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倬乇蹖卮丕賳蹖鈥屬囏й� 鬲乇賱爻 噩賵丕賳
乇賵亘乇鬲 賲賵夭蹖賱 (郾鄹鄹郯 鈥� 郾酃鄞鄄) 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴贁 亘夭乇诏 丕鬲乇蹖卮蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇 丕丿亘蹖丕鬲 讴賱丕爻蹖讴賽 賳賵蹖賳 丕賵 乇丕 亘丕 賲丕乇爻賱 倬乇賵爻鬲 賵 噩蹖賲夭 噩賵蹖爻 賲賯丕蹖爻賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀�. 乇賵丕賳鈥屬沮樫堎囒� 丕爻鬲丕丿丕賳賴 賵 噩爻賵乇丕賳賴贁 丕賵 亘丕毓孬 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲 芦讴丕賱亘丿卮讴丕賮 夭賳丿诏丕賳禄 賱賯亘 亘诏蹖乇丿貙 丿乇 毓蹖賳 丌賳讴賴 夭亘丕賳卮 丕夭 賱胤丕賮鬲賽 卮丕毓乇丕賳賴 賳蹖夭 亘賴乇賴鈥屬呝嗀� 丕爻鬲 賵 丨鬲蹖 賲蹖鈥屫堌з� 丕賵 乇丕 睾夭賱爻乇丕蹖 鬲賳賴丕蹖蹖 禺乇丿賲賳丿丕賳 丿丕賳爻鬲.
倬乇蹖卮丕賳蹖鈥屬囏й� 鬲購乇賱賽爻 噩賵丕賳 丕賵賱蹖賳 丕孬乇 丕賵爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇 爻乇丌睾丕夭賽 賯乇賳 倬乇賮丕噩毓賴贁 亘蹖爻鬲賲貙 丿乇 爻丕賱 郾酃郯鄱 賲賳鬲卮乇 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 丕夭 鬲噩乇亘賴鈥屬囏й� 丿賵乇丕賳 鬲丕夭賴鈥屫堌з嗃� 丕賵 賳蹖夭 賳卮丕賳蹖 丿丕乇丿. 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 亘賴 卮乇丨 丌夭丕乇 賵 卮讴賳噩賴贁 丨爻丕亘鈥屫簇囐� 倬爻乇蹖 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳蹖 亘賴 丿爻鬲 賴賲鈥屭┵勜ж驰屸€屬囏й屫� 賲蹖鈥屬矩必ж藏� 賵 賲賵卮讴丕賮丕賳賴 賳卮丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 讴賴 趩诏賵賳賴 丿乇 倬爻賽 倬賵爻鬲賴贁 賳丕夭讴賽 賲鬲丕賳鬲賽 賲丿賳蹖賽 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 睾乇丕蹖夭蹖 賲賵丨卮 賵 賯賴乇丌賱賵丿 賵 亘丿賵蹖 夭亘丕賳賴 賲蹖鈥屭┴簇�.
倬乇蹖卮丕賳蹖鈥屬囏й� 鬲購乇賱賽爻 噩賵丕賳 丕賵賱蹖賳 丕孬乇 丕賵爻鬲 讴賴 丿乇 爻乇丌睾丕夭賽 賯乇賳 倬乇賮丕噩毓賴贁 亘蹖爻鬲賲貙 丿乇 爻丕賱 郾酃郯鄱 賲賳鬲卮乇 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲 賵 丕夭 鬲噩乇亘賴鈥屬囏й� 丿賵乇丕賳 鬲丕夭賴鈥屫堌з嗃� 丕賵 賳蹖夭 賳卮丕賳蹖 丿丕乇丿. 丕蹖賳 乇賲丕賳 亘賴 卮乇丨 丌夭丕乇 賵 卮讴賳噩賴贁 丨爻丕亘鈥屫簇囐� 倬爻乇蹖 丿亘蹖乇爻鬲丕賳蹖 亘賴 丿爻鬲 賴賲鈥屭┵勜ж驰屸€屬囏й屫� 賲蹖鈥屬矩必ж藏� 賵 賲賵卮讴丕賮丕賳賴 賳卮丕賳 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 讴賴 趩诏賵賳賴 丿乇 倬爻賽 倬賵爻鬲賴贁 賳丕夭讴賽 賲鬲丕賳鬲賽 賲丿賳蹖賽 丌丿賲鈥屬囏� 睾乇丕蹖夭蹖 賲賵丨卮 賵 賯賴乇丌賱賵丿 賵 亘丿賵蹖 夭亘丕賳賴 賲蹖鈥屭┴簇�.
203 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
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About the author
Robert Musil
280听books1,291听followersAustrian writer.
He graduated military boarding school at Eisenstadt (1892-1894) and then Hranice, in that time also known as M盲hrisch Wei脽kirchen, (1894-1897). These school experiences are reflected in his first novel, The Confusions of Young T枚rless.
He served in the army during The First World War. When Austria became a part of the Third Reich in 1938, Musil left for exile in Switzerland, where he died of a stroke on April 15, 1942. Musil collapsed in the middle of his gymnastic exercises and is rumoured to have died with an expression of ironic amusement on his face. He was 61 years old.
He graduated military boarding school at Eisenstadt (1892-1894) and then Hranice, in that time also known as M盲hrisch Wei脽kirchen, (1894-1897). These school experiences are reflected in his first novel, The Confusions of Young T枚rless.
He served in the army during The First World War. When Austria became a part of the Third Reich in 1938, Musil left for exile in Switzerland, where he died of a stroke on April 15, 1942. Musil collapsed in the middle of his gymnastic exercises and is rumoured to have died with an expression of ironic amusement on his face. He was 61 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 716 reviews
December 12, 2018
the place is an exclusive all-boys boarding school in Austria. the time is the turn of the 19th century. three boys: T枚rless, Beineberg, and Reiting. Reiting is an amiable, energetic sort; his aggressive nature is balanced by his charm and ease in the world. Beineberg is an anti-intellectual intellectual; much like his father, he yearns to be a mystic. in T枚rless, still waters run deep and much of the material world holds little interest for him; contemplation and melancholy are his hallmarks. what are three such precocious lads to do with themselves? there is the village whore to spend time with, but these boys' interests go further. what to do, what to do? how about find a fellow schoolchum, learn about his weaknesses, and then grind him into nothing; torment and humiliate, beat, sexually abuse. and so there is a fourth boy: Basini. the three boys play with him.
The Confusions of Young T枚rless was published in 1906 by Robert Musil. apparently it is autobiographical in nature. it is a philosophical treatise and a classic coming of age novel.
although the novel's narrative is centered around the endless debasement of the passive Basini, that degradation is not at all the novel's primary concern. it is there in the title: the book is about confused young T枚rless: his quest for logic in an illogical world and his need to quantify the ineffable and his barely-understood desire for transcendence, for an escape from small minds and fixed roles and dualistic morality.
a boy will fight against his surroundings, he will struggle with authority figures, he will be cynical without experiencing enough of the outside world to earn that cynicism. a boy will rationalize or a boy will simply choose not to think about things that disturb him. a boy will strive, a boy will yearn, a boy will barely understand himself. but a boy will try. and he may force others to do the same.
there are worms. a worm is a symbol of decay. or rebirth? a cord dangling from drapes looks like a writhing worm in the moonlight. there is a red worm of blood that trickles down Basini's face.
there is an eye; T枚rless sees it in the boys' secret hideaway. it is an eye made of dust motes and shadows and dim shafts of light. he sees it in the midst of one of Basini's beatings. he contemplates it. what does this eye behold? what is the story of this eye?
there are windows. windows are a window to the unknown; T枚rless stares through many windows. windows are a window to memory; T枚rless recalls sounds he once heard through windows. the sky is a window; T枚rless stares at the sky and is filled with awe, wonder, and fear. T枚rless is a thinker, T枚rless is a dreamer. T枚rless has disturbing feelings: some about his mother, some about the local whore, some about Basini. T枚rless has hallucinatory dreams with meanings he can only slightly grasp. he tries to share these feelings, these dreams, but no one ever understands.
T枚rless, T枚rless, T枚rless. oh, T枚rless! you and your yearning, your dreams.
fuck you, T枚rless. of the three boys, I think you are the worst. Reiting likes Basini to read him stories about conquering heroes; then he fucks and beats him. Beineberg likes to use Basini as a footrest, make him bark like a dog, beat him; sometimes he fucks him. T枚rless asks Basini searching questions about how he feels, what is going on inside of him while all of this is happening; he makes Basini speak when Basini would rather cry; sometimes he fucks him. guess who Basini falls in love with? Reiting and Beineberg's motivations are banal (despite Beineberg's laughably pretentious attempt to intellectualize his predations): they are cruel boys who enjoy brutalizing someone under their thumb. T枚rless is not like them, he's a sensitive lad. he wants to understand many things, imaginary numbers and order vs. chaos and the logic of dreams. unlike his friends, he is not a malevolent sort and his sexual arousal at Basini's tortures confuse him. poor, confused T枚rless! Basini means nothing to him, he considers him to be "meaningless" - except as one of many puzzles he is desperate to figure out. fuck you, T枚rless. your confusions are nothing compared to what you and your buddies dole out.
the problem with this thoughtful, absorbing, boring, poetic, mechanistic, frustrating, compelling, often brilliant novel is that it is exactly like its title character. it is not about the debasement and T枚rless' key role there. it is all about our protagonist's struggle, his inner life. well, it was a bit hard for this reader to focus on such things when throughout all of the philosophical musings are brief descriptions of the boys' predations. the intellectualization of such acts, their use as metaphor, all the world's a play and we are merely actors on a stage, what goes on behind the curtain and within a mind... honestly I don't give a flying fuckeroo about all that when some weak kid is getting destroyed by stronger kids. you used the wrong metaphor, Musil. all the philosophical musings - I would say 90% of the novel - were rendered obnoxious and uninteresting after it became clear that Musil himself is disinterested in what is happening to Basini. like the novel's protagonist, the author also views Basini as meaningless. Musil, you are like T枚rless. you make that crystal clear. and that is not a good look.
October 5, 2020
SENZA PORTA
Egon Schiele: Autoritratto (1910).
Ogni grande scoperta si compie solo per met脿 nel cerchio illuminato della mente cosciente, per l鈥檃ltra met脿 nell鈥檕scuro recesso del nostro essere pi霉 interiore, ed 猫 innanzi tutto uno stato d鈥檃nimo alla cui estremit脿 sboccia il pensiero come un fiore.
Per me questo 猫 un autentico libro cult, l鈥檈sordio (1906) di uno scrittore di cui ho amato sommamente il capolavoro, indimenticabile sin dal titolo, L鈥檜omo senza qualit脿.
Romanzo di formazione per eccellenza, questo T枚rless.
E anche di de-formazione se si abbraccia la teoria di alcuni che Beineberg e Reiting, i due studenti pi霉 grandi che T枚rless frequenta, sono dei proto-nazisti: per parafrasare il titolo di un film di Werner Herzog, anche i nazi hanno cominciato da piccoli. Personalmente mi pare interpretazione un po鈥� forzata.
Romanzo sui turbamenti di quell鈥檈t脿 infernale chiamata adolescenza, quegli anni in cui 猫 necessario esser qualcuno di fronte a se stessi e tuttavia si 猫 ancora troppo incompiuti per essere veramente qualcuno.
Mathieu Carri猫re (a sinistra) 猫 鈥淚l giovane T枚rless鈥� nel film del 1966 diretto da Volker Schlondorff.
