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Homo faber
Max Frischs Homo faber ist eines der wichtigsten und meistgelesenen B眉cher des 20. Jahrhunderts: Der Ingenieur Walter Faber glaubt an sein rationales Weltbild, das aber durch eine Liebesgeschichte nachhaltig zerbricht. Kein anderer zeitgen枚ssischer Roman stellt derart ehrlich wie hintergr眉ndig die Frage nach der Identit盲t des modernen Menschen.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1957
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About the author
Max Frisch
265听books757听followersMax Rudolph Frisch was born in 1911 in Zurich; the son of Franz Bruno Frisch (an architect) and Karolina Bettina Frisch (n茅e Wildermuth). After studying at the Realgymnasium in Zurich, he enrolled at the University of Zurich in 1930 and began studying German literature, but had to abandon due to financial problems after the death of his father in 1932. Instead, he started working as a journalist and columnist for the Neue Z眉rcher Zeitung (NZZ), one of the major newspapers in Switzerland. With the NZZ he would entertain a lifelong ambivalent love-hate relationship, for his own views were in stark contrast to the conservative views promulgated by this newspaper. In 1933 he travelled through eastern and south-eastern Europe, and in 1935 he visited Germany for the first time.
Some of the major themes in his work are the search or loss of one's identity; guilt and innocence (the spiritual crisis of the modern world after Nietzsche proclaimed that "God is dead"); technological omnipotence (the human belief that everything was possible and technology allowed humans to control everything) versus fate (especially in Homo faber); and also Switzerland's idealized self-image as a tolerant democracy based on consensus 鈥� criticizing that as illusion and portraying people (and especially the Swiss) as being scared by their own liberty and being preoccupied mainly with controlling every part of their life.
Max Frisch was a political man, and many of his works make reference to (or, as in Jonas und sein Veteran, are centered around) political issues of the time.
information was taken from
Some of the major themes in his work are the search or loss of one's identity; guilt and innocence (the spiritual crisis of the modern world after Nietzsche proclaimed that "God is dead"); technological omnipotence (the human belief that everything was possible and technology allowed humans to control everything) versus fate (especially in Homo faber); and also Switzerland's idealized self-image as a tolerant democracy based on consensus 鈥� criticizing that as illusion and portraying people (and especially the Swiss) as being scared by their own liberty and being preoccupied mainly with controlling every part of their life.
Max Frisch was a political man, and many of his works make reference to (or, as in Jonas und sein Veteran, are centered around) political issues of the time.
information was taken from
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October 10, 2023
May the lack of imagination be considered as a kind of mental disorder?
Walter Faber is a pragmatist and he lives as if he is blown by the wind 鈥� he is a ship without an anchor and there is no haven for him in the sea of life and there is no place he can call his own. And in this endless roaming and his genuflection before the soulless technological progress he is slowly losing his human qualities and himself turns into a mechanical being.
And one day clockwork stops ticking鈥�
There aren't any prehistoric monsters any more. Why should I imagine them? I'm sorry, but I don't see any stone angels either; nor demons; I see what I see 鈥� the usual shapes due to erosion and also my long shadow on the sand, but no ghosts.
Walter Faber is a pragmatist and he lives as if he is blown by the wind 鈥� he is a ship without an anchor and there is no haven for him in the sea of life and there is no place he can call his own. And in this endless roaming and his genuflection before the soulless technological progress he is slowly losing his human qualities and himself turns into a mechanical being.
And one day clockwork stops ticking鈥�
July 9, 2024
VOYAGER
Faber
Il romanzo 猫 del 1957. Io l鈥檋o letto, e anche scoperto, solo nel 1991.
E fin qui nulla di speciale: non sarebbe la prima volta che arrivo con considerevole ritardo a conoscere uno scrittore, un libro.
Questa volta, per貌, 猫 un po鈥� diverso perch茅 ho prima visto il film, dal quale ho scoperto che in origine c鈥檈ra un romanzo, questo: e solo dopo, sono approdato dalla pellicola alla pagina.
Barbara Sukova 猫 Hannah.
Film che mi colp矛 parecchio nonostante il regista, Volker Schl枚ndorff, mi ha spesso deluso, 猫 spesso risultato al di sotto delle mie aspettative.
E nonostante rischiasse di essere il solito papocchio del regista europeo, o straniero in genere, che va in America e crede di avere capito tutto. Sono pi霉 quelli che hanno fallito di quelli che ci sono riusciti, soprattutto fra gli europei. Non per niente il connazionale di Schl枚ndorff, Wim Wenders, l鈥檜nico regista al quale, insieme a Stanley Kubrick, mi sono proposto come paggio assistente (avevo elaborato un breve testo di lettera che faceva riferimento al rapporto discepolo-maestro nelle botteghe d鈥檃rte del Rinascimento), Wenders dicevo, il suo declino irrevocabile secondo me 猫 cominciato quando 猫 approdato in terra a stelle-e-strisce.
August Zirner 猫 Joachim.
E invece papocchio non 猫 stato. Vuoi per l鈥檃spra magia che sempre si portava dietro Sam Shepard con quel suo incisivo spaccato, bello e inafferrabile, mai abbastanza rimpianto.
Vuoi perch茅 Julie Delpy sa recitare in inglese, e mi aveva fulminato pochi anni prima con Mauvais sangue - Rosso sangue, di quell鈥檃ltro regista, Leos Carax, partito in tromba, e troppo presto spentosi in un percorso artistico irrisolto e involuto.
Sabeth
Walter Faber 猫 l鈥檜omo tecnologico, il positivista per eccellenza, che crede fermamente nel progresso, 猫 convinto che la scienza e l鈥檈voluzione delle scoperte porteranno al migliore dei mondi possibili.
Frisch mette in gioco una batteria di eventi pazzeschi, da mal di testa, per far cambiare opinione al suo protagonista e spingerlo a credere che non tutto 猫 coincidenza, non tutto si spiega con la legge della probabilit脿, esiste anche il fato: atterraggio di fortuna dell鈥檃ereo per un鈥檃varia, aereo sul quale il fastidioso vicino di posto si rivela essere il fratello di un amico di giovent霉 (e dalla Svizzera siamo passati ai cieli americani, dagli USA diretti in Centro America) 鈥� amico di giovent霉 che Faber, interrompendo il suo viaggio, decide di andare a trovare nella foresta del Guatemala per trovarlo fresco cadavere (si 猫 impiccato). Scopre cos矛 che l鈥檃mico di un tempo aveva sposato la sua fidanzata storica, Hannah, che Faber voleva sposare per salvarla (lei ebrea), ma non voleva diventare padre: per questo indirizz貌 Hannah dall鈥檃mico Joachim medico.
Hannah incinta prefer矛 tenersi il bambino e non sposare Faber.
E cos矛 Joachim, sposando Hannah incinta, 猫 diventato il padre della figlia di Faber.
Faber torna a New York, lascia la donna che vorrebbe sposarlo, e s鈥檌mbarca per l鈥橢uropa. Destinazione Parigi.
Siamo nel 1956. I flasback risalgono indietro di una ventina d鈥檃nni, anni Trenta.
Sul traghetto Faber fa la conoscenza di una giovane molto attraente, Elisabeth, o Sabeth, con la quale finisce con avere una bella storia. Da Parigi viaggiano insieme verso il sud della Francia e poi la Grecia (Faber si muove solo per lavoro, molto pragmatico: ma poi trova sempre un buon motivo per deviare dal suo percorso, prima Joachim, poi Sabeth).
Per scoprire che si tratta proprio di quella figlia mai voluta, la figlia di Hannah cresciuta da Joachim.
Frisch non gioca al gatto col topo: il lettore sa subito che si sta per consumare un incesto, non rimane sorpreso - forse sconvolto (ma la teoria di accadimenti 猫 talmente estrema che anche l鈥檌ncesto pu貌 farne parte senza esagerazione).
E cos矛, l鈥檌ncesto diventa ineludibile, ineluttabile. Diventa destino: Faber s鈥檌llude di poter controllare il mondo e la sua vita, invece鈥�
Per non farci mancare nulla, in Grecia Sabeth viene morsa da un serpente. Faber riesce a portarla in ospedale in tempo per somministrale il siero: ma cadendo la giovane ha battuto la testa, e sar脿 quel colpo a causare la sua morte. Al capezzale di Sabeth in Grecia si presenta la madre, Hannah: lei e Faber si rincontrano dopo vent鈥檃nni, dopo una vita.
La catena di eventi si conclude con Faber che entra in sala operatoria perch茅 ha scoperto di avere un cancro allo stomaco: e cos矛 avr脿 della vita il cammin tutto compiuto come scrive Sofocle nel suo Edipo re.
Faber racconta in prima persona, come se fosse un diario - o forse, un resoconto: frasi essenziali, quasi telegrafiche, scrittura spezzata.
Faber
Il romanzo 猫 del 1957. Io l鈥檋o letto, e anche scoperto, solo nel 1991.
E fin qui nulla di speciale: non sarebbe la prima volta che arrivo con considerevole ritardo a conoscere uno scrittore, un libro.
Questa volta, per貌, 猫 un po鈥� diverso perch茅 ho prima visto il film, dal quale ho scoperto che in origine c鈥檈ra un romanzo, questo: e solo dopo, sono approdato dalla pellicola alla pagina.
Barbara Sukova 猫 Hannah.
Film che mi colp矛 parecchio nonostante il regista, Volker Schl枚ndorff, mi ha spesso deluso, 猫 spesso risultato al di sotto delle mie aspettative.
E nonostante rischiasse di essere il solito papocchio del regista europeo, o straniero in genere, che va in America e crede di avere capito tutto. Sono pi霉 quelli che hanno fallito di quelli che ci sono riusciti, soprattutto fra gli europei. Non per niente il connazionale di Schl枚ndorff, Wim Wenders, l鈥檜nico regista al quale, insieme a Stanley Kubrick, mi sono proposto come paggio assistente (avevo elaborato un breve testo di lettera che faceva riferimento al rapporto discepolo-maestro nelle botteghe d鈥檃rte del Rinascimento), Wenders dicevo, il suo declino irrevocabile secondo me 猫 cominciato quando 猫 approdato in terra a stelle-e-strisce.
August Zirner 猫 Joachim.
E invece papocchio non 猫 stato. Vuoi per l鈥檃spra magia che sempre si portava dietro Sam Shepard con quel suo incisivo spaccato, bello e inafferrabile, mai abbastanza rimpianto.
Vuoi perch茅 Julie Delpy sa recitare in inglese, e mi aveva fulminato pochi anni prima con Mauvais sangue - Rosso sangue, di quell鈥檃ltro regista, Leos Carax, partito in tromba, e troppo presto spentosi in un percorso artistico irrisolto e involuto.
Sabeth
Walter Faber 猫 l鈥檜omo tecnologico, il positivista per eccellenza, che crede fermamente nel progresso, 猫 convinto che la scienza e l鈥檈voluzione delle scoperte porteranno al migliore dei mondi possibili.
Frisch mette in gioco una batteria di eventi pazzeschi, da mal di testa, per far cambiare opinione al suo protagonista e spingerlo a credere che non tutto 猫 coincidenza, non tutto si spiega con la legge della probabilit脿, esiste anche il fato: atterraggio di fortuna dell鈥檃ereo per un鈥檃varia, aereo sul quale il fastidioso vicino di posto si rivela essere il fratello di un amico di giovent霉 (e dalla Svizzera siamo passati ai cieli americani, dagli USA diretti in Centro America) 鈥� amico di giovent霉 che Faber, interrompendo il suo viaggio, decide di andare a trovare nella foresta del Guatemala per trovarlo fresco cadavere (si 猫 impiccato). Scopre cos矛 che l鈥檃mico di un tempo aveva sposato la sua fidanzata storica, Hannah, che Faber voleva sposare per salvarla (lei ebrea), ma non voleva diventare padre: per questo indirizz貌 Hannah dall鈥檃mico Joachim medico.
Hannah incinta prefer矛 tenersi il bambino e non sposare Faber.
E cos矛 Joachim, sposando Hannah incinta, 猫 diventato il padre della figlia di Faber.
Faber torna a New York, lascia la donna che vorrebbe sposarlo, e s鈥檌mbarca per l鈥橢uropa. Destinazione Parigi.
Siamo nel 1956. I flasback risalgono indietro di una ventina d鈥檃nni, anni Trenta.
Sul traghetto Faber fa la conoscenza di una giovane molto attraente, Elisabeth, o Sabeth, con la quale finisce con avere una bella storia. Da Parigi viaggiano insieme verso il sud della Francia e poi la Grecia (Faber si muove solo per lavoro, molto pragmatico: ma poi trova sempre un buon motivo per deviare dal suo percorso, prima Joachim, poi Sabeth).
Per scoprire che si tratta proprio di quella figlia mai voluta, la figlia di Hannah cresciuta da Joachim.
Frisch non gioca al gatto col topo: il lettore sa subito che si sta per consumare un incesto, non rimane sorpreso - forse sconvolto (ma la teoria di accadimenti 猫 talmente estrema che anche l鈥檌ncesto pu貌 farne parte senza esagerazione).
E cos矛, l鈥檌ncesto diventa ineludibile, ineluttabile. Diventa destino: Faber s鈥檌llude di poter controllare il mondo e la sua vita, invece鈥�
Per non farci mancare nulla, in Grecia Sabeth viene morsa da un serpente. Faber riesce a portarla in ospedale in tempo per somministrale il siero: ma cadendo la giovane ha battuto la testa, e sar脿 quel colpo a causare la sua morte. Al capezzale di Sabeth in Grecia si presenta la madre, Hannah: lei e Faber si rincontrano dopo vent鈥檃nni, dopo una vita.
La catena di eventi si conclude con Faber che entra in sala operatoria perch茅 ha scoperto di avere un cancro allo stomaco: e cos矛 avr脿 della vita il cammin tutto compiuto come scrive Sofocle nel suo Edipo re.
Faber racconta in prima persona, come se fosse un diario - o forse, un resoconto: frasi essenziali, quasi telegrafiche, scrittura spezzata.
October 30, 2016
April 20, 2011:
I bought this book in 1979 and read it sometime in the early 80's.
It's only a couple of hundred pages, so when Praj asked me to review it, I thought, hey, why not re-read it (even though I very rarely re-read books).
April 22, 2011:
Re-reading this novel has been a total revelation.
Firstly, I had previously rated it four stars from memory. Now I have upgraded it to five stars.
It's not just good, it's great, one of the best books I've read.
Secondly, I haven't seen the Volker Schlondorff film "Voyager", which is based on the novel.
If it is anywhere near as good as the book, I will seek out the film with a passion.
About the Right Length
I have read numerous books that were anywhere in length between 300 and 1,000 pages long.
However, there is something in me that feels that 200 pages is just the right length.
In the early days of the internet (when grazing seemed to have superseded dining), I thought everybody would head in this direction, and that the days of the epic were over.
I was clearly wrong, but I still feel that, if an author has a 600 page book in them, they should write three 200 page novels (or at most two 300 page novels).
Hit the ground running, say what you want to say, don't subject us to the risk of boredom, finish it and move onto the next novel.
It's ironic that I'm about to start "The Pale King".
But "Homo Faber" does just this.
Some Short, Sharp Examples
I have read a few novels that more or less live up to my prescription and are perfect as well.
Camus' "The Stranger" is one.
Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice" is another.
Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness".
Nabokov's "Lolita".
"Tourmaline" by Randolph Stow.
To these great novels, I would now add "Homo Faber".
Towards Crystalline Perfection
Given the relatively small canvas, what matters to me is the crystalline perfection of the prose.
Not a word wasted, not a word that I would change.
Circumnavigating the Plot
I don't think it is fair to you to summarise or hint at the plot.
It is not a detailed or hyperactive plot.
The narrator (Walter Faber) finds himself in a number of related predicaments that conspire to reach a resolution, almost despite Faber's reluctance or inability to seize the initiative and direct or change the course of his life.
In retrospect, each predicament is an existentialist challenge to the certainty of his worldview and the way he (and we) live our lives.
Walter's Tanned and Toned
Part of the novel's appeal is the tone that derives from the unlikely character of Walter.
He is no hero, but neither is he an anti-hero.
He is a thin, wiry, 1950's Swiss engineer, a technologist, a believer in the reign of rationality over sentiment.
The Age of Aquarius isn't even on the horizon.
The tale is by him as well as about him.
His tone is dry and clinical, like an engineer's report.
Initially, he is world-weary, detached, disengaged, sarcastic, resigned.
You laugh at his interaction with the world, but it's not in your face comic farce per se, it's a serious farce scaling its way up to an immodest tragedy.
He's hanging on in quiet desperation (not just the English way, but the Swiss way as well).
Then things start to happen to him, some good, some bad.
Bit by bit, he becomes more engaged, more interactive, more hopeful.
Only to experience the greatest sadness I can conceive of.
Walter's Women
It's not giving anything away to say that Walter's plight revolves around the women in his life.
Given the relative absence of women friends, he is typical of many men in that he can only relate to a woman in one of three ways: in their capacity as mother, lover/wife or daughter.
This not only shapes the relationships in his life, it shapes him and the women as well.
The Feel, the Craft, the Finish
The novel starts dry, but builds quietly and confidently towards its end.
Max Frisch is a master of his craft.
An architect himself, Frisch's novel is immaculately conceived, flawlessly constructed and consummately delivered.
