But this is a novel by the cerebral French writer and filmmaker Marguerite Duras, so nothing much happens at all. And it’s all the more thrilling because of it. There are long philosophical conversations about love and obsession and identity, and characters stare out at the sea for what seems like hours. A woman’s mussed hair says volumes about her inner turmoil, and there is no conclusion to speak of. It’s not a book to rush through. It’s a book to be savored while drinking cognac and smoking pretentious cigarettes. [. . .]

“One’s always more or less looking for something,” Duras writes in Gibraltar, “for something to arise in the world and come toward you.” Whether that’s a lost love or a reason not to go home again, Duras captures the longing that infects her ‘haracters — and all of us from time to time — with elegant prose and a story that will set you blissfully adrift.

Absolutely. And in addition to the review, NPR has an excerpt from the book as well.

received my copy of The Sailor from Gibraltar from Open Letter Books today. For a blissful half hour, I stopped grading papers, working on articles and reviews and working on assignments for my psych and sociology classes to just enjoy this treasure. Almost as much of a thrill as discovering this book, is discovering Open Letter Books, the literary translation press from the URochester. They have an array of such intriguing books, that I think I’ll ask my husband to skip the chocolates and champagne for Valentine’s Day and just tie a red velvet bow around a stack of Open Letter titles.

Which isn’t a bad idea . . . I know it’s not much, but to support the idea of giving books for Valentine’s Day, we’re willing to gift wrap and tie on a red bow to any orders placed over the next week.

And if you’re looking for a good book to give, I’d recommend Of our first six—which include a novel about a murderer, a collection of stories about violence in Rio, and a story of a guy hiding under a bed longing for a woman who’s not his wife—this is probably the most appropriate for Valentine’s Day.

All of our books are available and if you’re ordering for Valentine’s Day, just shoot me a note at chad.post at rochester dot edu to let me know you want it wrapped. We can even include a note . . .