La magia comincia dalle primissime pagine nelle quali Musil descrive la 鈥渘ostalgia鈥� per i genitori che il giovane T枚rless - chiamato sempre per cognome come tutti gli altri personaggi 鈥� sviluppa al suo arrivo nel prestigioso e severissimo collegio militare: un sentimento sconosciuto, perch茅 quando li aveva accanto, e davanti agli occhi, non avrebbe mai potuto immaginare che presto li avrebbe pensati con tale forza nostalgica, senza per貌 riuscire a ricomporre la loro immagine davanti agli occhi della sua mente.
L鈥檌ncapacit脿 a ricreare la figura fisica dei genitori dipende dalla complessit脿 e imprecisione del sentimento della nostalgia: e la sparizione dell鈥檌mmagine finisce con l鈥檈ssere la prova che proprio l矛 il desiderio s鈥檃ppunta.
E poi, man mano che la permanenza nel collegio assorbe T枚rless e lo trascina in una nuova esistenza, con lo smorzarsi della nostalgia e lo svilupparsi delle relazioni sociali tra coetanei, il 鈥渟enso di vuoto鈥�: il sentimento si astrattizza, si sublima, ed eventualmente degenera. Inaridendosi d脿 luogo a un tormentoso senso di vuoto e di nulla. Esempio di narcisismo, e del masochismo che gli 猫 complementare (riflesso?).
Aleksander Deineka: I ragazzi escono dall鈥檃cqua (1935).
Il grigio e la rigidit脿 che si aspetta da un collegio militare dell鈥檌nizio del Novecento nella provincia dell鈥橧mpero Austro-Ungarico, Musil riesce a trasmetterli descrivendo il paesaggio stinto e malato e l鈥檜manit脿 del paese che circonda l鈥檌stituto.
Musil sembra cresciuto a pane e psicoanalisi, proprio come il suo collega e compatriota Arthur Schnitzler, entrambi austriaci come Sigmund Freud. La sottigliezza psicologica del suo narrare traspare in ogni pagina, e dopo le riflessioni su nostalgia, solitudine e vuoto, ci si imbatte nell鈥檃nalogia tra il groviglio di sensazioni e pulsioni erotiche che Bo啪ena, la prostituta del borgo, suscita nel giovane T枚rless con le suggestioni edipiche che il pensiero della madre risveglia sin dalla sua infanzia.
Riflessioni che quasi immediatamente, senza neppure uscire dalla stanza della donna che vende il suo corpo, ma regala anche due risate e un po鈥� di calore umano, conducono a quelle sull鈥檃more: sentimento che non pu貌 essere provato dagli adulti, perch茅 non 猫 tranquillo e composto, ma necessita di giovent霉 e solitudine per poter palpitare.
E da qui si scivola nel cuore dell鈥檃dolescenza contrapposta all鈥檈t脿 della maturit脿 鈥er cui una giornata che volge alla fine non 猫 pi霉 un problema. La sua vita invece era puntata su ogni singolo giorno. Per lui ogni notte era un nulla, una tomba, un鈥檈stinzione. Non aveva ancora acquistato la capacit脿 di mettersi gi霉 a morire ogni sera senza darsene pensiero.
Le sevizie di Reiting e Beineberg a Basini.
La prostituta Bo啪ena riverbera il compagno di collegio Basini che suscita in T枚rless sia attrazione che repulsione, s鈥檌dentifica con quello che il giovane turbato del titolo teme potrebbe diventare, al punto da spingerlo a chiedere l鈥檌mmediato allontanamento dall鈥檌stituto di Basini, perniciosa malia da sventare. La degradazione che le fantasie di T枚rless percepiscono si attualizza nell鈥檈semplificazione reale di Basini: la colpa incestuosa consumata attraverso Bo啪ena (incestuosa perch茅 la prostituta risveglia sentimenti edipici nel giovane turbato) determina un desiderio morboso di punirsi attraverso la stessa mercificazione del corpo, o il masochismo, morale e fisico, la cui forma estrema 猫 la passivit脿 di T枚rless di fronte all鈥檃ggressione di Reiting e Beineberg ai danni di Basini.
Edvatd Munch: Malinconia (1892).
Era la sensualit脿 segreta, malinconica, senza oggetto dell鈥檃dolescenza, che 猫 come la terra umida nera germinante della primavera, o come le oscure acque sotterranee che aspettano solo una spinta casuale per rompere gli argini.
La sensualit脿, il risveglio erotico giocano un ruolo determinante nei turbamenti dell鈥檃lunno T枚rless: l鈥檃ttrazione-repulsione per il compagno Basini, come gi脿 le pulsioni per Bo啪ena, e la nostalgia per i genitori provata durante il primo periodo nell鈥檌stituto, sprofondano nei recessi dell鈥�anima, senza lasciare, in apparenza alcuna traccia. Questa latenza dell鈥檃ffetto erotico induce con la sua presenza/assenza una misteriosa doppiezza della realt脿, che diventa in T枚rless il sentimento dominante, che cerca, inutilmente, di spiegare nel finale al collegio dei docenti. E contemporaneamente si fa strada la convinzione che la formula rivelatrice sia sepolta in lui stesso, anche se continua a restargli inesplicabile.
Musil ci conduce in territori di sensualit脿 scarsamente esplorati all鈥檈poca, qui al confine tra etero e omo sessualit脿, nel capolavoro della maturit脿 ritorna grandiosamente e il confine l脿 猫 rappresentato dal rapporto fratello-sorella, dall鈥檃leggiante incesto.
Un altro momento del film.
Sotto tutti i pensieri, io ho in mente qualcosa di oscuro che non posso misurare razionalmente, una vita che non pu貌 essere espressa con le parole e che tuttavia 猫 la mia vita鈥�
Alla conclusione del romanzo T枚rless non ha risolto il suo problema, il nodo della sua esistenza, ma lo ha almeno individuato istintivamente, isolato e 鈥渇issato鈥�. Il che gli consentir脿 da adulto, nel futuro che Musil ci lascia intuire, di darsi una regola di vita i cui connotati saranno la lieve meditabonda stanchezza di chi fa del fallimento una virt霉 e la sottile ironia di vita.
E io non posso non sentire echeggiare il mistero dell鈥�Uomo senza qualit脿.
Come non posso non tentare un paragone tra l鈥檃dolescente T枚rless e l鈥檃dolescente per eccellenza, Holden Caulfield. Qui, prima dei due conflitti mondiali, un futuro 猫 ancora immaginabile: nel romanzo di Salinger (1951), con le due guerre mondiali alle spalle, la seconda ancora recente, mi pare che il futuro sia molto pi霉 incerto.
Un altro autoritratto di Egon Schiele.
PS
鈥淪enza Porta鈥� 猫 il significato pi霉 spesso accostato al nome T枚rless: quindi, chiuso, riservato. Blindato?
Egon Schiele: Autoritratto (1910).
Ogni grande scoperta si compie solo per met脿 nel cerchio illuminato della mente cosciente, per l鈥檃ltra met脿 nell鈥檕scuro recesso del nostro essere pi霉 interiore, ed 猫 innanzi tutto uno stato d鈥檃nimo alla cui estremit脿 sboccia il pensiero come un fiore.
Per me questo 猫 un autentico libro cult, l鈥檈sordio (1906) di uno scrittore di cui ho amato sommamente il capolavoro, indimenticabile sin dal titolo, L鈥檜omo senza qualit脿.
Romanzo di formazione per eccellenza, questo T枚rless.
E anche di de-formazione se si abbraccia la teoria di alcuni che Beineberg e Reiting, i due studenti pi霉 grandi che T枚rless frequenta, sono dei proto-nazisti: per parafrasare il titolo di un film di Werner Herzog, anche i nazi hanno cominciato da piccoli. Personalmente mi pare interpretazione un po鈥� forzata.
Romanzo sui turbamenti di quell鈥檈t脿 infernale chiamata adolescenza, quegli anni in cui 猫 necessario esser qualcuno di fronte a se stessi e tuttavia si 猫 ancora troppo incompiuti per essere veramente qualcuno.
Mathieu Carri猫re (a sinistra) 猫 鈥淚l giovane T枚rless鈥� nel film del 1966 diretto da Volker Schlondorff.
La magia comincia dalle primissime pagine nelle quali Musil descrive la 鈥渘ostalgia鈥� per i genitori che il giovane T枚rless - chiamato sempre per cognome come tutti gli altri personaggi 鈥� sviluppa al suo arrivo nel prestigioso e severissimo collegio militare: un sentimento sconosciuto, perch茅 quando li aveva accanto, e davanti agli occhi, non avrebbe mai potuto immaginare che presto li avrebbe pensati con tale forza nostalgica, senza per貌 riuscire a ricomporre la loro immagine davanti agli occhi della sua mente.
L鈥檌ncapacit脿 a ricreare la figura fisica dei genitori dipende dalla complessit脿 e imprecisione del sentimento della nostalgia: e la sparizione dell鈥檌mmagine finisce con l鈥檈ssere la prova che proprio l矛 il desiderio s鈥檃ppunta.
E poi, man mano che la permanenza nel collegio assorbe T枚rless e lo trascina in una nuova esistenza, con lo smorzarsi della nostalgia e lo svilupparsi delle relazioni sociali tra coetanei, il 鈥渟enso di vuoto鈥�: il sentimento si astrattizza, si sublima, ed eventualmente degenera. Inaridendosi d脿 luogo a un tormentoso senso di vuoto e di nulla. Esempio di narcisismo, e del masochismo che gli 猫 complementare (riflesso?).
Aleksander Deineka: I ragazzi escono dall鈥檃cqua (1935).
Il grigio e la rigidit脿 che si aspetta da un collegio militare dell鈥檌nizio del Novecento nella provincia dell鈥橧mpero Austro-Ungarico, Musil riesce a trasmetterli descrivendo il paesaggio stinto e malato e l鈥檜manit脿 del paese che circonda l鈥檌stituto.
Musil sembra cresciuto a pane e psicoanalisi, proprio come il suo collega e compatriota Arthur Schnitzler, entrambi austriaci come Sigmund Freud. La sottigliezza psicologica del suo narrare traspare in ogni pagina, e dopo le riflessioni su nostalgia, solitudine e vuoto, ci si imbatte nell鈥檃nalogia tra il groviglio di sensazioni e pulsioni erotiche che Bo啪ena, la prostituta del borgo, suscita nel giovane T枚rless con le suggestioni edipiche che il pensiero della madre risveglia sin dalla sua infanzia.
Riflessioni che quasi immediatamente, senza neppure uscire dalla stanza della donna che vende il suo corpo, ma regala anche due risate e un po鈥� di calore umano, conducono a quelle sull鈥檃more: sentimento che non pu貌 essere provato dagli adulti, perch茅 non 猫 tranquillo e composto, ma necessita di giovent霉 e solitudine per poter palpitare.
E da qui si scivola nel cuore dell鈥檃dolescenza contrapposta all鈥檈t脿 della maturit脿 鈥er cui una giornata che volge alla fine non 猫 pi霉 un problema. La sua vita invece era puntata su ogni singolo giorno. Per lui ogni notte era un nulla, una tomba, un鈥檈stinzione. Non aveva ancora acquistato la capacit脿 di mettersi gi霉 a morire ogni sera senza darsene pensiero.
Le sevizie di Reiting e Beineberg a Basini.