On time, on budget.
Ultimately, it defines the existentialist plight with both a rational and an emotional sensibility.
I realise that I haven't given you much to go on but my enthusiasm, but if you can find a copy, I guarantee that you will be hooked from the first sentence and you won't be able to stop.
Many thanks to Praj for prompting me to revisit the book and re-discover a classic of the second half of the last century.
P.S. Volker Schl枚ndorff Discusses His Film "Voyager [Homo Faber]" in 2011
I bought this book in 1979 and read it sometime in the early 80's.
It's only a couple of hundred pages, so when Praj asked me to review it, I thought, hey, why not re-read it (even though I very rarely re-read books).
April 22, 2011:
Re-reading this novel has been a total revelation.
Firstly, I had previously rated it four stars from memory. Now I have upgraded it to five stars.
It's not just good, it's great, one of the best books I've read.
Secondly, I haven't seen the Volker Schlondorff film "Voyager", which is based on the novel.
If it is anywhere near as good as the book, I will seek out the film with a passion.
About the Right Length
I have read numerous books that were anywhere in length between 300 and 1,000 pages long.
However, there is something in me that feels that 200 pages is just the right length.
In the early days of the internet (when grazing seemed to have superseded dining), I thought everybody would head in this direction, and that the days of the epic were over.
I was clearly wrong, but I still feel that, if an author has a 600 page book in them, they should write three 200 page novels (or at most two 300 page novels).
Hit the ground running, say what you want to say, don't subject us to the risk of boredom, finish it and move onto the next novel.
It's ironic that I'm about to start "The Pale King".
But "Homo Faber" does just this.
Some Short, Sharp Examples
I have read a few novels that more or less live up to my prescription and are perfect as well.
Camus' "The Stranger" is one.
Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice" is another.
Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness".
Nabokov's "Lolita".
"Tourmaline" by Randolph Stow.
To these great novels, I would now add "Homo Faber".
Towards Crystalline Perfection
Given the relatively small canvas, what matters to me is the crystalline perfection of the prose.
Not a word wasted, not a word that I would change.
Circumnavigating the Plot
I don't think it is fair to you to summarise or hint at the plot.
It is not a detailed or hyperactive plot.
The narrator (Walter Faber) finds himself in a number of related predicaments that conspire to reach a resolution, almost despite Faber's reluctance or inability to seize the initiative and direct or change the course of his life.
In retrospect, each predicament is an existentialist challenge to the certainty of his worldview and the way he (and we) live our lives.
Walter's Tanned and Toned
Part of the novel's appeal is the tone that derives from the unlikely character of Walter.
He is no hero, but neither is he an anti-hero.
He is a thin, wiry, 1950's Swiss engineer, a technologist, a believer in the reign of rationality over sentiment.
The Age of Aquarius isn't even on the horizon.
The tale is by him as well as about him.
His tone is dry and clinical, like an engineer's report.
Initially, he is world-weary, detached, disengaged, sarcastic, resigned.
You laugh at his interaction with the world, but it's not in your face comic farce per se, it's a serious farce scaling its way up to an immodest tragedy.
He's hanging on in quiet desperation (not just the English way, but the Swiss way as well).
Then things start to happen to him, some good, some bad.
Bit by bit, he becomes more engaged, more interactive, more hopeful.
Only to experience the greatest sadness I can conceive of.
Walter's Women
It's not giving anything away to say that Walter's plight revolves around the women in his life.
Given the relative absence of women friends, he is typical of many men in that he can only relate to a woman in one of three ways: in their capacity as mother, lover/wife or daughter.
This not only shapes the relationships in his life, it shapes him and the women as well.
The Feel, the Craft, the Finish
The novel starts dry, but builds quietly and confidently towards its end.
Max Frisch is a master of his craft.
An architect himself, Frisch's novel is immaculately conceived, flawlessly constructed and consummately delivered.
On time, on budget.
Ultimately, it defines the existentialist plight with both a rational and an emotional sensibility.
I realise that I haven't given you much to go on but my enthusiasm, but if you can find a copy, I guarantee that you will be hooked from the first sentence and you won't be able to stop.
Many thanks to Praj for prompting me to revisit the book and re-discover a classic of the second half of the last century.
P.S. Volker Schl枚ndorff Discusses His Film "Voyager [Homo Faber]" in 2011
October 22, 2013
And now here at last is a real book for grown-ups. Intelligent and utterly unsentimental, Homo Faber would, I feel, have been wasted on me if I'd read it ten years ago; now it strikes me as extraordinary. (This is unlike most novels, which, if not actually aimed at people in their late teens and early twenties, seem to resonate most strongly with that intense and exciting age group.)
As it happens, Walter Faber, the central character of this novel, does not read novels at all. He can't see the point. A technician for UNESCO, Faber builds things, records them, and analyses them. He believes in logic, reason, facts, brute statistics. A machine impresses him in a way that a human does not, because 鈥榠t feels no fear and no hope, which only disturb, it has no wishes with regard to the result, it operates according to the pure logic of probability.鈥� Faber has few close male friends; women he can't relate to at all. Too emotional. 鈥業'm not cynical,鈥� he explains. 鈥業'm merely realistic, which is something women can't stand.鈥�
His one serious relationship ended in divorce years ago. She scorned his beloved technology as 鈥榯he knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.鈥� (And she, by contrast, was an archaeologist: 鈥業 stick the past together,鈥� she says in one of the novel's few moments of unsubtlety.)
I can imagine many readers finding Faber very unlikeable, even monstrous; and yet I feel desperately defensive towards him, perhaps because he reminds me of my father. Actually he reminds me of all fathers 鈥� there is an air of generalised daddishness about him, and this is not coincidental: the notion of paternity is crucial to the book.
鈥業 like functionalism,鈥� Faber says. He has a prose style to match. This is not to say that it is dry, or clunky, or unartful, because it is none of those things. The style is astonishingly telegraphic, elliptical, Faber narrating the facts that he considers important. The effect is staccato but wonderful; an extreme example here from a virtuoso section set in Havana:
Often you are forced to read between the lines to understand what is really going on, and sometimes this reaches such a pitch that one has the impression of having experienced a scene twice. All the time Faber is writing to understand what has happened, and to justify his behaviour to himself. He can hardly accept the novelistic coincidences that the story involves: this cannot have happened. How was I to know. What else could I have done. The probability was minuscule. These were the facts as I knew them.
I am not mentioning the plot because it shouldn't be spoiled. Which seems strange, because we are given all the main facts quite early on. But part of the point of the book is discovering that the facts are not always, after all, the most important thing.
It's not often I really, really love books in translation. This is not because of any hipsterish misconception that you're not getting the "real" book, it's just that one of the things I most enjoy analysing when I read is the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of sentence construction and vocabulary choice, and this is all very different when you are reading the words of a translator. (Not that translators are not adept at this too 鈥� they are 鈥� but their motives and concerns are to do with fidelity to someone else's idea rather than their own, and this difference is fundamental.) But here I was riveted by the technique on display.
There is a moment where Faber recalls being on a beach in Greece with a girl. The two of them have a competition of similes: describing what they can see in terms of what it looks like. This is new ground for scientific-minded Faber, but he gets into it, and the paragraph rolls on for pages:
It's hard to describe the effect this long passage has on you, coming as it does after 150 pages in which I don't think a single simile had been deployed. To me it felt like being hit by a truck. It's one of the most unusual and powerful devices I can remember, in terms of constructing a novel, and the reason is that the passage coincides exactly with a moment of exquisite emotion both for Faber the character, experiencing it, and for Faber the narrator, remembering it. There is something technically brilliant going on in here.
There are so many other aspects to this superb novel that I haven't even touched on: its comments on the war, its deliberate and wide-ranging internationalism, its precise descriptive scenes. The story is clear-eyed and matter-of-fact and this has a cumulative effect that is quite devastating 鈥� heart-breaking, really. And yet for all that, what I am left with is this unexpected, life-affirming feeling鈥 renewed appreciation of what existence entails:
As it happens, Walter Faber, the central character of this novel, does not read novels at all. He can't see the point. A technician for UNESCO, Faber builds things, records them, and analyses them. He believes in logic, reason, facts, brute statistics. A machine impresses him in a way that a human does not, because 鈥榠t feels no fear and no hope, which only disturb, it has no wishes with regard to the result, it operates according to the pure logic of probability.鈥� Faber has few close male friends; women he can't relate to at all. Too emotional. 鈥業'm not cynical,鈥� he explains. 鈥業'm merely realistic, which is something women can't stand.鈥�
I called her a sentimentalist and arty crafty. She called me Homo Faber.
His one serious relationship ended in divorce years ago. She scorned his beloved technology as 鈥榯he knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.鈥� (And she, by contrast, was an archaeologist: 鈥業 stick the past together,鈥� she says in one of the novel's few moments of unsubtlety.)
I can imagine many readers finding Faber very unlikeable, even monstrous; and yet I feel desperately defensive towards him, perhaps because he reminds me of my father. Actually he reminds me of all fathers 鈥� there is an air of generalised daddishness about him, and this is not coincidental: the notion of paternity is crucial to the book.
鈥業 like functionalism,鈥� Faber says. He has a prose style to match. This is not to say that it is dry, or clunky, or unartful, because it is none of those things. The style is astonishingly telegraphic, elliptical, Faber narrating the facts that he considers important. The effect is staccato but wonderful; an extreme example here from a virtuoso section set in Havana:
My lust for looking.
My desire.
Vacuum between the loins.
I exist now only for shoeshine boys!
The pimps.
The ice-cream vendors.
Their vehicle: a combination of old pram and mobile canteen added to half a bicycle, a baldachin with rusty curtains; a carbide lamp; all around, the green twilight dotted with their flared skirts.
The lilac moon.
Often you are forced to read between the lines to understand what is really going on, and sometimes this reaches such a pitch that one has the impression of having experienced a scene twice. All the time Faber is writing to understand what has happened, and to justify his behaviour to himself. He can hardly accept the novelistic coincidences that the story involves: this cannot have happened. How was I to know. What else could I have done. The probability was minuscule. These were the facts as I knew them.
I am not mentioning the plot because it shouldn't be spoiled. Which seems strange, because we are given all the main facts quite early on. But part of the point of the book is discovering that the facts are not always, after all, the most important thing.
It's not often I really, really love books in translation. This is not because of any hipsterish misconception that you're not getting the "real" book, it's just that one of the things I most enjoy analysing when I read is the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of sentence construction and vocabulary choice, and this is all very different when you are reading the words of a translator. (Not that translators are not adept at this too 鈥� they are 鈥� but their motives and concerns are to do with fidelity to someone else's idea rather than their own, and this difference is fundamental.) But here I was riveted by the technique on display.
There is a moment where Faber recalls being on a beach in Greece with a girl. The two of them have a competition of similes: describing what they can see in terms of what it looks like. This is new ground for scientific-minded Faber, but he gets into it, and the paragraph rolls on for pages:
Then we found we could make out the surf on the seashore. Like beer froth. Sabeth thought, like a ruche! I took back my beer froth and said, like fibreglass. But Sabeth didn't know what fibreglass was. Then came the first rays of the sun over the sea: like a sheaf, like spears, like cracks in a glass, like a monstrance, like photos of electron bombardment. But there was only one point for each round; it was no use producing half a dozen similes. Soon after this the sun rose, dazzling. Like metal spurting out of a furnace, I thought: Sabeth said nothing and lost a point鈥�.
It's hard to describe the effect this long passage has on you, coming as it does after 150 pages in which I don't think a single simile had been deployed. To me it felt like being hit by a truck. It's one of the most unusual and powerful devices I can remember, in terms of constructing a novel, and the reason is that the passage coincides exactly with a moment of exquisite emotion both for Faber the character, experiencing it, and for Faber the narrator, remembering it. There is something technically brilliant going on in here.
There are so many other aspects to this superb novel that I haven't even touched on: its comments on the war, its deliberate and wide-ranging internationalism, its precise descriptive scenes. The story is clear-eyed and matter-of-fact and this has a cumulative effect that is quite devastating 鈥� heart-breaking, really. And yet for all that, what I am left with is this unexpected, life-affirming feeling鈥 renewed appreciation of what existence entails:
To be alive: to be in the light. Driving donkeys around somewhere (like that old man in Corinth) 鈥� that's all our job amounts to! The main thing is to stand up to the light, to joy (like our child) in the knowledge that I shall be extinguished in the light over gorse, asphalt and sea, to stand up to time, or rather to eternity in the instant. To be eternal means to have existed.
September 1, 2017
Is everything in life a coincidence, or are things predestined for us? How much do the decisions that we make in life influence the outcome?, even down to the smallest of details?. For globe-trotting Walter Faber this is a conflict that is never really resolved, through the misadventures of a strange semi mid-life crisis, Frisch writes a poignant and sometimes shocking novel as Faber struggles to maintain his previously unwavering belief in technology, whilst human connections both past and present start to send his perfectly controlled existence spiraling out of his control.
The narrator, Walter Faber, a Swiss bachelor heading towards fifty, is an analytical, headstrong but somewhat misanthropic individual, who's life is about to seriously land him on the ropes. A man of science, heading to South America on business to do with a project involving turbines. Unfortunately for him, his plane making an emergency landing in the Mexican desert was not part of the plan, and from here on in, bizarrely, Faber would face some uncanny happenings, after first of all finding his old friend Joachim dead in the jungle (the husband of Hanna, his childhood sweetheart). Later he would fall in love with a young lady, the dynamic Sabeth, whilst traveling across the Atlantic on board a ship destined for Europe (not knowing she is actually his daughter who he had with Hanna). After spending time in Italy together, an accident in Athens would bring Hanna back into Faber's life, leaving him torn between guilt and love amidst the ruins of his own fate.
This has the feeling of an existential work certainly, but this novel is of greater depth when dealing with the unusual predicaments Faber finds himself in. There is an air of precision and efficiency in Frisch's writing, the restrained, repetition and rhythm combined with shifts forward and back in time create a remarkable tension. The pragmatic Faber is spare, unromantic and sometimes damn right obnoxious, a character who engenders empathy, and as the forces that be conspire against him, you can't help feel for the poor man, as of all the people on the planet (this being the 50's so the population would have been smaller than today, but even still!) he falls for the one person he shouldn't have. But he slowly starts to reveal a humanistic side not seen before, he is obliged to admit that he has found himself caught in a flood of coincidences, and dwindling to hold to this as an excuse to absolve his part in the tragedy that ultimately unfolds. At least until that is no longer possible.
With respect to the women, (they basically hold the key to the stories progression) Frisch intentionally places very strong, independent women in his protagonist鈥檚 line of sight, and they are the women who hold the deepest attraction for him. my only problem (that wasn't really a problem, just something to get used to) was the long paragraphs of animated description, broken by single stark statement, set alone, which at first I found irritating but this didn't affect the flow of the narrative significantly. As for Faber, there is one line I will never forget, where he describes the towering skyscrapers of New York as 'Tombstones', this being decades before 9/11, in a sinister kind of way, it makes sense now.
The narrator, Walter Faber, a Swiss bachelor heading towards fifty, is an analytical, headstrong but somewhat misanthropic individual, who's life is about to seriously land him on the ropes. A man of science, heading to South America on business to do with a project involving turbines. Unfortunately for him, his plane making an emergency landing in the Mexican desert was not part of the plan, and from here on in, bizarrely, Faber would face some uncanny happenings, after first of all finding his old friend Joachim dead in the jungle (the husband of Hanna, his childhood sweetheart). Later he would fall in love with a young lady, the dynamic Sabeth, whilst traveling across the Atlantic on board a ship destined for Europe (not knowing she is actually his daughter who he had with Hanna). After spending time in Italy together, an accident in Athens would bring Hanna back into Faber's life, leaving him torn between guilt and love amidst the ruins of his own fate.
This has the feeling of an existential work certainly, but this novel is of greater depth when dealing with the unusual predicaments Faber finds himself in. There is an air of precision and efficiency in Frisch's writing, the restrained, repetition and rhythm combined with shifts forward and back in time create a remarkable tension. The pragmatic Faber is spare, unromantic and sometimes damn right obnoxious, a character who engenders empathy, and as the forces that be conspire against him, you can't help feel for the poor man, as of all the people on the planet (this being the 50's so the population would have been smaller than today, but even still!) he falls for the one person he shouldn't have. But he slowly starts to reveal a humanistic side not seen before, he is obliged to admit that he has found himself caught in a flood of coincidences, and dwindling to hold to this as an excuse to absolve his part in the tragedy that ultimately unfolds. At least until that is no longer possible.
With respect to the women, (they basically hold the key to the stories progression) Frisch intentionally places very strong, independent women in his protagonist鈥檚 line of sight, and they are the women who hold the deepest attraction for him. my only problem (that wasn't really a problem, just something to get used to) was the long paragraphs of animated description, broken by single stark statement, set alone, which at first I found irritating but this didn't affect the flow of the narrative significantly. As for Faber, there is one line I will never forget, where he describes the towering skyscrapers of New York as 'Tombstones', this being decades before 9/11, in a sinister kind of way, it makes sense now.
December 20, 2016
Warning: contains major spoilers for Sophie's World
Manfred, my inner German child, is looking even smugger and more annoying than usual.
"I'm not a child any more," he informs me. "I'm grown up. I read Max Frisch's Homo Faber."
"You are a child, Manfred," I sigh. "You're only three."
