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賷丕賰賵亘 賮賵賳 睾賵賳鬲賳
賴匕賴 賴賷 丕賱丨乇賷丞 .. 廿賳賴丕 兀賲乇 卮鬲丕卅賷 賱丕 賷購丨鬲賲賱 胤賵賷賱賸丕. 賵賷噩亘 毓賱賶 丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賮賷賴 兀賳 賷鬲丨乇賰 亘丕爻鬲賲乇丕乇貙 賲孬賱賲丕 賳賮毓賱 賳丨賳 丕賱丌賳. 賮賷 丕賱丨乇賷丞 毓賱賶 丕賱賲乇亍 兀賳 賷乇賯氐貙 賮賴賷 亘丕乇丿丞 賵噩賲賷賱丞. 賵賱賰賳 廿賷丕賰 兀賳 鬲賯毓 賮賷 睾乇丕賲賴丕貙 賱兀賳 賴匕丕 爻賷丨夭賳賰 噩丿賸丕 賱丕丨賯賸丕貙 賮丕賱賲乇亍 賱丕 賷鬲賵丕噩丿 賮賷 賲賳丕胤賯 丕賱丨乇賷丞 廿賱丕 胤賵丕賱 賱丨馗丕鬲貙 賱丕 兀賰孬乇. 賵賳丨賳 賯丿 鬲噩丕賵夭賳丕 丕賱丨丿 丕賱丌賳. 丕賳馗乇 廿賱賶 丕賱賲爻乇亘 丕賱乇丕卅毓 丕賱匕賷 賳鬲夭賱噩 毓賱賷賴貙 賰賷賮 賷匕賵亘 亘亘胤亍. 丕賱丌賳 亘賵爻毓賰 乇丐賷丞 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賵賴賷 鬲賲賵鬲貙 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賮鬲丨 毓賷賳賷賰. 賮賷 賲爻鬲賯亘賱 兀賷丕賲賰 爻賷賰賵賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賲卮賴丿 丕賱匕賷 賷賯亘囟 丕賱賯賱亘 賲賳 賳氐賷亘賰 賲乇丕鬲 賰孬賷乇丞.
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賷鬲毓丕賲賱 賮丕賱夭乇 賲毓 丕賱賱睾丞 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘丕丨鬲乇丕賲 賰亘賷乇 賲孬賱賲丕 賷鬲毓丕賲賱 丕賱賲乇亍 賲毓 氐丿賷賯 賲亘噩賱 賵賲賯乇賻賾亘 賮賷 丕賱賵賯鬲 賳賮爻賴. 賴賽乇賿賲賻賳 賴賽爻賽賾賴
鬲賳胤賵賷 "賷丕賰賵亘 賮賵賳 睾賵賳鬲賳" 毓賱賶 賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱賲丨丕賰丕丞 丕賱爻丕禺乇丞 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱鬲乇亘賵賷丞 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷丞.
賰乇賷爻鬲賵賮乇 賲賷丿賱鬲賵賳
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賷鬲毓丕賲賱 賮丕賱夭乇 賲毓 丕賱賱睾丞 賮賷 賴匕賴 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 亘丕丨鬲乇丕賲 賰亘賷乇 賲孬賱賲丕 賷鬲毓丕賲賱 丕賱賲乇亍 賲毓 氐丿賷賯 賲亘噩賱 賵賲賯乇賻賾亘 賮賷 丕賱賵賯鬲 賳賮爻賴. 賴賽乇賿賲賻賳 賴賽爻賽賾賴
鬲賳胤賵賷 "賷丕賰賵亘 賮賵賳 睾賵賳鬲賳" 毓賱賶 賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱賲丨丕賰丕丞 丕賱爻丕禺乇丞 賱賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱鬲乇亘賵賷丞 丕賱鬲賯賱賷丿賷丞.
賰乇賷爻鬲賵賮乇 賲賷丿賱鬲賵賳
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1909
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12.1k people want to read
About the author
Robert Walser
224听books827听followersRobert Walser, a German-Swiss prose writer and novelist, enjoyed high repute among a select group of authors and critics in Berlin early in his career, only to become nearly forgotten by the time he committed himself to the Waldau mental clinic in Bern in January 1929. Since his death in 1956, however, Walser has been recognized as German Switzerland's leading author of the first half of the twentieth century, perhaps Switzerland's single significant modernist. In his homeland he has served as an emboldening exemplar and a national classic during the unparalleled expansion of German-Swiss literature of the last two generations.
Walser's writing is characterized by its linguistic sophistication and animation. His work exhibits several sets of tensions or contrasts: between a classic modernist devotion to art and a ceaseless questioning of the moral legitimacy and practical utility of art; between a spirited exuberance in style and texture and recurrent reflective melancholy; between the disparate claims of nature and culture; and between democratic respect for divergence in individuals and elitist reaction to the values of the mass culture and standardization of the industrial age.
Walser's writing is characterized by its linguistic sophistication and animation. His work exhibits several sets of tensions or contrasts: between a classic modernist devotion to art and a ceaseless questioning of the moral legitimacy and practical utility of art; between a spirited exuberance in style and texture and recurrent reflective melancholy; between the disparate claims of nature and culture; and between democratic respect for divergence in individuals and elitist reaction to the values of the mass culture and standardization of the industrial age.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
November 5, 2023
Jakob Von Gunten is a metaphor of learning in the school of life鈥�
Jakob aspires to be a servant鈥�
But he also wishes to be rich鈥�
And he dreams of vices鈥�
Jakob Von Gunten is an allegory of living a life.
We pupils all know, one as well as the next, that timidity is a punishable offence. Whoever stutters and shows fear is exposed to the scorn of our Fraulein, but we must be small, and we must know, know precisely, that we are nothing big. The law which commands, the discipline which compels, and the many unmerciful rules which give us a direction and give us good taste: that is the big thing, not us pupils. Well, everyone feels this, even I do, that we are small, poor dependent dwarfs, obliged to be continuously obedient.
Jakob aspires to be a servant鈥�
To me, for instance, wearing a uniform is very pleasant because I never did know, before, what clothes to put on. But in this, too, I am a mystery to myself for the time being. Perhaps there is a very very commonplace person inside me. But perhaps I have aristocratic blood in my veins. I don't know. But one thing I do know for certain: in later life I shall be a charming, utterly spherical zero. As an old man I shall have to serve young and confident and badly educated ruffians, or I shall be a beggar, or I shall perish.
But he also wishes to be rich鈥�
When I see candles burning, I always feel that I am wealthy.
And he dreams of vices鈥�
Then Virtue came in, a female figure of overwhelming beauty for anyone not frozen rigid, and weeping. I took her on my knee and fooled around with her. When I had robbed her of her unspeakable treasure, the Ideal, I chased her out with derision鈥�
Jakob Von Gunten is an allegory of living a life.
July 25, 2021
Jakob von Gunten dissects the remote and vulnerable regions of human brain, the dramatic tensions between the fluctuating demons of inner self and the savage realities of outer world carves out an enigmatic reality which pierces your heart and thrusts yourself through the crests and troughs of an assorted compendium of human emotions. Written during a period which transformed German fiction, when refined, compact elementary forms of prose were taking shape, when prose was becoming more analytic, Jakob von Gunten could be said as an exemplary achievement in that sense; in fact could be named an analytic soliloquy. The prose of Robert Walser has got something very primal in nature, it reveals the naivete of an expressionist artists whose soliloquy unites the gleam of imagination and reality.
Jakob, an ambiguous creature has noble faith in simple ideas but the idea of 'God' deludes him. A pedantic, didactic, sanctimonious upstart, Jakob strangely combines arrogance and humility; an un-sleeping accurate dreamer who banters drowsing map of his routine activities. The book consists of his reflections on the education he receives in the school鈥攁n education in humility. The humility taught by the Benjamentas is not of the religious variety. Their graduates aspire to be serving men or butlers, not saints. Jakob is not like other pupils, his consciousness forbids him to surrender himself to the follies carried out in Benjamenta, for him the lessons in humility have a deep personal resonance. One learns very little here, observes young Jakob von Gunten after his first day at the Benjamenta Institute, where he has enrolled himself as a student. The teachers lie around like dead men. There is only one textbook, What is the Aim of Benjamenta鈥檚 Boys鈥� School?, and only one lesson, How Should a Boy Behave? All the teaching is done by Fr盲ulein Lisa Benjamenta, sister of the principal. Herr Benjamenta himself sits in his office and counts his money, like an ogre in a fairy tale. In fact, the school is a bit of a swindle. Walser's design of improvisation assumes its impression on Jakob's sensibility, his passion for surprise, paradoxes remains in a constant flux of fact and fantasy. The bourgeois runaway from elite lifestyle wants to become zero- to start from all the way down. As suggested by Sartre in Being and Nothingess - one has to get rid of his projections to reach to the core of being where from the true existence of a person emanates.
Though Walser and Jakob has much in common but the book can't be mistaken for a self-portrait. Jakob von Gunten could be said as a new creation, if not then its parody for sure, in the German wave of blending self and nobility -German Idealism- to venture social and cultural reforms. He is highly self-critical perhaps to the extent of Dostoyevsky' s character in The Underground Man and Confessions of Rousseau. One may get awestruck to note the discretion with which the pomposity of maturity and intellectualism are annihilated but without savageness. It would not be appropriate to keep Walser in the breath of literature in which we put Kafka, Sartre, Nietzsche and others since Walser has not been an 'intellectual' author- once it was said for him that he is 'comic Kafka'.
Jakob says:-
I value the way in which I open a door..... The generations of men losing the joy of life with all their treatises and understandings and knowledge.....I like running down stairs. What a lot of talk!
The prose is an escapade built around idea of tales full of surprise, adventure and paradoxes; probably a mischievous blocking of dramatic thrust, also a parody of epic breath. Walser's prose is a dance rather than a walk through words, small dialogue nuances in Jakob's monologues vibrate back and forth. The use of different vocabulary for different characters creates a distinct effect which seems to form vivid experience of nonrepresentational art. Kraus's vocabulary embodies an impression which seems to shape out his character of humility, servitude.
Kraus to Jakob:-
You, you've got yourself pregnant with silly ideas. What a notion. Do something! Work, then you won't notice anything. You snooper. Snooping around for opinions and thoughts. Go away. I'm beginning to hate the sight of you.
The reader constantly finds him/ herself in an ever-churning vortex of reality and imagination, you sometimes wonder whether Jakob himself is disturbing the holy brane of space and time to carve out something which can be taken for reality or it鈥檚 one of his fantastical follies emanating from the profundity of his brain. When he arrives in Benjamenta, he gets fascinated with the idea that there is a mystery at the heart of the institute, the mystery which, when one traverses through the deep cervices of it, may introduce oneself to the elementary realities of life. But once Jakob penetrates in to the conundrum, he finds a mere goldfish; however, an initiation seeds an enchantment before this, perhaps in Jakob鈥檚 mental space if not in physical space.
The book demands constant attention of the reader, for sometimes it may occur as highly condensed interior monologue and during other, it may simple be a mystical tale created out of contradiction and juxtaposition of words. It鈥檚 not like those creations of art which you may like or dislike instantly in entirety. One may get caught up with a strange feeling of irresoluteness about the book, it may take time to sink in.
October 6, 2021
No es la primera vez que la literatura de Walser fue prof茅tica para 茅l mismo, en "Los hermanos Tanner" narr贸 su propia muerte. Tambi茅n aqu铆 encontraremos otro ejemplo de ello.
Si es verdad lo que se cuenta de 茅l, parece que fue el propio Robert Walser quien pidi贸 su internamiento en el manicomio de Waldau para escapar del mundo y con la esperanza de enloquecer del todo y para siempre. Pues bien, Jakob Von Gunten, tras romper las ataduras familiares, ingresa libremente en el Instituto Benjamenta con la intenci贸n de aprender a renunciar a s铆 mismo, para aprender a 鈥渧encer el orgullo y la arrogancia que a煤n lo animan parcialmente鈥�, para internalizar la subordinaci贸n como valor supremo, para, en definitiva, fundirse con el mundo y desaparecer del todo y para siempre.
Por supuesto, no es esta curiosa capacidad prof茅tica lo m谩s destacado de la obra de Walser. 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� nos expone con una hermosa sencillez los grandes problemas, esos que son indescifrables, imposibles de "resolver" sin apelar a la paradoja, a cierto grado de ambig眉edad y hasta de oscuridad en esos m谩rgenes difusos que solo se encuentran en la realidad fant谩stica, donde los vol煤menes adoptan formas volubles al ojo del espectador, de cada espectador. De ah铆 el extra帽o escenario en el que nos sit煤a Walser y los extra帽os personajes que aqu铆 encontramos y que conforman un espacio profundamente sugerente, repleto de ideas, met谩foras y simbolog铆a acerca de todo aquello 鈥渜ue se niega a ser o铆do鈥�.
Por ello, no es f谩cil concretar el significado de esta obra. Mi admirado Vila-Matas, entusiasta y ap贸stol confeso de la obra de Walser, la defini贸 como 鈥渓a historia del aprendizaje del procedimiento para que seamos elementos nulos e insignificantes para el poder鈥�. Sin pretender enmendarle la plana, tengo que decir que esas formas volubles a las que aludo m谩s arriba tomaron para m铆 unos perfiles bien distintos.
