GRGR-related: Khirgiz light

[Jeremy Osner]

There is an article in today's New York Times about
the Manas epic, the central poem in the Kyrgyz oral
tradition. It is still common for Kyrgyz to memorize
and recite the epic, which the article says is "the world's
longest epic poem".

--
The right-hand, still untasted part of the novel, which,
during our delectable reading, we would lightly feel,
mechanically testing whether there were still plenty
left (and our fingers were always gladdened by the
placid, faithful thickness) has suddenly, for no reason
at all, become quite meager: a few minutes of quick
reading, already downhill, and -- O horrible!

Invitation to a Beheading
Vladimir Nabokov
http://www.readin.com/books/invitationbeheading/