"Three and a half," says Manfred with a little less confidence.
"Three and a half if you like," I agree. "And you didn't understand that book. It was too difficult for you."
"Did so," says Manfred.
"Okay, Manfred," I say. "If you understood it, why don't you tell me what it was about? Which books did it remind you of, in your vast reading experience?"
"Well," says Manfred after pretending to think, "It reminded me of Sofies Welt."
"Incredible!" I reply and roll my eyes. "Sartre's Die schmutzigen H盲nde reminded you of Jostein Gaarder, and this also reminded you of Jostein Gaarder! Think of the odds!"
"You underestimate Jostein Gaarder," says Manfred sullenly. I can tell he'd like to storm out and slam the door, but it's not biologically possible. He really does resent sharing my body at times like this.
"Alright," I say "Why did it remind you of Jostein Gaarder?"
"The key to the book is Hanna's speech on page 140," says Manfred. "Here it is. Der Mann sieht sich als Herr der Welt, die Frau nur als seinen Spiegel. Der Herr ist nicht gezwungen, die Sprache der Unterdr眉ckten zu lernen; die Frau ist gezwungen, doch n眉tzt es ihr nichts, die Sprache ihres Herrn zu lernen, im Gegenteil, sie lernt nur eine Sprache, die ihr immer unrecht gibt."
"And that means?" I ask.
"Man sees himself as the master of the world, woman only as his mirror," says Manfred. "Man is not obliged to learn the language of the subjugated class; in contrast, and although it does not help her, woman is obliged to learn the language of her master, a language which always puts her in the wrong."
"Why is that the key to the book?" I want to know.
"Walter speaks the fragmented language of the ruling male class," says Manfred. "Half the time it isn't even proper sentences, but he doesn't care. He knows engineering and chess, and that's enough for him. He pays so little attention to the coherence of his life that he doesn't even notice when--"
"No spoilers, Manfred," I remind him.
"Yeah, well, he doesn't even notice something he really should notice," says Manfred in an irritated voice. "In the end, he does start to understand the coherence that's central to Hanna's way of looking at things. But only when it's too late."
"And what's the connection to Gaarder?" I ask.
"See," says Manfred, "I suddenly realized what the real point of Sofies Welt is. The first time you read the book, you think it's a good story and the philosophy is kind of interesting but it doesn't make any sense. Like, why is the heroine a teenage girl? What's the deal with how she discovers halfway through that she's not a real girl at all, just a character in a book? Why is it so important to her to study philosophy? How does that help her get out of the book? What has any of it got to do with anything?"
"Good questions," I agree.
"But you see," says Manfred, "It makes perfect sense! That's exactly what teenage girls most need to understand. They aren't real girls. They're just social constructs. Fictitious characters in a male narrative."
Where on earth is he getting all this jargon from? Has he been reading feminist theory? But that's clearly impossible.
"And the only way they'll ever escape from that narrative is by studying philosophy," concludes Manfred with satisfaction. "It all came to me when I was reading Homo Faber."
An even more impossible hypothesis crosses my mind: has he got a girlfriend?
"That's for me to know and you to find out," says Manfred smugly. "Interview concluded."
Manfred, my inner German child, is looking even smugger and more annoying than usual.
"I'm not a child any more," he informs me. "I'm grown up. I read Max Frisch's Homo Faber."
"You are a child, Manfred," I sigh. "You're only three."
"Three and a half," says Manfred with a little less confidence.
"Three and a half if you like," I agree. "And you didn't understand that book. It was too difficult for you."
"Did so," says Manfred.
"Okay, Manfred," I say. "If you understood it, why don't you tell me what it was about? Which books did it remind you of, in your vast reading experience?"
"Well," says Manfred after pretending to think, "It reminded me of Sofies Welt."
"Incredible!" I reply and roll my eyes. "Sartre's Die schmutzigen H盲nde reminded you of Jostein Gaarder, and this also reminded you of Jostein Gaarder! Think of the odds!"
"You underestimate Jostein Gaarder," says Manfred sullenly. I can tell he'd like to storm out and slam the door, but it's not biologically possible. He really does resent sharing my body at times like this.
"Alright," I say "Why did it remind you of Jostein Gaarder?"
"The key to the book is Hanna's speech on page 140," says Manfred. "Here it is. Der Mann sieht sich als Herr der Welt, die Frau nur als seinen Spiegel. Der Herr ist nicht gezwungen, die Sprache der Unterdr眉ckten zu lernen; die Frau ist gezwungen, doch n眉tzt es ihr nichts, die Sprache ihres Herrn zu lernen, im Gegenteil, sie lernt nur eine Sprache, die ihr immer unrecht gibt."
"And that means?" I ask.
"Man sees himself as the master of the world, woman only as his mirror," says Manfred. "Man is not obliged to learn the language of the subjugated class; in contrast, and although it does not help her, woman is obliged to learn the language of her master, a language which always puts her in the wrong."
"Why is that the key to the book?" I want to know.
"Walter speaks the fragmented language of the ruling male class," says Manfred. "Half the time it isn't even proper sentences, but he doesn't care. He knows engineering and chess, and that's enough for him. He pays so little attention to the coherence of his life that he doesn't even notice when--"
"No spoilers, Manfred," I remind him.
"Yeah, well, he doesn't even notice something he really should notice," says Manfred in an irritated voice. "In the end, he does start to understand the coherence that's central to Hanna's way of looking at things. But only when it's too late."
"And what's the connection to Gaarder?" I ask.
"See," says Manfred, "I suddenly realized what the real point of Sofies Welt is. The first time you read the book, you think it's a good story and the philosophy is kind of interesting but it doesn't make any sense. Like, why is the heroine a teenage girl? What's the deal with how she discovers halfway through that she's not a real girl at all, just a character in a book? Why is it so important to her to study philosophy? How does that help her get out of the book? What has any of it got to do with anything?"
"Good questions," I agree.
"But you see," says Manfred, "It makes perfect sense! That's exactly what teenage girls most need to understand. They aren't real girls. They're just social constructs. Fictitious characters in a male narrative."
Where on earth is he getting all this jargon from? Has he been reading feminist theory? But that's clearly impossible.
"And the only way they'll ever escape from that narrative is by studying philosophy," concludes Manfred with satisfaction. "It all came to me when I was reading Homo Faber."
An even more impossible hypothesis crosses my mind: has he got a girlfriend?
"That's for me to know and you to find out," says Manfred smugly. "Interview concluded."
February 11, 2022
Good God, my German teacher forced us to read this in 8th-grade and up to this day I don't understand why you would force 14-year-olds to read about incest and call it a day???
Read
June 5, 2023Book-related serendipities happen to me often. Indeed, they happen so often that my own willing suspension of disbelief is sometimes put to the test鈥攏ever mind that of the people who may read about such happenings in my reviews. If you have patience for another improbable-sounding serendipity, here goes:
In the early pages of , the narrator, a Swiss engineer called Walter Faber, talks about probability:
Mathematically speaking, the probable (that in 6,000,000,000 throws with a regular six-sided die the one will come up approximately 1,000,000,000 times) and the improbable (that in six throws with the same die the one will come up six times) are not different in kind, but only in frequency, whereby the more frequent appears a priori more probable. But the occasional occurrence of the improbable does not imply the intervention of a higher power, something in the nature of a miracle, as the layman is so ready to assume. The term probability includes improbability at the extreme limits of probability, and when the improbable does occur this is no cause for surprise, bewilderment or mystification.
I marked that passage without realizing just how significant it would turn out to be for the plot of this novel鈥攁nd never dreaming that it would also apply to my experience of reading it.
It's a very fine novel, written in the 1950s, with echoes of the kind of journey into the unknown you get in Conrad's . There are also echoes of the fate-laden family dynamics you find in a Greek tragedy.
On a flight to Central America for work, the narrator, Walter Faber, finds himself sitting beside a man who turns out to be the brother of his old friend Joachim whom Faber hasn't heard of in decades. Because of an emergency landing due to engine failure (and the reader can't help thinking this is a metaphor for engineer Faber who seems to be experiencing some sort of life crisis himself), the two men bond sufficiently for Faber to decide to abandon his own work assignment and accompany this man into the dark heart of the Guatemalan rainforests in search of his brother. After days and days of difficult travel they eventually reach a remote place where they find out what has become of Joachim. That's the first part of the book and reads like a novella in itself.
The second part is about Faber's return journey to Europe, by ship this time. He finds himself assigned to the same dinner table on the ship as a young woman who reminds him of someone in his past. In spite of him having a very cool scientific mind , and her having a much more artistic and passionate temperament, by the end of the voyage, they've struck up enough rapport to decide to travel on together by car to her destination in Athens, stopping to visit famous places along the way.
The third part of the book concerns their arrival in Greece. It is there that Faber realises just how closely this woman whom he met so accidentally on the ship, is connected to himself鈥攁nd to his old friend Joachim whom, again accidentally, he'd been searching for in the rainforests of Guatemala. What were the chances!
But before they get to Greece, Faber and his companion spend a short time in Rome. While they are there, they drive out to Tivoli to visit the Emperor Hadrian's famous villa and gardens. On the way back to the city centre they find themselves on Via San Giovanni in Laterano. Now comes my serendipitous moment: I had been spending a few days in Rome when I read that section, and had just been to visit Tivoli, because it is the setting of Marguerite Yourcenar's , which is a favourite book of mine. But the thing is, while I was in Rome, I stayed in two different locations, the second of which was an apartment on the Via San Giovanni in Laterano. What are the chances that a long book I've been reading mentions the place where I'm temporally staying just when I happen to be reading that short section?
As I said at the beginning, such serendipities happen to me a lot so I'm inclined to think they are not so much improbabilities as happy alignments due to voracious and varied reading. It's a bit akin to the eclipse of the moon that Faber witnesses during the narrative. Because of the earth's and the moon's orbits, the two will inevitably find themselves in a straight line with the sun from time to time.
Good books like this are my sun. And if their locations are sometimes aligned with my own, whether by accident or by design, the combined experience is a pleasure that eclipses many many others!
In the early pages of , the narrator, a Swiss engineer called Walter Faber, talks about probability:
Mathematically speaking, the probable (that in 6,000,000,000 throws with a regular six-sided die the one will come up approximately 1,000,000,000 times) and the improbable (that in six throws with the same die the one will come up six times) are not different in kind, but only in frequency, whereby the more frequent appears a priori more probable. But the occasional occurrence of the improbable does not imply the intervention of a higher power, something in the nature of a miracle, as the layman is so ready to assume. The term probability includes improbability at the extreme limits of probability, and when the improbable does occur this is no cause for surprise, bewilderment or mystification.
I marked that passage without realizing just how significant it would turn out to be for the plot of this novel鈥攁nd never dreaming that it would also apply to my experience of reading it.
It's a very fine novel, written in the 1950s, with echoes of the kind of journey into the unknown you get in Conrad's . There are also echoes of the fate-laden family dynamics you find in a Greek tragedy.
On a flight to Central America for work, the narrator, Walter Faber, finds himself sitting beside a man who turns out to be the brother of his old friend Joachim whom Faber hasn't heard of in decades. Because of an emergency landing due to engine failure (and the reader can't help thinking this is a metaphor for engineer Faber who seems to be experiencing some sort of life crisis himself), the two men bond sufficiently for Faber to decide to abandon his own work assignment and accompany this man into the dark heart of the Guatemalan rainforests in search of his brother. After days and days of difficult travel they eventually reach a remote place where they find out what has become of Joachim. That's the first part of the book and reads like a novella in itself.
The second part is about Faber's return journey to Europe, by ship this time. He finds himself assigned to the same dinner table on the ship as a young woman who reminds him of someone in his past. In spite of him having a very cool scientific mind , and her having a much more artistic and passionate temperament, by the end of the voyage, they've struck up enough rapport to decide to travel on together by car to her destination in Athens, stopping to visit famous places along the way.
The third part of the book concerns their arrival in Greece. It is there that Faber realises just how closely this woman whom he met so accidentally on the ship, is connected to himself鈥攁nd to his old friend Joachim whom, again accidentally, he'd been searching for in the rainforests of Guatemala. What were the chances!
But before they get to Greece, Faber and his companion spend a short time in Rome. While they are there, they drive out to Tivoli to visit the Emperor Hadrian's famous villa and gardens. On the way back to the city centre they find themselves on Via San Giovanni in Laterano. Now comes my serendipitous moment: I had been spending a few days in Rome when I read that section, and had just been to visit Tivoli, because it is the setting of Marguerite Yourcenar's , which is a favourite book of mine. But the thing is, while I was in Rome, I stayed in two different locations, the second of which was an apartment on the Via San Giovanni in Laterano. What are the chances that a long book I've been reading mentions the place where I'm temporally staying just when I happen to be reading that short section?
As I said at the beginning, such serendipities happen to me a lot so I'm inclined to think they are not so much improbabilities as happy alignments due to voracious and varied reading. It's a bit akin to the eclipse of the moon that Faber witnesses during the narrative. Because of the earth's and the moon's orbits, the two will inevitably find themselves in a straight line with the sun from time to time.
Good books like this are my sun. And if their locations are sometimes aligned with my own, whether by accident or by design, the combined experience is a pleasure that eclipses many many others!
November 27, 2011
oh my god I am so glad to be done with this tortuous book. I appreciate the other reviewers who point out the reasons for this story's existence. It is very well-written and I suppose it serves to remind us not to live like robots, to have feelings. Fortunately I don't live like a robot and I already have many feelings, thank you very much, so for me reading this was like spending hours and hours with a depressed and depressing very sad old man who is telling me all his regrets without even really having learned anything from them. Very painful, dreary.
December 12, 2018
A Swiss Heart of Darkness
An engineer with an engineering outlook on life, the eponymous Homo (Walter) Faber believes in the randomness of existence. But he fails to recognise that such randomness is equivalent to a kind of cosmic spontaneity. And that such spontaneity implies some sort of spirit. He insists on the absolute disjunction between spirit and matter. The former is emotional, sentimental and soft. The latter is masculine and what constitutes reality, what can be measured, assembled and disassembled, and kicked with one鈥檚 foot. 鈥淭echnology instead of mysticism,鈥� is how he puts it.
That there should be any sort of continuity between physical matter and emotional spirit is not a consideration for Walter. Art bores him; ancient ruins are merely old. Consequently, neither does he comprehend the possibility of love. If strictly random materiality is all that exists, casual affection can be a fact, but certainly not self-less love. A silent declaration sums him up:
Homo Faber, true to his name, is above all practical, a maker, a fixer, at least in those aspects of life he regards as real. He can repair things like automobiles, turbines, and electric shavers. He knows the theories of cybernetics, plumbing, and electricity. He knows his way around the engine room of a ship.
But Walter is aesthetically and emotionally dead to most of the world around him. While a companion quietly appreciates a tropical sunset, Walter鈥檚 only thought is sarcastic: 鈥淗erbert stood there, still experiencing.鈥� And he can neither commit to, nor abandon his married girlfriend. He can鈥檛 decide what relationship he wants with a young girl who is, unknown to them both, his daughter. He even dithers repeatedly about where he intends to go and why.
Walter records everything from Mayan ruins to the harbour of New York with the latest high-tech cameras, but he doesn鈥檛 know why, and he has no use for the results. He has had exactly one one friend in his life, whom he hasn鈥檛 seen in 20 years. And the daughter he knew nothing about had been raised by this one friend, who had married her mother. The friend is found, by a series of improbable coincidences, dead by suicide in a remote Central American jungle. Equally improbably, Walter encounters the daughter on his voyage home to Europe.
Faber鈥榮 monadic existence he finds not in the least unpleasant. He has freedom - to travel, to think, to meet others - that any sort of close relationship would impede. But the encounter with his daughter disturbs his equilibrium. Although only fifty, he feels suddenly old, tired, irrelevant in her presence. But the discovery that she is quite possibly his daughter is understandably even more de-stabilising. The order of his existence is torn apart, its logic made nonsensical.
The possibility that Walter has had sex with his daughter is the ultimate dislocation. The mother鈥檚 question is precisely the reader鈥檚: 鈥淗ow far did you go with the child?鈥� Randomness must be accompanied by something of the spirit and not a small degree of love for his life to retain any coherence whatsoever.
Frisch has more than a touch of Patricia Highsmith: of Studebaker and Nash automobiles, transatlantic sea voyages, post-war Mediterranean exoticism, as well as of her sexual ambiguity, incipient incest and public homosexuality. He has produced a period piece to rival even hers.
An engineer with an engineering outlook on life, the eponymous Homo (Walter) Faber believes in the randomness of existence. But he fails to recognise that such randomness is equivalent to a kind of cosmic spontaneity. And that such spontaneity implies some sort of spirit. He insists on the absolute disjunction between spirit and matter. The former is emotional, sentimental and soft. The latter is masculine and what constitutes reality, what can be measured, assembled and disassembled, and kicked with one鈥檚 foot. 鈥淭echnology instead of mysticism,鈥� is how he puts it.
That there should be any sort of continuity between physical matter and emotional spirit is not a consideration for Walter. Art bores him; ancient ruins are merely old. Consequently, neither does he comprehend the possibility of love. If strictly random materiality is all that exists, casual affection can be a fact, but certainly not self-less love. A silent declaration sums him up:
鈥淐aresses in the evening, yes, but I can鈥檛 stand caresses in the morning, and frankly more than three or four days with one woman has always been for me the beginning of dissimulation, no man can stand feelings in the morning. I鈥檇 rather wash dishes!鈥�
Homo Faber, true to his name, is above all practical, a maker, a fixer, at least in those aspects of life he regards as real. He can repair things like automobiles, turbines, and electric shavers. He knows the theories of cybernetics, plumbing, and electricity. He knows his way around the engine room of a ship.
