‘m very excited! I had to remind myself I couldn‘t start reading as soon as I got it out of the package. đź… 5y

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ulyssesartmiller

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

#BTBA2020 winner was just announced -- EEG by DaĹˇa DrndiÄ‡! Oh boy you guys...DrndiÄ‡'s writing is gorgeous, but H-E-A-V-Y. Book is 380 pages. Let's sound off in the comments below for who plans to acquire a copy of Celia Hawkesworth's translation from the Croatian...and then shall we sound off again, once we have our copies, so we can have a full month to read it? @bookwyrm42 @sydneyerin @Jennifer3 @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I'm going to pass on this one. It sounds a bit gloomy & meandering for my taste, especially now. If I could get it through a library I'd try it, but mine is still closed for the foreseeable future. Enjoy! 5y

sydneyerin I don't think I'm up for this. It does sound very heavy. Good luck! đźŠ 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I‘M IN!!! đźŤ Ordered it from Amazon, should have it as early as SUNDAY!! đź¤đź†đź¤ 5y

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ulyssesartmiller @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @sydneyerin no problem! 5y

ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 so fast!! That‘s awesome! 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @ulyssesartmiller Right?! I had to reread the delivery date because I couldn‘t believe my eyes at first! đź¤Łđź‚đź¤Ł 5y

Jennifer3 I am in. Let me go order! 5y

Jennifer3 Even though I rather a book, I got the kindle version and am ready to read! 5y

ulyssesartmiller @Jennifer3 @Bookwyrm42 perfect! I have a digital copy as well, so we should be able to stick with reading it for the month of June! Do you ladies want to do weekly discussions or anything? (edited) 5y

Jennifer3 @ulyssesartmiller @Bookwyrm42 I think weekly would be good if you all could do that. And the month of June is perfect. 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Sounds perfect! đźŤ 5y

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Got my copy today! âť¤ď¸Źđź¤đź†đź¤âť¤ď¸Ź 5y

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Texreader

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

Another top 15 book from The Atlantic that I‘m adding to my tbr list for this year. About the evil that governments and nations inflict on individuals. đź

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arubabookwoman

EEG: A Novel | Daša Drndic

My bookstore haul from today, including two magazines. Has anyone read any of these?

Tanisha_A No! Also, what's the book with the beautiful bird art? 5y

arubabookwoman @Tanisha_A It‘s actually a lovely magazine, Uppercase, the focus of which is, I guess, creativity. This issue has an article on folk artist Nara Mirtalipova whose work is featured on the cover. 5y

Liz_M @BarbaraBB tagged Foe as one of her top six of 2019. 5y

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BarbaraBB I‘d like to see the top 6 of both of you đź‰ @Liz_M @arubabookwoman 5y

arubabookwoman @BarbaraBB I thought I hadn‘t read many good books this year, but when I looked at my list, I saw quite a few. In no particular order: The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton; The Seventh Cross (Seghers); Seventeen (Yokohama); Labyrinths (Borges); North of Dawn (Farrah); A Change of Time (Jensen); If Beale Street Could Talk (Baldwin); Her Body & Other Parties (Machado); Cassandra at the Wedding (Baker). 5y

arubabookwoman @BarbaraBb For nonfiction, these stand out: The Apprentice by Greg Miller (v. good & complete expose of Trump); Bad Blood by Carreyrou; and The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler (If you liked the ideas raised in Atul Gawande‘s Being Mortal, this has lots of good information on how to implement them, from middle-age to very old old-age. 5y

BarbaraBB That is a great list. I take a screenshot, thanks! đź 5y

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