La prostituta Bo啪ena riverbera il compagno di collegio Basini che suscita in T枚rless sia attrazione che repulsione, s鈥檌dentifica con quello che il giovane turbato del titolo teme potrebbe diventare, al punto da spingerlo a chiedere l鈥檌mmediato allontanamento dall鈥檌stituto di Basini, perniciosa malia da sventare. La degradazione che le fantasie di T枚rless percepiscono si attualizza nell鈥檈semplificazione reale di Basini: la colpa incestuosa consumata attraverso Bo啪ena (incestuosa perch茅 la prostituta risveglia sentimenti edipici nel giovane turbato) determina un desiderio morboso di punirsi attraverso la stessa mercificazione del corpo, o il masochismo, morale e fisico, la cui forma estrema 猫 la passivit脿 di T枚rless di fronte all鈥檃ggressione di Reiting e Beineberg ai danni di Basini.
Edvatd Munch: Malinconia (1892).
Era la sensualit脿 segreta, malinconica, senza oggetto dell鈥檃dolescenza, che 猫 come la terra umida nera germinante della primavera, o come le oscure acque sotterranee che aspettano solo una spinta casuale per rompere gli argini.
La sensualit脿, il risveglio erotico giocano un ruolo determinante nei turbamenti dell鈥檃lunno T枚rless: l鈥檃ttrazione-repulsione per il compagno Basini, come gi脿 le pulsioni per Bo啪ena, e la nostalgia per i genitori provata durante il primo periodo nell鈥檌stituto, sprofondano nei recessi dell鈥�anima, senza lasciare, in apparenza alcuna traccia. Questa latenza dell鈥檃ffetto erotico induce con la sua presenza/assenza una misteriosa doppiezza della realt脿, che diventa in T枚rless il sentimento dominante, che cerca, inutilmente, di spiegare nel finale al collegio dei docenti. E contemporaneamente si fa strada la convinzione che la formula rivelatrice sia sepolta in lui stesso, anche se continua a restargli inesplicabile.
Musil ci conduce in territori di sensualit脿 scarsamente esplorati all鈥檈poca, qui al confine tra etero e omo sessualit脿, nel capolavoro della maturit脿 ritorna grandiosamente e il confine l脿 猫 rappresentato dal rapporto fratello-sorella, dall鈥檃leggiante incesto.
Un altro momento del film.
Sotto tutti i pensieri, io ho in mente qualcosa di oscuro che non posso misurare razionalmente, una vita che non pu貌 essere espressa con le parole e che tuttavia 猫 la mia vita鈥�
Alla conclusione del romanzo T枚rless non ha risolto il suo problema, il nodo della sua esistenza, ma lo ha almeno individuato istintivamente, isolato e 鈥渇issato鈥�. Il che gli consentir脿 da adulto, nel futuro che Musil ci lascia intuire, di darsi una regola di vita i cui connotati saranno la lieve meditabonda stanchezza di chi fa del fallimento una virt霉 e la sottile ironia di vita.
E io non posso non sentire echeggiare il mistero dell鈥�Uomo senza qualit脿.
Come non posso non tentare un paragone tra l鈥檃dolescente T枚rless e l鈥檃dolescente per eccellenza, Holden Caulfield. Qui, prima dei due conflitti mondiali, un futuro 猫 ancora immaginabile: nel romanzo di Salinger (1951), con le due guerre mondiali alle spalle, la seconda ancora recente, mi pare che il futuro sia molto pi霉 incerto.
Un altro autoritratto di Egon Schiele.
PS
鈥淪enza Porta鈥� 猫 il significato pi霉 spesso accostato al nome T枚rless: quindi, chiuso, riservato. Blindato?
September 7, 2023
No s茅 qu茅 pensar de esta novela. No me ha disgustado ni aburrido, pero tampoco me ha parecido nada del otro mundo ni en su forma ni en su fondo.
Lo mejor, todo lo relacionado con el asunto del acoso escolar, la indiferencia de la autoridad escolar, la voluptuosidad que encuentran los participantes en la ejecuci贸n del poder f铆sico y psicol贸gico sobre alguien, la cobard铆a y hasta el gusto por la sumisi贸n del acosado. No ser铆a capaz de apostar sobre cu谩l es la posici贸n que el autor asume al respecto, lo que es un punto a su favor.
Por el contrario, todo lo relacionado con eso que se denomina novela de crecimiento o de aprendizaje me ha dejado fr铆o, cuando no irritado con esa posibilidad de camino hacia la sabidur铆a a trav茅s de la crueldad. Me ha parecido muy artificioso y sobreactuado todo lo relacionado con las lucubraciones existenciales, la religiosidad trascendentalista, los calores propios de la adolescencia.
Eso s铆, la imagen que da fin a la novela me ha parecido fabulosa.
March 8, 2025
Readers who associate boarding school fiction with sneaky midnight feasts, harmless pranks or wizardry may come to find the introspection of young T枚rless鈥檚 education not only shocking but also too dense. Musil is not so much interested in investigating the exterior world of the protagonist, and chooses instead to look deeply into the psychological and moral awakening of youth. Young T枚rless drifts through interior monologue, to dreamlike sequences, to the horrors of life away from home, where punishment is dished out by some nasty little brats that were deplorable. I wanted to drop them down a deep well. But If I'm honest, I didn't really like anybody, and it didn't come as a surprise to me either.
T枚rless was clearly, sexually speaking, in a muddle, and afraid to confront his own feelings and desires. He seems to suggest that for one to live a normal life, one must regulate the depth to which one wants to explore one's desires or the extent to which one wants to obey them. Yet, the more he refuses to interrogate those feelings that draw him closer to his friend, the deeper the internal torments. In a way, it's interesting that parts of the novel can be seen as an early indication to the rise of fascism, and it's written well enough, which I expected anyway, but I found there really wasn't much to like, especially the second-half. If I had to write down a list of things I wouldn't want to read about again, then sadistic bullying would definitely be somewhere near the top.
September 5, 2023
This story of teenagers who allow themselves to persecute one of their own because they consider him inferior saw by others as a premonition of Nazism. But this book also tells us about the victim's behavior, ideas, and calculations that lead the torturers and victims to humiliate and allow themselves to have done, respectively. The inner life and how it is shaken or stimulated by adolescence were well described independently of the history of persecution or perhaps in connection with it. The Confessions (plural) of the pupil T枚rless do not speak to us only of persecution of school harassment. They are also present throughout the novel, the concern linked to our place in the world at the dawn of the 20th century, the theme of adolescence, pederasty and the search for one's sexuality, belief and doubt in the school institution, the quest for meaning, etc. It was a vibrant, well-written novel with images whose central theme is brand and education.
November 11, 2018
螒蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蔚委谓伪喂 尾伪蟻蠉 魏伪喂 魏蟻蠉慰 蟽伪谓 蟿伪 伪魏伪蟿苇蟻纬伪蟽蟿伪 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓伪 渭苇蟿伪位位伪.
螖蔚委蠂谓蔚喂 谓伪 蟺伪位蔚蠉蔚喂 渭蔚 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓慰蠉蟼 伪纬纬苇位慰蠀蟼 蠄蠀蠂喂魏萎蟼 伪谓苇位喂尉畏蟼 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿慰纬谓蠅蟽委伪蟼, 渭伪 畏 渭维蠂畏 渭慰喂维味蔚喂 蠄蔚蠉蟿喂魏伪 渭伪谓喂伪魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰 伪委渭伪 伪蟺慰 蟿喂蟼 蟺位畏纬苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟺蟻慰尉蔚谓蔚委 蟽蟿伪 胃蠉渭伪蟿伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 慰蟻渭慰谓喂魏蠈 渭蔚委纬渭伪 蟽魏苇蠄畏蟼 魏伪喂 尾维蟻尾伪蟻畏蟼 畏未慰谓萎蟼.
螣喂 蠄蠀蠂慰位慰纬喂魏苇蟼 魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿维蟽蔚喂蟼 蟿蠅谓 畏蟻蠋蠅谓 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏蟽喂伪魏维 渭蠀蟻委味慰蠀谓 蠂蟻蠋渭伪 蠁胃喂谓慰蟺蠋蟻慰蠀 渭蔚 纬蔚蠉蟽畏 纬魏蟻委味慰蠀 慰蠀蟻伪谓慰蠉 蟺蟻喂谓 蟿畏谓 尾蟻慰蠂萎 魏伪喂 维纬纬喂纬渭伪 伪蟺慰 渭喂伪 胃慰蟻蠀尾蠋未畏 畏胃喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟺慰位位苇蟼 蟽蠀纬蠂蠀蟽渭苇谓蔚蟼 蔚渭蟺蔚喂蟻委蔚蟼 谓蔚伪谓喂魏蠋谓 蟺伪胃蠋谓.
螆蠁畏尾慰喂 蟺伪纬喂未蔚蠀渭苇谓慰喂 蟽蔚 味慰蠁蔚蟻苇蟼 蠁蠀位伪魏苇蟼 蔚魏蟺伪委未蔚蠀蟽畏蟼 蠀蠁委蟽蟿伪谓蟿伪喂 蟺蔚蟻喂蟿慰渭萎 蠄蠀蠂萎蟼 伪蟺慰 魏维蟺慰喂慰蠀蟼 伪谓伪蠂蟻慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 未伪蟽魏维位慰蠀蟼 渭蔚 蟽魏慰谓喂蟽渭苇谓伪 渭蠀伪位维 魏伪喂 蠄萎纬渭伪蟿伪 蠁伪蟽喂蟽渭慰蠉 蟽蔚 蟽蠀谓伪喂蟽胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏蠈 蟺位伪委蟽喂慰.
螖喂伪未维蟽魏慰谓蟿伪喂 渭伪胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏萎 蟺慰委畏蟽畏 蟻畏蟿萎蟼 蟽魏位畏蟻慰蟿畏蟿伪蟼, 蔚魏蟺伪喂未蔚蠉慰谓蟿伪喂, 渭慰蟻蠁蠋谓慰谓蟿伪喂, 未喂伪渭慰蟻蠁蠋谓慰蠀谓 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿萎蟻伪 伪蟺慰 蔚谓伪 魏慰蟺维未喂 尾慰慰蔚喂未蠋谓 渭蔚 伪魏伪未畏渭伪蠆魏萎 蔚蟺委蠁伪蟽畏 苇未蟻伪蟼.
危蟿蔚蟻畏渭苇谓伪 蟺谓蔚蠉渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 蟽蠋渭伪蟿伪 渭蟺蔚蟻未蔚蠉慰蠀谓 萎 伪纬谓慰慰蠉谓 蟿畏谓 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏萎 魏伪喂 胃蔚蟽渭喂魏萎 慰蟻喂慰胃苇蟿畏蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蔚尉慰蠀蟽委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 畏胃喂魏萎蟼 渭蔚 伪蟺慰蟿苇位蔚蟽渭伪 谓伪 蟺蟻慰蔚蟿慰喂渭维味慰蠀谓 渭伪胃畏蟿苇蟼 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 蟺蔚蟿蠉蠂慰蠀谓 蠅蟼 维胃位喂慰喂 魏慰渭蟺维蟻蟽慰喂 蟽蔚 胃蔚伪蟿蟻喂魏维 苇蟻纬伪 蟽蠀谓蔚喂未畏蟽喂伪魏萎蟼 蠀蟺慰蟿伪纬萎蟼 蟽蟿畏 尾委伪, 蟽蔚 苇蟻纬伪 蟿苇蠂谓畏蟼 蠈蟺慰蠀 畏 伪谓蔚蟺维蟻魏蔚喂伪 蟿畏蟼 纬位蠋蟽蟽伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 蟽蠀谓伪委蟽胃畏蟽畏蟼, 未喂伪蠂蠅蟻委味蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺慰 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿伪 蔚蟺喂尾蟻伪尾蔚蠉慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟿慰谓 维蟿蠀蟺慰 蔚尉蠅蠁蟻蔚谓喂魏蠈 蔚魏蠁慰尾喂蟽渭蠈.