But Walter is aesthetically and emotionally dead to most of the world around him. While a companion quietly appreciates a tropical sunset, Walter鈥檚 only thought is sarcastic: 鈥淗erbert stood there, still experiencing.鈥� And he can neither commit to, nor abandon his married girlfriend. He can鈥檛 decide what relationship he wants with a young girl who is, unknown to them both, his daughter. He even dithers repeatedly about where he intends to go and why.
Walter records everything from Mayan ruins to the harbour of New York with the latest high-tech cameras, but he doesn鈥檛 know why, and he has no use for the results. He has had exactly one one friend in his life, whom he hasn鈥檛 seen in 20 years. And the daughter he knew nothing about had been raised by this one friend, who had married her mother. The friend is found, by a series of improbable coincidences, dead by suicide in a remote Central American jungle. Equally improbably, Walter encounters the daughter on his voyage home to Europe.
Faber鈥榮 monadic existence he finds not in the least unpleasant. He has freedom - to travel, to think, to meet others - that any sort of close relationship would impede. But the encounter with his daughter disturbs his equilibrium. Although only fifty, he feels suddenly old, tired, irrelevant in her presence. But the discovery that she is quite possibly his daughter is understandably even more de-stabilising. The order of his existence is torn apart, its logic made nonsensical.
The possibility that Walter has had sex with his daughter is the ultimate dislocation. The mother鈥檚 question is precisely the reader鈥檚: 鈥淗ow far did you go with the child?鈥� Randomness must be accompanied by something of the spirit and not a small degree of love for his life to retain any coherence whatsoever.
Frisch has more than a touch of Patricia Highsmith: of Studebaker and Nash automobiles, transatlantic sea voyages, post-war Mediterranean exoticism, as well as of her sexual ambiguity, incipient incest and public homosexuality. He has produced a period piece to rival even hers.
April 10, 2017
I had never heard of this book, or of its author, but boy am I glad I decided to buy it on a whim. It is a work that deserves to stand with Camus and Sartre in its penetration of the modern condition; an understanding of which is in each case elucidated through the perspective of a misanthrope.
The protagonist, Faber, is an engineer, who is characterised by certain stereotypically male traits: he lacks empathy, and is logical and analytical to the point of inhumanity. He treats significant events - even those of life and death - more or less with apathy, and purely as the culmination of probabilistic forces. His world is at the precipice of technological rebirth. There is a hint of wonders to come: the arrival of computers, and the ease of travel and communication. On an allegorical level, Faber himself embodies this human potential.
The title, Homo Faber, is a play on words that could be seen to bear multiple meanings. The phrase itself is Latin, and means "Man the Maker", signifying man's potential for shaping the future. The second meaning is simply the direct identification of the protagonist: Homo Faber; or, Faber, the man, who is prototypically male, yet whose experience and condition is no greater than that of any ordinary man. I see a third meaning, which is that of a taxonomic designation - Homo Faber, as contrasted with Homo Sapiens. If Homo Sapiens is the wise man, then Homo Faber is the species which has substituted its wisdom for deed, and acts without concern for the repercussions.
These themes stand quite aside from the central story of the novel, and yet are woven subtly throughout. There is much here for the reader to grapple with. Unfortunately to say any more would be to spoil the story - the gradual revelation of its enormity, and the questions around the complicity of the characters represent the greatest pleasure this book has to offer.
"Homo faber suae quisque fortunae"? To what extent does this hold true for the three central characters? I notice now that there may be a fourth implication of the title, which is one of mocking irony.
The protagonist, Faber, is an engineer, who is characterised by certain stereotypically male traits: he lacks empathy, and is logical and analytical to the point of inhumanity. He treats significant events - even those of life and death - more or less with apathy, and purely as the culmination of probabilistic forces. His world is at the precipice of technological rebirth. There is a hint of wonders to come: the arrival of computers, and the ease of travel and communication. On an allegorical level, Faber himself embodies this human potential.
The title, Homo Faber, is a play on words that could be seen to bear multiple meanings. The phrase itself is Latin, and means "Man the Maker", signifying man's potential for shaping the future. The second meaning is simply the direct identification of the protagonist: Homo Faber; or, Faber, the man, who is prototypically male, yet whose experience and condition is no greater than that of any ordinary man. I see a third meaning, which is that of a taxonomic designation - Homo Faber, as contrasted with Homo Sapiens. If Homo Sapiens is the wise man, then Homo Faber is the species which has substituted its wisdom for deed, and acts without concern for the repercussions.
These themes stand quite aside from the central story of the novel, and yet are woven subtly throughout. There is much here for the reader to grapple with. Unfortunately to say any more would be to spoil the story - the gradual revelation of its enormity, and the questions around the complicity of the characters represent the greatest pleasure this book has to offer.
"Homo faber suae quisque fortunae"? To what extent does this hold true for the three central characters? I notice now that there may be a fourth implication of the title, which is one of mocking irony.
Read
December 15, 2017What a difference a reread makes. Now I want to seize everybody in turn by the lapels and say 'read this book and then read it again!'.
Unusually I know when I had the book for the first time, the Easter of 1995, there's an inscription in my Mother's handwriting on a flyleaf with that date. Now I've read it again, but also read it for the first time. You can't read the same book twice since you never can be the same reader.
The narrator doesn't see things that way. He is told: "technology..the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it...technology as the knack of eliminating the world as resistance, for example, of diluting it by speed, so that we don't have to experience it...the technologist's worldlessness...technologists try to live without death". However the narrator's dissertation on Maxwell's demon was uncompleted. Life intervenes. The world intervenes. Repeatedly. The willfully blind man is forced to see.
was Swiss. This novel written in 1957. As with D眉rrenmatt's the war is in the background souring the lives of men who go profoundly off the rails years later.
I like the opening to this book very much. I get a good sense of the main character, the time and his way of life. Brief images are very powerful. From the first we see how the narrator has lost sense of himself. He's on the verge of a breakdown but can't see it. He hangs back from revelations the reader perceives. He transfers his own sudden, inexplicable, oddness to his around him. His past opens up and swallows him whole.
Homo Faber is the title. What does man fabricate if not his own tragedy.
Rereading there is a sudden sharpness in the descriptions of places. I smell an ocean I've never seen, see the oozing red mud of a continent I've never stepped foot on and my stomach feels as though I've smoked too many cigars. The disrupted, interrupted narrative works to give the effect of being in his mind, increasingly discontinuous and illustrates his ignorance of himself. The man who made himself does not know himself. The narrator talks about cybernetics but is deaf and blind to the feedback. Nowadays we can give tragedy a technologist's name and call it systems collapse.
Unusually I know when I had the book for the first time, the Easter of 1995, there's an inscription in my Mother's handwriting on a flyleaf with that date. Now I've read it again, but also read it for the first time. You can't read the same book twice since you never can be the same reader.
The narrator doesn't see things that way. He is told: "technology..the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it...technology as the knack of eliminating the world as resistance, for example, of diluting it by speed, so that we don't have to experience it...the technologist's worldlessness...technologists try to live without death". However the narrator's dissertation on Maxwell's demon was uncompleted. Life intervenes. The world intervenes. Repeatedly. The willfully blind man is forced to see.
was Swiss. This novel written in 1957. As with D眉rrenmatt's the war is in the background souring the lives of men who go profoundly off the rails years later.
I like the opening to this book very much. I get a good sense of the main character, the time and his way of life. Brief images are very powerful. From the first we see how the narrator has lost sense of himself. He's on the verge of a breakdown but can't see it. He hangs back from revelations the reader perceives. He transfers his own sudden, inexplicable, oddness to his around him. His past opens up and swallows him whole.
Homo Faber is the title. What does man fabricate if not his own tragedy.
Rereading there is a sudden sharpness in the descriptions of places. I smell an ocean I've never seen, see the oozing red mud of a continent I've never stepped foot on and my stomach feels as though I've smoked too many cigars. The disrupted, interrupted narrative works to give the effect of being in his mind, increasingly discontinuous and illustrates his ignorance of himself. The man who made himself does not know himself. The narrator talks about cybernetics but is deaf and blind to the feedback. Nowadays we can give tragedy a technologist's name and call it systems collapse.
March 7, 2024
DNF @ can't even be bothered to open the book again to check
Story about a guy who hates everything except for his daughter. In fact, he likes her so much he wants to bang her.
Thanks, no thanks.
Story about a guy who hates everything except for his daughter. In fact, he likes her so much he wants to bang her.
Thanks, no thanks.
July 2, 2020
螤伪纬魏蠈蟽渭喂伪 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪 蟽蟿慰 伪蟺慰魏慰蟻蠉蠁蠅渭伪 蟿畏蟼.
螣 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓委蟿畏蟼, 萎蟿伪谓 苇谓伪蟼 蟺位伪谓蠈未喂慰蟼 蟺蠅位畏蟿萎蟼 畏位喂慰尾伪蟽喂位蔚渭维蟿蠅谓, 苇谓伪蟼 渭畏蠂伪谓喂魏蠈蟼 位维蟿蟻畏蟼
蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻蔚渭尾伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 - 蟽蟿畏 蠁蠉蟽畏 - 蔚尉蔚位喂蟽蟽蠈渭蔚谓畏蟼 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿萎渭畏蟼 魏伪喂 魏蠀谓喂魏蠈蟼 蟿味慰纬伪未蠈蟻慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼
尾维蟽蔚喂 蟺喂胃伪谓慰蟿萎蟿蠅谓.
螣 Walter Faber, 渭畏蠂伪谓喂魏蠈蟼, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼
纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 慰蟺慰委慰 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 渭蠈谓慰 蟿慰 伪蟺蟿蠈,
蟿慰 蔚渭蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟿伪蟿蠅渭苇谓慰, 蟿慰 蠀蟺慰位慰纬委蟽喂渭慰 魏伪喂 蔚蟺伪位畏胃蔚蠉蟽喂渭慰. 螘委谓伪喂 伪蠁慰蟽喂蠅渭苇谓慰蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蠀蟺畏蟻蔚蟽委伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪胃伪蟻维 蟿蔚蠂谓慰位慰纬喂魏慰蠉 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀. 螛蔚蠅蟻蔚委 伪魏位蠈谓畏蟿慰 蟽蠉蟽蟿畏渭伪 蔚蟺伪位萎胃蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 蟿蠅谓 喂未蔚蠋谓 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 伪蠀蟿伪蟺维蟿畏蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟿慰谓 畏位蔚魏蟿蟻慰谓喂魏蠈 未喂伪蠂蔚喂蟻喂蟽蟿萎 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽蟿蠋谓 萎 伪蟺位蠋蟼 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 未喂苇尉慰未慰 伪蟺慰 蟿慰 蟽蠀谓伪委蟽胃畏渭伪 蟽蟿畏 位慰纬喂魏萎 渭伪胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺伪位萎胃蔚蠀蟽畏.
螚 蟺伪蟿蟻委未伪 蟿慰蠀 胃蔚蠅蟻蔚委蟿伪喂
伪蟺慰 蟿慰谓 Faber 苇谓伪 蟺位伪委蟽喂慰 蔚纬魏位蠅尾喂蟽渭慰蠉, 蟺伪蟻维位位畏位伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏萎 蔚尉慰蠀蟽委伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿喂蟼 伪谓蟿喂位伪渭尾维谓蔚蟿伪喂 蠅蟼 渭慰蟻蠁苇蟼 渭伪味喂魏萎蟼 伪蠀蟿伪蟺维蟿畏蟼.
螣喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蟻纬维蟿蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟿慰谓 慰谓蠈渭伪蟽伪谓 Homo Faber!...
螝伪蟿维 蟿畏 未喂维蟻魏蔚喂伪 渭喂伪蟼 蟺蟿萎蟽畏蟼 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟿畏 螡蠈蟿喂伪 螒渭蔚蟻喂魏萎,
慰 Faber 伪蟽蠁蠀魏蟿喂维 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪未委谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蔚 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰魏伪位蔚委 芦蠁伪喂谓蠈渭蔚谓伪 魏蠈蟺蠅蟽畏蟼禄, 蠂维谓慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺伪蠁萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪. 螚 渭慰委蟻伪 魏伪喂 畏 蟿蟻伪纬喂魏萎 蔚喂蟻蠅谓委伪 蟿慰谓 蠂位蔚蠀维味慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟺慰位蠉蟺位慰魏慰 蟽蠉蟽蟿畏渭伪 慰蟻胃慰位慰纬喂蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 蟽魏苇蠄畏蟼 渭蟺蔚蟻未蔚蠉蔚喂 蟿伪 伪魏位蠈谓畏蟿伪 未蔚未慰渭苇谓伪 蟿慰蠀.
螤蔚蟻谓蠋谓蟿伪蟼 蟺慰位位维 蟽蟿维未喂伪 蔚蟽蠅蟿蔚蟻喂魏萎蟼 未喂蔚蟻纬伪蟽委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀位位慰纬喂蟽渭蠋谓 渭蔚 蟿伪 蟺伪喂蠂谓委未喂伪
蟿慰蠀 蠂蠅蟻慰蠂蟻蠈谓慰蠀 谓伪 蔚蟺喂尾维位位慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 伪蠁萎纬畏蟽畏 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺位慰魏萎, 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 苇谓伪谓 味蠅畏蟻维 蟺蔚蟻委蟺位慰魏慰 魏蠈蟽渭慰 谓伪 伪谓伪味畏蟿萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟿慰蠀, 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀 蠀蟺伪蟻尉喂伪魏蠈 蟺蟻慰蟽伪谓伪蟿慰位喂蟽渭蠈, 蠈蠂喂 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 胃苇位蔚喂 蔚蠀蟿蠀蠂委伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿伪尉委蠅蟽畏
渭伪 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 伪蟺位维 位喂蟿维 魏伪喂 伪蟺苇蟻喂蟿蟿伪 胃伪 萎胃蔚位蔚 谓伪 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 苇谓伪谓 蟺慰位蠉 未喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀, 蟺慰位蠉 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈 胃维谓伪蟿慰.
危蠉谓蟿慰渭伪 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 谓伪 未喂伪蟽蠂委味蔚喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰, 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏
螡苇伪 违蠈蟻魏畏 蟽蟿畏 螕伪位位委伪 苇蠅蟼 蟿畏谓 螜蟿伪位委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 螘位位维未伪. 螔蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 渭伪纬蔚渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿畏 蟽蠀谓蟿蟻慰蠁喂维 渭喂伪蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿畏 纬苇谓谓畏蟽伪谓 伪蟻蠂伪委慰喂 螘位位畏谓喂魏慰委 渭蠉胃慰喂. 螘委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 慰蟺慰委慰蠀 畏 味蠅萎 尾蠀胃委味蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓苇渭慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉渭蟺蟿蠅蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 魏伪胃慰未畏纬蔚委蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 蔚蟺喂位慰纬苇蟼 蟿慰蠀 谓蔚伪蟻慰蠉 纬蠀谓伪喂魏蔚委慰蠀 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 - 纬喂伪 位蠈纬慰蠀蟼 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂 萎 谓伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾蔚喂 - 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻慰蟽蔚位魏蠉蔚喂 苇谓蟿慰谓伪.
螚 伪纬维蟺畏 蟿慰谓 蟺伪蟻伪渭蠈蟻蠁蠅蟽蔚 蟿慰蠀 蠁苇蟻胃畏魏蔚 蟽魏位畏蟻维 魏伪喂 伪谓蔚位苇畏蟿伪. 螉蟽蠅蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 蟿慰谓 蟿喂渭蠋蟻畏蟽蔚, 委蟽蠅蟼 畏 蟿蠀蠂伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟺慰蠀 蟺喂胃伪谓慰位慰纬慰蠉蟽蔚, 伪谓伪纬魏伪蟽蟿喂魏维 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 伪谓蟿喂渭苇蟿蠅蟺畏 渭蔚 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蟻喂蟽渭慰蠉蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺蟻慰慰蟺蟿喂魏萎蟼 蟿慰蠀.
螉蟽蠅蟼 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 萎 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 魏伪喂 谓伪 苇蟿蠀蠂蔚, 苇谓伪蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓慰魏蟻维蟿畏蟼 蟺慰蠀 渭维位位慰谓 未蔚谓 渭蟺蠈蟻蔚蟽蔚 谓伪 蔚位苇纬尉蔚喂 蟿畏 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 蟿蟻喂纬蠉蟻蠅 蟿慰蠀.