鈥溌uera pensamientos!鈥�, suplica Jakob. 鈥溌h, todos esos pensamientos y extra帽os deseos, esta b煤squeda, este tender las manos hacia alg煤n significado!鈥�, se lamenta. Alejarnos de la reflexi贸n y abrazar la efusi贸n, escapar de la individualidad, de los deseos, de las aspiraciones y hacerse nada en la nada. Esta es la quim茅rica intenci贸n con la que Jakob ingresa en el Instituto Benjamenta y el quim茅rico objetivo de la educaci贸n que en 茅l se imparte. No es, por tanto, la intenci贸n, al menos no la principal a mi modo de ver, hacer cr铆tica de los sistemas educativos, bien sean los impuestos por el poder en general bien sea el imperante en su 茅poca. El sistema educativo de este especial铆simo instituto, cuya ense帽anza consiste b谩sicamente en inculcar a los alumnos la paciencia y la obediencia, es el apropiado para el objetivo perseguido. El Instituto Benjamenta es el medio; el fracaso es el fin.
驴Por qu茅 tan peculiar personaje abriga tan peculiar deseo? 驴Angustia existencial? 驴La vida le parece superficial e intrascendente o un lugar inh贸spito e inhabitable donde solo encontraremos frustraci贸n y decepci贸n? En ambos casos la sensaci贸n que Jakob nos trasmite es la misma: somos soldados de Napole贸n camino de Mosc煤.
Tambi茅n podr铆a ser simple cobard铆a 驴Pudiera ser que Jakob fuera incapaz de enfrentarse a un mundo cambiante que ya no se rige por las leyes y modos aristocr谩ticos que le son propios? 驴O quiz谩s sencillamente es que tiene miedo de no estar a la altura de lo que su alcurnia le exige? Incluso es posible que la raz贸n se encuentre en un espacio m谩s prosaico aun, esto es, que Walser nos quiera embromar de mala manera y el ingreso de Jakob se deba 煤nicamente a la decisi贸n adolescente de huir de su familia tras agredir a un profesor de su anterior colegio, el profesor de historia, el respetable doctor Merz.
驴Qu茅 elegir, la seriedad o la bufonada? O quiz谩s, como criaturas degradadas, 驴no deber铆amos tomarnos la novela (y la vida misma) 鈥渆n serio, pero tambi茅n a la ligera, casi fr铆volamente鈥�? 驴Es el final de la novela la respuesta a esta pregunta? 驴As铆 es como tenemos que interpretar el suceso que le acontece a Fr盲ulein Lisa Benjamenta, s铆mbolo de lo puro, de lo serio, de lo tr谩gico? 驴Es ese el significado de la decisi贸n que toma Jakob acerca de Herr Benjamenta, protagonista de las escenas m谩s esperp茅nticas del relato?
Las formas volubles se tornan en este final m谩s juguetonas que nunca, pero merece la pena el juego: disfr煤tenlo.
Si es verdad lo que se cuenta de 茅l, parece que fue el propio Robert Walser quien pidi贸 su internamiento en el manicomio de Waldau para escapar del mundo y con la esperanza de enloquecer del todo y para siempre. Pues bien, Jakob Von Gunten, tras romper las ataduras familiares, ingresa libremente en el Instituto Benjamenta con la intenci贸n de aprender a renunciar a s铆 mismo, para aprender a 鈥渧encer el orgullo y la arrogancia que a煤n lo animan parcialmente鈥�, para internalizar la subordinaci贸n como valor supremo, para, en definitiva, fundirse con el mundo y desaparecer del todo y para siempre.
Por supuesto, no es esta curiosa capacidad prof茅tica lo m谩s destacado de la obra de Walser. 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� nos expone con una hermosa sencillez los grandes problemas, esos que son indescifrables, imposibles de "resolver" sin apelar a la paradoja, a cierto grado de ambig眉edad y hasta de oscuridad en esos m谩rgenes difusos que solo se encuentran en la realidad fant谩stica, donde los vol煤menes adoptan formas volubles al ojo del espectador, de cada espectador. De ah铆 el extra帽o escenario en el que nos sit煤a Walser y los extra帽os personajes que aqu铆 encontramos y que conforman un espacio profundamente sugerente, repleto de ideas, met谩foras y simbolog铆a acerca de todo aquello 鈥渜ue se niega a ser o铆do鈥�.
Por ello, no es f谩cil concretar el significado de esta obra. Mi admirado Vila-Matas, entusiasta y ap贸stol confeso de la obra de Walser, la defini贸 como 鈥渓a historia del aprendizaje del procedimiento para que seamos elementos nulos e insignificantes para el poder鈥�. Sin pretender enmendarle la plana, tengo que decir que esas formas volubles a las que aludo m谩s arriba tomaron para m铆 unos perfiles bien distintos.
鈥溌uera pensamientos!鈥�, suplica Jakob. 鈥溌h, todos esos pensamientos y extra帽os deseos, esta b煤squeda, este tender las manos hacia alg煤n significado!鈥�, se lamenta. Alejarnos de la reflexi贸n y abrazar la efusi贸n, escapar de la individualidad, de los deseos, de las aspiraciones y hacerse nada en la nada. Esta es la quim茅rica intenci贸n con la que Jakob ingresa en el Instituto Benjamenta y el quim茅rico objetivo de la educaci贸n que en 茅l se imparte. No es, por tanto, la intenci贸n, al menos no la principal a mi modo de ver, hacer cr铆tica de los sistemas educativos, bien sean los impuestos por el poder en general bien sea el imperante en su 茅poca. El sistema educativo de este especial铆simo instituto, cuya ense帽anza consiste b谩sicamente en inculcar a los alumnos la paciencia y la obediencia, es el apropiado para el objetivo perseguido. El Instituto Benjamenta es el medio; el fracaso es el fin.
驴Por qu茅 tan peculiar personaje abriga tan peculiar deseo? 驴Angustia existencial? 驴La vida le parece superficial e intrascendente o un lugar inh贸spito e inhabitable donde solo encontraremos frustraci贸n y decepci贸n? En ambos casos la sensaci贸n que Jakob nos trasmite es la misma: somos soldados de Napole贸n camino de Mosc煤.
Tambi茅n podr铆a ser simple cobard铆a 驴Pudiera ser que Jakob fuera incapaz de enfrentarse a un mundo cambiante que ya no se rige por las leyes y modos aristocr谩ticos que le son propios? 驴O quiz谩s sencillamente es que tiene miedo de no estar a la altura de lo que su alcurnia le exige? Incluso es posible que la raz贸n se encuentre en un espacio m谩s prosaico aun, esto es, que Walser nos quiera embromar de mala manera y el ingreso de Jakob se deba 煤nicamente a la decisi贸n adolescente de huir de su familia tras agredir a un profesor de su anterior colegio, el profesor de historia, el respetable doctor Merz.
鈥淣ada deseo con m谩s franqueza que la insinceridad, y nunca soy mejor persona que cuando finjo que soy malo鈥�Tras esta parad贸jica confesi贸n en los primeros pasajes de la novela, 驴no deber铆amos dudar de todo lo que en su diario escribe este extra帽o ser procedente de una familia aristocr谩tica que pretende convencernos de su prop贸sito y de la conveniencia de vivir como un sirviente? 驴No es esta una decisi贸n altamente contradictoria con el placer que extrae de la trasgresi贸n de la ley; con su fuerte tendencia a la provocaci贸n desde la irreverencia del descre铆do; con el gusto con el que arremete sarc谩sticamente contra todo y contra todos en el instituto (con una鈥o, dos gloriosas excepciones); con el ir贸nico escepticismo con el que atiende a los consejos de su hermano, el importante, el adaptado, el que sabe que 鈥渘o hay nada, absolutamente nada digno de desearse鈥�, que 鈥渢odo est谩 podrido鈥� y que, sin embargo, aconseja el anhelo apasionado? 驴Qui茅n es realmente este ser que afirma no querer ser amado ni deseado, que dice no reconocer verdades, no encontrar significados y que, no obstante, desde 鈥渆ste creer-saber y este nunca-saber-nada-sin-embargo鈥� nos dice que quiere vivir 鈥渟ea como sea鈥�? 驴No es justo esto lo que busca, resaltar la paradoja que es querer vivir, las inevitables contradicciones en las que caemos al empe帽arnos en seguir con nuestras vidas, siendo un empe帽o que no nos es atribuible directamente?
驴Qu茅 elegir, la seriedad o la bufonada? O quiz谩s, como criaturas degradadas, 驴no deber铆amos tomarnos la novela (y la vida misma) 鈥渆n serio, pero tambi茅n a la ligera, casi fr铆volamente鈥�? 驴Es el final de la novela la respuesta a esta pregunta? 驴As铆 es como tenemos que interpretar el suceso que le acontece a Fr盲ulein Lisa Benjamenta, s铆mbolo de lo puro, de lo serio, de lo tr谩gico? 驴Es ese el significado de la decisi贸n que toma Jakob acerca de Herr Benjamenta, protagonista de las escenas m谩s esperp茅nticas del relato?
Las formas volubles se tornan en este final m谩s juguetonas que nunca, pero merece la pena el juego: disfr煤tenlo.
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December 12, 2024As I was reading through I wondered what genre it belonged to. Was it some kind of memoir? Was it a coming of age story? Was it a love story? Was it perhaps something totally new, a genre I'd never met before? Or was it rather something utterly ancient, as ancient as the stories of the Old Testament.
Ancient, yes, that was the predominant feeling I was left with at the end, though the writing has nothing biblical about it whatsoever being extremely lighthearted and jolly in tone which is one of the many paradoxes of this short novel. In fact Jacob, the narrator, speaks constantly in paradoxes: he tells of a school where no learning takes place, and of a feared principal who is really rather meek.
Jacob sees beauty in the oddest of places, even in the idiosyncrasies of headboy Kraus:
Jacob expounds on the virtues of compliance to rules in one breath while telling us that he loves running on the stairs in the next:
Although it was written more than one hundred years ago, each word, each sentence, in this slim book, has the freshness of new snow, though perhaps new snow on which a happy dog has left a yellow stain, because Jacob鈥檚 sparkling words are always sprinkled with little ironies.
The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions. Nothing can excite me so deeply as the sight and smell of what is good and just, Jacob tells us before revealing that:
Those tremblings of beauty in defiance reminded me of the biblical story of Lucifer before the Fall, whose heart, according to Ezekiel was lifted up because of thy beauty but who had become corrupted by reason of thy brightness.
I imagined Jacob as a latter-day Lucifer, shining very brightly among his duller fellows. But unlike Lucifer, he succeeds in seducing the Father figure of his world completley and causes him to lose his bearings so that instead of rejecting Jacob and casting him out, he 'casts out' all the 'good' pupils/angels instead, even the rule-abiding and very fundamentalist Archangel, Kraus.
So the story made me think about what the Judeo/Christian/Islamic world would be like if we鈥檇 never had a Lucifer figure to demonise, and if the deity had presented itself as just as human and weak as the rest of us...
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Ancient, yes, that was the predominant feeling I was left with at the end, though the writing has nothing biblical about it whatsoever being extremely lighthearted and jolly in tone which is one of the many paradoxes of this short novel. In fact Jacob, the narrator, speaks constantly in paradoxes: he tells of a school where no learning takes place, and of a feared principal who is really rather meek.
Jacob sees beauty in the oddest of places, even in the idiosyncrasies of headboy Kraus:
I do like people who get angry. Kraus gets angry on the slightest pretext. That is so beautiful, so noble. The sinner must always be faced with the person outraged, or else something would be missing. The mumbling of a grumbler is lovelier to me than the murmuring of a woodland stream.
Jacob expounds on the virtues of compliance to rules in one breath while telling us that he loves running on the stairs in the next:
To be supposed not to do something is so alluring sometimes that one can鈥檛 help doing it. Therefore I love so deeply every compulsion, because it allows me to take joy in what is illicit. If there were no commandments, no duties in the world, I would die, starve, be crippled by boredom. I provoke the frowning law to anger a little, afterwards I make the effort to pacify it.
Although it was written more than one hundred years ago, each word, each sentence, in this slim book, has the freshness of new snow, though perhaps new snow on which a happy dog has left a yellow stain, because Jacob鈥檚 sparkling words are always sprinkled with little ironies.
Sly and knowing people are to me an unspeakable abomination. How nice Peter is, in precisely this point. His being tall, so tall that he could crack in two, is good, but even better is the goodness of heart which keeps whispering to him that he is a cavalier and has the looks of a noble rake.
The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions. Nothing can excite me so deeply as the sight and smell of what is good and just, Jacob tells us before revealing that:
nothing pleases me more than to give a completely false image of myself to people for whom I have made a place in my heart鈥hus for example, I imagine that it would be unspeakably lovely to die with the terrible knowledge that I have offended whomsoever I love the most and have filled them with bad opinions of me. Nobody will understand that, or only someone who can sense tremblings of beauty in defiance.
Those tremblings of beauty in defiance reminded me of the biblical story of Lucifer before the Fall, whose heart, according to Ezekiel was lifted up because of thy beauty but who had become corrupted by reason of thy brightness.
I imagined Jacob as a latter-day Lucifer, shining very brightly among his duller fellows. But unlike Lucifer, he succeeds in seducing the Father figure of his world completley and causes him to lose his bearings so that instead of rejecting Jacob and casting him out, he 'casts out' all the 'good' pupils/angels instead, even the rule-abiding and very fundamentalist Archangel, Kraus.
So the story made me think about what the Judeo/Christian/Islamic world would be like if we鈥檇 never had a Lucifer figure to demonise, and if the deity had presented itself as just as human and weak as the rest of us...
Image:
February 12, 2024
Since my retirement I have been rereading some of the books I was very fond of in my youth, with somewhat mixed results. For example, when young I loved to read such authors as Hesse, Sartre, and Dickens, whose works I now find almost unreadable. However, I am happy to report that I still love 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥�, and the incomparable (literally) Walser in general, after rereading this book after more than 35 years!
