FOUND IN TRANSLATION Book Group / Michal Ajvaz' The Golden Age

Sep 28 2010 7:00 pm

FOUND IN TRANSLATION Book Group

The Golden Age by Michal Ajvaz

As we turn toward fall, we read a writer who hails from Kafka's city-- Prague--and who is reminiscent of both that famous writer and Jorge Luis Borges. Michal Ajvaz, considered by many the greatest living Czech author, has written in The Golden Age a book that is once philosophical and riveting, a book about language and narratives that includes fake civilizations and dueling royal families. On an imaginary island in the Atlantic Ocean lives a nation of humans without cars, money, or even telephones. They're discovered by a modern-day Gulliver who wants to chronicle their strange society and its one piece of writing, a collective, Wikipedia-like effort known only as the Book (called by one critic a "pre-Gutenberg Internet"). We'll talk about what this odd fairy-tale like book has to say about our own connected culture, as well as satire, the importance of storytelling to a society, and the morality of betrayal.

 

Join us on the fourth Tuesday of every month for spirited conversation about some of the newest writing hitting the U.S. from all over the globe. No foreign language knowledge necessary and no continental savvy required (but will be appreciated!)  -- just bring your desire to read some excellent new books, hand-selected for you by Scott Esposito, of the Center for the Art of Translation and The Quarterly Conversation, who also fearlessly leads the discussion, brilliantly.. You'll also meet some great new people and chat with them about the best new fiction from around the world.

 

 

The Golden Age (Paperback)

By Michal Ajvaz, Andrew Oakland
$14.95
ISBN-13: 9781564785787
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Dalkey Archive Press, 4/2010
Other Editions of this Title
Location: 
Street:
The Booksmith
Additional:
1644 Haight Street
City:
San Francisco
,
Province:
California
Postal Code:
94117
Country:
United States

How to Reserve a Seat for an Event in the Store

We offer limited reserved seating for anyone purchasing a copy

of an event’s featured book in advance from The Booksmith.

 

In the store: let us know you’d like a reserved seat

when you make your purchase prior to the event date.

 

By telephone: let us know you’d like a reserved seat

when you make your purchase prior to the event date.

 

By email: let us know you’d like a reserved seat

when you make your purchase prior to the event date.

 

Online: when you place your order via Booksmith.com,

add “reserved seat for talk on [date]” to the comments field.

NB: if you choose the ‘pay in store’ option, we cannot guarantee

a reserved seat. If you want to be certain to have a reserved seat,

we suggest you choose the ‘pay with credit card’ option.

 

In all cases, we will either confirm a reserved seat for you

or let you know that we have no more reserved seats available.

 

Please note this offer provides one reserved seat for each book purchased.