螤伪蟻维 蟿慰 伪委蟽胃畏渭伪 渭伪蟿伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰蟺谓苇蔚喂 伪蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟽锟斤拷苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓萎蟼 蟺位蔚蠀蟻维蟼
蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蠈蟿伪谓 胃蔚蟻喂蔚蠉蔚喂 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓
蟺慰位蠀蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽渭喂魏萎 尾蟻慰渭喂维 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰蠀位畏渭苇谓畏 蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏萎 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿畏蟼 蔚纬魏伪蟿维位蔚喂蠄畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蔚魏渭蔚蟿维位位蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟿蠅谓 蔚魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠋谓 渭谓畏渭蔚委蠅谓 蠅蟼 伪蟺慰未蔚委尉蔚喂蟼 蟿畏蟼 苇渭尾喂伪蟼 蔚尉苇位喂尉畏蟼, 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟺喂尾喂蠋谓蔚喂 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 伪谓伪蟺蟿蠀尉喂伪魏维 蔚魏蠁蠀位喂蟽渭苇谓畏 螘蠀蟻蠋蟺畏, 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 慰喂魏慰蠀渭苇谓畏, 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 渭喂伪 渭委味蔚蟻畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂委伪蟼, 魏伪魏慰渭慰喂蟻喂维蟼 魏伪喂 渭慰喂蟻伪委伪蟼 蠀蟺伪喂谓喂魏蟿喂魏萎蟼 未喂维蟽蟿伪蟽畏蟼.
螣蟻魏喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 胃喂伪蟽蠋蟿畏蟼 渭苇蠂蟻喂 蟿苇位慰蠀蟼 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 谓蠈渭慰蠀蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺喂胃伪谓慰蟿萎蟿蠅谓 魏伪喂 蟽蟿畏谓 喂蔚蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟿伪蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 胃蔚维蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺慰蟽慰蟽蟿蠋蟽蔚蠅谓.
螆谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪蠂蔚喂蟻喂味蠈蟿伪谓 蔚蠉魏慰位伪 蟿畏谓 苇位位蔚喂蠄畏 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 谓慰畏渭慰蟽蠉谓畏蟼, 苇谓伪蟼 魏慰蟽渭喂魏维 蠄蠀蠂蟻蠈蟼, 伪未苇蟽渭蔚蠀蟿慰蟼 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠀蟿萎蟼 蟺慰蠀 萎尉蔚蟻蔚 谓伪 渭畏谓 伪蠁喂蔚蟻蠋谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰 蟺伪蟻蠈谓 伪蠁慰蠉 蟿慰 渭苇位位慰谓 未蔚谓 胃伪 蟿蔚位蔚喂蠋蟽蔚喂, 未蔚谓 胃伪 蟺蔚蟻维蟽蔚喂 蟺慰蟿苇.
螣 螠伪尉 桅蟻喂蟼 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 蟽蟿蔚纬谓维 魏伪喂 蟽蟿蠀纬谓维 蟽伪谓 蠄蠀蠂蟻蠈蟼 未慰位慰蠁蠈谓慰蟼 渭蔚 谓畏蠁维位喂伪 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠋蟺喂蟽畏 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽渭苇谓蠅谓 蠉尾蟻蔚蠅谓, 渭蔚 维蟽蟺位伪蠂谓畏, 伪蟺蠈位蠀蟿伪 慰蟻胃慰位慰纬喂蟽蟿喂魏萎 未喂维胃蔚蟽畏 纬喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰 胃维谓伪蟿慰, 蟿喂蟼 渭蠀蟽蟿伪纬蠅纬喂魏苇蟼, 渭蔚蟿伪蠁蠀蟽喂魏苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰位畏蟺蟿喂魏苇蟼 蟽魏蔚蠀蠅蟻委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚谓伪位位维蟽蟽慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 蟿蠉蠂畏 渭蔚 渭慰委蟻伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟺喂胃伪谓蠈 渭蔚 蟿慰 蟺蔚蟺蟻蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽蔚 魏维胃蔚 未喂维蟽蟿伪蟽畏 伪蟻蠂伪委伪蟼 萎 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏蟼 蟿蟻伪纬蠅未委伪蟼.
螣 伪谓蟿蔚蟽蟿蟻伪渭渭苇谓慰蟼 螣喂未委蟺慰未伪蟼 纬蟻维蠁蟿畏魏蔚 蟽蟿畏 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪 蟿慰蠀 1950 伪位位维 渭蔚 渭喂伪 蔚魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏维 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏.
螣 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 螘位尾蔚蟿蠈蟼 魏伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏慰蟻蠀蠁伪委慰蠀蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蟺慰位蔚渭喂魏慰蠉蟼 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁蔚委蟼 蟿畏蟼 纬蔚蟻渭伪谓喂魏萎蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼.
螆谓伪 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏维 蟺慰位蠀蔚蟺委蟺蔚未慰 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚蟽渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 尾喂尾位委慰 蟻喂味慰蟽蟺伪蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼.
(螤蟻慰伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀渭尾慰蠀位萎 :
螡伪 未喂伪尾伪蟽蟿蔚委 渭蔚蟿维 蟿慰谓
鈥溛Ｏ勎晃迪�", Max Frisch)
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
螣 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓委蟿畏蟼, 萎蟿伪谓 苇谓伪蟼 蟺位伪谓蠈未喂慰蟼 蟺蠅位畏蟿萎蟼 畏位喂慰尾伪蟽喂位蔚渭维蟿蠅谓, 苇谓伪蟼 渭畏蠂伪谓喂魏蠈蟼 位维蟿蟻畏蟼
蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻蔚渭尾伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 - 蟽蟿畏 蠁蠉蟽畏 - 蔚尉蔚位喂蟽蟽蠈渭蔚谓畏蟼 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿萎渭畏蟼 魏伪喂 魏蠀谓喂魏蠈蟼 蟿味慰纬伪未蠈蟻慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼
尾维蟽蔚喂 蟺喂胃伪谓慰蟿萎蟿蠅谓.
螣 Walter Faber, 渭畏蠂伪谓喂魏蠈蟼, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼
纬喂伪 蟿慰谓 慰蟺慰委慰 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 渭蠈谓慰 蟿慰 伪蟺蟿蠈,
蟿慰 蔚渭蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟿伪蟿蠅渭苇谓慰, 蟿慰 蠀蟺慰位慰纬委蟽喂渭慰 魏伪喂 蔚蟺伪位畏胃蔚蠉蟽喂渭慰. 螘委谓伪喂 伪蠁慰蟽喂蠅渭苇谓慰蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蠀蟺畏蟻蔚蟽委伪 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪胃伪蟻维 蟿蔚蠂谓慰位慰纬喂魏慰蠉 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀. 螛蔚蠅蟻蔚委 伪魏位蠈谓畏蟿慰 蟽蠉蟽蟿畏渭伪 蔚蟺伪位萎胃蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 蟿蠅谓 喂未蔚蠋谓 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 伪蠀蟿伪蟺维蟿畏蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟿慰谓 畏位蔚魏蟿蟻慰谓喂魏蠈 未喂伪蠂蔚喂蟻喂蟽蟿萎 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽蟿蠋谓 萎 伪蟺位蠋蟼 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 未喂苇尉慰未慰 伪蟺慰 蟿慰 蟽蠀谓伪委蟽胃畏渭伪 蟽蟿畏 位慰纬喂魏萎 渭伪胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蔚蟺伪位萎胃蔚蠀蟽畏.
螚 蟺伪蟿蟻委未伪 蟿慰蠀 胃蔚蠅蟻蔚委蟿伪喂
伪蟺慰 蟿慰谓 Faber 苇谓伪 蟺位伪委蟽喂慰 蔚纬魏位蠅尾喂蟽渭慰蠉, 蟺伪蟻维位位畏位伪 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 胃蟻畏蟽魏蔚蠀蟿喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟺慰位喂蟿喂魏萎 蔚尉慰蠀蟽委伪 蟺慰蠀 蟿喂蟼 伪谓蟿喂位伪渭尾维谓蔚蟿伪喂 蠅蟼 渭慰蟻蠁苇蟼 渭伪味喂魏萎蟼 伪蠀蟿伪蟺维蟿畏蟼.
螣喂 蟽蠀谓蔚蟻纬维蟿蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀 蟿慰谓 慰谓蠈渭伪蟽伪谓 Homo Faber!...
螝伪蟿维 蟿畏 未喂维蟻魏蔚喂伪 渭喂伪蟼 蟺蟿萎蟽畏蟼 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟿畏 螡蠈蟿喂伪 螒渭蔚蟻喂魏萎,
慰 Faber 伪蟽蠁蠀魏蟿喂维 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪未委谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蔚 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰魏伪位蔚委 芦蠁伪喂谓蠈渭蔚谓伪 魏蠈蟺蠅蟽畏蟼禄, 蠂维谓慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺伪蠁萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪. 螚 渭慰委蟻伪 魏伪喂 畏 蟿蟻伪纬喂魏萎 蔚喂蟻蠅谓委伪 蟿慰谓 蠂位蔚蠀维味慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟺慰位蠉蟺位慰魏慰 蟽蠉蟽蟿畏渭伪 慰蟻胃慰位慰纬喂蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 蟽魏苇蠄畏蟼 渭蟺蔚蟻未蔚蠉蔚喂 蟿伪 伪魏位蠈谓畏蟿伪 未蔚未慰渭苇谓伪 蟿慰蠀.
螤蔚蟻谓蠋谓蟿伪蟼 蟺慰位位维 蟽蟿维未喂伪 蔚蟽蠅蟿蔚蟻喂魏萎蟼 未喂蔚蟻纬伪蟽委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠀位位慰纬喂蟽渭蠋谓 渭蔚 蟿伪 蟺伪喂蠂谓委未喂伪
蟿慰蠀 蠂蠅蟻慰蠂蟻蠈谓慰蠀 谓伪 蔚蟺喂尾维位位慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 伪蠁萎纬畏蟽畏 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺位慰魏萎, 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 苇谓伪谓 味蠅畏蟻维 蟺蔚蟻委蟺位慰魏慰 魏蠈蟽渭慰 谓伪 伪谓伪味畏蟿萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟿伪蠀蟿蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟿慰蠀, 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀 蠀蟺伪蟻尉喂伪魏蠈 蟺蟻慰蟽伪谓伪蟿慰位喂蟽渭蠈, 蠈蠂喂 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 胃苇位蔚喂 蔚蠀蟿蠀蠂委伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿伪尉委蠅蟽畏
渭伪 蔚蟺蔚喂未萎 伪蟺位维 位喂蟿维 魏伪喂 伪蟺苇蟻喂蟿蟿伪 胃伪 萎胃蔚位蔚 谓伪 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 苇谓伪谓 蟺慰位蠉 未喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀, 蟺慰位蠉 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈 胃维谓伪蟿慰.
危蠉谓蟿慰渭伪 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 谓伪 未喂伪蟽蠂委味蔚喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰, 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏
螡苇伪 违蠈蟻魏畏 蟽蟿畏 螕伪位位委伪 苇蠅蟼 蟿畏谓 螜蟿伪位委伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 螘位位维未伪. 螔蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 渭伪纬蔚渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟺慰 蟿畏 蟽蠀谓蟿蟻慰蠁喂维 渭喂伪蟼 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿畏 纬苇谓谓畏蟽伪谓 伪蟻蠂伪委慰喂 螘位位畏谓喂魏慰委 渭蠉胃慰喂. 螘委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 慰蟺慰委慰蠀 畏 味蠅萎 尾蠀胃委味蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓苇渭慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠉渭蟺蟿蠅蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 魏伪胃慰未畏纬蔚委蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 蔚蟺喂位慰纬苇蟼 蟿慰蠀 谓蔚伪蟻慰蠉 纬蠀谓伪喂魏蔚委慰蠀 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 - 纬喂伪 位蠈纬慰蠀蟼 蟺慰蠀 未蔚谓 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂 萎 谓伪 魏伪蟿伪位维尾蔚喂 - 蟿慰谓 蟺蟻慰蟽蔚位魏蠉蔚喂 苇谓蟿慰谓伪.
螚 伪纬维蟺畏 蟿慰谓 蟺伪蟻伪渭蠈蟻蠁蠅蟽蔚 蟿慰蠀 蠁苇蟻胃畏魏蔚 蟽魏位畏蟻维 魏伪喂 伪谓蔚位苇畏蟿伪. 螉蟽蠅蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 蟿慰谓 蟿喂渭蠋蟻畏蟽蔚, 委蟽蠅蟼 畏 蟿蠀蠂伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟺慰蠀 蟺喂胃伪谓慰位慰纬慰蠉蟽蔚, 伪谓伪纬魏伪蟽蟿喂魏维 尾蟻苇胃畏魏蔚 伪谓蟿喂渭苇蟿蠅蟺畏 渭蔚 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂慰蟻喂蟽渭慰蠉蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟺蟻慰慰蟺蟿喂魏萎蟼 蟿慰蠀.
螉蟽蠅蟼 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 萎 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 魏伪喂 谓伪 苇蟿蠀蠂蔚, 苇谓伪蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓慰魏蟻维蟿畏蟼 蟺慰蠀 渭维位位慰谓 未蔚谓 渭蟺蠈蟻蔚蟽蔚 谓伪 蔚位苇纬尉蔚喂 蟿畏 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰谓 魏蠈蟽渭慰 蟿蟻喂纬蠉蟻蠅 蟿慰蠀.
螤伪蟻维 蟿慰 伪委蟽胃畏渭伪 渭伪蟿伪喂蠈蟿畏蟿伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪蟺慰蟺谓苇蔚喂 伪蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟽锟斤拷苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓萎蟼 蟺位蔚蠀蟻维蟼
蟿蠅谓 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺蠅谓 蠈蟿伪谓 胃蔚蟻喂蔚蠉蔚喂 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓
蟺慰位蠀蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽渭喂魏萎 尾蟻慰渭喂维 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蟺慰蠀位畏渭苇谓畏 蟺慰位喂蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏萎 魏位畏蟻慰谓慰渭喂维 蟿畏蟼 蔚纬魏伪蟿维位蔚喂蠄畏蟼, 蟿畏蟼 蔚魏渭蔚蟿维位位蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟿蠅谓 蔚魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠋谓 渭谓畏渭蔚委蠅谓 蠅蟼 伪蟺慰未蔚委尉蔚喂蟼 蟿畏蟼 苇渭尾喂伪蟼 蔚尉苇位喂尉畏蟼, 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟺喂尾喂蠋谓蔚喂 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 伪谓伪蟺蟿蠀尉喂伪魏维 蔚魏蠁蠀位喂蟽渭苇谓畏 螘蠀蟻蠋蟺畏, 蟽蔚 渭喂伪 慰喂魏慰蠀渭苇谓畏, 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 渭喂伪 渭委味蔚蟻畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 未蠀蟽蟿蠀蠂委伪蟼, 魏伪魏慰渭慰喂蟻喂维蟼 魏伪喂 渭慰喂蟻伪委伪蟼 蠀蟺伪喂谓喂魏蟿喂魏萎蟼 未喂维蟽蟿伪蟽畏蟼.
螣蟻魏喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 胃喂伪蟽蠋蟿畏蟼 渭苇蠂蟻喂 蟿苇位慰蠀蟼 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 谓蠈渭慰蠀蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺喂胃伪谓慰蟿萎蟿蠅谓 魏伪喂 蟽蟿畏谓 喂蔚蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟿伪蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 胃蔚维蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺慰蟽慰蟽蟿蠋蟽蔚蠅谓.
螆谓伪蟼 维谓未蟻伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪蠂蔚喂蟻喂味蠈蟿伪谓 蔚蠉魏慰位伪 蟿畏谓 苇位位蔚喂蠄畏 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 谓慰畏渭慰蟽蠉谓畏蟼, 苇谓伪蟼 魏慰蟽渭喂魏维 蠄蠀蠂蟻蠈蟼, 伪未苇蟽渭蔚蠀蟿慰蟼 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠀蟿萎蟼 蟺慰蠀 萎尉蔚蟻蔚 谓伪 渭畏谓 伪蠁喂蔚蟻蠋谓蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰 蟺伪蟻蠈谓 伪蠁慰蠉 蟿慰 渭苇位位慰谓 未蔚谓 胃伪 蟿蔚位蔚喂蠋蟽蔚喂, 未蔚谓 胃伪 蟺蔚蟻维蟽蔚喂 蟺慰蟿苇.
螣 螠伪尉 桅蟻喂蟼 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂 蟽蟿蔚纬谓维 魏伪喂 蟽蟿蠀纬谓维 蟽伪谓 蠄蠀蠂蟻蠈蟼 未慰位慰蠁蠈谓慰蟼 渭蔚 谓畏蠁维位喂伪 伪谓蟿喂渭蔚蟿蠋蟺喂蟽畏 蟿蠅谓 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽渭苇谓蠅谓 蠉尾蟻蔚蠅谓, 渭蔚 维蟽蟺位伪蠂谓畏, 伪蟺蠈位蠀蟿伪 慰蟻胃慰位慰纬喂蟽蟿喂魏萎 未喂维胃蔚蟽畏 纬喂伪 蟿畏 味蠅萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰 胃维谓伪蟿慰, 蟿喂蟼 渭蠀蟽蟿伪纬蠅纬喂魏苇蟼, 渭蔚蟿伪蠁蠀蟽喂魏苇蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蟻慰位畏蟺蟿喂魏苇蟼 蟽魏蔚蠀蠅蟻委蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚谓伪位位维蟽蟽慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 蟿蠉蠂畏 渭蔚 渭慰委蟻伪 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟺喂胃伪谓蠈 渭蔚 蟿慰 蟺蔚蟺蟻蠅渭苇谓慰 蟽蔚 魏维胃蔚 未喂维蟽蟿伪蟽畏 伪蟻蠂伪委伪蟼 萎 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏蟼 蟿蟻伪纬蠅未委伪蟼.
螣 伪谓蟿蔚蟽蟿蟻伪渭渭苇谓慰蟼 螣喂未委蟺慰未伪蟼 纬蟻维蠁蟿畏魏蔚 蟽蟿畏 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪 蟿慰蠀 1950 伪位位维 渭蔚 渭喂伪 蔚魏蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏维 蟽蠉纬蠂蟻慰谓畏 伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏.