螆谓伪 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿喂蠅蟿喂魏蠈 慰喂魏慰蟿蟻慰蠁蔚委慰 渭蔚 蟺谓蔚蠀渭伪蟿喂魏维 谓蔚慰纬谓维 谓伪味喂蟽蟿喂魏蠋谓 谓蟿伪萎未蠅谓 蟿伪蟺蔚喂谓蠋谓慰蠀谓, 尾伪蟽伪谓委味慰蠀谓, 尾喂维味慰蠀谓, 魏伪蟿伪蟽蟿蟻苇蠁慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 蔚蟺伪委蟻慰谓蟿伪喂 渭蔚 蟺蟻慰蠁维蟽蔚喂蟼 蠄蔚蠀未慰 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏萎蟼, 蠄蔚蠀未蠈 渭蠀蟽蟿喂魏喂蟽蟿喂魏萎蟼, 委未喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 维未蔚喂伪蟼 蟺慰位蠀位慰纬委伪蟼.
螤伪蟻维位位畏位伪 伪谓伪魏伪位蠉蟺蟿慰蠀谓 蟿畏 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏萎 畏未慰谓萎 渭苇蟽伪 伪蟺慰 尾维蟻尾伪蟻蔚蟼 魏伪喂 蠁蟻喂魏喂伪蟽蟿喂魏苇蟼 蔚谓苇蟻纬蔚喂蔚蟼 苇蠂慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟺维谓蟿伪 苇谓伪 蔚尉喂位伪蟽蟿萎蟻喂慰 胃蠉渭伪 魏伪喂 渭喂伪 伪魏伪蟿伪谓蠈畏蟿畏 魏伪喂 蔚尉慰蟻纬喂蟽蟿喂魏萎 蟽喂蠅蟺畏蟻萎 蟽蠀谓蔚谓慰蠂萎 伪蟺慰 蟿畏谓
蟺位蔚喂慰蠄畏蠁委伪 蟿蠅谓 胃蔚伪蟿蠋谓 蟿慰蠀 蟽伪未喂蟽渭慰蠉.
螣喂 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿慰蟻畏渭伪蟿喂魏苇蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂纬蟻伪蠁苇蟼 蟿慰蠀 螠慰蠉味喂位 魏蠀魏位慰蠁慰蟻慰蠉谓 蟽蟿畏谓 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓喂魏萎 蟽魏畏谓萎 纬喂伪 蟺蟻蠋蟿畏 蠁慰蟻维 蟿慰 1906. 螆魏蟿慰蟿蔚 蔚喂魏维味蔚蟿伪喂 蟺蠅蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 维蟻蟻畏魏蟿伪 蟽蠀谓未蔚未蔚渭苇谓蔚蟼 渭蔚 蟿畏 未喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠂慰位喂魏萎 蔚渭蟺蔚喂蟻委伪 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蠈位慰 蟿慰 魏蔚委渭蔚谓慰 苇蠂蔚喂 苇谓伪 蟺蟻慰蠁畏蟿喂魏蠈 维蟻蠅渭伪 蟿畏蟼 纬蔚蟻渭伪谓喂魏萎蟼 蟺蟻慰慰蟺蟿喂魏萎蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 伪谓蠈未慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 蠁伪蟽喂蟽渭慰蠉.
螝伪位萎 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏.
螤慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪蟽蟺伪蟽渭慰蠉蟼.
October 29, 2017
螣 Musil 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰 蔚蟺委蟺蔚未慰 蟿蠅谓 Mann, Hesse, 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 魏慰蟻蠀蠁伪委慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 纬蔚蟻渭伪谓喂魏萎蟼 位慰纬慰蟿蔚蠂谓委伪蟼.
韦慰 蟽蠀纬魏蔚魏蟻喂渭苇谓慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈 !!!
韦慰 蟽蠀纬魏蔚魏蟻喂渭苇谓慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠀纬魏位慰谓喂蟽蟿喂魏蠈 !!!
October 31, 2017
Introduction
Note on the Text
Select Bibliography
A Chronology of Robert Musil
--The Confusions of Young T枚rless
Explanatory Notes
Note on the Text
Select Bibliography
A Chronology of Robert Musil
--The Confusions of Young T枚rless
Explanatory Notes
March 10, 2024
Musils B眉cher bekommen immer drei Sterne von mir, auch hier. Ein Zeichen v枚lliger Ratlosigkeit, wie ich das Gelesene f眉r mich werten soll. Im Vergleich zum Mann ohne Eigenschaften empfand ich beim T枚rle脽 den Erz盲hler wesentlich pr盲gnanter und vor allem wertender. Das hat mich im ersten Drittel doch sehr 眉berrascht und hielt mich auf Distanz zum Roman. 厂辫盲迟别谤 盲hnelt die Erz盲hlweise dann aber immer mehr dem MoE, d.h. viel direkte Rede mit l盲ngeren essayhaften Einsch眉ben 眉ber die verschiedensten Themen von Philosophie, Psychologie bis zur Mathematik. Auch 盲hnelte der T枚rle脽 als meist stiller Beobachter der sadistischen Grausamkeiten in seinem Internat charakterlich dem Ulrich aus MoE. Insofern empfand ich es interessant, diesen Roman quasi als Vorgeschichte zum sperrigen Meisterwerk des Autors zu lesen.
Ich hatte vermutet, dass der T枚rle脽 eine Art Sch眉lerroman wie Hesses Unterm Rad sei. Doch diese B眉cher unterscheiden sich grundlegend. Musils Buch ist weit mehr als eine Gesellschaftskritik einer geschundenen Jugend. Es ist die selbstbewusste Stimme der Jugend, die eine neue Zeit proklamiert und die alten b眉rgerlichen Normen und Werte zerschlagen will. Und das tut sie nicht nur mit Worten und Gedankenspielen, sondern physisch anhand eines S眉ndenbocks, den sie auserkoren, zu qu盲len und zu erniedrigen. Der Mitsch眉ler Basini wird gerade zu entmenschlicht, wenn er auf dem Dachboden geschlagen, gedem眉tigt und vergewaltigt wird. Das war mir teilweise zu explizit in der Gewaltdarstellung und las sich dadurch unangenehm. Aber Musil erg枚tzt sich nicht daran, sondern lenkt den Fokus mehr auf den Beobachter T枚rle脽 und seine Gedanken und Gef眉hle beim Betrachten der beklemmenden Geschehnisse. Das wirkt dann schon vision盲r, wie er Themen anspricht, die f眉r ein Buch zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts sicherlich ungew枚hnlich und skandal枚s waren. Insbesondere wenn sich T枚rle脽 Gedanken um seine geschlechtliche Identit盲t macht und homosexuelle Erfahrungen erlebt. Das hat mich beeindruckt. Zudem sind die beiden Sadisten Reiting und Beineberg in ihrer menschenverachtend Haltung ein Typus, den man mit den Nationalsozialisten gleich setzen m枚chte. Beschreibt Musil da schon eine sich erst 30 Jahre sp盲ter auftretende Katastrophe? Der Gedanke dr盲ngt sich auf, aber der milit盲risch gepr盲gten Reiting als Napoleon als Vorbild und der hat die Menschen auch verheizt in seinen barbarischen Kriegen. Das Dunkle im Menschen war schon immer da und Musil kann es gut beschreiben.
Gest枚rt hat mich allerdings der allwissende Erz盲hler, der aus der zeitlichen Distanz von mehreren Jahren immer wieder erkl盲rend eingreift, wenn man selbst versucht, Schl眉sse aus den Aussagen und dem Handeln der Personen zu schlie脽en. Ich f眉hlte mich bevormundet und auch teilweise verwirrend zugequatscht, wenn mal so etwas wie eine Handlung entstand, die dann aber wieder durch eine l盲ngere Abhandlung abgew眉rgt wurde. Man muss schon Spa脽 am Fabulieren Musils haben, um an seinen B眉chern Gefallen zu finden. Daher ist der T枚rle脽 ein guter Einstieg, wenn man sich dem Mann ohne Eigenschaften stellen will. Es war auf jeden Fall eine interessante Lekt眉re, aber ich bleibe weiterhin eher Anh盲nger der klassischen Erz盲hlweise bei Romanen aus dieser Zeit und w眉rde Mann, Hesse oder Fontane dem Musil vorziehen.
Ich hatte vermutet, dass der T枚rle脽 eine Art Sch眉lerroman wie Hesses Unterm Rad sei. Doch diese B眉cher unterscheiden sich grundlegend. Musils Buch ist weit mehr als eine Gesellschaftskritik einer geschundenen Jugend. Es ist die selbstbewusste Stimme der Jugend, die eine neue Zeit proklamiert und die alten b眉rgerlichen Normen und Werte zerschlagen will. Und das tut sie nicht nur mit Worten und Gedankenspielen, sondern physisch anhand eines S眉ndenbocks, den sie auserkoren, zu qu盲len und zu erniedrigen. Der Mitsch眉ler Basini wird gerade zu entmenschlicht, wenn er auf dem Dachboden geschlagen, gedem眉tigt und vergewaltigt wird. Das war mir teilweise zu explizit in der Gewaltdarstellung und las sich dadurch unangenehm. Aber Musil erg枚tzt sich nicht daran, sondern lenkt den Fokus mehr auf den Beobachter T枚rle脽 und seine Gedanken und Gef眉hle beim Betrachten der beklemmenden Geschehnisse. Das wirkt dann schon vision盲r, wie er Themen anspricht, die f眉r ein Buch zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts sicherlich ungew枚hnlich und skandal枚s waren. Insbesondere wenn sich T枚rle脽 Gedanken um seine geschlechtliche Identit盲t macht und homosexuelle Erfahrungen erlebt. Das hat mich beeindruckt. Zudem sind die beiden Sadisten Reiting und Beineberg in ihrer menschenverachtend Haltung ein Typus, den man mit den Nationalsozialisten gleich setzen m枚chte. Beschreibt Musil da schon eine sich erst 30 Jahre sp盲ter auftretende Katastrophe? Der Gedanke dr盲ngt sich auf, aber der milit盲risch gepr盲gten Reiting als Napoleon als Vorbild und der hat die Menschen auch verheizt in seinen barbarischen Kriegen. Das Dunkle im Menschen war schon immer da und Musil kann es gut beschreiben.
Gest枚rt hat mich allerdings der allwissende Erz盲hler, der aus der zeitlichen Distanz von mehreren Jahren immer wieder erkl盲rend eingreift, wenn man selbst versucht, Schl眉sse aus den Aussagen und dem Handeln der Personen zu schlie脽en. Ich f眉hlte mich bevormundet und auch teilweise verwirrend zugequatscht, wenn mal so etwas wie eine Handlung entstand, die dann aber wieder durch eine l盲ngere Abhandlung abgew眉rgt wurde. Man muss schon Spa脽 am Fabulieren Musils haben, um an seinen B眉chern Gefallen zu finden. Daher ist der T枚rle脽 ein guter Einstieg, wenn man sich dem Mann ohne Eigenschaften stellen will. Es war auf jeden Fall eine interessante Lekt眉re, aber ich bleibe weiterhin eher Anh盲nger der klassischen Erz盲hlweise bei Romanen aus dieser Zeit und w眉rde Mann, Hesse oder Fontane dem Musil vorziehen.