Jakob, who is from a wealthy aristocratic family, wants to experience life from the bottom up and therefore abandons his privileged station and enrols in a school for servants. The school doesn鈥檛 actually teach its pupils anything; they just have to learn by heart the many institutional rules of behaviour. The school鈥檚 motto is 鈥渨enig aber gr眉ndlich鈥� (鈥渓ittle but thorough鈥�)! The story has only the barest bones of what could be described as a plot and is really an internalised soliloquy of wistful and mysterious musings. The narrative consists of an apparently naive and ironic stream of consciousness, except one is never quite sure whether naivety and irony are intentional or not. Many of the musings show how the school, which can be understood to stand for the wider society just before the Great War, kills off every shred of what is alive in its pupils. In the end the only solution appears to be a violent breakout鈥�
In my opinion it is important not to read Walser too analytically, just like Kafka, who was apparently a great admirer of Walser鈥檚. Of course Walser鈥檚 writings are highly symbolic and critical of society and it is therefore tempting to interpret his writing constantly, but it is well to remember that Walser was a troubled human being who wrote from his own experiences (in fact much of this book is probably autobiographical and we know that Walser actually attended a school for servants). It is impossible to know what all his symbolisms, metaphors, and analogies actually signify and I suspect that he himself often didn鈥檛 know. I think it is preferable to read his works, especially this book, with an open, rather than analytical, mind. That way one gets the full benefit of possible meanings, as well as the wonderfully dynamic and ephemeral movements of his narratives. Rereading 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� now, over 100 years after it was first published, I am amazed at how modernistic this book still sounds to me.
What I really love about Walser鈥檚 unique use of language is the fact that he is not afraid to use Swiss German syntax and even sometimes Swiss German vocabulary. It is so refreshing to read a Swiss author writing in German who doesn鈥檛 feel the need to ape the language of writers from Germany: it lends authenticity and suggests respect for language. This reminds me that I should read an English translation of this book in order to see how Walser鈥檚 use of language is dealt with in translation. I understand that Christopher Middleton, his main translator into English, is well respected.
For my non-Germanic readers I should probably explain the problems we Swiss Germans have with the German language: Swiss German is not really mutually comprehensible with Hochdeutsch (High German; analogous to Received Pronunciation in British English) or with German dialects, except dialects closely related to Swiss German as those spoken in southern Germany and western Austria, e.g. those of Swabia, parts of Baden-W眉rttemberg, and Vorarlberg. Swiss German differs substantially from Hochdeutsch in almost all respects, including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, but we (the Swiss) nevertheless regard it as a dialect (actually a group of dialects) of German, which means that it is only a spoken 鈥渓anguage鈥� and we use a variant of Hochdeutsch for the purposes of reading and writing. We call that variant 鈥淪chriftsprache鈥�, which literally means 鈥淲ritten Language鈥�. Actually, most Germans and Austrians also speak dialects, but these are generally closer to Hochdeutsch than is Swiss German, which means that their users are comfortable switching to Hochdeutsch in formal situations. Swiss Germans, on the other hand, use dialect exclusively in (almost) all situations and generally would rather die than speak Schriftsprache, which we feel is infinitely inferior to Hochdeutsch and sounds clumsy and uncouth in our mouths compared to 鈥減roper鈥� Hochdeutsch, which few Swiss people are capable of speaking fluently and without accent. It鈥檚 really like a national inferiority complex! Probably this is mostly in our heads, look at what Walser achieved, who actually uses Swiss Schriftsprache rather than Hochdeutsch, although, admittedly, he only had to use it for writing!
Jakob, who is from a wealthy aristocratic family, wants to experience life from the bottom up and therefore abandons his privileged station and enrols in a school for servants. The school doesn鈥檛 actually teach its pupils anything; they just have to learn by heart the many institutional rules of behaviour. The school鈥檚 motto is 鈥渨enig aber gr眉ndlich鈥� (鈥渓ittle but thorough鈥�)! The story has only the barest bones of what could be described as a plot and is really an internalised soliloquy of wistful and mysterious musings. The narrative consists of an apparently naive and ironic stream of consciousness, except one is never quite sure whether naivety and irony are intentional or not. Many of the musings show how the school, which can be understood to stand for the wider society just before the Great War, kills off every shred of what is alive in its pupils. In the end the only solution appears to be a violent breakout鈥�
In my opinion it is important not to read Walser too analytically, just like Kafka, who was apparently a great admirer of Walser鈥檚. Of course Walser鈥檚 writings are highly symbolic and critical of society and it is therefore tempting to interpret his writing constantly, but it is well to remember that Walser was a troubled human being who wrote from his own experiences (in fact much of this book is probably autobiographical and we know that Walser actually attended a school for servants). It is impossible to know what all his symbolisms, metaphors, and analogies actually signify and I suspect that he himself often didn鈥檛 know. I think it is preferable to read his works, especially this book, with an open, rather than analytical, mind. That way one gets the full benefit of possible meanings, as well as the wonderfully dynamic and ephemeral movements of his narratives. Rereading 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� now, over 100 years after it was first published, I am amazed at how modernistic this book still sounds to me.
What I really love about Walser鈥檚 unique use of language is the fact that he is not afraid to use Swiss German syntax and even sometimes Swiss German vocabulary. It is so refreshing to read a Swiss author writing in German who doesn鈥檛 feel the need to ape the language of writers from Germany: it lends authenticity and suggests respect for language. This reminds me that I should read an English translation of this book in order to see how Walser鈥檚 use of language is dealt with in translation. I understand that Christopher Middleton, his main translator into English, is well respected.
For my non-Germanic readers I should probably explain the problems we Swiss Germans have with the German language: Swiss German is not really mutually comprehensible with Hochdeutsch (High German; analogous to Received Pronunciation in British English) or with German dialects, except dialects closely related to Swiss German as those spoken in southern Germany and western Austria, e.g. those of Swabia, parts of Baden-W眉rttemberg, and Vorarlberg. Swiss German differs substantially from Hochdeutsch in almost all respects, including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, but we (the Swiss) nevertheless regard it as a dialect (actually a group of dialects) of German, which means that it is only a spoken 鈥渓anguage鈥� and we use a variant of Hochdeutsch for the purposes of reading and writing. We call that variant 鈥淪chriftsprache鈥�, which literally means 鈥淲ritten Language鈥�. Actually, most Germans and Austrians also speak dialects, but these are generally closer to Hochdeutsch than is Swiss German, which means that their users are comfortable switching to Hochdeutsch in formal situations. Swiss Germans, on the other hand, use dialect exclusively in (almost) all situations and generally would rather die than speak Schriftsprache, which we feel is infinitely inferior to Hochdeutsch and sounds clumsy and uncouth in our mouths compared to 鈥減roper鈥� Hochdeutsch, which few Swiss people are capable of speaking fluently and without accent. It鈥檚 really like a national inferiority complex! Probably this is mostly in our heads, look at what Walser achieved, who actually uses Swiss Schriftsprache rather than Hochdeutsch, although, admittedly, he only had to use it for writing!
February 3, 2015
Imagine the school scenes from Gormenghast rewritten by Kafka and you'll have a good idea of the atmosphere of Jakob von Gunten, a short and stodgy philosophical fable of a very Germanic kind. It's easy to see why Kafka and Hesse were such fans; I wasn't quite so convinced, although I can understand why so many people love it.
The novel consists of a journal written by the title character, who has enrolled in a school for servants (based on Walser's own experience at a valet school in Berlin). The Benjamenta Institute is a closed world, with its own bizarre rules, a remote Principal, a mysterious Instructress 鈥� it's all dusty classrooms and intimations of impending disaster. In this constrained setting, Jakob conducts his own explorations of the interior world 鈥� probing his mind, examining his relationships with other people, and recording everything in a breathless, childlike narrative.
The microcosmic environment and the introspective narrator combine to produce a sort of parable about the importance of fully immersing yourself in everyday existence.
I pay attention, and that makes life more beautiful, for if we don't have to pay attention there really is no life.
However, this theme doesn't come without a certain 鈥榥ativist鈥�, anti-intellectual strain that I found a little disingenuous, however appealing. Jakob hates 鈥榯he kind of person who pretends he understands everything and beamingly parades knowledge and wit鈥�; what he likes is simplicity, people who simply do, without analysing. This is an awkward message for a writer to pull off, because a writer is precisely someone who reflects on and analyses their experiences. (And indeed for Jakob, writers are 鈥榡ust windbags who only want to study, make pictures and observations. To live is what matters, then the observation happens of its own accord.鈥�)
Of course, Jakob himself has to embody exactly what he says he hates, otherwise he wouldn't be able to narrate a book. So he's intelligent and thoughtful, but he's not happy about it.
I despise my capacity for thinking. I value only experiences, and these, as a rule, are quite independent of all thinking and comparing. Thus I value the way in which I open a door. There is more hidden life in opening a door than in asking a question.
A really beautiful phrase 鈥� but the idea behind it, though attractive, with a little reflection seems obviously wrong. I say 鈥榦bviously鈥� because if it were true, there would be no need to write books like this in the first place. If this book has any value at all, then that value can only be conveyed through means that the book itself disparages.
It has to be said as well that Christopher Middleton's translation (in the NYRB edition) seems rather heavy-handed and, well, infelicitous at times. We have sentences such as, 鈥楽chacht likes to offend against the rules and I, to be candid, unfortunately no less,鈥� which can only go through your head in a thick German accent. (Oops, I mean Swiss.) On the other hand, Middleton's introduction reads a bit awkwardly too, so maybe that's just the way he speaks.
Walser once said, 鈥楪od is the opposite of Rodin.鈥� I don't know what he meant but I like it, and I didn't want to end this review without mentioning it somewhere. This book is similarly cryptic, provocative and anti-artistic. I wouldn't recommend it exactly, but if I saw you reading it in Starbucks I'd nod sagely and offer to buy you another pumpkin latte.
October 18, 2019
Jakob ile tan谋艧t谋臒谋ma 莽ok memnunum. Kolay kolay akl谋mdan 莽谋kmayacak, hatta bazen bir r眉ya sonras谋, bazen karma艧谋k d眉艧眉ncelerle kendimi y谋pratt谋臒谋m ve hemen ard谋ndan kendimi rahatlatmak i莽in t眉m varl谋臒谋m谋, iyilikleri, k枚t眉l眉kleri red edece臒im bir g眉n眉n herhangi bir an谋nda onu an谋msayaca臒谋m谋 biliyorum.
Metin bana 枚yle garip ve gelgitli 艧eyler hissettirdi ki anlatmas谋 sahiden zor. Bamba艧ka metinlerin de i莽ine att谋 fark谋nda olmadan okurken. En g眉zel k谋s谋m da san谋r谋m oydu. Jakob'un okuldaki arkada艧lar谋n谋 kategorilendirme ve sembolize etme y枚n眉yle Thomas Mann'谋n B眉y眉l眉 Da臒'谋n谋 hat谋rlatt谋 mesela. Bir s眉re 艧unu d眉艧眉nd眉m: karakterlerden biri olan Kraus b眉y眉y眉p kar艧谋m谋za Ishiguro'nun G眉nden Kalanlar'谋ndaki ba艧 u艧ak olarak 莽谋kacak. Ve sonlara do臒ru Jakob efendi 艧ovuna devam ederken, mantar yiyip de zehirlenmi艧 gibi zehir zeka zihninin d眉艧眉ncelerini taramal谋 t眉fek gibi bize savururken 艧unu d眉艧眉nd眉m, bu 莽ocuk b眉y眉y眉nce Dostoyevski'nin Yeralt谋ndan Notlar谋'nda bize meydan okuyacak.
Uzun laf谋n k谋sas谋, Jakob anlat谋lacak bir karakter de臒il, kendisiyle tan谋艧mak istiyorsan谋z, kitab谋 okuman谋z gerekecek.
"Art谋k hi莽bir 艧ey d眉艧眉nmek istemiyorum. Tanr谋'y谋 da m谋? Hay谋r! Tanr谋 benimle olacak. O'nu d眉艧眉nmeme ne gerek var ki? Tanr谋 zaten d眉艧眉ncesiz insanlarla d眉艧眉p kalkar."
Metin bana 枚yle garip ve gelgitli 艧eyler hissettirdi ki anlatmas谋 sahiden zor. Bamba艧ka metinlerin de i莽ine att谋 fark谋nda olmadan okurken. En g眉zel k谋s谋m da san谋r谋m oydu. Jakob'un okuldaki arkada艧lar谋n谋 kategorilendirme ve sembolize etme y枚n眉yle Thomas Mann'谋n B眉y眉l眉 Da臒'谋n谋 hat谋rlatt谋 mesela. Bir s眉re 艧unu d眉艧眉nd眉m: karakterlerden biri olan Kraus b眉y眉y眉p kar艧谋m谋za Ishiguro'nun G眉nden Kalanlar'谋ndaki ba艧 u艧ak olarak 莽谋kacak. Ve sonlara do臒ru Jakob efendi 艧ovuna devam ederken, mantar yiyip de zehirlenmi艧 gibi zehir zeka zihninin d眉艧眉ncelerini taramal谋 t眉fek gibi bize savururken 艧unu d眉艧眉nd眉m, bu 莽ocuk b眉y眉y眉nce Dostoyevski'nin Yeralt谋ndan Notlar谋'nda bize meydan okuyacak.
Uzun laf谋n k谋sas谋, Jakob anlat谋lacak bir karakter de臒il, kendisiyle tan谋艧mak istiyorsan谋z, kitab谋 okuman谋z gerekecek.
"Art谋k hi莽bir 艧ey d眉艧眉nmek istemiyorum. Tanr谋'y谋 da m谋? Hay谋r! Tanr谋 benimle olacak. O'nu d眉艧眉nmeme ne gerek var ki? Tanr谋 zaten d眉艧眉ncesiz insanlarla d眉艧眉p kalkar."
