R.A. Littman
@ralittman.bsky.social
Writer. Rootless cosmopolitan. Netherlands for now.
I've read a number of these and loved them. Adding The Taiga Syndrome to the tbr
Wrote a little about difficult books, short books, and short and difficult books. countercraft.substack.com/p/short-litt...
Short Little Difficult Books
Novels that challenge with style, story, or form that you can read in a day.
countercraft.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:23 PM
I've read a number of these and loved them. Adding The Taiga Syndrome to the tbr
Taking time off has been amazing for my manuscript. It's almost like capitalism strangles your creativity and gorges itself on your time and energy
November 18, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Taking time off has been amazing for my manuscript. It's almost like capitalism strangles your creativity and gorges itself on your time and energy
Finally got a copy of The Wax Child.
I'm easily disappointed when books are heavily hyped, but I'm pleased to say this one is delivering so far. I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes things
I'm easily disappointed when books are heavily hyped, but I'm pleased to say this one is delivering so far. I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes things
November 14, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Finally got a copy of The Wax Child.
I'm easily disappointed when books are heavily hyped, but I'm pleased to say this one is delivering so far. I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes things
I'm easily disappointed when books are heavily hyped, but I'm pleased to say this one is delivering so far. I'm looking forward to seeing where she takes things
Read this in a single sitting. Absolutely devastating.
It was like The Hour of the Star only better
It was like The Hour of the Star only better
November 14, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Read this in a single sitting. Absolutely devastating.
It was like The Hour of the Star only better
It was like The Hour of the Star only better
This book really opens up on a reread. I'm so glad I gave Obscene Bird a second chance. A truly unique and inspiring work of art
October 13, 2025 at 4:58 PM
This book really opens up on a reread. I'm so glad I gave Obscene Bird a second chance. A truly unique and inspiring work of art
Genuinely saddened to hear this
So so sad to learn about the death of Jonathan Lear. His work on Aristotle and Freud was formative for me. He was a model of philosophical intelligence and curiosity. More importantly he was a human human, with rare integrity and sharp judgment. It's hard to imagine the world without him in it.
September 23, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Genuinely saddened to hear this
Satantango was disappointing. It wasn't bad, but Krasznahorkai just seems extremely overhyped. I don't know if I'll be reading any more of him
September 20, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Satantango was disappointing. It wasn't bad, but Krasznahorkai just seems extremely overhyped. I don't know if I'll be reading any more of him
I have a seperate account for politics that I use when I feel like making bad mental health decisions, with this account being exclusively for writing/books. If a book person posts too much about politics, I just won't follow them.
Ever since Kirk, the two timelines have become indistinguishable
Ever since Kirk, the two timelines have become indistinguishable
September 15, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I have a seperate account for politics that I use when I feel like making bad mental health decisions, with this account being exclusively for writing/books. If a book person posts too much about politics, I just won't follow them.
Ever since Kirk, the two timelines have become indistinguishable
Ever since Kirk, the two timelines have become indistinguishable
I watched Weapons last night, and while it was better than Barbarian, it was still painfully mediocre. I genuinely don't understand the hype around Cregger
September 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I watched Weapons last night, and while it was better than Barbarian, it was still painfully mediocre. I genuinely don't understand the hype around Cregger
Finally getting around to Satantango. I can see why Bela Tarr works with Krasznahorkai—they have a very similar vibe. Satantango hits me similarly to Damnation
September 13, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Finally getting around to Satantango. I can see why Bela Tarr works with Krasznahorkai—they have a very similar vibe. Satantango hits me similarly to Damnation
Reading The Flanders Road by Claude Simon and fucking hell is this good. I will definitely be reading more of him. Haven't been this excited about an author in a while
September 2, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Reading The Flanders Road by Claude Simon and fucking hell is this good. I will definitely be reading more of him. Haven't been this excited about an author in a while
I hate everything about this
Legendary novelist Cormac McCarthy is often hailed by the Right as one of its own.
The truth is more complicated.
The truth is more complicated.
Is Cormac McCarthy “Based”?
Legendary novelist Cormac McCarthy is often hailed by the Right as one of its own. The truth is more complicated.
jacobin.com
August 16, 2025 at 8:51 AM
I hate everything about this
Currently giving this book another shot and I'm enjoying it vastly more this time around.
It helps that I read and loved Hell Has No Limits. Developing a certain level of trust with an author makes it easier to give a larger, more ambitious novel space to do its thing
It helps that I read and loved Hell Has No Limits. Developing a certain level of trust with an author makes it easier to give a larger, more ambitious novel space to do its thing
“This is a hard book. Just as well. I like a hard book. Not this one, quite. But that’s beside the point.” New: Angelo Hernandez Sias on José Donoso and his translators.
www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/...
www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/...
The Desire to be an Imbunche | Angelo Hernandez Sias
Too long, too hard, too loose, too crass: these are the problems that abridgment seeks to fix. They are only problems to a writer’s enemies: politicians, skimmers, benefactors, and prudes. (For now we...
www.nplusonemag.com
July 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Currently giving this book another shot and I'm enjoying it vastly more this time around.
It helps that I read and loved Hell Has No Limits. Developing a certain level of trust with an author makes it easier to give a larger, more ambitious novel space to do its thing
It helps that I read and loved Hell Has No Limits. Developing a certain level of trust with an author makes it easier to give a larger, more ambitious novel space to do its thing
Reposted by R.A. Littman
“Men go through life telling themselves a moment must come when they will show what they're made of. And the moment comes, and they do show. And they spend the rest of their days explaining that was neither the moment nor the true self.”