June 22, 2024
It took me a while to realize which approach Musil had chosen for this book. At first you have the impression that it is a classic coming-of-age story about the young T枚rless, a sensitive young boy from a wealthy middle-class background. This is reinforced by his arrival at a boarding school and the homesickness he feels (and especially for his mother). But then Musil seems to focus in depth on T枚rless's struggle with the dark sides in his own soul and the novel even takes on a bit of a gothic aspect. This is followed by the mysterious, sometimes violent scenes in which a fellow student, Basini, is regularly humiliated by two other students. For T枚rless this arouses both excitement and disgust, and the novel now clearly takes on a homoerotic slant, in which our young hero continues to dig deep into his soul, engages in ruthless self-analysis, and sublimates his confusion into rather abstract reflections on mathematical, imaginary numbers.
So this novel goes in different directions, making it difficult to really get a grip on it. The rather archaic language (especially in the Dutch translation I read) reinforces this. But Musil makes it clear with this debut that he has quite a lot to offer. I understand the criticism that this novel heralds the culture of violence that would flare up in Germany a few decades later during the Nazi period, but this seems to me to be a rather anachronistic reading, because this story could just as easily have been set in a British or French boarding school.
So this novel goes in different directions, making it difficult to really get a grip on it. The rather archaic language (especially in the Dutch translation I read) reinforces this. But Musil makes it clear with this debut that he has quite a lot to offer. I understand the criticism that this novel heralds the culture of violence that would flare up in Germany a few decades later during the Nazi period, but this seems to me to be a rather anachronistic reading, because this story could just as easily have been set in a British or French boarding school.
March 7, 2022
The Confusions of Young Torless is an incredible book, reminiscent at times of Rilke in its ability to wrestle with complex spiritual and psychological themes. Reading this book was like constantly trying to grasp something slightly abstract, slightly out of reach, though very human and real and rooted in language. This is an ambitious (though short) book, an extremely thoughtful and difficult read.
Maybe it is fitting that the book is so hard to describe, since one of its main themes is the ineffable-ness of certain human experience. One thing the book is NOT about, however, is the "devastating" effects of the "abuse of power" as it states in the back of the book. Sure, that's what happens, but the author's focus seems determinedly "off", always in the head of young Torless, who approaches the events that unfold with a much deeper and complex inquisitiveness than the simple moral lesson/parable suggested in that blurb.
At the center is the metaphor of imaginary numbers. Torless learns of them in math class, and spends some pages thinking about how we can start with something completely real, apply an element that does not exist to it (but we pretend it does, temporarily, just for the sake of conjecture) and that the logical result of that (because the imaginary numbers eventually cancel each other out on both sides of the equation) is a real result. But that the bridge between the two real worlds is one that's completely made up.
This metaphor, though not always explicitly stated, can be applied to many of the themes in this book: the way our conceptions of "self" are propped up by a set of lies we tell ourselves, the way we conduct our lives in the daytime differently from at night (though we need the night as a bridge to get to the next day), the way we can be completely rational with our thoughts even though we are essentially emotional (and irrational) beings.
The confusion of young Torless becomes our confusion as he thinks obscurely about these themes among many others: guilt, shame, pride, sexuality, the contradictions of the self, coherence between mind, body, and soul鈥� and how we smooth over these contradictions of ourselves. The writing itself is sometimes very confusing, I often found myself lost in what the book was trying to say (especially in the first 50 pages, which seemed at times aimless), but it is that effort that slowly begins to make sense as the book reveals itself; as the book gets less and less abstract, the writing itself becomes more tangible.
Maybe it is fitting that the book is so hard to describe, since one of its main themes is the ineffable-ness of certain human experience. One thing the book is NOT about, however, is the "devastating" effects of the "abuse of power" as it states in the back of the book. Sure, that's what happens, but the author's focus seems determinedly "off", always in the head of young Torless, who approaches the events that unfold with a much deeper and complex inquisitiveness than the simple moral lesson/parable suggested in that blurb.
At the center is the metaphor of imaginary numbers. Torless learns of them in math class, and spends some pages thinking about how we can start with something completely real, apply an element that does not exist to it (but we pretend it does, temporarily, just for the sake of conjecture) and that the logical result of that (because the imaginary numbers eventually cancel each other out on both sides of the equation) is a real result. But that the bridge between the two real worlds is one that's completely made up.
This metaphor, though not always explicitly stated, can be applied to many of the themes in this book: the way our conceptions of "self" are propped up by a set of lies we tell ourselves, the way we conduct our lives in the daytime differently from at night (though we need the night as a bridge to get to the next day), the way we can be completely rational with our thoughts even though we are essentially emotional (and irrational) beings.
The confusion of young Torless becomes our confusion as he thinks obscurely about these themes among many others: guilt, shame, pride, sexuality, the contradictions of the self, coherence between mind, body, and soul鈥� and how we smooth over these contradictions of ourselves. The writing itself is sometimes very confusing, I often found myself lost in what the book was trying to say (especially in the first 50 pages, which seemed at times aimless), but it is that effort that slowly begins to make sense as the book reveals itself; as the book gets less and less abstract, the writing itself becomes more tangible.
October 10, 2016
--That moment when you realize that having your head in the clouds is not always a good thing. In short, the "confusions" of Young Torless are the confusions of all who wonder how the seemingly rational person can become embroiled in the heinous. But also--
"And suddenly--and it seemed to him as if it had happened for the very first time--Torless became aware of how incredibly high the sky was.
It was almost a shock. Straight above him, shining between the clouds, was a small, blue hole, fathomlessly deep.
He felt it must be possible, if only one had a long, long ladder, to climb up and into it. But the further he penetrated, raising himself on his gaze, the further the blue, shining depth receded. And still it was as though some time it must be reached, as though by sheer gazing one must be able to stop it and hold it. The desire to do this became agonizingly intense." (87)
--Young Torless is a thoughtful youth, and by that I mean that his head is full of the thoughts typical of youth- of conventional, nascent navel-gazers. Not thoughts for others, but the poetry of self-indulgence. The things that occur to people when they have a surfeit of time and a dearth of responsibility. Yet none are sustained for long enough to be useful and are abandoned at the first vertiginous point.
"Now Torless began to think about this, making an effort to be as calm and rational as he could. 'Of course there is no end,' he said to himself, 'it just keeps going on and on forever, into infinity.' He kept his eyes fixed on the sky, saying this aloud to himself as though he were testing the power of a magic formula." (87-88)
--One might be tempted to glimpse one's own early musings in this military boarding school boy. Who hasn't been startled by the concept of imaginary numbers? Who hasn't experienced the shock of starting with concrete operations, lapsing into impossibilities of i, suspending disbelief long enough to find a couple of canceling squares for your nasty roots, and coming out on the other side with something both intelligible and meaningful? Who hasn't thought that reading philosophy was pointless because Kant already nailed it all down in a couple of dusty tomes?
"But it was no use; the words meant nothing, or rather, they meant something quite different, as if, while dealing with the same subject, they were taking it from another side, one that was strange, unfamiliar and irrelevant.
'Infinity!'...
But now it flashed through him, with startling clarity, that there was something terribly disturbing about this word. It seemed to him like a concept that had been tamed and with which he himself had been daily going through his little circus tricks; and now all of a sudden it had broken loose. Something surpassing all comprehension, something wild and annihilating, that once had been put to sleep by some ingenious operation, had suddenly leapt awake and was there again in all its terrifying strength. There in the sky, it was standing over him, alive and threatening and sneering." (88)
--It is the re-reading of precisely these lines that points up what I find utterly terrifying about this book. Torless' descent is more than one of complaisance or complicity, it must be recognized as commissive (simplified: Torless, and two other classmates, Reiting and Beineberg torture a younger, weaker coeval, by physical beatings, sexual assaults, mental abuse) though I can see Torless' defense attorneys reading for a plea down. What makes matters even more repugnant is the ease with which the perpetrators distance themselves from the victim and the detachment of the adult rectors who seem eager to latch onto some muddy metaphysical rationalizations during the proceeding, farcical inquest. The sum is the disconcerting feeling of staring into an evil abyss, which is rendered all the more stomach churning by its banality. Or maybe it's just the passivity of the individual infected by the sickness of herd?
--Here Reiting discusses changing the tactics for abusing the victim, shifting from individualized brutality to mob blindness (lines which I believe are responsible for the book's blurb claiming that this work prefigured the rise of Nazism, at least from a group-psychological standpoint):
"We can turn it over in our minds, polish it up and keep on adding new refinements. Without the appropriate details it's still a bit of a bore, for the present. Perhaps we'll hand him right over to the class to deal with. That would be the most sensible thing to do. If each one of so many contributes even a little, it'll be enough to tear him to pieces. And anyway, I have a liking for these mass movements. Nobody means to contribute anything spectacular, and yet the waves keep rising higher and higher, until they break over everyone's head. You chaps just wait and see, nobody will lift a finger, but all the same there'll be a terrific upheaval. Instigating a thing like that gives me really quite particular pleasure." (174-175)
--Awful stuff. Gah. So, how can I rate this four stars? I guess it is simply this: Musil's prose (which the book's blurb so accurately describes as "claustrophobic" and "poetic") is immersive and engaging. The reader is bound and horrified. Further, I've never been able to understand the phrase "the banality of evil." Now, I might.
Note: I read the Wilkins and Kaiser Englishing, which was so good I forgot I was reading a translation.
"And suddenly--and it seemed to him as if it had happened for the very first time--Torless became aware of how incredibly high the sky was.
It was almost a shock. Straight above him, shining between the clouds, was a small, blue hole, fathomlessly deep.
He felt it must be possible, if only one had a long, long ladder, to climb up and into it. But the further he penetrated, raising himself on his gaze, the further the blue, shining depth receded. And still it was as though some time it must be reached, as though by sheer gazing one must be able to stop it and hold it. The desire to do this became agonizingly intense." (87)
--Young Torless is a thoughtful youth, and by that I mean that his head is full of the thoughts typical of youth- of conventional, nascent navel-gazers. Not thoughts for others, but the poetry of self-indulgence. The things that occur to people when they have a surfeit of time and a dearth of responsibility. Yet none are sustained for long enough to be useful and are abandoned at the first vertiginous point.
"Now Torless began to think about this, making an effort to be as calm and rational as he could. 'Of course there is no end,' he said to himself, 'it just keeps going on and on forever, into infinity.' He kept his eyes fixed on the sky, saying this aloud to himself as though he were testing the power of a magic formula." (87-88)
--One might be tempted to glimpse one's own early musings in this military boarding school boy. Who hasn't been startled by the concept of imaginary numbers? Who hasn't experienced the shock of starting with concrete operations, lapsing into impossibilities of i, suspending disbelief long enough to find a couple of canceling squares for your nasty roots, and coming out on the other side with something both intelligible and meaningful? Who hasn't thought that reading philosophy was pointless because Kant already nailed it all down in a couple of dusty tomes?
"But it was no use; the words meant nothing, or rather, they meant something quite different, as if, while dealing with the same subject, they were taking it from another side, one that was strange, unfamiliar and irrelevant.
'Infinity!'...