August 16, 2014
How does one begin to write even an on-the-fly review of such a novel, one that should be experienced as a series of deceptively simple vignettes in the young life of the titular character and be relished as Walser carries one along with Jakob's singular voice? Jakob von Gunten is also a difficult novel from which to quote given how the reader manages to catch small glimpses of how the narrative voice will develop and evolve, something that this reviewer would not wish to ruin for any future reader of this very precious book.
Walser really is a master at the microcosmic: the Benjamenta Institute鈥攚here Jakob installs himself to learn (or not learn) the ways of the world鈥攖ruly is the world. Just as The Walk and The Assistant offer microcosmic and often claustrophobic scenes that suggest their application to society and culture at large, so, too, does Jakob von Gunten.
In all of these works鈥攚hich, to date, are the only works by Walser I've had the chance to read鈥擶alser gives us searing and incisive psychological portraits of his protagonists; at the same time, Walser is superbly nonjudgmental in presenting both their virtues and their vices. His humanism and compassion is evident, as well as an overarching concern with morality, class divisions, the function of dreams and fantasies in forging a creative and cosmopolitan place in society, and the ways in which industrialization and urbanization (always in the background in Walser's work, but a prevalent motif all the same) cause individuals to lose some sense of a shared, common history.
Jakob's voice is that of a child and yet he is also emphatically not a child. Instead, Walser suggests that there is no distinction to be made between childhood and adulthood; in so doing, he also breaks down other dualistic and dichotomous categories, causing Jakob's precarious, playful, perverse, and inquisitive questioning of the world in which he lives to become the questions that we all pose when faced with change of any sort.
(And despite the quick nature of this review, it seems has decided to feature it. MWL is a great resource: check it out if you don't already know about it.)
Walser really is a master at the microcosmic: the Benjamenta Institute鈥攚here Jakob installs himself to learn (or not learn) the ways of the world鈥攖ruly is the world. Just as The Walk and The Assistant offer microcosmic and often claustrophobic scenes that suggest their application to society and culture at large, so, too, does Jakob von Gunten.
In all of these works鈥攚hich, to date, are the only works by Walser I've had the chance to read鈥擶alser gives us searing and incisive psychological portraits of his protagonists; at the same time, Walser is superbly nonjudgmental in presenting both their virtues and their vices. His humanism and compassion is evident, as well as an overarching concern with morality, class divisions, the function of dreams and fantasies in forging a creative and cosmopolitan place in society, and the ways in which industrialization and urbanization (always in the background in Walser's work, but a prevalent motif all the same) cause individuals to lose some sense of a shared, common history.
Jakob's voice is that of a child and yet he is also emphatically not a child. Instead, Walser suggests that there is no distinction to be made between childhood and adulthood; in so doing, he also breaks down other dualistic and dichotomous categories, causing Jakob's precarious, playful, perverse, and inquisitive questioning of the world in which he lives to become the questions that we all pose when faced with change of any sort.
(And despite the quick nature of this review, it seems has decided to feature it. MWL is a great resource: check it out if you don't already know about it.)
January 18, 2018
Bayanlar baylar, e臒er m眉saade ederseniz, sizleri Jakob Von Gunten ile tan谋艧t谋rmak istiyorum. Bir 莽ocuk, bir 枚臒renci Jakob. Onun hakk谋nda 莽ok 艧ey s枚ylenebilir ama k谋sa kesece臒im. 陌nsana ait 莽ok 艧eyi kendinde bar谋nd谋rm谋艧. Onun iyili臒ini, k枚t眉l眉臒眉n眉, tembelli臒ini, 艧谋mar谋kl谋臒谋n谋, k眉stahl谋臒谋n谋, kibrini uzun uzun anlatabilirim ama buna gerek yok. Bunun yerine onu ele veren kendi c眉mlelerinden bir ka莽谋n谋 ve onunla nas谋l tan谋艧 oldu臒umuzdan bahsedece臒im.
Ondan ilk defa bahsedildi臒ini bana ayr谋ks谋 bir okuma listesi sunan Enrique Vila-Matas'谋n Bartleby ve 艦眉rekas谋 adl谋 eserinden duymu艧tum. 艦眉rekan谋n bir numaral谋 ismi olan Jakob, Vila-Matas'In da esin kaynaklar谋n谋n ba艧谋nda yer alm谋艧...
陌艧te Jakob'un c眉mleleri:
"Her 艧eye ra臒men biz k眉莽眉k insanlar bir 艧eyiz."
"Bir 艧ey yapmak zorunda olmamak bazen 枚yle 莽ekici geliyor ki insana, kendinizi buna teslim etmekten ba艧ka bir 艧ey gelmez elinizden."
"Kendimize olan inanc谋m谋z al莽akg枚n眉ll眉l眉臒眉m眉zd眉r."
"Sayg谋ya de臒er bulunmayan insanlar her 艧eyi ciddiye al谋r ya da hafife al谋r ve sululu臒a vurur."
"D眉nya 眉zerinde on binlerce kafa bo艧una 莽al谋艧谋yor"
"Gelecekteki t眉m ba艧ar谋lardan nefret ediyorum."
Ondan ilk defa bahsedildi臒ini bana ayr谋ks谋 bir okuma listesi sunan Enrique Vila-Matas'谋n Bartleby ve 艦眉rekas谋 adl谋 eserinden duymu艧tum. 艦眉rekan谋n bir numaral谋 ismi olan Jakob, Vila-Matas'In da esin kaynaklar谋n谋n ba艧谋nda yer alm谋艧...
陌艧te Jakob'un c眉mleleri:
"Her 艧eye ra臒men biz k眉莽眉k insanlar bir 艧eyiz."
"Bir 艧ey yapmak zorunda olmamak bazen 枚yle 莽ekici geliyor ki insana, kendinizi buna teslim etmekten ba艧ka bir 艧ey gelmez elinizden."
"Kendimize olan inanc谋m谋z al莽akg枚n眉ll眉l眉臒眉m眉zd眉r."
"Sayg谋ya de臒er bulunmayan insanlar her 艧eyi ciddiye al谋r ya da hafife al谋r ve sululu臒a vurur."
"D眉nya 眉zerinde on binlerce kafa bo艧una 莽al谋艧谋yor"
"Gelecekteki t眉m ba艧ar谋lardan nefret ediyorum."
October 11, 2013
Quite an oddity; it took me a while to decide whether I liked it or not; it鈥檚 quite abstract and the protagonist isn鈥檛 someone that I would immediately warm to. The novel is written in the first person. Jakob is from a good family, with money and possibly titled who decides to go to the big city (Berlin) and join a school for servants (much as Walser did) called the Benjamenta Institute. The only teaching members we meet are the Principal and his sister.
The book is in diary form and consists of Jakob鈥檚 reflections and his philosophy; and also something of the philosophy of being a servant and being invisible with appropriate humility. Jakob is highly self-critical (sometimes irritatingly so) and there were times I was reminded of Uriah Heep. Walser鈥檚 influences are not easy to pin down. His intensely self critical nature has been compared to Rousseau in the Confessions and to a Dostoyevskian character. One of his translators has argued that Jakob has some similarities to characters in German folk tales (Brothers Grimm); the hero who braves the castle and wins the day against the odds. But victory is bittersweet because at the end Jakob is still back in the real world. Kafka was a fan and it is easy to see why and to see shades of The Castle in particular.
Jakob鈥檚 odd combination of humility and arrogance and his philosophy sometimes feel unsettling and contradictory; there are clear Nietzschean references and yet Walser is also analysing the middle class/bourgeois psyche which will have such an influence on German history in the early twentieth century. The elevation of the banal and the ultimate discovery by Jakob that at the heart it is all hollow and meaningless; the mysterious inner chambers are not all they seem; neither are the Benjamenta鈥檚.
The foreshadowing of Nazism in characters like Kraus is startling; as is the amused tolerance of those in authority; there is a level of madness about it, but it is so simple, at times amusing; but also sad given Walser鈥檚 later descent into madness. Pretty much nothing happens on the surface, but Jakob has a hard time living with himself. A later poem by Walser sums it up;
I would wish it on no one to be me.
Only I am capable of bearing myself.
To know so much, to have seen so much, and
To say nothing, just about nothing
The book is in diary form and consists of Jakob鈥檚 reflections and his philosophy; and also something of the philosophy of being a servant and being invisible with appropriate humility. Jakob is highly self-critical (sometimes irritatingly so) and there were times I was reminded of Uriah Heep. Walser鈥檚 influences are not easy to pin down. His intensely self critical nature has been compared to Rousseau in the Confessions and to a Dostoyevskian character. One of his translators has argued that Jakob has some similarities to characters in German folk tales (Brothers Grimm); the hero who braves the castle and wins the day against the odds. But victory is bittersweet because at the end Jakob is still back in the real world. Kafka was a fan and it is easy to see why and to see shades of The Castle in particular.
Jakob鈥檚 odd combination of humility and arrogance and his philosophy sometimes feel unsettling and contradictory; there are clear Nietzschean references and yet Walser is also analysing the middle class/bourgeois psyche which will have such an influence on German history in the early twentieth century. The elevation of the banal and the ultimate discovery by Jakob that at the heart it is all hollow and meaningless; the mysterious inner chambers are not all they seem; neither are the Benjamenta鈥檚.
The foreshadowing of Nazism in characters like Kraus is startling; as is the amused tolerance of those in authority; there is a level of madness about it, but it is so simple, at times amusing; but also sad given Walser鈥檚 later descent into madness. Pretty much nothing happens on the surface, but Jakob has a hard time living with himself. A later poem by Walser sums it up;
I would wish it on no one to be me.
Only I am capable of bearing myself.
To know so much, to have seen so much, and
To say nothing, just about nothing
September 23, 2019
"Burada herkesin acelesi var, 莽眉nk眉 insanlar谋n akl谋 fikri 莽abalay谋p bir 艧eylere ula艧mak 眉zere ilerlemenin ne kadar g眉zel oldu臒unda. Hayat谋n h谋zl谋 bir ritmi var. Yaralar derinle艧iyor ve a臒r谋lar a臒谋rla艧谋yor, 莽眉nk眉 burada sevin莽 her yerdekinden fazla ve uzun ya艧an谋yor."
Jaguar Kitap 馃挌
Jaguar Kitap 馃挌
February 4, 2018
Jakob von Gunten 猫 uno di quei libri la cui capacit脿 di suggerire interpretazioni 猫 infinita. 猫 il romanzo preferito di Kafka, che lo leggeva ridendo di gusto ai suoi amici, e uno dei pi霉 misteriosi libri che abbia mai letto. la storia 猫 quella di un giovane discendente di una famiglia aristocratica che arriva in un istituto dove si insegna l'umilt脿 e la sottomissione. solo chi riuscir脿 a sottomettersi nel maggior grado di purezza, a essere uno "zero rotondo come una palla" riuscir脿 ad adempiere perfettamente i dettami dell'istituto Benjamenta. ad essere soppresso per貌 猫 l'insegnamento stesso, gli insegnanti dormono o sono morti, la mistificazione 猫 in agguato, il sentore 猫 quello di una truffa ben architettata. Si entra nell'istituto Benjamenta con un certo sospetto, e si rimane perch茅 qualcosa di ineffabile ha catturato chi vi 猫 entrato, in un sonno che dura la vita intera. non 猫 quello che si dice un romanzo di formazione, ma di iniziazione. non 猫 nemmeno un romanzo, ma un diario dove si racconta la battaglia tra la coscienza di Jakob Von Gunten e i soprusi della realt脿, quel "lestofante che ti ruba cose di cui non sa che farsene". In tutta l'opera di Walser ricorrono alcuni oggetti che si fanno simboli della sua esistenza e della sua prosa. lapis, spilli, zolfanelli, cenere. "se soffiamo sulla cenere", dice in un passo tratto da un altro suo libro "non c'猫 assolutamente nulla in essa che opponga resistenza per non volarsene via in un baleno. La cenere rappresenta in s茅 l'umilt脿, l'insignificante, l'assenza di valore. e, ci貌 che 猫 ancora pi霉 bello, essa stessa pervasa dalla condizione di non valere nulla. si pul essere pi霉 inconsistenti, pi霉 deboli, pi霉 inetti della cenere? 猫 davvero difficile. 猫 priva di carattere, e dal legno di qualsiasi essenza 猫 ancora pi霉 lontana di quanto non sia lo scoramento dall'euforia. dove vi 猫 cenere, non vi 猫 in fondo proprio nulla. metti il piede sulla cenere, e quasi non ti accorgerai di aver calcato qualcosa." Robert Walser non possedeva nulla, non un tetto n茅 nulla. persino la carta su cui scriveva con il lapis le opere con la sua micrografia era di seconda mano. questa rinuncia ai beni materiali e progressivamente a ciascun rapporto umano, questo starsene rintanato in un angolo immerso in chiss脿 quale fantasticheria, l'essere morto in una passeggiata d'inverno, vergine, il suo corpo goffo e ingombrante steso e fotografato sopra la neve, le scarpe grosse e quasi ridicole nella loro goffaggine, questa sua rinuncia al mondo, questo suo rasentare fino al limite della follia la condizione bartlebyana, lo zero assoluto, il volo del cacciatore gracco nelle regioni silenziose, fredde ed arcane dell'esistenza, fa di lui pi霉 che un uomo una apparizione. una apparizione che non ha lasciato nessuna impronta sulla cenere. L'anelito di Robert Walser era quello di penetrare il mistero, farsene carico, violare alcuni codici di quel mondo impenetrabile e trasmetterceli in qualche modo. il rebus della sua vita e della sua opera non 猫 stato ancora decifrato.