螣 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 螘位尾蔚蟿蠈蟼 魏伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰蠀蟼 魏慰蟻蠀蠁伪委慰蠀蟼 渭蔚蟿伪蟺慰位蔚渭喂魏慰蠉蟼 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁蔚委蟼 蟿畏蟼 纬蔚蟻渭伪谓喂魏萎蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼.
螆谓伪 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏维 蟺慰位蠀蔚蟺委蟺蔚未慰 魏伪喂 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚蟽渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 尾喂尾位委慰 蟻喂味慰蟽蟺伪蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼.
(螤蟻慰伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏萎 蟽蠀渭尾慰蠀位萎 :
螡伪 未喂伪尾伪蟽蟿蔚委 渭蔚蟿维 蟿慰谓
鈥溛Ｏ勎晃迪�", Max Frisch)
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
August 5, 2020
Ich hatte das Buch nach der Erstlekt眉re vor 眉ber 25 Jahren in guter Erinnerung. Beim nochmaligen Lesen fiel mir aber nun erst auf, wie genial Max Frisch diesen Roman konzipiert und sprachlich gestaltet hat, so dass ich auf 5 Sterne erh枚he.
Es ist bestimmt eine der unwahrscheinlichsten Geschichten (au脽erhalb des Fantasy-Bereichs), die dem Ingenieur Walter Faber da im Jahr 1957 passierte. Er 眉berlebt einen Flugzeugabsturz mit einem Sitznachbar, der zuf盲llig der Bruder seines besten Freundes vor 20 Jahren war. Dann fliegt er mit diesem Bruder kurzentschlossen nach Guatemala zum ehemaligen Freund, der wiederum seine Ex-Geliebte Hanna geheiratet hatte, die wiederum ein Kind von ... Tja, mehr soll nicht verraten werden, aber das Wiedersehen mit Hanna ausgerechnet in Griechenland, wo ja auch mal ein gewisser 脰dipus in famili盲re Fettn盲pfchen mit seinen Handlungen trat, kommt nicht von ungef盲hr. Wir erleben einen mit Technik durchdrungenen Protagonisten, der eigentlich nichts dem Zufall 眉berlassen will. Wunder gibt es f眉r nicht. Selbst die beeindruckendsten Naturph盲nomene findet er 鈥瀗icht fantastisch, sondern erkl盲rlich鈥�. Der Homo Faber ist ein Rationalist, der Gef眉hlen keinen Raum gibt und stets vern眉nftig handelt.
Was macht nun das Leben mit so einem Menschen, wenn es v枚llig aus den Rudern ger盲t und nicht das Erkl盲rliche, sondern das Unwahrscheinlichste passiert? Wie ver盲ndert sich der Vernunftsmensch, wenn Schicksal und F眉gung nicht mehr verneint werden k枚nnen. Interpretationsans盲tze finden sich da en masse, so dass es mich nicht wundert, dass das Buch gerne in der Oberstufe gelesen wird. Leider kam ich erst nach meiner Schulzeit auf Max Frisch und war beim erstmaligen Lesen wohl zu sehr auf die Handlung fixiert. Beim Wiederlesen merkte ich erst, welch raffinierte sprachliche Mittel der Autor einsetzt, um den Berichtscharakter eines Technikers zu verdeutlichen. Denn ungew枚hnlicherweise ist der Untertitel des Buchs nicht etwa Roman, sondern 鈥濫in Bericht鈥�. Berichte schreiben Techniker, stets sachlich und chronologisch die Abl盲ufe beschreibend. Bereits auf der erste Seite ist der Berichtscharakter deutlich, wenn genau das Flugzeug, die Warte- und die Flugzeit sowie das Wetter beschrieben werden. Doch im Verlauf verliert der Bericht immer mehr seinen Charakter und Frisch l盲脽t den Ich-Erz盲hler Faber nicht mehr chronologisch berichten. Faber beginnt immer mehr 眉ber sein Leben und die Sinnhaftigkeit dahinter zu hinterfragen. Und so wird sein Bericht immer mehr zur Rechtfertigung seines mehr und mehr durch Gef眉hle geleiteten Lebens. Meine Bertelsmann-Ausgabe lief unter der Reihe 鈥濴iebesgeschichten der Weltliteratur鈥�. Die sich in der zweiten H盲lfte des Buchs immer mehr zu entfaltende, tragische Liebesgeschichte bringt Faber an den Rand des Todes. Oder dar眉ber hinaus? So genau l盲脽t sich das meiner Ansicht nach nicht sagen.
Das Buch ist erstaunlich locker und leicht zu lesen. Die S盲tze sind meist kurz und eing盲ngig, oft ist die gewohnte Syntax v枚llig aufgehoben. Es werden dann nur noch Begriffe durch Faber hingeworfen, wie sie in einem Gedankenstrom aufblitzen. Das hat nach meinem Empfinden schon etwas soghaftes. Aber so leicht sich das Buch lesen l盲脽t, so komplex ist es vom Aufbau. Es hat mich zum Nachdenken gebracht dar眉ber, wie viel Faber in mir steckt. Nehme ich das Leben f眉r selbstverst盲ndlich oder betrachte ich jeden Tag als ein Wunder und Geschenk? Walter Faber kann einem letztlich nur leid tun, denn zu sp盲t l枚st er sich aus seinen Gedankenschemata heraus. Wirklich Weltliteratur.
Es ist bestimmt eine der unwahrscheinlichsten Geschichten (au脽erhalb des Fantasy-Bereichs), die dem Ingenieur Walter Faber da im Jahr 1957 passierte. Er 眉berlebt einen Flugzeugabsturz mit einem Sitznachbar, der zuf盲llig der Bruder seines besten Freundes vor 20 Jahren war. Dann fliegt er mit diesem Bruder kurzentschlossen nach Guatemala zum ehemaligen Freund, der wiederum seine Ex-Geliebte Hanna geheiratet hatte, die wiederum ein Kind von ... Tja, mehr soll nicht verraten werden, aber das Wiedersehen mit Hanna ausgerechnet in Griechenland, wo ja auch mal ein gewisser 脰dipus in famili盲re Fettn盲pfchen mit seinen Handlungen trat, kommt nicht von ungef盲hr. Wir erleben einen mit Technik durchdrungenen Protagonisten, der eigentlich nichts dem Zufall 眉berlassen will. Wunder gibt es f眉r nicht. Selbst die beeindruckendsten Naturph盲nomene findet er 鈥瀗icht fantastisch, sondern erkl盲rlich鈥�. Der Homo Faber ist ein Rationalist, der Gef眉hlen keinen Raum gibt und stets vern眉nftig handelt.
Was macht nun das Leben mit so einem Menschen, wenn es v枚llig aus den Rudern ger盲t und nicht das Erkl盲rliche, sondern das Unwahrscheinlichste passiert? Wie ver盲ndert sich der Vernunftsmensch, wenn Schicksal und F眉gung nicht mehr verneint werden k枚nnen. Interpretationsans盲tze finden sich da en masse, so dass es mich nicht wundert, dass das Buch gerne in der Oberstufe gelesen wird. Leider kam ich erst nach meiner Schulzeit auf Max Frisch und war beim erstmaligen Lesen wohl zu sehr auf die Handlung fixiert. Beim Wiederlesen merkte ich erst, welch raffinierte sprachliche Mittel der Autor einsetzt, um den Berichtscharakter eines Technikers zu verdeutlichen. Denn ungew枚hnlicherweise ist der Untertitel des Buchs nicht etwa Roman, sondern 鈥濫in Bericht鈥�. Berichte schreiben Techniker, stets sachlich und chronologisch die Abl盲ufe beschreibend. Bereits auf der erste Seite ist der Berichtscharakter deutlich, wenn genau das Flugzeug, die Warte- und die Flugzeit sowie das Wetter beschrieben werden. Doch im Verlauf verliert der Bericht immer mehr seinen Charakter und Frisch l盲脽t den Ich-Erz盲hler Faber nicht mehr chronologisch berichten. Faber beginnt immer mehr 眉ber sein Leben und die Sinnhaftigkeit dahinter zu hinterfragen. Und so wird sein Bericht immer mehr zur Rechtfertigung seines mehr und mehr durch Gef眉hle geleiteten Lebens. Meine Bertelsmann-Ausgabe lief unter der Reihe 鈥濴iebesgeschichten der Weltliteratur鈥�. Die sich in der zweiten H盲lfte des Buchs immer mehr zu entfaltende, tragische Liebesgeschichte bringt Faber an den Rand des Todes. Oder dar眉ber hinaus? So genau l盲脽t sich das meiner Ansicht nach nicht sagen.
Das Buch ist erstaunlich locker und leicht zu lesen. Die S盲tze sind meist kurz und eing盲ngig, oft ist die gewohnte Syntax v枚llig aufgehoben. Es werden dann nur noch Begriffe durch Faber hingeworfen, wie sie in einem Gedankenstrom aufblitzen. Das hat nach meinem Empfinden schon etwas soghaftes. Aber so leicht sich das Buch lesen l盲脽t, so komplex ist es vom Aufbau. Es hat mich zum Nachdenken gebracht dar眉ber, wie viel Faber in mir steckt. Nehme ich das Leben f眉r selbstverst盲ndlich oder betrachte ich jeden Tag als ein Wunder und Geschenk? Walter Faber kann einem letztlich nur leid tun, denn zu sp盲t l枚st er sich aus seinen Gedankenschemata heraus. Wirklich Weltliteratur.
April 18, 2023
袨褔械薪褜 屑械写谢械薪薪芯械 懈 褝泻褋锌褉械褋褋懈芯薪懈褋褌褋泻芯械 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪薪懈械 芯 褉邪斜芯褔懈褏 锌芯械蟹写泻邪褏 懈薪卸械薪械褉邪 锌芯 袥邪褌懈薪褋泻芯泄 袗屑械褉懈泻械. 袝屑褍, 肖邪斜械褉褍, 褟胁薪芯 胁褋械 薪械 薪褉邪胁懈褌褋褟. 袙芯写邪 胁褋械谐写邪 胁芯薪褞褔邪褟, 芯锌懈褋邪薪懈褟 卸懈胁芯褌薪褘褏 - 胁 芯褋薪芯胁薪芯屑, 泻邪泻懈械-褌芯 薪邪褋械泻芯屑褘械 懈 谐邪写褘. 孝芯薪 褉邪蟹写褉邪卸械薪薪褘泄, 褍褋褌邪胁褕懈泄. 袙褋械 褉邪褋褋褍卸写械薪懈褟 褋 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯屑 锌褉械胁芯褋褏芯写褋褌胁邪 鈥� 薪邪写 懈薪写械泄褑邪屑懈, 薪邪写 写褉械胁薪械泄 邪褑褌械泻褋泻芯泄 泻褍谢褜褌褍褉芯泄. 袨薪 芯褔械薪褜 褉邪褑懈芯薪邪谢褜薪褘泄 褔械谢芯胁械泻. 袩褉芯 褋械斜褟 芯薪 谐芯胁芯褉懈褌: 芦携 褉褍泻芯胁芯卸褍 屑邪褕懈薪邪屑懈, 褋褌芯褟褖懈屑懈 屑懈谢谢懈芯薪褘禄, 芦懈薪卸械薪械褉, 褋褌芯褟褖懈泄 写胁褍屑褟 薪芯谐邪屑懈 薪邪 蟹械屑谢械禄. 效褍胁褋褌胁邪屑, 懈褋泻褍褋褋褌胁褍, 胁芯芯斜褖械 胁褋械屑褍, 褔褌芯 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 斜褘褌褜 胁褘褉邪卸械薪芯 褟蟹褘泻芯屑 褑懈褎褉 鈥� 薪械 屑械褋褌芯 胁 械谐芯 卸懈蟹薪懈. Homo 肖邪斜械褉, 泻邪泻 械谐芯 薪邪蟹胁邪谢邪 袚邪薪薪邪, 芯蟹薪邪褔邪械褌 芦褔械谢芯胁械泻 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写褟褖懈泄禄. 协褌芯泄 械械 褕褍褌泻芯泄 锌芯泻邪蟹褘胁邪械褌褋褟 械谐芯 芯谐褉邪薪懈褔械薪薪芯褋褌褜.
袚谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 卸懈胁械褌 褉邪斜芯褌芯泄, 泻邪泻 芦薪邪褋褌芯褟褖懈泄 屑褍卸褔懈薪邪禄, 泻邪泻 芯褔械薪褜 屑薪芯谐懈械 褋械泄褔邪褋 懈 褌芯谐写邪. 袨薪 锌褉懈胁褘泻 卸懈褌褜 芯写懈薪, 懈 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 斜褘褌褜 褋 卸械薪褖懈薪芯泄 斜芯谢褜褕械 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻懈褏 写薪械泄, 褋褔懈褌邪褟, 褔褌芯 薪械 褋芯谐谢邪褕邪褌褜褋褟 褋 褝褌懈屑 鈥� 褝褌芯 谢懈褑械屑械褉懈械. 袘褘褌褜 芯写薪芯屑褍 鈥� 械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟 锌褉懈械屑谢械屑邪褟 褎芯褉屑邪 卸懈蟹薪懈 写谢褟 薪械谐芯. 袝谐芯 褍斜械卸写械薪懈褟 芯褌薪芯褋懈褌械谢褜薪芯 卸械薪褖懈薪 懈 写械谢邪褞褌 械谐芯 芯写懈薪芯泻懈屑. 袨薪 褋褔懈褌邪械褌 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褌胁芯 芯褉褍卸懈械屑 卸械薪褖懈薪褘 胁 褝泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻芯泄 斜芯褉褜斜械. 袦薪械 薪械 芯褔械薪褜 薪褉邪胁褟褌褋褟 械谐芯 屑褘褋谢懈 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 芯 褉邪蟹薪懈褑械 屑械卸写褍 锌褉械写芯褏褉邪薪械薪懈械屑 懈 邪斜芯褉褌芯屑. 袟邪斜械褉械屑械薪械胁 卸械薪褖懈薪邪, 褏芯褔械褌 芯褋褌邪胁懈褌褜 褉械斜械薪泻邪. 袠 褝褌芯 胁谢邪褋褌褜 薪邪写 屑褍卸褔懈薪芯泄.
袚邪薪薪邪 写褍屑邪械褌: 袦褍卸褔懈薪邪 褋褔懈褌邪械褌 褋械斜褟 胁谢邪褋褌械谢懈薪芯屑 屑懈褉邪. 袞械薪褖懈薪邪 胁褘薪褍卸写械薪邪 蟹薪邪褌褜 褟蟹褘泻 褋胁芯械谐芯 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪 鈥� 屑褍卸褔懈薪褘.
袩褉械胁褉邪褖械薪懈械 Homo Faber 胁 效械谢芯胁械泻邪 褔褍胁褋褌胁褍褞褖械谐芯 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 褔械褉械蟹 褋屑械褉褌褜, 褔械褉械蟹 谐芯褉械胁邪薪懈械 锌芯 斜械蟹胁褉械屑械薪薪芯泄 泻芯薪褔懈薪械 斜懈芯谢芯谐懈褔械褋泻芯泄 写芯褔械褉懈 小邪斜械褌, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 薪械 斜褘谢邪 械谐芯 写芯褔械褉褜褞, 懈斜芯 袚邪薪薪邪 褉芯写懈谢邪 械械 芦写谢褟 褋械斜褟禄 懈 薪械 褌褉械斜芯胁邪谢邪 芯褌 薪械谐芯 薪懈褔械谐芯. 袧芯 懈 械谐芯, 懈 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 锌芯褉邪蟹懈褌 芯褌泻褉褘褌懈械, 褔褌芯 小邪斜械褌 - 械谐芯 写芯褔褜, 褌邪泻懈屑 芯斜褉邪蟹芯屑, 懈屑械械褌 屑械褋褌芯 胁芯褋锌褉芯懈蟹胁械写械薪懈械 懈蟹胁械褋褌薪芯谐芯 写褉械胁薪械谐褉械褔械褋泻芯谐芯 屑懈褎邪 芯斜 协写懈锌械 胁 褋芯胁褉械屑械薪薪芯泄 懈薪褌械褉锌褉械褌邪褑懈懈.
袠薪褌械褉械褋薪褘 屑褘褋谢懈 芯 褉芯斜芯褌芯褌械褏薪懈泻械, 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪褘械, 泻芯谐写邪 褉芯斜芯褌褘 斜褘谢懈 斜芯谢褜褕械 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈泻芯泄, 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 褉芯斜芯褌 锌芯蟹薪邪械褌 屑懈褉 斜芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 谢褞写懈. 袩芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 芯薪 胁褘褋褔懈褌褘胁邪械褌 胁褋械. 袦褘 褍卸械 胁褏芯写懈屑 胁 屑懈褉 褉芯斜芯褌芯褌械褏薪懈泻懈. 校胁懈写懈屑, 斜褘谢 谢懈 锌褉邪胁 袦邪泻褋 肖褉懈褕.