But now it flashed through him, with startling clarity, that there was something terribly disturbing about this word. It seemed to him like a concept that had been tamed and with which he himself had been daily going through his little circus tricks; and now all of a sudden it had broken loose. Something surpassing all comprehension, something wild and annihilating, that once had been put to sleep by some ingenious operation, had suddenly leapt awake and was there again in all its terrifying strength. There in the sky, it was standing over him, alive and threatening and sneering." (88)
--It is the re-reading of precisely these lines that points up what I find utterly terrifying about this book. Torless' descent is more than one of complaisance or complicity, it must be recognized as commissive (simplified: Torless, and two other classmates, Reiting and Beineberg torture a younger, weaker coeval, by physical beatings, sexual assaults, mental abuse) though I can see Torless' defense attorneys reading for a plea down. What makes matters even more repugnant is the ease with which the perpetrators distance themselves from the victim and the detachment of the adult rectors who seem eager to latch onto some muddy metaphysical rationalizations during the proceeding, farcical inquest. The sum is the disconcerting feeling of staring into an evil abyss, which is rendered all the more stomach churning by its banality. Or maybe it's just the passivity of the individual infected by the sickness of herd?
--Here Reiting discusses changing the tactics for abusing the victim, shifting from individualized brutality to mob blindness (lines which I believe are responsible for the book's blurb claiming that this work prefigured the rise of Nazism, at least from a group-psychological standpoint):
"We can turn it over in our minds, polish it up and keep on adding new refinements. Without the appropriate details it's still a bit of a bore, for the present. Perhaps we'll hand him right over to the class to deal with. That would be the most sensible thing to do. If each one of so many contributes even a little, it'll be enough to tear him to pieces. And anyway, I have a liking for these mass movements. Nobody means to contribute anything spectacular, and yet the waves keep rising higher and higher, until they break over everyone's head. You chaps just wait and see, nobody will lift a finger, but all the same there'll be a terrific upheaval. Instigating a thing like that gives me really quite particular pleasure." (174-175)
--Awful stuff. Gah. So, how can I rate this four stars? I guess it is simply this: Musil's prose (which the book's blurb so accurately describes as "claustrophobic" and "poetic") is immersive and engaging. The reader is bound and horrified. Further, I've never been able to understand the phrase "the banality of evil." Now, I might.
Note: I read the Wilkins and Kaiser Englishing, which was so good I forgot I was reading a translation.
June 4, 2022
Like a less interesting . Set in an exclusive boys boarding school it explores the idea that humans (although the body of literature would suggest it's more expensively educated boys) are naturally cruel and without scrutiny will act on these baser instincts, especially when in a group. It is prescient to the Stanford prison experiment as we have a group of early teenaged boys deciding to exert their own punishment upon a boy they have caught stealing. The victimisers couch their behaviour in various ways to make it more palatable 鈥� one has an Eastern mystic philosophical explanation, Torless to view as an objective observer 鈥� as they become increasingly sadistic.
A short book but one that had me looking forward to the end.
A short book but one that had me looking forward to the end.
March 15, 2024
Wer ist T枚rle脽 und was besch盲ftigt ihn?
鈥濱hre R盲nder verloren sich in dem ringsum zertretenen Boden und waren nur an zwei Reihen Akazienb盲umen kenntlich, die traurig mit verdursteten, von Staub und Ru脽 erdrosselten Bl盲ttern zu beiden Seiten standen.
Machten es diese traurigen Farben, machte es das bleiche, kraftlose, durch den Dunst erm眉dete Licht der Nachmittagssonne: Gegenst盲nde und Menschen hatten etwas Gleichg眉ltiges, Lebloses Mechanisches an sich, als seien sie aus der Szene eines Puppentheaters genommen.鈥�
Ein junges M盲nnlein, das gleichg眉ltig und leblos durch seine Welt wabert. Das Gef眉hl, nur ausgetreten Fu脽spuren zu folgen und entdeckt: da ist so unfassbar viel Unverstandenes in mir, ein unausgef眉lltes Nichts, eine Sehnsucht, die verst枚renden Genuss findet, an Dingen, die nicht sein sollen. Hilflosigkeit, Orientierungslosigkeit, Angst vor subtilen Empfindeleien, das Gef眉hl etwas verloren zu haben, von dem er nicht wei脽 was es ist.
鈥濫r f眉hlte sich mehr denn je verlassen und auf verlornem Posten, aber in dieser Wehmut lag ein feines Vergn眉gen, ein Stolz, etwas Fremdes zu tun, einer unverstandenen Gottheit zu dienen. Und dann konnte wohl auch vor眉bergehend in seinen Augen etwas aufleuchten, das an den Aberwitz religi枚ser Ekstase gemahnte.
Zu Beginn des Buches versucht T枚rle脽 in Relexionen diese Empfindungen und Gedanken zu fassen und f眉hlt sie zur眉ckweichen. Das Reale entzieht sich dem Symbolischen.
Er erm眉det schnell in diesen Reflexionen und zieht eine Mauer hoch.
Grunds盲tzlich verhandelt Musil die Grenzen formaler Systeme, anhand von Kant und den 脺bergang vom Konkreten, Verstandesm盲脽igem zum Unbekannten, Unsagbaren, Metaphysischen. T枚rle脽 ist Positivismuskritik und ein Mahnmal, wie jemand auf dem Weg zur Subjektivierung krepiert 鈥� sich im Erwachsenenalter an eine formale, abstrakte Moral h盲ngt, ohne konkreten Inhalt des moralischen Lebens.
Er z盲hlte dann zu jenen 盲sthetisch-intellektuellen Naturen, welchen die Beachtung der Gesetze und wohl auch teilweise der 枚ffentlichen Moral eine Beruhigung gew盲hrt, weil sie dadurch enthoben sind, 眉ber etwas Grobes, von dem feineren seelischen Geschehen Weitabliegendes nachdenken zu m眉ssen, die aber eine gelangweilte Unempfindlichkeit mit dieser gro脽en 盲u脽eren, ein wenig ironischen Korrektheit verbinden, sobald man ein pers枚nlicheres Interesse f眉r deren Gegenst盲nde von ihnen verlangt.
Hauptsache nicht Denken! Bitte keine Reflexivit盲t! Keine Vers枚hnung mit dem Anderen! Sch枚ngeistige Fassade aufgelegt und auf zum 脺berwinden und Verdr盲ngen! Gesetzgebende Moral auf Post it gepinnt, angeklebt und die Finsternis umschifft.
Huch, was machen die ganzen autorit盲ren Gestalten hier?
__________________________________
Mein 眉berfordertes Geblubber nach dem ersten Read (2021-02):
Ein sprachliches Fest- Musil versteht es die Pupert盲ren Gef眉hlswirrungen in poetische, psychologisch ausdrucksstarke Worte und Beobachten zu packen, wie ich es noch nie gelesen habe. Jede Seite ist ein Fest mit Hunderten M枚glichkeiten nachzusinnen. Ein Buch das ich nur sehr langsam lesen konnte, weil es eine solche Wucht hat.
鈥濱hre R盲nder verloren sich in dem ringsum zertretenen Boden und waren nur an zwei Reihen Akazienb盲umen kenntlich, die traurig mit verdursteten, von Staub und Ru脽 erdrosselten Bl盲ttern zu beiden Seiten standen.
Machten es diese traurigen Farben, machte es das bleiche, kraftlose, durch den Dunst erm眉dete Licht der Nachmittagssonne: Gegenst盲nde und Menschen hatten etwas Gleichg眉ltiges, Lebloses Mechanisches an sich, als seien sie aus der Szene eines Puppentheaters genommen.鈥�
Ein junges M盲nnlein, das gleichg眉ltig und leblos durch seine Welt wabert. Das Gef眉hl, nur ausgetreten Fu脽spuren zu folgen und entdeckt: da ist so unfassbar viel Unverstandenes in mir, ein unausgef眉lltes Nichts, eine Sehnsucht, die verst枚renden Genuss findet, an Dingen, die nicht sein sollen. Hilflosigkeit, Orientierungslosigkeit, Angst vor subtilen Empfindeleien, das Gef眉hl etwas verloren zu haben, von dem er nicht wei脽 was es ist.
鈥濫r f眉hlte sich mehr denn je verlassen und auf verlornem Posten, aber in dieser Wehmut lag ein feines Vergn眉gen, ein Stolz, etwas Fremdes zu tun, einer unverstandenen Gottheit zu dienen. Und dann konnte wohl auch vor眉bergehend in seinen Augen etwas aufleuchten, das an den Aberwitz religi枚ser Ekstase gemahnte.
Zu Beginn des Buches versucht T枚rle脽 in Relexionen diese Empfindungen und Gedanken zu fassen und f眉hlt sie zur眉ckweichen. Das Reale entzieht sich dem Symbolischen.
Er erm眉det schnell in diesen Reflexionen und zieht eine Mauer hoch.
Grunds盲tzlich verhandelt Musil die Grenzen formaler Systeme, anhand von Kant und den 脺bergang vom Konkreten, Verstandesm盲脽igem zum Unbekannten, Unsagbaren, Metaphysischen. T枚rle脽 ist Positivismuskritik und ein Mahnmal, wie jemand auf dem Weg zur Subjektivierung krepiert 鈥� sich im Erwachsenenalter an eine formale, abstrakte Moral h盲ngt, ohne konkreten Inhalt des moralischen Lebens.
Er z盲hlte dann zu jenen 盲sthetisch-intellektuellen Naturen, welchen die Beachtung der Gesetze und wohl auch teilweise der 枚ffentlichen Moral eine Beruhigung gew盲hrt, weil sie dadurch enthoben sind, 眉ber etwas Grobes, von dem feineren seelischen Geschehen Weitabliegendes nachdenken zu m眉ssen, die aber eine gelangweilte Unempfindlichkeit mit dieser gro脽en 盲u脽eren, ein wenig ironischen Korrektheit verbinden, sobald man ein pers枚nlicheres Interesse f眉r deren Gegenst盲nde von ihnen verlangt.
Hauptsache nicht Denken! Bitte keine Reflexivit盲t! Keine Vers枚hnung mit dem Anderen! Sch枚ngeistige Fassade aufgelegt und auf zum 脺berwinden und Verdr盲ngen! Gesetzgebende Moral auf Post it gepinnt, angeklebt und die Finsternis umschifft.
Huch, was machen die ganzen autorit盲ren Gestalten hier?
__________________________________
Mein 眉berfordertes Geblubber nach dem ersten Read (2021-02):
Ein sprachliches Fest- Musil versteht es die Pupert盲ren Gef眉hlswirrungen in poetische, psychologisch ausdrucksstarke Worte und Beobachten zu packen, wie ich es noch nie gelesen habe. Jede Seite ist ein Fest mit Hunderten M枚glichkeiten nachzusinnen. Ein Buch das ich nur sehr langsam lesen konnte, weil es eine solche Wucht hat.
March 3, 2024
Ein Anti-Entwicklungsroman: Das Chthonische schl盲gt zur眉ck.