October 7, 2019
賵丕賱夭乇 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴鈥屰� 賲丨亘賵亘 讴丕賮讴丕貙 賴爻賴 賵 鬲賵禺賵賱爻讴蹖 亘賵丿賴 丕爻鬲. 賲賳 賳鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賲 禺蹖賱蹖 亘丕 讴鬲丕亘卮 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 亘乇賯乇丕乇 讴賳賲 賵 賱匕鬲 亘亘乇賲.
亘蹖賳 賲丕 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賲丿乇賳 賵 賲睾乇賵乇 賵 丿乇亘 賵 丿丕睾丕賳 賴賲 亘乇丿賴鈥屬囏й� 夭蹖丕丿蹖 賵噩賵丿 丿丕乇丿. 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 賴賲賴鈥屰� 賲丕 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й� 丕賲乇賵夭蹖 趩蹖夭蹖 賲孬賱 亘乇丿賴鈥屬囏� 賴爻鬲蹖賲貨 鬲丨鬲 丕賳賯蹖丕丿 蹖讴 丕賳丿蹖卮賴鈥屰� 噩賴丕賳蹖 毓氐亘蹖 賵 禺卮賳 讴賴 鬲丕夭蹖丕賳賴鈥屫ж� 乇丕 丿乇 賴賵丕 鬲讴丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫囏�. 氐 96 讴鬲丕亘
丨爻 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁� 丕蹖賳 趩蹖夭蹖 讴賴 丕爻賲卮 乇丕 丿賳蹖丕 诏匕丕卮鬲賴鈥屫з嗀� 乇亘胤卮 亘賴 賲賳 趩賯丿乇 讴賲 丕爻鬲 賵 丌賳趩賴 讴賴 賲賳 賳丕賲卮 乇丕 丿賳蹖丕 賲蹖鈥屭柏ж辟呚� 趩賯丿乇 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 爻鬲乇诏 賵 噩匕丕亘 賲蹖鈥屫③屫�. 氐 147 讴鬲丕亘
亘蹖賳 賲丕 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賲丿乇賳 賵 賲睾乇賵乇 賵 丿乇亘 賵 丿丕睾丕賳 賴賲 亘乇丿賴鈥屬囏й� 夭蹖丕丿蹖 賵噩賵丿 丿丕乇丿. 卮丕蹖丿 賴賲 賴賲賴鈥屰� 賲丕 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й� 丕賲乇賵夭蹖 趩蹖夭蹖 賲孬賱 亘乇丿賴鈥屬囏� 賴爻鬲蹖賲貨 鬲丨鬲 丕賳賯蹖丕丿 蹖讴 丕賳丿蹖卮賴鈥屰� 噩賴丕賳蹖 毓氐亘蹖 賵 禺卮賳 讴賴 鬲丕夭蹖丕賳賴鈥屫ж� 乇丕 丿乇 賴賵丕 鬲讴丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫囏�. 氐 96 讴鬲丕亘
丨爻 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁� 丕蹖賳 趩蹖夭蹖 讴賴 丕爻賲卮 乇丕 丿賳蹖丕 诏匕丕卮鬲賴鈥屫з嗀� 乇亘胤卮 亘賴 賲賳 趩賯丿乇 讴賲 丕爻鬲 賵 丌賳趩賴 讴賴 賲賳 賳丕賲卮 乇丕 丿賳蹖丕 賲蹖鈥屭柏ж辟呚� 趩賯丿乇 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 爻鬲乇诏 賵 噩匕丕亘 賲蹖鈥屫③屫�. 氐 147 讴鬲丕亘
September 4, 2023
Grandes personajes hacen grandes novelas y Jakob von Gunten es sin duda uno de esos grandes personajes de la literatura imposibles de olvidar.
Hijo de una familia aristocr谩tica, Jakob es un adolescente que ingresa a un internado bastante particular llamado Instituto Benjamenta, donde lo que se ense帽a es disciplina, subordinaci贸n y obediencia, y se prepara a los estudiantes para ser sumisos y estar solamente al servicio de otros, para tener trabajos subalternos sin mayores aspiraciones.
La novela en s铆 no es otra cosa que el diario personal del joven von Gunten, donde ir谩 narrando los acontecimientos que tienen lugar en el instituto y reflexionar谩 sobre sus motivaciones para estudiar en este extra帽o internado dirigido por dos hermanos, que parece que prepara a sus estudiantes tanto para entrar en la vida como para salir de ella.
No es una novela f谩cil de leer, o por lo menos a mi me cost贸 un poco entrar en sinton铆a con la escritura, pero una vez que le tome ritmo la disfrut茅 mucho.
Es una muy buena novela con muchos pasajes para resaltar que te dejan pensando largo rato, pero a煤n as铆 no es una novela f谩cil de recomendar.
鈥淎l final, me he escondido en el Instituto y he vuelto a ponerme el traje de alumno. Me encuentro bien aqu铆, lo percibo, y es probable que m谩s tarde, cuando me haya convertido en algo importante, experimente una est煤pida nostalgia por los Benjamenta; pero nunca jam谩s me convertir茅 en algo importarte y esta prof茅tica certidumbre me hace temblar con una extra帽a satisfacci贸n. Un buen d铆a me caer谩 encima uno de esos golpes, que anonadan a las personas, y todo acabar谩 entonces, acabar谩 este embrollo, esta zozobra, esta ignorancia, todo, todo, gratitud e ingratitud, mentira e ilusiones, este creer saber y, por el contrario, nunca saber nada. Sin embargo, deseo vivir, no importa como.鈥�
Hijo de una familia aristocr谩tica, Jakob es un adolescente que ingresa a un internado bastante particular llamado Instituto Benjamenta, donde lo que se ense帽a es disciplina, subordinaci贸n y obediencia, y se prepara a los estudiantes para ser sumisos y estar solamente al servicio de otros, para tener trabajos subalternos sin mayores aspiraciones.
La novela en s铆 no es otra cosa que el diario personal del joven von Gunten, donde ir谩 narrando los acontecimientos que tienen lugar en el instituto y reflexionar谩 sobre sus motivaciones para estudiar en este extra帽o internado dirigido por dos hermanos, que parece que prepara a sus estudiantes tanto para entrar en la vida como para salir de ella.
No es una novela f谩cil de leer, o por lo menos a mi me cost贸 un poco entrar en sinton铆a con la escritura, pero una vez que le tome ritmo la disfrut茅 mucho.
Es una muy buena novela con muchos pasajes para resaltar que te dejan pensando largo rato, pero a煤n as铆 no es una novela f谩cil de recomendar.
鈥淎l final, me he escondido en el Instituto y he vuelto a ponerme el traje de alumno. Me encuentro bien aqu铆, lo percibo, y es probable que m谩s tarde, cuando me haya convertido en algo importante, experimente una est煤pida nostalgia por los Benjamenta; pero nunca jam谩s me convertir茅 en algo importarte y esta prof茅tica certidumbre me hace temblar con una extra帽a satisfacci贸n. Un buen d铆a me caer谩 encima uno de esos golpes, que anonadan a las personas, y todo acabar谩 entonces, acabar谩 este embrollo, esta zozobra, esta ignorancia, todo, todo, gratitud e ingratitud, mentira e ilusiones, este creer saber y, por el contrario, nunca saber nada. Sin embargo, deseo vivir, no importa como.鈥�
May 19, 2019
Yeni edisyonuyla 莽ok yak谋nda Jaguar'da...
March 31, 2025
鈥淎h, all these thoughts, all this peculiar yearning, this seeking, this stretching out of hands toward a meaning. Let it all dream, let it all sleep. I'll simply let it come. Let it come.鈥�
Sextet of Genii, by Paul Klee.
What an odd, lovely little book. The entries read like prose-poetry, gurgling and splashing like a mountain stream, along between the stones in their childlike simplicity. But there鈥檚 a darkness beneath their sparkling surface; you can鈥檛 quite shake feeling the seventeen-year-old narrator鈥檚 insane鈥攖hat you鈥檙e 鈥渋n the clutches of a semi-lunatic,鈥� that somewhere here there are unspeakable horrors鈥攁nd neither can you quite put your finger on why you feel that way. Maybe it鈥檚 just that no one this happy all the time can be trusted. The school the narrator attends鈥攐r claims to attend鈥攎ight not exist at all. He might be dreaming. He might be dead. This might be heaven; it might be hell. Who knows? After two hundred pages of being stuck in his head, I鈥檓 just glad it鈥檚 over.
Sextet of Genii, by Paul Klee.
What an odd, lovely little book. The entries read like prose-poetry, gurgling and splashing like a mountain stream, along between the stones in their childlike simplicity. But there鈥檚 a darkness beneath their sparkling surface; you can鈥檛 quite shake feeling the seventeen-year-old narrator鈥檚 insane鈥攖hat you鈥檙e 鈥渋n the clutches of a semi-lunatic,鈥� that somewhere here there are unspeakable horrors鈥攁nd neither can you quite put your finger on why you feel that way. Maybe it鈥檚 just that no one this happy all the time can be trusted. The school the narrator attends鈥攐r claims to attend鈥攎ight not exist at all. He might be dreaming. He might be dead. This might be heaven; it might be hell. Who knows? After two hundred pages of being stuck in his head, I鈥檓 just glad it鈥檚 over.
February 24, 2010
I really, really hated this book. Jakob von Gunten (the character) is the most dull, fey, irritating, and obtuse example of a first-person narrator I have yet encountered in my literary sojourns. I wanted to track him down and to bludgeon him to death.
October 8, 2019
脟ok garip bir roman 'Jakob von Gunten'. Okuru ters k枚艧elerde d枚nd眉r眉p duran ironilerin dans etti臒i bir anlat谋. Karakterimiz Jakob'un kutsi amac谋nda kendini g枚steren bu ironi (yoksa ironi de臒il mi) bir s眉re sonra olaylar谋n ak谋艧谋na da sirayet ediyor. Hakk谋nda bir 艧eyler s枚ylemenin zor oldu臒u ama i莽inde bir s眉r眉 c眉mlenin 枚zenle 莽izildi臒i ve sakland谋臒谋 bir kitap oldu臒undan; kitab谋 anlatmak yerine -fikirsel bir metin istiyorsan谋z 艧ayet- direkt okuman谋z谋 tavsiye ederim. Umar谋m seversiniz. Benim kafam biraz kar谋艧谋k zira:) Ald谋臒谋 zaman谋n hakk谋n谋 veren bir okuma mutlaka ama ki艧isel zevklerinize 莽ok hitap etmeyebilir.
陌yi okumalar.
7/10
陌yi okumalar.
7/10
December 14, 2015
I would wish it on no one to be me.
Only I am capable of bearing myself.
To know so much, to have seen so much, and
To say nothing, just about nothing.
Written by Robert Walser, as quoted by J.M. Coetzee in
-----------------------------------------------------
Those dates there at the top of this review tell me that I took an inexplicable two and a half weeks to read this novella of a mere 164 pages.
At the back of my edition I find a schematic overview of Walser's biography. You know the style: a date, and where he was in that year.
1892-95: apprenticeship in the Biel branch of the Berner Kantonalbank.
22nd October 1894: death of his mother. Dreams of a career as an actor.
1895:April-August in Basel. Living with relatives. Employed as secretary with a haulier and a bank.
From September: in Stuttgart. Living with his brother in a single man's hostel. Working for the publishing company Cotta. End of his hopes of a Thespian career.
1896: until the end of September in Stuttgart. Returned to Switzerland on foot
I have to check to see: as the crow flies, taking his destination as Z眉rich, that is just over 100 miles, on roads and pathways closer to 140. Probably around a week? How could it possibly take me longer to read 164 pages than for him to walk 140 miles?
----------------------------------------------
Walking: the firm ground, eaten up by the rhythm of pacing feet. The smell of wet grass, the sound of cows tearing green stalks, rain on your face, the wind in your ears. Jakob von Gunten offers the opposite of such pleasures. Apart from being inside a claustrophobic institution, one that purports to be a training school for valets, but offers no instruction, employs teachers who are asleep, or dead, or only appear to be dead, or have turned to stone, (in any case the pupils can get nothing from them), apart from the feeling that life here is arrested, that this is a kind of ante-room to life, a state of infinite waiting, apart from all that there is no firm narrative ground underfoot, quagmires erupt, the passing landscape bleaches out at the corner of my eye and turns into the stuff of nightmare. Jakob von Gunten is one of the most unsettling narrators I have ever come across. He is a nothing, one of the large, round attractive (attractive?) zeros ('eine reizende, kugelrunde Null') that the Institut Benjamenta is so keen to produce, a master of self-effacement, he has no ties of any kind with family, or social class, or friends, or work colleagues. He apparently exists only in his relationships with the other inmates of the institute: and his relations with them are characterised by a disconcerting mix of condescension and admiration, along with the odd swirl of inappropriate intimacy. Schacht for example: Jakob likes talking to Schacht. He seems to understand everything you say to him, and he himself, from time to time, says something significant. And then he complains quite often, Jakob loves that in a conversation, because it gives him the opportunity to look at him and feel deep, heartfelt sympathy with him - and this is where it shifts, where the ground begins to move, because the German word Mitleid can also mean pity, and Schacht, when you look at him, has something pitiable about him even when he is not complaining. Schacht has soul. And because Jakob can masquerade as a sympathetic listener, Schacht even betrays his shameful secret: he has a disease, the sort of disreputable disease that he hopes Jakob will be discreet about, and indeed Jakob promises him, on his word of honour, that he will keep silent on this matter, 'to reassure him'.