袚谢邪胁薪褘泄 谐械褉芯泄 卸懈胁械褌 褉邪斜芯褌芯泄, 泻邪泻 芦薪邪褋褌芯褟褖懈泄 屑褍卸褔懈薪邪禄, 泻邪泻 芯褔械薪褜 屑薪芯谐懈械 褋械泄褔邪褋 懈 褌芯谐写邪. 袨薪 锌褉懈胁褘泻 卸懈褌褜 芯写懈薪, 懈 薪械 屑芯卸械褌 斜褘褌褜 褋 卸械薪褖懈薪芯泄 斜芯谢褜褕械 薪械褋泻芯谢褜泻懈褏 写薪械泄, 褋褔懈褌邪褟, 褔褌芯 薪械 褋芯谐谢邪褕邪褌褜褋褟 褋 褝褌懈屑 鈥� 褝褌芯 谢懈褑械屑械褉懈械. 袘褘褌褜 芯写薪芯屑褍 鈥� 械写懈薪褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟 锌褉懈械屑谢械屑邪褟 褎芯褉屑邪 卸懈蟹薪懈 写谢褟 薪械谐芯. 袝谐芯 褍斜械卸写械薪懈褟 芯褌薪芯褋懈褌械谢褜薪芯 卸械薪褖懈薪 懈 写械谢邪褞褌 械谐芯 芯写懈薪芯泻懈屑. 袨薪 褋褔懈褌邪械褌 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋褌胁芯 芯褉褍卸懈械屑 卸械薪褖懈薪褘 胁 褝泻芯薪芯屑懈褔械褋泻芯泄 斜芯褉褜斜械. 袦薪械 薪械 芯褔械薪褜 薪褉邪胁褟褌褋褟 械谐芯 屑褘褋谢懈 芯 卸械薪褖懈薪邪褏, 芯 褉邪蟹薪懈褑械 屑械卸写褍 锌褉械写芯褏褉邪薪械薪懈械屑 懈 邪斜芯褉褌芯屑. 袟邪斜械褉械屑械薪械胁 卸械薪褖懈薪邪, 褏芯褔械褌 芯褋褌邪胁懈褌褜 褉械斜械薪泻邪. 袠 褝褌芯 胁谢邪褋褌褜 薪邪写 屑褍卸褔懈薪芯泄.
袚邪薪薪邪 写褍屑邪械褌: 袦褍卸褔懈薪邪 褋褔懈褌邪械褌 褋械斜褟 胁谢邪褋褌械谢懈薪芯屑 屑懈褉邪. 袞械薪褖懈薪邪 胁褘薪褍卸写械薪邪 蟹薪邪褌褜 褟蟹褘泻 褋胁芯械谐芯 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪 鈥� 屑褍卸褔懈薪褘.
袩褉械胁褉邪褖械薪懈械 Homo Faber 胁 效械谢芯胁械泻邪 褔褍胁褋褌胁褍褞褖械谐芯 锌褉芯懈褋褏芯写懈褌 褔械褉械蟹 褋屑械褉褌褜, 褔械褉械蟹 谐芯褉械胁邪薪懈械 锌芯 斜械蟹胁褉械屑械薪薪芯泄 泻芯薪褔懈薪械 斜懈芯谢芯谐懈褔械褋泻芯泄 写芯褔械褉懈 小邪斜械褌, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 薪械 斜褘谢邪 械谐芯 写芯褔械褉褜褞, 懈斜芯 袚邪薪薪邪 褉芯写懈谢邪 械械 芦写谢褟 褋械斜褟禄 懈 薪械 褌褉械斜芯胁邪谢邪 芯褌 薪械谐芯 薪懈褔械谐芯. 袧芯 懈 械谐芯, 懈 褔懈褌邪褌械谢褟 锌芯褉邪蟹懈褌 芯褌泻褉褘褌懈械, 褔褌芯 小邪斜械褌 - 械谐芯 写芯褔褜, 褌邪泻懈屑 芯斜褉邪蟹芯屑, 懈屑械械褌 屑械褋褌芯 胁芯褋锌褉芯懈蟹胁械写械薪懈械 懈蟹胁械褋褌薪芯谐芯 写褉械胁薪械谐褉械褔械褋泻芯谐芯 屑懈褎邪 芯斜 协写懈锌械 胁 褋芯胁褉械屑械薪薪芯泄 懈薪褌械褉锌褉械褌邪褑懈懈.
袠薪褌械褉械褋薪褘 屑褘褋谢懈 芯 褉芯斜芯褌芯褌械褏薪懈泻械, 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪薪褘械, 泻芯谐写邪 褉芯斜芯褌褘 斜褘谢懈 斜芯谢褜褕械 褎邪薪褌邪褋褌懈泻芯泄, 芯 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 褉芯斜芯褌 锌芯蟹薪邪械褌 屑懈褉 斜芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 谢褞写懈. 袩芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 芯薪 胁褘褋褔懈褌褘胁邪械褌 胁褋械. 袦褘 褍卸械 胁褏芯写懈屑 胁 屑懈褉 褉芯斜芯褌芯褌械褏薪懈泻懈. 校胁懈写懈屑, 斜褘谢 谢懈 锌褉邪胁 袦邪泻褋 肖褉懈褕.
October 4, 2020
Modern insan ve onun katarsisini, istatistiksel bir sapmaya maruz kalan modern Oidipus 枚zelinde anlatan bir kitap. 1957鈥檇e ikinci d眉nya sava艧谋 sonras谋nda y眉kselen bilim ve m眉hendislik 莽a臒谋nda, do臒a, s枚m眉rge, kad谋nl谋k, k眉rtaj ve daha pek 莽ok konuyu matematiksel olarak a莽谋klaman谋n pe艧inde, 艧ansa de臒il olas谋l谋臒a inanan bir m眉hendis anlat谋c谋m谋z. Ve b眉t眉n hayat谋 matematiksel olarak a莽谋klamaya inanan 鈥渉omo faber鈥漣n b眉t眉n hesaplar谋n谋n modern bir tragedya ile 莽枚k眉艧眉 ise roman谋n k谋sa 枚zeti. Kitab谋 yaln谋zca olay 枚rg眉s眉 olarak takip etti臒inizde iflah olmaz rastlant谋lar 枚rg眉s眉 tad谋n谋z谋 ka莽谋rabilir. Ancak 枚z眉nde modern -Avrupal谋- beyaz insan谋n teknoloji ve do臒ayla 莽at谋艧mas谋n谋n ve do臒a 眉zerindeki kontrols眉zl眉臒眉n眉n etkileyici bir anlat谋m谋. 脟ok sevdim.
鈥淏izim kar艧谋 莽谋kt谋臒谋m谋z 艧ey, do臒an谋n putla艧t谋r谋lmas谋d谋r. E臒er bunu yap谋yorsa daha mant谋kl谋 yapmas谋 gerekirdi, o zaman penisiline de, antene de, DDT'ye de, radara da vb. hay谋r demesi gerekirdi. Biz teknik 莽a臒da ya艧谋yoruz, insan do臒aya egemendir, insan m眉hendistir, bunun tersini savunan, do臒an谋n yaratmad谋臒谋 bir k枚pr眉y眉 kullanmaya kalkmas谋n. O zaman daha mant谋kl谋 ve d眉r眉st olup her apandisitte 枚l眉nmesi gerekir. Al谋n yaz谋s谋 oldu臒u i莽in! O zaman elektrik lambas谋, motor, atom enerjisi, hesap makinesi, narkoz da olmas谋n - o zaman defolsunlar vah艧i ormanlara!鈥�
鈥淏izim kar艧谋 莽谋kt谋臒谋m谋z 艧ey, do臒an谋n putla艧t谋r谋lmas谋d谋r. E臒er bunu yap谋yorsa daha mant谋kl谋 yapmas谋 gerekirdi, o zaman penisiline de, antene de, DDT'ye de, radara da vb. hay谋r demesi gerekirdi. Biz teknik 莽a臒da ya艧谋yoruz, insan do臒aya egemendir, insan m眉hendistir, bunun tersini savunan, do臒an谋n yaratmad谋臒谋 bir k枚pr眉y眉 kullanmaya kalkmas谋n. O zaman daha mant谋kl谋 ve d眉r眉st olup her apandisitte 枚l眉nmesi gerekir. Al谋n yaz谋s谋 oldu臒u i莽in! O zaman elektrik lambas谋, motor, atom enerjisi, hesap makinesi, narkoz da olmas谋n - o zaman defolsunlar vah艧i ormanlara!鈥�
May 4, 2011
鈥淣othing is harder than to accept oneself." - Max Frisch.
Walter Faber is a paradigm of collective identity v/s self-identity, rationality v/s irrationality and providence v/s concurrence; counter positioning free will. You cannot find yourself anywhere except in yourself. Frisch portrays the contradictory worlds of methodical reasonableness and the quandary of being a mortal. Walter believes in what he nurtures. As a technologist working for UNESCO, he lives in the present and connects with the world through scientific implications of his free will. Walter truly believes that it is mere a sequence of coincidences that fashions a man鈥檚 life, not fate. He defies the very nature of human sentiments sheltering his vulnerabilities through an itinerant lifestyle and transitory associations. Nevertheless, when circumstantial occurrences go beyond coherent justifications revealing the blatancy of Walter鈥檚 concealed emotions; the dichotomy of fate and coincidences are collided. Walter鈥檚 encounter with Herbert, his travel to the tobacco plantation, facing his uneasy past through Hannah and the sexual relation with Sabeth banishes Walter鈥檚 logic of concurrent consequences and imposes the idea of destiny. His obstinate belief that a man should not be held responsible for the actions he did not choose is shattered when guilt overrides his conscious after knowing Sabeth鈥檚 true identity. He appreciates the value of forgiveness, a concept which he had alienated himself from.
A man is a not a machine but an incongruous creature. Frisch talks about the influence of industrial age and its significance in etching human mentality. The evolution of scientific technologies has assured human beings the capabilities of capturing the materialistic wonders controlling every aspect of human survival.
Above all, however, the machine has no feelings; it feels no fear and no hope ... it operates according to the pure logic of probability. For this reason I assert that the robot perceives more accurately than man.
Walter鈥檚 fixation with the technology constantly asserts the conflict between the modern world and the so called primitive thought processes. To a spiritual mind, death is the ultimate liberation of a soul. Whereas in a scientific setting death is seen as a failure of the aortic pump. Frisch toys with the post-modernism attitude towards technology suggesting that even though technology can make life easier it cannot define the workings of human connections. Walter鈥檚 practicality in every decision shielded him from the absurdity of emotions and fear making him helpless and nauseated in his own personality, is analogous to the resolution of Antoine Roquentin in Sartre鈥檚 Nausea:-
I was thinking of belonging, I was telling myself that the sea belonged to the class of green objects, or that the green was a part of the quality of the sea. Even when I looked at things, I was miles from dreaming that they existed: they looked like scenery to me. I picked them up in my hands, they served me as tools, 1 foresaw their resistance. But that all happened on the surface. If anyone had asked me what existence was, I would have answered, in good faith, that it was nothing, simply an empty form which was added to external things without changing anything in their nature. And then all of a sudden, there it was, clear as day: existence had suddenly unveiled itself. It had lost the harmless look of an abstract category: it was the very paste of things; this root was kneaded into existence. Or rather the root, the park gates, the bench, the sparse grass, all that had vanished: the diversity of things, their individuality, was only an appearance, a veneer. This veneer had melted, leaving soft, monstrous masses, all in disorder鈥攏aked, in a frightful, obscene nakedness. I kept myself from making the slightest movement, but I didn't need to move in order to see, behind the trees, the blue columns and the lamp posts of the bandstand and the Velleda, in the midst of a mountain of laurel. All these objects . . . how can I explain?.......... I realized that there was no half-way house between non-existence and this flaunting abundance. If you existed, you had to exist all the way, as far as mouldiness, bloatedness, obscenity were concerned. (Jean Paul Sartre; Nausea)
The underplayed incestuous approach and the irony in Walter鈥檚 analysis on abortion as a logical outcome in a civilization, shows that even though 鈥榤an plans鈥� the absurdity of fate makes technology a pitiable surrogate of human identity. Ultimately, Walter鈥檚 trepidation of death and emancipation from his social identity as an engineer, proves that 鈥淢an the Maker鈥� relates to how an individual classifies oneself from a hollow world where one cannot suffer nothing.
Walter Faber is a paradigm of collective identity v/s self-identity, rationality v/s irrationality and providence v/s concurrence; counter positioning free will. You cannot find yourself anywhere except in yourself. Frisch portrays the contradictory worlds of methodical reasonableness and the quandary of being a mortal. Walter believes in what he nurtures. As a technologist working for UNESCO, he lives in the present and connects with the world through scientific implications of his free will. Walter truly believes that it is mere a sequence of coincidences that fashions a man鈥檚 life, not fate. He defies the very nature of human sentiments sheltering his vulnerabilities through an itinerant lifestyle and transitory associations. Nevertheless, when circumstantial occurrences go beyond coherent justifications revealing the blatancy of Walter鈥檚 concealed emotions; the dichotomy of fate and coincidences are collided. Walter鈥檚 encounter with Herbert, his travel to the tobacco plantation, facing his uneasy past through Hannah and the sexual relation with Sabeth banishes Walter鈥檚 logic of concurrent consequences and imposes the idea of destiny. His obstinate belief that a man should not be held responsible for the actions he did not choose is shattered when guilt overrides his conscious after knowing Sabeth鈥檚 true identity. He appreciates the value of forgiveness, a concept which he had alienated himself from.
A man is a not a machine but an incongruous creature. Frisch talks about the influence of industrial age and its significance in etching human mentality. The evolution of scientific technologies has assured human beings the capabilities of capturing the materialistic wonders controlling every aspect of human survival.
Above all, however, the machine has no feelings; it feels no fear and no hope ... it operates according to the pure logic of probability. For this reason I assert that the robot perceives more accurately than man.
Walter鈥檚 fixation with the technology constantly asserts the conflict between the modern world and the so called primitive thought processes. To a spiritual mind, death is the ultimate liberation of a soul. Whereas in a scientific setting death is seen as a failure of the aortic pump. Frisch toys with the post-modernism attitude towards technology suggesting that even though technology can make life easier it cannot define the workings of human connections. Walter鈥檚 practicality in every decision shielded him from the absurdity of emotions and fear making him helpless and nauseated in his own personality, is analogous to the resolution of Antoine Roquentin in Sartre鈥檚 Nausea:-
I was thinking of belonging, I was telling myself that the sea belonged to the class of green objects, or that the green was a part of the quality of the sea. Even when I looked at things, I was miles from dreaming that they existed: they looked like scenery to me. I picked them up in my hands, they served me as tools, 1 foresaw their resistance. But that all happened on the surface. If anyone had asked me what existence was, I would have answered, in good faith, that it was nothing, simply an empty form which was added to external things without changing anything in their nature. And then all of a sudden, there it was, clear as day: existence had suddenly unveiled itself. It had lost the harmless look of an abstract category: it was the very paste of things; this root was kneaded into existence. Or rather the root, the park gates, the bench, the sparse grass, all that had vanished: the diversity of things, their individuality, was only an appearance, a veneer. This veneer had melted, leaving soft, monstrous masses, all in disorder鈥攏aked, in a frightful, obscene nakedness. I kept myself from making the slightest movement, but I didn't need to move in order to see, behind the trees, the blue columns and the lamp posts of the bandstand and the Velleda, in the midst of a mountain of laurel. All these objects . . . how can I explain?.......... I realized that there was no half-way house between non-existence and this flaunting abundance. If you existed, you had to exist all the way, as far as mouldiness, bloatedness, obscenity were concerned. (Jean Paul Sartre; Nausea)
The underplayed incestuous approach and the irony in Walter鈥檚 analysis on abortion as a logical outcome in a civilization, shows that even though 鈥榤an plans鈥� the absurdity of fate makes technology a pitiable surrogate of human identity. Ultimately, Walter鈥檚 trepidation of death and emancipation from his social identity as an engineer, proves that 鈥淢an the Maker鈥� relates to how an individual classifies oneself from a hollow world where one cannot suffer nothing.
December 25, 2019
Max Frisch'ten Sessizli臒in Yan谋t谋'n谋 okuyup epey sevmi艧tim. O nedenle y谋l bitmeden bir kitab谋n谋 daha okumak istedim. Homo Faber konu itibariyle beni 莽ok heyecanland谋rmamas谋na ra臒men anlat谋m谋 y枚n眉nden olduk莽a kuvvetliydi. Ba艧karakterimiz Bay Faber gibi teknik, analitik bir adam谋n inanmad谋臒谋 "kader" kavram谋yla cebelle艧mesine 艧ahit olmak g眉zeldi.
艦imdi s谋rada Stiller var.
Tavsiye ederim.
艦imdi s谋rada Stiller var.
Tavsiye ederim.
October 5, 2020
"Benim i莽in yaln谋z olmak tek 莽谋kar yol, 莽眉nk眉 bir kad谋n谋 mutsuz etmek istemem, zaten b眉t眉n kad谋nlar mutsuz olmaya yatk谋nd谋r. 艦unu belirteyim ki, yaln谋z olmak her zaman ho艧 de臒il, insan hep formunda olmuyor."
陌lk Frisch okumamd谋, 莽ok sevdim.
Merixien 莽ok g眉zel bir yorum yazm谋艧, fazla s枚ze gerek yok.
馃専
陌lk Frisch okumamd谋, 莽ok sevdim.
Merixien 莽ok g眉zel bir yorum yazm谋艧, fazla s枚ze gerek yok.