Inhalt: 5/5 Sterne (einzelpsychologische Vivisektion)
Form: 5/5 Sterne (L眉cken erlaubendes, assoziatives, schwebendes Schreiben)
Komposition: 4/5 Sterne (konsistent, am Ende zu kurz abgehandelt)
Leseerlebnis: 5/5 Sterne (ein chthonisches gruselig Nachhallen)
Ausf眉hrlicher, vielleicht begr眉ndeter auf
Neben den vielen aktuellen Coming-Of-Age-Romanen lohnt sich hier und da ein Blick zur眉ck. Als gegenw盲rtige w盲ren da u.a. zu nennen: Ariane Kochs 鈥炩€�, Benedict Wells 鈥炩€�, Claudia Schumachers 鈥炩€�, Eckhart Nickels 鈥炩€� oder Stephen Kings 鈥炩€�. All diese konzentrieren sich sehr auf die emotionale Berg- und Talfahrt im Erwachsenenleben, weniger aber auf das sogenannte Intellektuelle oder Geistige. Anders hier, in Robert Musils 鈥濪ie Verwirrungen des Z枚glings T枚rle脽鈥�:
鈥濪iesen dunklen, geheimnisvollen Weg, den [T枚rle脽] gegangen. Wenn sie ihn fragen w眉rden: warum hast du Basini misshandelt? 鈥� so k枚nnte er ihnen doch nicht antworten: weil mich dabei ein Vorgang in meinem Gehirn interessierte, ein Etwas, von dem ich heute trotz allem noch wenig wei脽 und vor dem alles, was ich dar眉ber denke, mir belanglos erscheint. Dieser kleine Schritt, der ihn noch von dem Endpunkte des geistigen Prozesses trennte, den er durchzumachen hatte, schreckte ihn wie ein ungeheurer Abgrund.鈥�
Der Plot l盲sst sich schnell umrei脽en. Zwei Jugendliche qu盲len, missbrauchen einen vierten, und T枚rle脽 als Vierter, springt mal dem Opfer, mal den T盲tern unentschieden und mal aus geistiger, begehrlicher, moralischer oder zuf盲lliger Hinsicht zur Seite. Die Struktur speist sich aus dem Ungenauen, das sich in T枚rle脽 abspielt, der kein Held gew枚hnlicher Gestalt ist. In ihm verk枚rpert sich vielmehr ein gewisses zivilisatorisches Erlahmen, eine vorweggenommene Gestalt dessen, was als gescheiterte Aufkl盲rung knapp zwanzig Jahres sp盲ter Oswald Spengler in 鈥濪er Untergang des Abendlandes鈥� umrei脽en sollte. Auf den Text bezogen, T枚rle脽 vermag nicht mit intellektuellen Mitteln sein Begehren, seine Leidenschaft, seine Lust zu durchschreiten und verf盲llt er deshalb umso barbarischer und verantwortungsloser:
鈥濽nd nun begann T枚rle脽 doch noch zu schreiben, 鈥� aber hastig und ohne mehr auf die Form zu achten. 禄Ich f眉hle芦, notierte er, 禄etwas in mir und wei脽 nicht recht, was es ist.芦 Rasch strich er aber die Zeile wieder durch und schrieb an ihrer Stelle: 禄Ich muss krank sein, 鈥� wahnsinnig!芦 Hier 眉berlief ihn ein Schauer, denn dieses Wort empfindet sich angenehm pathetisch. 禄Wahnsinnig, 鈥� oder was ist es sonst, dass mich Dinge befremden, die den anderen allt盲glich erscheinen? Dass mich dieses Befremden qu盲lt? Dass mir dieses Befremden unz眉chtige Gef眉hle芦 鈥� er w盲hlte absichtlich dieses Wort voll biblischer Salbung, weil es ihn dunkler und voller d眉nkte 鈥� 禄erregt? 芦鈥�
Dieser Coming-of-Age-Roman beschreibt, wie kein anderer, das Nicht-Coming-of-Age, denn T枚rle脽 verbleibt unentschieden, pendelnd, unsicher inmitten der Dinge, ohne Verantwortung und Selbstbewusstsein zu erlangen. Das Kalte und Leere, das sich in den Versuchen von T枚rle脽 widerspiegeln, steigern im Text sich zum Gespenstigen, zu einer Art unheimlichem Nachvollzugs eines Scheitern, eines Selbst, das vor sich zur眉ckschreckt und letztlich in sich zusammenf盲llt. Das Grauen erinnert an Edgar Allan Poes Der Fall des Hauses Usher oder Das verr盲terische Herz. In Musils Deb眉troman vereist sich das Denken zu einer psychopathologischen Pattsituation, aus dem T枚rle脽 nicht mehr herausfindet:
鈥濻o wie ich [T枚rle脽] f眉hle, dass ein Gedanke in mir Leben bekommt, so f眉hle ich auch, dass etwas in mir beim Anblicke der Dinge lebt, wenn die Gedanken schweigen. Es ist etwas Dunkles in mir, unter allen Gedanken, das ich mit den Gedanken nicht ausmessen kann, ein Leben, das sich nicht in Worten ausdr眉ckt und das doch mein Leben ist 鈥�.鈥�
Musil beschreibt das Heranwachsen eines unempfindlichen Individuums, das sich nur f眉r die eigenen Sensationen, f眉r den eigenen Thrill interessiert, und bereitet den Weg f眉r die Darstellung von Figuren wie Patrick Bateman aus Bret Easton Ellis鈥� Roman 鈥炩€� oder wie in Truman Capotes 鈥炩€�. Auf seine Weise steht Musils Entwicklungsroman sehr eigenst盲ndig dar, eine vorweggenommene Ausdeutung dessen, was sp盲ter die Dialektik der Aufkl盲rung genannt wird und begrifflich das Scheitern der Aufkl盲rung selbst zementiert. Das Chthonische hallt nach und schl盲gt in der Persona T枚rle脽, ohne ein W盲sserchen zu tr眉ben, ungemindert zur眉ck.
Inhalt: 5/5 Sterne (einzelpsychologische Vivisektion)
Form: 5/5 Sterne (L眉cken erlaubendes, assoziatives, schwebendes Schreiben)
Komposition: 4/5 Sterne (konsistent, am Ende zu kurz abgehandelt)
Leseerlebnis: 5/5 Sterne (ein chthonisches gruselig Nachhallen)
Ausf眉hrlicher, vielleicht begr眉ndeter auf
Neben den vielen aktuellen Coming-Of-Age-Romanen lohnt sich hier und da ein Blick zur眉ck. Als gegenw盲rtige w盲ren da u.a. zu nennen: Ariane Kochs 鈥炩€�, Benedict Wells 鈥炩€�, Claudia Schumachers 鈥炩€�, Eckhart Nickels 鈥炩€� oder Stephen Kings 鈥炩€�. All diese konzentrieren sich sehr auf die emotionale Berg- und Talfahrt im Erwachsenenleben, weniger aber auf das sogenannte Intellektuelle oder Geistige. Anders hier, in Robert Musils 鈥濪ie Verwirrungen des Z枚glings T枚rle脽鈥�:
鈥濪iesen dunklen, geheimnisvollen Weg, den [T枚rle脽] gegangen. Wenn sie ihn fragen w眉rden: warum hast du Basini misshandelt? 鈥� so k枚nnte er ihnen doch nicht antworten: weil mich dabei ein Vorgang in meinem Gehirn interessierte, ein Etwas, von dem ich heute trotz allem noch wenig wei脽 und vor dem alles, was ich dar眉ber denke, mir belanglos erscheint. Dieser kleine Schritt, der ihn noch von dem Endpunkte des geistigen Prozesses trennte, den er durchzumachen hatte, schreckte ihn wie ein ungeheurer Abgrund.鈥�
Der Plot l盲sst sich schnell umrei脽en. Zwei Jugendliche qu盲len, missbrauchen einen vierten, und T枚rle脽 als Vierter, springt mal dem Opfer, mal den T盲tern unentschieden und mal aus geistiger, begehrlicher, moralischer oder zuf盲lliger Hinsicht zur Seite. Die Struktur speist sich aus dem Ungenauen, das sich in T枚rle脽 abspielt, der kein Held gew枚hnlicher Gestalt ist. In ihm verk枚rpert sich vielmehr ein gewisses zivilisatorisches Erlahmen, eine vorweggenommene Gestalt dessen, was als gescheiterte Aufkl盲rung knapp zwanzig Jahres sp盲ter Oswald Spengler in 鈥濪er Untergang des Abendlandes鈥� umrei脽en sollte. Auf den Text bezogen, T枚rle脽 vermag nicht mit intellektuellen Mitteln sein Begehren, seine Leidenschaft, seine Lust zu durchschreiten und verf盲llt er deshalb umso barbarischer und verantwortungsloser:
鈥濽nd nun begann T枚rle脽 doch noch zu schreiben, 鈥� aber hastig und ohne mehr auf die Form zu achten. 禄Ich f眉hle芦, notierte er, 禄etwas in mir und wei脽 nicht recht, was es ist.芦 Rasch strich er aber die Zeile wieder durch und schrieb an ihrer Stelle: 禄Ich muss krank sein, 鈥� wahnsinnig!芦 Hier 眉berlief ihn ein Schauer, denn dieses Wort empfindet sich angenehm pathetisch. 禄Wahnsinnig, 鈥� oder was ist es sonst, dass mich Dinge befremden, die den anderen allt盲glich erscheinen? Dass mich dieses Befremden qu盲lt? Dass mir dieses Befremden unz眉chtige Gef眉hle芦 鈥� er w盲hlte absichtlich dieses Wort voll biblischer Salbung, weil es ihn dunkler und voller d眉nkte 鈥� 禄erregt? 芦鈥�
Dieser Coming-of-Age-Roman beschreibt, wie kein anderer, das Nicht-Coming-of-Age, denn T枚rle脽 verbleibt unentschieden, pendelnd, unsicher inmitten der Dinge, ohne Verantwortung und Selbstbewusstsein zu erlangen. Das Kalte und Leere, das sich in den Versuchen von T枚rle脽 widerspiegeln, steigern im Text sich zum Gespenstigen, zu einer Art unheimlichem Nachvollzugs eines Scheitern, eines Selbst, das vor sich zur眉ckschreckt und letztlich in sich zusammenf盲llt. Das Grauen erinnert an Edgar Allan Poes Der Fall des Hauses Usher oder Das verr盲terische Herz. In Musils Deb眉troman vereist sich das Denken zu einer psychopathologischen Pattsituation, aus dem T枚rle脽 nicht mehr herausfindet:
鈥濻o wie ich [T枚rle脽] f眉hle, dass ein Gedanke in mir Leben bekommt, so f眉hle ich auch, dass etwas in mir beim Anblicke der Dinge lebt, wenn die Gedanken schweigen. Es ist etwas Dunkles in mir, unter allen Gedanken, das ich mit den Gedanken nicht ausmessen kann, ein Leben, das sich nicht in Worten ausdr眉ckt und das doch mein Leben ist 鈥�.鈥�
Musil beschreibt das Heranwachsen eines unempfindlichen Individuums, das sich nur f眉r die eigenen Sensationen, f眉r den eigenen Thrill interessiert, und bereitet den Weg f眉r die Darstellung von Figuren wie Patrick Bateman aus Bret Easton Ellis鈥� Roman 鈥炩€� oder wie in Truman Capotes 鈥炩€�. Auf seine Weise steht Musils Entwicklungsroman sehr eigenst盲ndig dar, eine vorweggenommene Ausdeutung dessen, was sp盲ter die Dialektik der Aufkl盲rung genannt wird und begrifflich das Scheitern der Aufkl盲rung selbst zementiert. Das Chthonische hallt nach und schl盲gt in der Persona T枚rle脽, ohne ein W盲sserchen zu tr眉ben, ungemindert zur眉ck.