And then asks him to show him the diseased part.
Or Kraus. Kraus is not a quick learner. But he will make a very good servant, he has the right air of humility and acquiescence, unmatched, incomparable. He is bound to be employed by the best sort, a Countess at the least. If it weren't for his unsightly spots. Really, very unfortunate. Poor Kraus!
---------------------------------------------
Jakob does go out. To watch with equanimity how the Polish waitress swindles him out of his only cash, to walk in the anonymous crowds of nameless nothings that turns, for him, into a grim (Grimm) fairy tale world of dwarves and monsters, trams like boxes of people, omnibuses like huge insects. The inhumanity of the masses. 1909: an early witness to the alienating effect of city life.
He visits his brother. Yes, he has a brother. But his world is alien too. Jakob mimics the behaviour of society: with not a little talent. How mean is that?
-------------------------------------------
I had to take a break from this nightmare. There seemed to be no destination for this journey, and I was teetering, swaying, insecure. It is impossible to read: is this irony, or sarcasm? Is Jakob breathtakingly impudent, or is he worryingly compliant? Sometimes, there is a glimpse of true nobility of the soul. Or is he saying that nobility of the soul is a sham? Hard to tell.
-----------------------------------------
That tone: of cheerful acquiescence in an unacceptable destiny. Self-regulation. Self-denial. Self-annihilation. And yet forcing, imposing himself on others. Forcing the director of the institute to take on some kind of authority. Feeding off others, a parasite that ultimately will kill its host. It opened chasms of horror within.
---------------------------------------
We are the hollow men.
We are the stuffed men.
But Jakob maintains that they vibrate.
----------------------------------------
Only I am capable of bearing myself.
To know so much, to have seen so much, and
To say nothing, just about nothing.
Written by Robert Walser, as quoted by J.M. Coetzee in
-----------------------------------------------------
Those dates there at the top of this review tell me that I took an inexplicable two and a half weeks to read this novella of a mere 164 pages.
At the back of my edition I find a schematic overview of Walser's biography. You know the style: a date, and where he was in that year.
1892-95: apprenticeship in the Biel branch of the Berner Kantonalbank.
22nd October 1894: death of his mother. Dreams of a career as an actor.
1895:April-August in Basel. Living with relatives. Employed as secretary with a haulier and a bank.
From September: in Stuttgart. Living with his brother in a single man's hostel. Working for the publishing company Cotta. End of his hopes of a Thespian career.
1896: until the end of September in Stuttgart. Returned to Switzerland on foot
I have to check to see: as the crow flies, taking his destination as Z眉rich, that is just over 100 miles, on roads and pathways closer to 140. Probably around a week? How could it possibly take me longer to read 164 pages than for him to walk 140 miles?
----------------------------------------------
Walking: the firm ground, eaten up by the rhythm of pacing feet. The smell of wet grass, the sound of cows tearing green stalks, rain on your face, the wind in your ears. Jakob von Gunten offers the opposite of such pleasures. Apart from being inside a claustrophobic institution, one that purports to be a training school for valets, but offers no instruction, employs teachers who are asleep, or dead, or only appear to be dead, or have turned to stone, (in any case the pupils can get nothing from them), apart from the feeling that life here is arrested, that this is a kind of ante-room to life, a state of infinite waiting, apart from all that there is no firm narrative ground underfoot, quagmires erupt, the passing landscape bleaches out at the corner of my eye and turns into the stuff of nightmare. Jakob von Gunten is one of the most unsettling narrators I have ever come across. He is a nothing, one of the large, round attractive (attractive?) zeros ('eine reizende, kugelrunde Null') that the Institut Benjamenta is so keen to produce, a master of self-effacement, he has no ties of any kind with family, or social class, or friends, or work colleagues. He apparently exists only in his relationships with the other inmates of the institute: and his relations with them are characterised by a disconcerting mix of condescension and admiration, along with the odd swirl of inappropriate intimacy. Schacht for example: Jakob likes talking to Schacht. He seems to understand everything you say to him, and he himself, from time to time, says something significant. And then he complains quite often, Jakob loves that in a conversation, because it gives him the opportunity to look at him and feel deep, heartfelt sympathy with him - and this is where it shifts, where the ground begins to move, because the German word Mitleid can also mean pity, and Schacht, when you look at him, has something pitiable about him even when he is not complaining. Schacht has soul. And because Jakob can masquerade as a sympathetic listener, Schacht even betrays his shameful secret: he has a disease, the sort of disreputable disease that he hopes Jakob will be discreet about, and indeed Jakob promises him, on his word of honour, that he will keep silent on this matter, 'to reassure him'.
And then asks him to show him the diseased part.
Or Kraus. Kraus is not a quick learner. But he will make a very good servant, he has the right air of humility and acquiescence, unmatched, incomparable. He is bound to be employed by the best sort, a Countess at the least. If it weren't for his unsightly spots. Really, very unfortunate. Poor Kraus!
Mich zum Beispiel w眉rden die Punkte, die ihn verunzieren, nicht im mindesten hindern, ihn zu k眉ssen, wenn es darauf ank盲me.
For my part, those spots that spoil his looks would not prevent me from kissing him, if it was necessary.Under what circumstances would it be necessary, I wonder?
---------------------------------------------
Jakob does go out. To watch with equanimity how the Polish waitress swindles him out of his only cash, to walk in the anonymous crowds of nameless nothings that turns, for him, into a grim (Grimm) fairy tale world of dwarves and monsters, trams like boxes of people, omnibuses like huge insects. The inhumanity of the masses. 1909: an early witness to the alienating effect of city life.
He visits his brother. Yes, he has a brother. But his world is alien too. Jakob mimics the behaviour of society: with not a little talent. How mean is that?
-------------------------------------------
I had to take a break from this nightmare. There seemed to be no destination for this journey, and I was teetering, swaying, insecure. It is impossible to read: is this irony, or sarcasm? Is Jakob breathtakingly impudent, or is he worryingly compliant? Sometimes, there is a glimpse of true nobility of the soul. Or is he saying that nobility of the soul is a sham? Hard to tell.
-----------------------------------------
That tone: of cheerful acquiescence in an unacceptable destiny. Self-regulation. Self-denial. Self-annihilation. And yet forcing, imposing himself on others. Forcing the director of the institute to take on some kind of authority. Feeding off others, a parasite that ultimately will kill its host. It opened chasms of horror within.
---------------------------------------
We are the hollow men.
We are the stuffed men.
But Jakob maintains that they vibrate.
----------------------------------------
December 10, 2020
Bundan 10 sene 枚nce okudu臒umda s谋k谋ld谋臒谋m谋 hat谋rl谋yorum. Bu okuyu艧um olduk莽a keyifliydi. Okuma zaman谋m 艧imdi gelmi艧 demek, o zaman 莽ok haz谋r de臒ilmi艧im. Walser'谋n di臒er kitaplar谋n谋 da (tekrar) okuyorum, hepsi bitince daha kapsaml谋 bir 艧eyler yazar谋m.
May 17, 2020
陌艧te edebiyat谋n bize hediye etti臒i unutulmayacak bir karakter daha: Jakob Von Gunten! Babas谋n谋n soylulu臒u ve kusursuzlu臒undan ka莽arak u艧ak yeti艧tiren Benjamenta Ensit眉s眉鈥檔e kay谋t olmas谋yla ba艧l谋yor hikaye. Daha do臒rusu biz o zaman tan谋k olmaya ba艧l谋yoruz olanlara 莽眉nk眉 bilmedi臒imiz bir zamanda tohumlar at谋l谋yor Jakob鈥檜n i莽ine, d眉艧眉n眉p tart谋yor sonunda uzakla艧mak istiyor ailesinden. Ne var ki gitti臒i yer de ona uygun de臒il. Ailesinin ya艧ant谋s谋, sokaklarda bir o yana bir bu yana h谋zl谋ca ko艧turan insanlar ya da enstit眉 ya艧am谋 hepsi uzak ondan. Kal谋b谋,zorunluluklar谋, itaati olmayan bir ya艧am onun istedi臒i. Aray谋艧la ba艧l谋yor kitap, sorgulama ve ba艧kald谋r谋ya d枚n眉艧眉yor. T眉m bunlar谋n sonunda ise kendi se莽ti臒i yolda devam ediyor hayat谋na kahraman谋m谋z. Alt谋n谋 莽izdi臒im pek 莽ok c眉mle, sakinli臒e 枚vg眉 d眉zd眉臒眉 anlarda kalben ayn谋 艧eyleri hissetti臒im pek 莽ok an oldu. Jakob beni yan谋na ald谋 ve bana da sorgulatt谋 herseyi. Son sayfada tad谋 dama臒谋mda kald谋.
April 24, 2021
Here's the cover of the 1983 Vintage Books trade paperback I have (154 pages).
February 3, 2014
One day I shall be laid low by a stroke, and then everything, all these confusions, this longing, this unknowing, all this, the gratitude and ingratitude, this telling lies and self-deception, this thinking that one knows and yet never knowing anything, will come to an end. But I want to live, no matter what.
(I am numb towards this novel. Such is presently immune to interpretation. Okay I checked: no response)
Walser's novel exudes a refined decadence. There are echoes of uproar and decay along the margins of Jakob's observations. Jakob Von Gunten has arrived at a vocational institute to be trained as a domestic. Immediately, the protagonist notices that there isn't much instruction, not much activity at all. He details his classmates and accomplishes a self-portrait in the process. This is a petulant being, yet one who aches for earnestness. He aspires and ascribes himself to different forms of historical glory. All the while the owners of the institute confide in him as their own grasp on life loosens and slips. I hated the first half of this novel. It was the gradual inclusion of the adults in the panorama which saved the work for me.
(I am numb towards this novel. Such is presently immune to interpretation. Okay I checked: no response)
Walser's novel exudes a refined decadence. There are echoes of uproar and decay along the margins of Jakob's observations. Jakob Von Gunten has arrived at a vocational institute to be trained as a domestic. Immediately, the protagonist notices that there isn't much instruction, not much activity at all. He details his classmates and accomplishes a self-portrait in the process. This is a petulant being, yet one who aches for earnestness. He aspires and ascribes himself to different forms of historical glory. All the while the owners of the institute confide in him as their own grasp on life loosens and slips. I hated the first half of this novel. It was the gradual inclusion of the adults in the panorama which saved the work for me.
September 6, 2019
jakob von gunten: hayata at谋lmak 眉zere olan bir gen莽. kendi se莽imleriyle, kendi d眉艧眉nceleriyle kendini kurmaya, kendine bir gelecek yaratmaya 莽al谋艧谋yor. s眉rekli g枚zl眉yor, g枚zlemliyor, inceliyor, hayat谋n-insan谋n meselelerini 枚nce farkedi艧 tespit-te艧his, ard谋ndan soruna direnme ve m眉cadele, sonra kabullenme ve en son bu ikilemden kurtulu艧 olarak yeni bir s枚z s枚yleme 莽abas谋, yeni bir yol, yeni bir aray谋艧. s眉rekli d眉艧眉n眉yor, d眉艧眉nce 眉retiyor. d眉艧眉nce ve hayal. d眉艧眉ncelerinden, hayallerinden gelece臒ini kurmaya 莽al谋艧谋yor. kurulmu艧 gelece臒inden, kuruldu臒unu g枚rd眉臒眉 gelece臒inden ka莽谋yor daha do臒rusu.
ve walser: belki b眉y眉k romanc谋-edebiyat莽谋 de臒il ama 莽a臒谋n谋n b眉y眉k romanc谋lar谋n hi莽birinde olmayan bir duyarl谋l谋臒a sahip. g枚ren, bilen, ele艧tiren, de臒i艧tirmeye 莽al谋艧an, hem bunun d眉艧眉ncesini hem ruhunu ta艧谋yan, hem b眉y眉k 莽abay谋 hem ka莽谋n谋lmaz yenilgiyi i莽inde bar谋nd谋ran. sonunda kendini zehirlemi艧 duyarl谋l谋臒谋yla, kendini kendine kapatm谋艧 walser ama b眉y眉k yazarlara, iyi okurlara e艧siz bir miras b谋rakm谋艧.
ve walser: belki b眉y眉k romanc谋-edebiyat莽谋 de臒il ama 莽a臒谋n谋n b眉y眉k romanc谋lar谋n hi莽birinde olmayan bir duyarl谋l谋臒a sahip. g枚ren, bilen, ele艧tiren, de臒i艧tirmeye 莽al谋艧an, hem bunun d眉艧眉ncesini hem ruhunu ta艧谋yan, hem b眉y眉k 莽abay谋 hem ka莽谋n谋lmaz yenilgiyi i莽inde bar谋nd谋ran. sonunda kendini zehirlemi艧 duyarl谋l谋臒谋yla, kendini kendine kapatm谋艧 walser ama b眉y眉k yazarlara, iyi okurlara e艧siz bir miras b谋rakm谋艧.
April 12, 2025
賰鬲丕亘 賲賵賳賵賱賵噩賷 噩賲賷賱 賵睾乇賷亘 噩丿丕賸貙 賷卮亘賴 賰孬賷乇丕 賮賷 胤乇賷賯鬲賴 賰鬲丕亘 丕賱爻賯胤丞 賱丕賱亘賷乇 賰丕賲賵貙 丨賷孬 賷賳丕賯卮 賯囟丕賷丕 毓丿賷丿丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲乇亘賷丞 賵丕賱毓賷卮 賵丕賱丨賷丕丞 賮賷 丨賵丕乇丕鬲 賮賱爻賮賷丞 噩丿丕賸 賲毓 丕賱賳賮爻 亘胤乇賷賯丞 丕賱賯賮夭 丕賱賲丨亘亘丞 賱賯賱亘賷
丕爻鬲賲鬲毓鬲 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賵乇兀賷鬲 卮禺氐賷 賮賷 賷丕賰賵亘 丕賷丕賲 胤賮賵賱鬲賷貙 賯賱賷賱丕賸...