馃専
June 17, 2018
Lisede Almancadan okudu臒um bir kitapt谋. Doksanlar谋n hemen ba艧谋nda Ankara'da tutucu say谋labilecek bir okul ortam谋nda bu kitab谋 nas谋l okudu臒umuza hala inanam谋yorum, ama Alman hocalar谋m谋z sa臒 olsunlar Almancadan bihaber di臒er hocalar谋 atlat谋p bize Zweig'谋, Siegried Lenz'i, D眉rrenmatt'谋 okuttular (Alman Lisesi'nde de okutulmu艧 zaman谋nda, demek ki gizli bir ittifak varm谋艧 aralar谋nda :) ). Vakti zaman谋nda "脟arp谋k Sevda" diye yan谋lt谋c谋 bir ba艧l谋kla yay谋nlanm谋艧t谋 ve Almancas谋 yeterli olmayanlar bu versiyon sayesinde s谋nav谋 ge莽ebilmi艧lerdi. 艦imdi 60'l谋 y谋llardan kalma bir 莽eviri ile Sezer Duru'nun yetkin 莽evirisiyle ve k谋rk ya艧 olgunlu臒uyla tekrar okudum. Gelelim kitaba, kadere inanmayan-ya艧ad谋臒谋 her 艧eyi matematiksel bir rastlant谋ya ba臒layan Walter Fber (ki eski, belki de hayat谋n谋n ilk ve son a艧k谋 Hanna taraf谋ndan "Homo Faber", yani teknik insan olarak adland谋r谋l谋yor) i莽in inanmad谋臒谋 kader a臒lar谋n谋 枚r眉yor. 21 sene evvel ba臒lant谋s谋n谋 kaybetti臒i (bence kaybetmek istedi臒i) arkada艧谋 Joachim'in karde艧i ile u莽akta yan yana geliyor ve sonras谋nda Joachim'in naa艧谋n谋 bizzat buluyor. Sonras谋nda ise t眉m planlar谋n谋 aniden de臒i艧tirip Amerika'dan Fransa'ya u莽ak yerine gemi ile gitmeye karar veriyor ve Sabeth ile kar艧谋la艧谋yor. Daha fazla detay vermeyeyim, okumak isteyenlerin tad谋n谋 ka莽谋rmayay谋m. Kitab谋n "Voyager" bir film uyarlamas谋 da var, Sam Sheppard Faber rol眉nde. Onu da en k谋sa zamanda izleyece臒im. kitap hakk谋ndaki bir s枚yle艧i de 艧u adreste .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Even after a second reading, I uphold my rather negative opinion: this is really a setback, because of the contrast with the phenomenal . The theme that Frisch presents is fascinating enough: Walter Faber, a hyper-rationalistic technician-engineer collides with quirky real life, is shaken by some dramatic twists, which forces him to look at the world completely differently. Interesting, for sure, but the way this story is presented by Frisch is so improbable and artificial that it doesn't captivate: a 50-year-old man falls in love with 23-year-old redhead girl, who later turns out to be his daughter, and then dies shortly after from a viper bite. Moreover, the style is very rudimentary, in short, petulant, emotionless sentences (deliberately perhaps, as a representation of the boring main character), giving the prose a tedious undertone. In between Frisch also offers essay-like pieces with, among other things, a very violent outcry against the Americanization of the world, which for him amounts to a blind and superficial materialism. To me this novel seemed reminiscent of Graham Greene, because of the moral dilemma and the somewhat artificial plot. I guess Greene and Frisch were very relevant in the 1950鈥檚, but their themes have become rather outdated now (although I must concede some of Greene's novels stood the test of time).
December 11, 2016
This book is required reading in many schools in Germany. Crazy idea. What are the 鈥渃hildren鈥� supposed to get out of it? And so are the ratings and reviews (here and elsewhere) by the young ones. Unfavorable. I have, I believe, seen the film one time. But have forgotten all about it.
Homo Faber is Walter Faber. Engineer. Lives by the motto 鈥渇眉r einen Ingen枚r ist nichts zu schw枚r鈥�. Constructs his world around technology. Writes letters in the desert after an emergency landing on a typewriter (mechanical). Feels at home in the confined square of a chessboard. Travels a lot. To deploy technology to people who are already quite happy without it. Romance? Wrong! A single relationship (Hanna); breaks up. Hanna goes to Walter鈥檚 friend (doctor) to not get their (Walter: her) child. One not sees the other again. Not for twenty years. Faber meets a young woman on a voyage, calls her Sabeth because Elizabeth he does not like. He does not recognize Hanna in Sabeth, and not himself. He can鈥檛, the old crock.
Recommended for its prose in telegram style (quite sophisticated but not for every day) and its anti-protagonist. Glad I read it now that I鈥檓 older than Faber (just barely). For students, as said, quite unsuitable.
This work is licensed under a .
November 25, 2008
I can't believe this book is under the category "unpopular books"!!! this is one of books that have influenced me the most. The story of this man destined to become a robot, ignoring his emotions, trying to avoid suffering and depending always on logic and system, is a story of people in the 20th century. What we know now about emotional intelligence is what Max Faber lacks. If someone is interested in the depths and miseries of the human soul, he should read this book. Morover the language is so clear and direct, he doesn't need a very baroque language to express the horror mr faber is feeling.
June 18, 2012
On the surface a straightforward story, simple and resembling a parable; but like a parable capable of many interpretations and readable on more than one level.
Walter faber is a rational man who believes in technology, a creature of habit. A series of events disrupt his settled life. A plane crash, a chance meeting with the brother of an old friend, a visit to the friend in central america, whose body they discover at his home. Then there ia a boat journey across the Atlantic. Faber, a middle aged man, meets a 20 year old woman and they hit it off and continue to travel together and an affair develops. It transpires that the girl is his daughter, he didn't know he had (he thought the mother had an abortion). This isn't like the incest Laurie Lee describes in rural England; only a problem when the roads were bad, but is purely coincidental and enough to test any pure rationalist.
Then tragedy strikes in the form of a snake; a serpent strikes at the heart of the tale. This is man vs machine; but as the narrator, Mr Faber gives the plot away as you go along, it's a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion!
One thing I did notice; Faber just never stayed still, always on the move. Faber realises he cannot control his environment as life continues to conspire against him. He is dislocated with no family or home. he does become close to someone who might be family but ... Faber has avoided responsibility and fate makes him pay.
A striking novel with an unsympathetic protagonist (perhaps a debateable point) but a gripping and thought provoking story
Walter faber is a rational man who believes in technology, a creature of habit. A series of events disrupt his settled life. A plane crash, a chance meeting with the brother of an old friend, a visit to the friend in central america, whose body they discover at his home. Then there ia a boat journey across the Atlantic. Faber, a middle aged man, meets a 20 year old woman and they hit it off and continue to travel together and an affair develops. It transpires that the girl is his daughter, he didn't know he had (he thought the mother had an abortion). This isn't like the incest Laurie Lee describes in rural England; only a problem when the roads were bad, but is purely coincidental and enough to test any pure rationalist.
Then tragedy strikes in the form of a snake; a serpent strikes at the heart of the tale. This is man vs machine; but as the narrator, Mr Faber gives the plot away as you go along, it's a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion!
One thing I did notice; Faber just never stayed still, always on the move. Faber realises he cannot control his environment as life continues to conspire against him. He is dislocated with no family or home. he does become close to someone who might be family but ... Faber has avoided responsibility and fate makes him pay.
A striking novel with an unsympathetic protagonist (perhaps a debateable point) but a gripping and thought provoking story
May 30, 2021
螣 螔维位蟿蔚蟻 桅维渭蟺蔚蟻 - 慰 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蟿蔚蠂谓委蟿畏蟼 - 胃伪 尾喂蠋蟽蔚喂 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 蟽蔚喂蟻维 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿蠅谓 蟿畏谓 魏伪蟿维蟻蟻蔚蠀蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿畏渭慰谓喂魏萎蟼 蟽魏苇蠄畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟿慰蠀 慰蟻胃慰位慰纬喂蟽渭慰蠉 魏伪喂 胃伪 苇蟻胃蔚喂 伪谓蟿喂渭苇蟿蠅蟺慰蟼 渭蔚 "蟽畏渭伪谓蟿喂魏苇蟼" 伪蟽畏渭伪谓蟿蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 慰喂 慰蟺慰委蔚蟼 胃伪 伪位位维尉慰蠀谓 蟿畏谓 魏慰蟽渭慰胃蔚蠅蟻委伪 蟿慰蠀.
螣 萎蟻蠅伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 桅蟻喂蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 蟺慰位委蟿畏蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 蠀蟺蔚蟻蔚魏蟿喂渭萎蟽蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 喂魏伪谓蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 胃伪 未喂伪蟺蟻维尉蔚喂 蠉尾蟻畏 魏伪喂 蔚谓 蟿苇位蔚喂 胃伪 尾喂蠋蟽蔚喂 蟿畏 谓苇渭蔚蟽畏 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟺慰蠀 慰蠉蟿蔚 魏伪谓 蠁伪谓蟿伪味蠈蟿伪谓.
螘尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蟺蠈 苇谓伪 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪, 慰 慰蟺慰委慰蟼 渭伪蟼 未委谓蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟺喂慰 渭慰谓蟿苇蟻谓伪 蔚魏未慰蠂萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪蟿维 尾维蟽畏 伪蟻蠂伪委慰蠀 未蟻维渭伪蟿慰蟼.
螣 萎蟻蠅伪蟼 蟿慰蠀 桅蟻喂蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 蟺慰位委蟿畏蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 蠀蟺蔚蟻蔚魏蟿喂渭萎蟽蔚喂 蟿喂蟼 喂魏伪谓蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀, 胃伪 未喂伪蟺蟻维尉蔚喂 蠉尾蟻畏 魏伪喂 蔚谓 蟿苇位蔚喂 胃伪 尾喂蠋蟽蔚喂 蟿畏 谓苇渭蔚蟽畏 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟺慰蠀 慰蠉蟿蔚 魏伪谓 蠁伪谓蟿伪味蠈蟿伪谓.
螘尉伪喂蟻蔚蟿喂魏蠈 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蟺蠈 苇谓伪 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪, 慰 慰蟺慰委慰蟼 渭伪蟼 未委谓蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟺喂慰 渭慰谓蟿苇蟻谓伪 蔚魏未慰蠂萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪蟿维 尾维蟽畏 伪蟻蠂伪委慰蠀 未蟻维渭伪蟿慰蟼.
December 22, 2021
Sexist in der Midlifecrisis verknallt sich in seine Tochter. Overrated
June 22, 2024
鈥楬omo Faber鈥� is the concept of humans being able to control their fate and the environment through tools.
Idealistic but it becomes the fodder for Mr. Frisch鈥檚 last published book.
It took a few pages to catch this writer鈥檚 rhythm but, soon thereafter, it was an easy lope to the end.
This grateful reader was awed by the sublime dexterity the author employed to integrate so many themes concomitantly. Not in the patronymic way of the old Russians where we are always trying to remember the eighteen different names by which each character may be referred.
But in a complex labyrinth that allows different perceptions to flourish. A difficult feat, indeed. And while he is toying around with us, he makes us laugh. Consistently and throughout.
(Many times, it reminded me of Henderson the Rain King)
Walter Faber is a regular guy who works as a technologist for an American corporation. He is the protagonist, and we can witness through his eyes, what this European, specifically a Swiss, squeezes out of his life on this earth, directly after World War Two.
Death plays a big part in living, as Frisch is aware, and he uses it as a mechanism for human interaction and man-made peccadillos, and how we futilely plan or attempt to manipulate the present and/or the denouement.
I am not trying to be opaque but there is so much to enjoy here, and I do not want to reveal it all. (Oh, and I am lazy)
It is a strong piece of work, to be enjoyed by both girls and boys alike.
Idealistic but it becomes the fodder for Mr. Frisch鈥檚 last published book.
It took a few pages to catch this writer鈥檚 rhythm but, soon thereafter, it was an easy lope to the end.
This grateful reader was awed by the sublime dexterity the author employed to integrate so many themes concomitantly. Not in the patronymic way of the old Russians where we are always trying to remember the eighteen different names by which each character may be referred.
But in a complex labyrinth that allows different perceptions to flourish. A difficult feat, indeed. And while he is toying around with us, he makes us laugh. Consistently and throughout.
(Many times, it reminded me of Henderson the Rain King)
Walter Faber is a regular guy who works as a technologist for an American corporation. He is the protagonist, and we can witness through his eyes, what this European, specifically a Swiss, squeezes out of his life on this earth, directly after World War Two.
Death plays a big part in living, as Frisch is aware, and he uses it as a mechanism for human interaction and man-made peccadillos, and how we futilely plan or attempt to manipulate the present and/or the denouement.
I am not trying to be opaque but there is so much to enjoy here, and I do not want to reveal it all. (Oh, and I am lazy)
It is a strong piece of work, to be enjoyed by both girls and boys alike.
April 20, 2012
i truly hate this book! i had to read it in class once and create a frikking presentation. my mood drops several degrees when only thinking about this crappy book!
HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED
HIGHLY NOT RECOMMENDED
August 13, 2019
M眉hendis Walter Faber akl谋n ve mant谋臒谋n belirledi臒i s谋n谋rlarda ya艧amay谋 seven, modern, ger莽ek莽i ve bilimin g眉c眉ne inanan bir bireydir. 1950鈥檒erde ya艧ayan, d枚nemin modern bireyini yans谋tan u莽 枚rneklerden biridir. Rastlant谋ya ve kadere teslim olmayacak kadar ak谋lc谋 bir hayat tarz谋 vard谋r. 陌艧i gere臒i s谋k s谋k seyahat etmektedir. Bir g眉n bu seyahatleri s谋ras谋nda hayat谋n谋 ve ya艧ama bak谋艧 a莽谋s谋n谋 de臒i艧tirecek ve derinden sarsacak bir rastlant谋sal olay谋n kurban谋na d枚n眉艧眉r.
Max Frisch ba艧 karakter Walter Faber鈥檌 kurgunun merkezine alarak, onun 眉zerinden modern insan ele艧tirisi yap谋yor. Bunu yaparken de bir 莽ok d眉nya meselesine b眉y眉k b眉y眉k parantezler a莽谋yor. Kad谋n- erkek ele艧tirisi, s枚m眉r眉len toplumlar, sanat, Amerikan k眉lt眉r眉 ele艧tirisi ve hatta Hitler bile bu parantezlerin i莽inde.
Olay kurgusu ile insan谋 艧a艧谋rtmadan, s眉rprizsiz ama 莽arp谋c谋 bir 艧ekilde ilerliyor kitap. Faber鈥檌, o g眉莽l眉 modern insan谋 ve bak谋艧 a莽谋s谋n谋 莽ok a莽谋k ve net bir 艧ekilde, t谋pk谋 karakterin d眉艧眉ncelerinde ve davran谋艧lar谋nda sergiledi臒i gibi alg谋l谋yor ve o kafa yap谋s谋nda, zihninde canland谋rd谋臒谋 gibi bir d眉nyada onu kabulleniyoruz.
Roman sonlara yakla艧t谋k莽a karakterler ve d眉nyalar谋 sars谋c谋 bir 艧ekilde de臒i艧iyor. Bu sayede akl谋n ve bilimin insan hayat谋nda 莽ok 枚nemli oldu臒unu ama yine de bireyin kendi tercih ve 莽谋kmazlar谋n谋n hayat谋n谋n 眉zerinde daha b眉y眉k bir etkisi oldu臒unu anl谋yoruz.
Kitapla ilgili Ayfer Tun莽 ve Murat G眉lsoy鈥檜n diyaloglar谋n谋 izlemenizi tavsiye ederim.
Max Frisch ba艧 karakter Walter Faber鈥檌 kurgunun merkezine alarak, onun 眉zerinden modern insan ele艧tirisi yap谋yor. Bunu yaparken de bir 莽ok d眉nya meselesine b眉y眉k b眉y眉k parantezler a莽谋yor. Kad谋n- erkek ele艧tirisi, s枚m眉r眉len toplumlar, sanat, Amerikan k眉lt眉r眉 ele艧tirisi ve hatta Hitler bile bu parantezlerin i莽inde.
Olay kurgusu ile insan谋 艧a艧谋rtmadan, s眉rprizsiz ama 莽arp谋c谋 bir 艧ekilde ilerliyor kitap. Faber鈥檌, o g眉莽l眉 modern insan谋 ve bak谋艧 a莽谋s谋n谋 莽ok a莽谋k ve net bir 艧ekilde, t谋pk谋 karakterin d眉艧眉ncelerinde ve davran谋艧lar谋nda sergiledi臒i gibi alg谋l谋yor ve o kafa yap谋s谋nda, zihninde canland谋rd谋臒谋 gibi bir d眉nyada onu kabulleniyoruz.
Roman sonlara yakla艧t谋k莽a karakterler ve d眉nyalar谋 sars谋c谋 bir 艧ekilde de臒i艧iyor. Bu sayede akl谋n ve bilimin insan hayat谋nda 莽ok 枚nemli oldu臒unu ama yine de bireyin kendi tercih ve 莽谋kmazlar谋n谋n hayat谋n谋n 眉zerinde daha b眉y眉k bir etkisi oldu臒unu anl谋yoruz.
Kitapla ilgili Ayfer Tun莽 ve Murat G眉lsoy鈥檜n diyaloglar谋n谋 izlemenizi tavsiye ederim.
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