I have just finished reading "The Master and Margarita", a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov which was written during the last twelve years of his life between 1928-40. It is a transcendant work, rich in allegory, satire and symbol. Would that I knew more of Bulgakov as well as the time period and Russian literature and I would perhaps have enjoyed the novel that much more. Regardless, it is an extraordinary read.
I am on my second Roberto Bolano called, "By Night in Chile". Bolano is also a satirist and his work is rich with complex characters whose meaning unravels page by page. And you want to read the next page to find out who these people are and what they mean. Bolano, unfortunately, died at the age of fifty, five years ago. His talent is crystal clear.
What my reading has to do with antiques is not so clear, save for cultural understanding, which is what I do as an antique dealer. I have worked to understand the 17th-19th centuries in Europe, visiting houses and museums, and learning about restoration, reading endless histories so that I can feel satisfied that I know what I am doing. It is a handle that I have to have to feel comfortable about being an antique dealer. With the novels that I read, it is a handle that I long to have on the rest of the world. |