丕爻鬲賲鬲毓鬲 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賵乇兀賷鬲 卮禺氐賷 賮賷 賷丕賰賵亘 丕賷丕賲 胤賮賵賱鬲賷貙 賯賱賷賱丕賸...
February 9, 2010
I've been thinking a lot about institutions/institutional living lately due to having recently finished two books back-to-back where the primary action takes place in one. The other book being Leonora Carrington's The Hearing Trumpet which had a certain resonance with this book despite being significantly different. Neither has quite the traditional take on institutions, a word that, for me, tends to conjure up images of Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Both books have an interesting twist on who's got the power and who submits.
As a young man Walser enrolled himself in a servant training school similar to the one in this book and he lived his last years in a mental institution though speculation seems to be that he wasn't actually mentally unstable to such a degree that would warrant this. Clearly he was intrigued by institutional life and perhaps (hopefully in his later years) it brought him some solace. I do think there's a certain attraction to institutions. For all their rules and regulations and daily routines, there's also something freeing and comforting in that. You can disconnect completely and live a rich internal existence (which, let's face it, is what most writers do already anyway minus the actual institutional enforcement.) However, we can all instantly see the inherent flaws in this. The complete shutting down of an outward life is never a good thing.
Our hero Jakob, a precocious middle-class teenager who runs away from the comforts of home and submits himself to the Benjamenta Institute to learn to be a servant, goes back and forth himself on his preference for being the master or the servant. He finds himself attracted to the formal routine and even romantic mystery behind being told what to do and yet he also can be very manipulative of the brother and sister who run the institute, who themselves become attached to Jakob and get confused as to whether they are in control or not.
And lest you think that you can live above this bifurcated notion of life, we see Jakob spending time with his older brother, a somewhat successful artist who socializes in a circle that appears to float above these notions of class struggle and relish the equality in a bohemian lifestyle. And yet Jakob quickly sees that the same machinations are in place here as well. With Jakob, both sides to every coin are revealed to the point where it can almost become unnerving. He's constantly stepping back and putting a cold spotlight on things but then he also jumps right in and gets involved to a very messy degree. The two sides frequently blur.
Not only is it impossible to live an ideal life but it's impossible to even define an ideal life. Should we attempt to exert some control on life or submit to its ebb and flow? It's Jakob's (unconscious?) understanding of this ineffability of life that spurs him onward.
As a young man Walser enrolled himself in a servant training school similar to the one in this book and he lived his last years in a mental institution though speculation seems to be that he wasn't actually mentally unstable to such a degree that would warrant this. Clearly he was intrigued by institutional life and perhaps (hopefully in his later years) it brought him some solace. I do think there's a certain attraction to institutions. For all their rules and regulations and daily routines, there's also something freeing and comforting in that. You can disconnect completely and live a rich internal existence (which, let's face it, is what most writers do already anyway minus the actual institutional enforcement.) However, we can all instantly see the inherent flaws in this. The complete shutting down of an outward life is never a good thing.
Our hero Jakob, a precocious middle-class teenager who runs away from the comforts of home and submits himself to the Benjamenta Institute to learn to be a servant, goes back and forth himself on his preference for being the master or the servant. He finds himself attracted to the formal routine and even romantic mystery behind being told what to do and yet he also can be very manipulative of the brother and sister who run the institute, who themselves become attached to Jakob and get confused as to whether they are in control or not.
And lest you think that you can live above this bifurcated notion of life, we see Jakob spending time with his older brother, a somewhat successful artist who socializes in a circle that appears to float above these notions of class struggle and relish the equality in a bohemian lifestyle. And yet Jakob quickly sees that the same machinations are in place here as well. With Jakob, both sides to every coin are revealed to the point where it can almost become unnerving. He's constantly stepping back and putting a cold spotlight on things but then he also jumps right in and gets involved to a very messy degree. The two sides frequently blur.
"Yet everything does provoke one to question and compare and remember. Certainly one must think, one must even think a great deal. But to comply, that is much more refined, much more than thinking. If one thinks, one resists, and that is always so ugly and ruinous to things."
Not only is it impossible to live an ideal life but it's impossible to even define an ideal life. Should we attempt to exert some control on life or submit to its ebb and flow? It's Jakob's (unconscious?) understanding of this ineffability of life that spurs him onward.
October 30, 2017
鈥淯bbidiamo senza riflettere鈥�
(1909)- Jacob Von Gunten 猫 un giovane di nobili origini che scappa di casa e si iscrivere all'Istituto Benjamenta, una scuola preparatoria per domestici.
鈥漄ui s鈥檌mpara ben poco, c鈥櫭� mancanza di insegnanti, e noi ragazzi dell鈥橧stituto Benjamenta non riusciremo a nulla, in altre parole, nella nostra vita futura saremo tutti qualcosa di molto piccolo e subordinato. L鈥檌nsegnamento che ci viene impartito consiste sostanzialmente nell'inculcarci pazienza e ubbidienza: due qualit脿 che promettono poco o nessun successo. Successi interiori, magari s矛: ma che vantaggio potremo trarne? A chi danno da mangiare le conquiste spirituali?鈥�
Comincia cos矛 il diario di Jacob che descrive le vuote giornate all'Istituto.
L'assenza di apprendimento, malgrado le apparenze, 猫 tuttavia una formazione: gli allievi qui imparano a non essere.
Come ben dice Roberto Calasso nella postfazione:
鈥滻nvece di formare una personalit脿, come si direbbe in gergo pedagogico, l鈥橧stituto la disfa e la dissocia. Qui l鈥檕stacolo che gli allievi devono superare 猫 la coscienza stessa. Perci貌 si esercitano alla ripetizione vuota, alla obbedienza mimetica: seguono qualunque ordine esterno per sottrarsi alla coazione a pensare. Tendono a ridursi a zero (...)鈥�.
Sono arrivata a questo libro leggendo 鈥溾€漝i Vila-Matas.
鈥淛acob Von Gunten鈥�- e la vita stessa di Walser- sono indicati come massimo esempio di appartenenza a la cosiddetta compagna di Bartleby.
Sempre Calasso:
鈥滾鈥檕bbedienza di Walser, come la disobbedienza di Bartleby, presuppone una totale rescissione. Una mancanza originaria li sottrae all鈥檈cumene dei comunicanti 鈥� e quella mancanza 猫 la loro ricchezza. Sovrani, nulla fanno per porle un rimedio e neppure per commentarla. Copiano, trascrivono lettere che li traversano come una lastra trasparente. Non enunciano nulla di proprio, non vogliono modificazioni. 芦 Non mi sviluppo 禄, dice Jakob nell鈥橧stituto; 芦 Non voglio cambiamenti 禄, dice Bartleby. Nella loro affinit脿 si scopre l鈥檈quivalenza fra il silenzio e un certo uso ornamentale della parola鈥� .
fece i mestieri pi霉 disparati ma tra un lavoro e l'altro andava a fare il copista a quella che lui chiamava: 芦Camera di scrittura per disoccupati禄(sic!).
Nella sua biografia si rileva un desiderio di essere un sottoposto colui che si sottomette all'obbedienza.
Ci貌, tuttavia, 猫 solo in apparenza discrepante dall'essenza del protagonista Bartleby.
Si tratta, infatti, di due comportamenti che portati all'estremo si ritrovano nel loro annullamento.
Walser cos矛 si sottrae fino a farsi rinchiudere in un manicomio dove rinuncia al mondo ed alla scrittura che si relega su fogliettini stropicciati e con una grafia minutissima ed incomprensibile in un ultimo atto di sottrazione dal mondo.
(1909)- Jacob Von Gunten 猫 un giovane di nobili origini che scappa di casa e si iscrivere all'Istituto Benjamenta, una scuola preparatoria per domestici.
鈥漄ui s鈥檌mpara ben poco, c鈥櫭� mancanza di insegnanti, e noi ragazzi dell鈥橧stituto Benjamenta non riusciremo a nulla, in altre parole, nella nostra vita futura saremo tutti qualcosa di molto piccolo e subordinato. L鈥檌nsegnamento che ci viene impartito consiste sostanzialmente nell'inculcarci pazienza e ubbidienza: due qualit脿 che promettono poco o nessun successo. Successi interiori, magari s矛: ma che vantaggio potremo trarne? A chi danno da mangiare le conquiste spirituali?鈥�
Comincia cos矛 il diario di Jacob che descrive le vuote giornate all'Istituto.
L'assenza di apprendimento, malgrado le apparenze, 猫 tuttavia una formazione: gli allievi qui imparano a non essere.
Come ben dice Roberto Calasso nella postfazione:
鈥滻nvece di formare una personalit脿, come si direbbe in gergo pedagogico, l鈥橧stituto la disfa e la dissocia. Qui l鈥檕stacolo che gli allievi devono superare 猫 la coscienza stessa. Perci貌 si esercitano alla ripetizione vuota, alla obbedienza mimetica: seguono qualunque ordine esterno per sottrarsi alla coazione a pensare. Tendono a ridursi a zero (...)鈥�.
Sono arrivata a questo libro leggendo 鈥溾€漝i Vila-Matas.
鈥淛acob Von Gunten鈥�- e la vita stessa di Walser- sono indicati come massimo esempio di appartenenza a la cosiddetta compagna di Bartleby.
Sempre Calasso:
鈥滾鈥檕bbedienza di Walser, come la disobbedienza di Bartleby, presuppone una totale rescissione. Una mancanza originaria li sottrae all鈥檈cumene dei comunicanti 鈥� e quella mancanza 猫 la loro ricchezza. Sovrani, nulla fanno per porle un rimedio e neppure per commentarla. Copiano, trascrivono lettere che li traversano come una lastra trasparente. Non enunciano nulla di proprio, non vogliono modificazioni. 芦 Non mi sviluppo 禄, dice Jakob nell鈥橧stituto; 芦 Non voglio cambiamenti 禄, dice Bartleby. Nella loro affinit脿 si scopre l鈥檈quivalenza fra il silenzio e un certo uso ornamentale della parola鈥� .
fece i mestieri pi霉 disparati ma tra un lavoro e l'altro andava a fare il copista a quella che lui chiamava: 芦Camera di scrittura per disoccupati禄(sic!).
Nella sua biografia si rileva un desiderio di essere un sottoposto colui che si sottomette all'obbedienza.
Ci貌, tuttavia, 猫 solo in apparenza discrepante dall'essenza del protagonista Bartleby.
Si tratta, infatti, di due comportamenti che portati all'estremo si ritrovano nel loro annullamento.
Walser cos矛 si sottrae fino a farsi rinchiudere in un manicomio dove rinuncia al mondo ed alla scrittura che si relega su fogliettini stropicciati e con una grafia minutissima ed incomprensibile in un ultimo atto di sottrazione dal mondo.
January 17, 2018
Franz Kafka amava molto le opere dello scrittore svizzero Robert Walser. Rideva di gusto quando le leggeva ad alta voce ai suoi amici. 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥�, uscito nel 1909, era uno dei suoi romanzi preferiti. E鈥� un condensato di saggezza e ironia, un piccolo gioiello ricco di pensieri sull鈥檌nutilit脿 di questi stessi pensieri. 鈥淎 che servono a un uomo i pensieri e le idee, se ha la sensazione di non saper cosa farsene?鈥�
L鈥檈nigmatico Jakob racconta in prima persona, in forma di diario, il suo periodo passato all鈥檌nterno dell鈥橧stituto Benjamenta. Perch茅 il rampollo di una famiglia aristocratica decide di mollare tutto e rinchiudersi in una scuola che insegna solamente ad essere dei perfetti servitori? 鈥淐鈥櫭� un profumo, una forza anche nel rinunciare a qualche cosa. Non poter fare una cosa 猫 come farla doppiamente in un qualche altro modo鈥�.
Con il tema della rinuncia e del servizio agli altri sempre in primo piano, il giovane osserva se stesso, i suoi compagni, il direttore della scuola, i maestri (in particolare la triste signorina Lisa). Quando esce dall鈥檃ustero ambiente dell鈥橧stituto, lo fa soprattutto perch茅 invitato nella casa del fratello maggiore, che vive invece nell鈥檃lta societ脿. L鈥檕ccasione 猫 ghiotta per guardare con immensa ironia questa ristretta cerchia di persone benestanti, 鈥済entili per disperazione, amabili per ansiet脿, dominati da un inequivocabile senso di stanchezza; ma sono poi contenti?鈥� Jakob invece non 猫 mai triste, perch茅 sar脿 un servitore: 鈥渁rrossir貌 di felicit脿 come l鈥檜ltimo degli idioti a ogni grazie che mi sar脿 gettato a fior di labbra鈥�.
Un narratore a cui ci si affeziona, di poche parole con gli altri ma un fiume in piena quando scrive il suo diario. Il ragazzo 猫 un tipo originale (鈥淢i 猫 caro il frastuono e il movimento incessante della metropoli. Ci貌 che perpetuamente scorre, costringe a una moralit脿鈥�), saggio, contraddittorio e autoironico (鈥淣on c鈥櫭� dubbio che si debba pensare, e molto. Ma conformarsi 猫 pi霉 elegante鈥�) . Un futuro automa ubbidiente ma ora un alunno anche sfrontato, che addirittura rischia di venire strozzato dal misterioso direttore. Come misterioso 猫 tutto l鈥橧stituto Benjamenta, con i suoi corridoi bui, le stanze silenziose, dove il tempo trascorre 鈥渟otto l鈥檈ffetto di un sogno, di una favola senza senso eppure piena di significati鈥�.
