Literature & Philosophy Reading Group: The Tartar Steppe, by Dino Buzzati

In this monthly reading group, we will discuss novels and short stories that rely less on plot and more on the description of sensations, extraordinary experiences and new modes of perceiving reality and relating to others. We will be interested in exploring the various consequences that certain encounters with otherness can bring to a life, and we’ll draw on the ideas of different philosophers (Deleuze, Nietzsche, Spinoza, etc.) to enrich our reading of the texts.

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NOVEMBER: The Tartar Steppe, by Dino Buzzati

Selected by Borges as one of his favorite books ever, The Tartar Steppe is considered by many to be Dino Buzzati’s little masterpiece. A meditation about time and the mysterious ways in which it slips like sand through our fingers while we are too busy looking towards a future beyond, waiting for that big event that will finally justify our lives. For some it is romantic love, for others wealth, fame or career achievement… For Giovanni Drogo, commissioned to serve at a young age in a remote fort overlooking the desert, it is the expectation of an invasion from an invisible enemy and the possibility of becoming a war hero. But while Drogo’s eyes are fixed on the horizon, years pass and the big event is postponed again and again. This is also the story of how some places have the power to haunt us and trap us in the midst of their walls, habits, securities, and moods, until they become part of us and we become completely unable to part from them. Written in beautiful prose, full of melancholic atmospheres, this novel will captivate you from the first lines, like Fort Bastiani does with the protagonist, until you reach the unexpected ending, truly heartbreaking!

We hope you can join us!

PDF. https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-tartar-steppe-e161813240.html

HOW? Everyone is welcome to the discussion. The only requisite to participate is having read the novel beforehand, because discussions are on topic. Bring your thoughts, questions, and the passages you have underlined!

WHERE? In DISCORD: Our online meeting will take place in Discord, so please make sure to join our Discord group beforehand!

Here is the invitation to our group: https://discord.gg/DEcXZDgXZj

If you have any doubts or you are not familiar with this platform, please send me a message and I’ll help you.