― Shirley Hazzard, The Transit of Venus
― Shirley Hazzard, The Transit of Venus
July 23, 2025 at 3:15 PM
“Men go through life telling themselves a moment must come when they will show what they're made of. And the moment comes, and they do show. And they spend the rest of their days explaining that was neither the moment nor the true self.”
― Shirley Hazzard, The Transit of Venus
― Shirley Hazzard, The Transit of Venus
Reposted by R.A. Littman
Increasingly convinced the main damage cell phones have done to creativity isn't decreased attention spans or what not but the elimination of productive boredom. Inspiration comes from the mind filling the void inside. Hard to make art when you're constantly silencing the silence with "content."
July 22, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Increasingly convinced the main damage cell phones have done to creativity isn't decreased attention spans or what not but the elimination of productive boredom. Inspiration comes from the mind filling the void inside. Hard to make art when you're constantly silencing the silence with "content."
"Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden."
It's McCarthy's birthday, so I'm seeing this quote a lot again.
What better way to tell that someone hasn't actually read him? Aside from it never appearing in The Road, it uses a semicolon. You think McCarthy's gonna use a semicolon?
It's McCarthy's birthday, so I'm seeing this quote a lot again.
What better way to tell that someone hasn't actually read him? Aside from it never appearing in The Road, it uses a semicolon. You think McCarthy's gonna use a semicolon?
July 20, 2025 at 2:11 PM
"Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden."
It's McCarthy's birthday, so I'm seeing this quote a lot again.
What better way to tell that someone hasn't actually read him? Aside from it never appearing in The Road, it uses a semicolon. You think McCarthy's gonna use a semicolon?
It's McCarthy's birthday, so I'm seeing this quote a lot again.
What better way to tell that someone hasn't actually read him? Aside from it never appearing in The Road, it uses a semicolon. You think McCarthy's gonna use a semicolon?
2025 is apparently the year for disgraced comedians with a history of sexual assault and predation to publish their first novels.
You'll be shocked to learn that his publisher seems to focus on works of dog shit right wing contrarianism.
I wonder whose novel will be worse, his or Louis CK's
You'll be shocked to learn that his publisher seems to focus on works of dog shit right wing contrarianism.
I wonder whose novel will be worse, his or Louis CK's
July 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
2025 is apparently the year for disgraced comedians with a history of sexual assault and predation to publish their first novels.
You'll be shocked to learn that his publisher seems to focus on works of dog shit right wing contrarianism.
I wonder whose novel will be worse, his or Louis CK's
You'll be shocked to learn that his publisher seems to focus on works of dog shit right wing contrarianism.
I wonder whose novel will be worse, his or Louis CK's
Reposted by R.A. Littman
Damn me, but all things are queer, come to think of ’em.
July 14, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Damn me, but all things are queer, come to think of ’em.
I'm always shocked when I read a draft of a novel after it's sat in a drawer for a few months and find that it's completely coherent and not awful
June 27, 2025 at 10:33 AM
I'm always shocked when I read a draft of a novel after it's sat in a drawer for a few months and find that it's completely coherent and not awful
After the disappointment of The Obscene Bird of Night, Hell Has No Limits has redeemed Donoso for me. An excellent book, and an obvious influence on Hurricane Season.
I think I'm going to keep exploring Latin American lit. I've never enjoyed so many books in such a short span of time
I think I'm going to keep exploring Latin American lit. I've never enjoyed so many books in such a short span of time
June 26, 2025 at 7:59 PM
After the disappointment of The Obscene Bird of Night, Hell Has No Limits has redeemed Donoso for me. An excellent book, and an obvious influence on Hurricane Season.
I think I'm going to keep exploring Latin American lit. I've never enjoyed so many books in such a short span of time
I think I'm going to keep exploring Latin American lit. I've never enjoyed so many books in such a short span of time
McCarthy is one of my favorites and Blood Meridian is undeniably an excellent book, but I genuinely do not understand the amount of hype it gets. Suttree is a far superior novel but receives almost none of the hype. Is it simply because BM is more transgressive, has more violence and awfulness?
June 21, 2025 at 12:10 PM
McCarthy is one of my favorites and Blood Meridian is undeniably an excellent book, but I genuinely do not understand the amount of hype it gets. Suttree is a far superior novel but receives almost none of the hype. Is it simply because BM is more transgressive, has more violence and awfulness?
I'm rereading Blood Meridian and I'd forgotten how funny some of it is
June 20, 2025 at 3:51 PM
I'm rereading Blood Meridian and I'd forgotten how funny some of it is
I'm always surprised how substantial a difference it makes in my prose to write long hand rather than on a keyboard
June 20, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I'm always surprised how substantial a difference it makes in my prose to write long hand rather than on a keyboard
I'm still chasing the high of Hurricane Season. It has to be my top book of 2025 so far. Truly excellent
June 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I'm still chasing the high of Hurricane Season. It has to be my top book of 2025 so far. Truly excellent
Full of sensuous detail and dreamlike narrative, but a bit experimental for my taste. I enjoyed it but I think I'd probably like The Lime Twig more on a reread
June 18, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Full of sensuous detail and dreamlike narrative, but a bit experimental for my taste. I enjoyed it but I think I'd probably like The Lime Twig more on a reread