E poi c鈥櫭� il mistero degli appartamenti in cui si ritirano alla sera il direttore e sua sorella, la signorina Lisa. 鈥淧ensavo che l脿, dietro quella porta da cui sempre esce ed entra la signorina, ci fosse un visibilio di stanze e di sale, come in un castello鈥�. Scoprir脿 Jakob cosa c鈥櫭� dietro quella porta? Questa ambientazione e questa atmosfera di attesa, fatta anche di sogni e di visioni, ricordano Kafka e soprattutto il suo romanzo 鈥淚l castello鈥�. Capisco allora perch茅 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� piacesse tanto all鈥檃utore praghese, che almeno un sorriso l鈥檃vr脿 fatto leggendo una frase come questa: 鈥淪e uno scrittore venisse a visitarci e a studiare la nostra prestanza e pochezza, lo farebbe morir dal ridere. No no, rimanga pure a casa questo signor scrittore. Tutti perditempo, costoro che vogliono solo studiare, dipingere e allineare osservazioni. Basta vivere, e si ha da osservare a volont脿鈥�.
L鈥檈nigmatico Jakob racconta in prima persona, in forma di diario, il suo periodo passato all鈥檌nterno dell鈥橧stituto Benjamenta. Perch茅 il rampollo di una famiglia aristocratica decide di mollare tutto e rinchiudersi in una scuola che insegna solamente ad essere dei perfetti servitori? 鈥淐鈥櫭� un profumo, una forza anche nel rinunciare a qualche cosa. Non poter fare una cosa 猫 come farla doppiamente in un qualche altro modo鈥�.
Con il tema della rinuncia e del servizio agli altri sempre in primo piano, il giovane osserva se stesso, i suoi compagni, il direttore della scuola, i maestri (in particolare la triste signorina Lisa). Quando esce dall鈥檃ustero ambiente dell鈥橧stituto, lo fa soprattutto perch茅 invitato nella casa del fratello maggiore, che vive invece nell鈥檃lta societ脿. L鈥檕ccasione 猫 ghiotta per guardare con immensa ironia questa ristretta cerchia di persone benestanti, 鈥済entili per disperazione, amabili per ansiet脿, dominati da un inequivocabile senso di stanchezza; ma sono poi contenti?鈥� Jakob invece non 猫 mai triste, perch茅 sar脿 un servitore: 鈥渁rrossir貌 di felicit脿 come l鈥檜ltimo degli idioti a ogni grazie che mi sar脿 gettato a fior di labbra鈥�.
Un narratore a cui ci si affeziona, di poche parole con gli altri ma un fiume in piena quando scrive il suo diario. Il ragazzo 猫 un tipo originale (鈥淢i 猫 caro il frastuono e il movimento incessante della metropoli. Ci貌 che perpetuamente scorre, costringe a una moralit脿鈥�), saggio, contraddittorio e autoironico (鈥淣on c鈥櫭� dubbio che si debba pensare, e molto. Ma conformarsi 猫 pi霉 elegante鈥�) . Un futuro automa ubbidiente ma ora un alunno anche sfrontato, che addirittura rischia di venire strozzato dal misterioso direttore. Come misterioso 猫 tutto l鈥橧stituto Benjamenta, con i suoi corridoi bui, le stanze silenziose, dove il tempo trascorre 鈥渟otto l鈥檈ffetto di un sogno, di una favola senza senso eppure piena di significati鈥�.
E poi c鈥櫭� il mistero degli appartamenti in cui si ritirano alla sera il direttore e sua sorella, la signorina Lisa. 鈥淧ensavo che l脿, dietro quella porta da cui sempre esce ed entra la signorina, ci fosse un visibilio di stanze e di sale, come in un castello鈥�. Scoprir脿 Jakob cosa c鈥櫭� dietro quella porta? Questa ambientazione e questa atmosfera di attesa, fatta anche di sogni e di visioni, ricordano Kafka e soprattutto il suo romanzo 鈥淚l castello鈥�. Capisco allora perch茅 鈥淛akob von Gunten鈥� piacesse tanto all鈥檃utore praghese, che almeno un sorriso l鈥檃vr脿 fatto leggendo una frase come questa: 鈥淪e uno scrittore venisse a visitarci e a studiare la nostra prestanza e pochezza, lo farebbe morir dal ridere. No no, rimanga pure a casa questo signor scrittore. Tutti perditempo, costoro che vogliono solo studiare, dipingere e allineare osservazioni. Basta vivere, e si ha da osservare a volont脿鈥�.
August 31, 2021
Bu kitapla ilgili 莽ok say谋da yorumu ve kitap hakk谋ndaki bilgileri a艧a臒谋da yorumlar b枚l眉m眉nde okursunuz, ben bu kitab谋 okumadan 枚nce Robert Walser hakk谋nda k谋saca bilgi edinmenizi 枚nerece臒im. Yazar谋n 眉莽lemesinin son kitab谋 olan Jakop Von Gunten鈥檇e de di臒erlerindeki gibi (Tanner Karde艧ler ve Yard谋mc谋) otobiyografik 枚臒eler 枚n planda.
Roman谋n kahraman谋 ayn谋 zamanda anlat谋c谋. Bu karakteri tan谋mak i莽in 艧u c眉mlesini okumak yetti bana ; 鈥淗i莽bir 艧ey kalbimde yer etmi艧 insanlar谋n hakk谋mda yanl谋艧 fikirler edinmeleri kadar mutlu etmez beni.鈥�
Wilhelm Genazino鈥檔un 鈥淕erhard Warlich鈥漣 ile R. Walser鈥檌n 鈥淛akop von Gunten鈥漣 莽ok benziyorlar. 陌lki 21. y眉zy谋l谋n ba艧lar谋ndan, ikincisi 20. y眉zy谋l谋n ba艧lar谋ndan sesleniyorlar, ilki ayk谋r谋 ve 莽eli艧ik d眉艧眉ncelerini yumu艧ak ve zarif bir 艧ekilde iletirken, ikincisi sert ve kaba 艧ekilde iletiyor. Bunun yan谋 s谋ra ilki ger莽ek莽i iken ikincisi fantastik, ilkinde zaman kavram谋 varken ikincide hi莽 yok. Olay 枚rg眉s眉 de yok gibi, olaylar谋 de臒il tan谋mlar谋 ve tasvirleri 枚nceliyor.
Edebiyat莽谋lar谋n itirazlar谋na ra臒men hekim olarak ben de Robert Walser鈥檌n 艧izofren oldu臒una inan谋yorum. T眉m 艧izofrenler gibi 莽ok zeki ve yarat谋c谋 olmas谋 bu nedenledir. Severek okumama ra臒men size g枚n眉l rahatl谋臒谋 i莽inde 枚neremiyorum nedense. Bir negatif enerji var kitapta. Farkl谋 okuma istiyorsan谋z deneyin diyebilirim.
Roman谋n kahraman谋 ayn谋 zamanda anlat谋c谋. Bu karakteri tan谋mak i莽in 艧u c眉mlesini okumak yetti bana ; 鈥淗i莽bir 艧ey kalbimde yer etmi艧 insanlar谋n hakk谋mda yanl谋艧 fikirler edinmeleri kadar mutlu etmez beni.鈥�
Wilhelm Genazino鈥檔un 鈥淕erhard Warlich鈥漣 ile R. Walser鈥檌n 鈥淛akop von Gunten鈥漣 莽ok benziyorlar. 陌lki 21. y眉zy谋l谋n ba艧lar谋ndan, ikincisi 20. y眉zy谋l谋n ba艧lar谋ndan sesleniyorlar, ilki ayk谋r谋 ve 莽eli艧ik d眉艧眉ncelerini yumu艧ak ve zarif bir 艧ekilde iletirken, ikincisi sert ve kaba 艧ekilde iletiyor. Bunun yan谋 s谋ra ilki ger莽ek莽i iken ikincisi fantastik, ilkinde zaman kavram谋 varken ikincide hi莽 yok. Olay 枚rg眉s眉 de yok gibi, olaylar谋 de臒il tan谋mlar谋 ve tasvirleri 枚nceliyor.
Edebiyat莽谋lar谋n itirazlar谋na ra臒men hekim olarak ben de Robert Walser鈥檌n 艧izofren oldu臒una inan谋yorum. T眉m 艧izofrenler gibi 莽ok zeki ve yarat谋c谋 olmas谋 bu nedenledir. Severek okumama ra臒men size g枚n眉l rahatl谋臒谋 i莽inde 枚neremiyorum nedense. Bir negatif enerji var kitapta. Farkl谋 okuma istiyorsan谋z deneyin diyebilirim.
February 14, 2013
Chris Middleton does such a proficient job in my introduction honing in on the mysterium, journal element, and subtle ribbing tone of Jakob, that for a moment I think I am left with nothing to say. Luckily,I am not one to succumb to silence even in those circumstances : or, to be perfectly precise, I seem to always have something to say even when I don鈥檛. For better or worse.
This entire novel, then, is a study of contrast, and undercurrent. Seeming levity of tone belies a violent clash of dichotomous life forces: starting from Jakob himself, who embodies a relentless pursuit of 鈥榚xperiences鈥�: : an outward momentum which accelerates unchecked, couples with a seemingly dissonant imperative of repressing the same, dulling and quashing all sense data, and finishing with the non too subtle juxtaposition between quotidian and otherworldly in place names (e.g. the monotonous and heterogenous atmosphere of the Benjamenta Institute for servants vs. the sumptuous, mysterious world of the 鈥榠nner chambers鈥�). And everything in between. Which in this case, is : a quintessential nothing. Jakob, having no plot, and unencumbered with background details, presents as an albedo scene: sparce on props, against which the klieglight carves out in microscopic details the dynamics of life through a narrative of character study.
Jakob is a duality juxtaposed in bilateral relations with other characters where yet another geodesic poses more duality; this time in the pair off between Jakob and another character. Thus are the scenes in this novel enacted: in a sequence of Siamese links between Jakob and AN Other. Jakob and Kraus. Jakob and hisbrother. Jakob and Herr Benjamenta. Jakob and fraulein Benjamenta: a rotational pairing of opposites, diametrically opposed. Throughout this Jakob is by no means a constant: a quintessential 鈥榚veryman鈥�, he subtly adapts to each pairings idiosyncrasies to fulfil the role of subservient or 鈥榣ord it鈥�. Thus in the unholy triefecta between the Cocteau an siblings and himself, he slithers between sub and dom with remarkable dexterity.
Walser explores 鈥榗oupledom鈥� thus as a technique to illustrate the multi-layers of the human condition: each pairing speaks to life鈥檚 permutations: whether friendship, love (homoerotic love), duty, or even death. Each relationship is a refractory thread which opens up a new window of waltenshuung.
How does this feel? Like the universe has been stretched out from pole to pole, wrenched out of its non euclydic slumber and prostrated, belly up, on the examining table for the mother of all post-mortems. If there is mysterium, it is unabashedly eviscerated and the contents strewn out for our 鈥榞aze鈥�: no less mysterious, but a hell of a lot more accessible.
How is this done? Through torrents of undercurrents. Nothing but nothing is explicit: yet the accretion of sequence after sequence creates a cumulative atmosphere of uninhibited wondrousness and marble cake layers of richness, potent in sensuality and promises.
This entire novel, then, is a study of contrast, and undercurrent. Seeming levity of tone belies a violent clash of dichotomous life forces: starting from Jakob himself, who embodies a relentless pursuit of 鈥榚xperiences鈥�: : an outward momentum which accelerates unchecked, couples with a seemingly dissonant imperative of repressing the same, dulling and quashing all sense data, and finishing with the non too subtle juxtaposition between quotidian and otherworldly in place names (e.g. the monotonous and heterogenous atmosphere of the Benjamenta Institute for servants vs. the sumptuous, mysterious world of the 鈥榠nner chambers鈥�). And everything in between. Which in this case, is : a quintessential nothing. Jakob, having no plot, and unencumbered with background details, presents as an albedo scene: sparce on props, against which the klieglight carves out in microscopic details the dynamics of life through a narrative of character study.
Jakob is a duality juxtaposed in bilateral relations with other characters where yet another geodesic poses more duality; this time in the pair off between Jakob and another character. Thus are the scenes in this novel enacted: in a sequence of Siamese links between Jakob and AN Other. Jakob and Kraus. Jakob and hisbrother. Jakob and Herr Benjamenta. Jakob and fraulein Benjamenta: a rotational pairing of opposites, diametrically opposed. Throughout this Jakob is by no means a constant: a quintessential 鈥榚veryman鈥�, he subtly adapts to each pairings idiosyncrasies to fulfil the role of subservient or 鈥榣ord it鈥�. Thus in the unholy triefecta between the Cocteau an siblings and himself, he slithers between sub and dom with remarkable dexterity.
Walser explores 鈥榗oupledom鈥� thus as a technique to illustrate the multi-layers of the human condition: each pairing speaks to life鈥檚 permutations: whether friendship, love (homoerotic love), duty, or even death. Each relationship is a refractory thread which opens up a new window of waltenshuung.
How does this feel? Like the universe has been stretched out from pole to pole, wrenched out of its non euclydic slumber and prostrated, belly up, on the examining table for the mother of all post-mortems. If there is mysterium, it is unabashedly eviscerated and the contents strewn out for our 鈥榞aze鈥�: no less mysterious, but a hell of a lot more accessible.
How is this done? Through torrents of undercurrents. Nothing but nothing is explicit: yet the accretion of sequence after sequence creates a cumulative atmosphere of uninhibited wondrousness and marble cake layers of richness, potent in sensuality and promises.
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