January 15, 2016
T枚rless is confused. Indeed, the title of this book, in some editions (not mine), is . Skimming the plot surface of this book, T枚rless is a student in an Austrian military school. Two student-friends of T枚rless find out that yet another student, Basini, has been stealing small amounts of money. They proceed to sadistically, homosexually torture him. T枚rless finds himself aroused, and, thus, confused.
T枚rless finds himself in ...a frequent sudden lassitude ... with a queer uneasiness ... a tingling in his brain ... a fine-toothed doubt ... a vague feeling ... a foreboding that he was wasting his time ... a dense, gluey boredom ... a queer state that kept him awake ... utterly mangled ... with his suffocating heart ... he lay there, all wrapped up in his memories ... to say nothing of the light flittering feet of innumerable iridescent lizards.
I would have appreciated a sign that said: HERE BE LASSITUDE!
There are works of literature that are about one thing, but are really about the author's struggle with sexual identity. (I had a professor that was certain Kafka was crying out.) is inside out of that. The plot is all about four boys engaged in homosexual acts, but that's not the point. Smarter folks than me have called this "a chilling foreshadowing of the coming of Nazism."(New York Times Book Review) But that's about 30 years of foreshadowing, so I don't know.
In order to fully understand what Musil is talking about in this novel, Nazis or otherwise, you'd need to have a working understanding of mathematical imaginary numbers and the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. I don't and you can't make me.
T枚rless finds himself in ...a frequent sudden lassitude ... with a queer uneasiness ... a tingling in his brain ... a fine-toothed doubt ... a vague feeling ... a foreboding that he was wasting his time ... a dense, gluey boredom ... a queer state that kept him awake ... utterly mangled ... with his suffocating heart ... he lay there, all wrapped up in his memories ... to say nothing of the light flittering feet of innumerable iridescent lizards.
I would have appreciated a sign that said: HERE BE LASSITUDE!
There are works of literature that are about one thing, but are really about the author's struggle with sexual identity. (I had a professor that was certain Kafka was crying out.) is inside out of that. The plot is all about four boys engaged in homosexual acts, but that's not the point. Smarter folks than me have called this "a chilling foreshadowing of the coming of Nazism."(New York Times Book Review) But that's about 30 years of foreshadowing, so I don't know.
In order to fully understand what Musil is talking about in this novel, Nazis or otherwise, you'd need to have a working understanding of mathematical imaginary numbers and the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. I don't and you can't make me.
November 21, 2017
Bu nas谋l bir psikolojik tahlil, ifade yetene臒i, belagat? 艦a艧t谋m kald谋m Musil'e ^^ Mihail Bahtin dostum a臒z谋m谋 doldura doldura diyorum ki halt etmi艧sin, 眉zg眉n眉m :)
March 11, 2024
I'm floored that this is a novel from 1906. I got uncomfortable reading this on public transport because of how violent and intense it was. I was sucked in from early on, knowing nothing about this book whatsoever beside it being a classic. "A Bildungsroman, a story of a young disoriented man searching for moral values in society and their meaning for him" wikipedia says, and true enough, it is, but on a more basic level it's about depravity at a boarding school, about peer pressure and sexual awakenings and trying to make sense of an ultimately absurd world. It also read, at times, slightly unhinged, which just sucked me in more. That weird dream about Kant and his math teaching is going to haunt me. I breezed through this novel and will definitely read it again. The language is fantastic, the prose practical and yet unusual, and the content, well, actually shocked me - of course with the knowledge how long ago it was written, and how modern it feels in its core. I also found myself thinking "I wish this is what they meant with dark academia, then I'd read more of it!".
September 7, 2021
Terminata la lettura del libro ho riletto la recensione di Orsodimondo e l'ho trovata perfetta: ha centrato i temi essenziali ed 猫 esaustiva al punto che non resta altro da aggiungere sui contenuti e sugli intenti.
Quello che posso riportare invece sono le mie impressioni: la lettura 猫 stata per me di immersione totale, il sentire di Torless 猫 narrato in maniera compiuta e, a tratti, la tematica universale, permette di riconoscere i conflitti tipici dell'adolescenza, l'anelito di appartenenza al gruppo, la richiesta ostentata di accettazione per trovare una confortevole zona di azione nella collettivit脿.
E, a questo conformismo, il sacrificio della propria individualit脿 猫 un tributo che appare irrilevante; almeno fintanto che la coscienza di s茅 non diventa invece condizione imprescindibile per crescere e affermarsi.
Un romanzo di formazione permeato di psicologia ma, come esplicitato da Musil stesso mediante lettere ai quotidiani, non da intendersi come dottrina scientifica da spiegare per far comprendere, ma come un vissuto riflessivo, per far "sentire" sulla pelle e nei sensi del lettore un coinvolgimento che vada oltre le singole vicende cos矛 come narrate, che quindi rivestono carattere accessorio e non pregiudizievole del congenito messaggio cosmico.
Per quanto mi riguarda ha centrato l'obiettivo.
鈥�"Egli paventava tali fantasie, conscio della perversit脿 ch'era nel loro fondo, e temeva che prendessero sempre pi霉 potere su di lui. Ma quelle lo sopraffacevano nei momenti in cui credeva di essere pi霉 serio e pi霉 puro. Forse questo avveniva per reazione ad altri momenti, in cui intuiva esperienze sentimentali diverse, che maturavano in lui troppo precocemente. Una forza etica di grande finezza, nella fase iniziale del suo sviluppo, indebolisce l'anima, anche se di essa, un giorno, costituir脿 forse l'esperienza pi霉 audace; come se, nell' affondare le radici, dovesse sconvolgere il terreno, che le radici stesse, in futuro sosterranno. Per questo gli adolescenti di grande avvenire hanno, il pi霉 delle volte, un passato ricco d' umiliazioni."
Quello che posso riportare invece sono le mie impressioni: la lettura 猫 stata per me di immersione totale, il sentire di Torless 猫 narrato in maniera compiuta e, a tratti, la tematica universale, permette di riconoscere i conflitti tipici dell'adolescenza, l'anelito di appartenenza al gruppo, la richiesta ostentata di accettazione per trovare una confortevole zona di azione nella collettivit脿.
E, a questo conformismo, il sacrificio della propria individualit脿 猫 un tributo che appare irrilevante; almeno fintanto che la coscienza di s茅 non diventa invece condizione imprescindibile per crescere e affermarsi.
Un romanzo di formazione permeato di psicologia ma, come esplicitato da Musil stesso mediante lettere ai quotidiani, non da intendersi come dottrina scientifica da spiegare per far comprendere, ma come un vissuto riflessivo, per far "sentire" sulla pelle e nei sensi del lettore un coinvolgimento che vada oltre le singole vicende cos矛 come narrate, che quindi rivestono carattere accessorio e non pregiudizievole del congenito messaggio cosmico.
Per quanto mi riguarda ha centrato l'obiettivo.
鈥�"Egli paventava tali fantasie, conscio della perversit脿 ch'era nel loro fondo, e temeva che prendessero sempre pi霉 potere su di lui. Ma quelle lo sopraffacevano nei momenti in cui credeva di essere pi霉 serio e pi霉 puro. Forse questo avveniva per reazione ad altri momenti, in cui intuiva esperienze sentimentali diverse, che maturavano in lui troppo precocemente. Una forza etica di grande finezza, nella fase iniziale del suo sviluppo, indebolisce l'anima, anche se di essa, un giorno, costituir脿 forse l'esperienza pi霉 audace; come se, nell' affondare le radici, dovesse sconvolgere il terreno, che le radici stesse, in futuro sosterranno. Per questo gli adolescenti di grande avvenire hanno, il pi霉 delle volte, un passato ricco d' umiliazioni."
December 8, 2022
乇賵丿賴 丿乇丕夭蹖 賯乇賳 賴蹖噩丿賴賲蹖
鬲賵蹖 賱賮丕賮賴 丨乇賮 夭丿賳貙 夭蹖丕丿 賵 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴 丨乇賮 夭丿賳 貙 禺爻鬲賴 卮丿賲 丕夭鬲 賲乇丿 丨爻丕亘蹖
鬲賵蹖 賱賮丕賮賴 丨乇賮 夭丿賳貙 夭蹖丕丿 賵 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴 丨乇賮 夭丿賳 貙 禺爻鬲賴 卮丿賲 丕夭鬲 賲乇丿 丨爻丕亘蹖
December 5, 2020
韦喂 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蟺蔚喂 魏伪谓蔚委蟼 纬喂伪 苇谓伪 蟿苇蟿慰喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰?
韦慰位渭畏蟻蠈, 伪蟿渭慰蟽蠁伪喂蟻喂魏蠈, 蟺蔚蟻喂蔚魏蟿喂魏蠈, 蟺蟻慰蠁畏蟿喂魏蠈, 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏蠈, 魏伪胃蠈位慰蠀 未喂未伪魏蟿喂魏蠈, 伪蟺伪喂蟿畏蟿喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻伪 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀蟻纬畏渭伪蟿喂魏蠈.
螘谓畏位喂魏委蠅蟽畏, 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪, 伪喂蟽胃畏蟽喂伪蟽渭蠈蟼, 蔚谓慰蠂萎, bullying, 尾伪蟻尾伪蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪, 蟽伪未喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 蔚谓未慰蟽魏蠈蟺畏蟽畏, 渭蔚位伪纬蠂慰位委伪, 蠀蟺慰魏蟻喂蟽委伪, 蠈位伪 蟽蠀谓蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓.
螣 谓蔚伪蟻蠈蟼 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺苇蟻尾伪蟽畏, 伪纬蠅谓委味蔚蟿伪喂 谓伪 尾维位蔚喂 蟽蔚 蟿维尉畏 蟿喂蟼 蟽魏苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蟿慰 蟽蠋渭伪 蟿慰蠀蟼, 蟿喂蟼 蔚蟺喂胃蠀渭委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀. 螒蟺伪谓蟿萎蟽蔚喂蟼 未蔚谓 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 慰蠉蟿蔚 蟽蟿伪 螠伪胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 (魏伪喂 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 伪蟻喂胃渭慰蠉蟼), 慰蠉蟿蔚 蟽蟿慰谓 螝维谓蟿. 螆位魏蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 魏伪魏蠈 伪位位维 蟺伪蟻伪渭苇谓蔚喂 胃蔚伪蟿萎蟼 魏伪喂 胃蠉蟿畏蟼 蟿畏蟼 尾委伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓慰蠉蟼 蠂蠋蟻慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿喂蠅蟿喂魏萎蟼 伪魏伪未畏渭委伪蟼.
螒蠁萎纬畏渭伪 渭蔚 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委伪 Bildungsroman 伪位位维 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 魏维胃伪蟻蟽畏, 位蠉蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪谓蟿萎蟽蔚喂蟼 蠈蟺慰蠀 慰 蟺蟻蠅蟿伪纬蠅谓喂蟽蟿萎蟼 伪蟺位维 蟿蟻苇蟺蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蔚 蠁蠀纬萎.
螒谓蠀蟺慰渭慰谓蠋 谓伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿慰谓 鈥溛單轿赶佅壪€慰蟼 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 螜未喂蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼鈥�
韦慰位渭畏蟻蠈, 伪蟿渭慰蟽蠁伪喂蟻喂魏蠈, 蟺蔚蟻喂蔚魏蟿喂魏蠈, 蟺蟻慰蠁畏蟿喂魏蠈, 蠁喂位慰蟽慰蠁喂魏蠈, 魏伪胃蠈位慰蠀 未喂未伪魏蟿喂魏蠈, 伪蟺伪喂蟿畏蟿喂魏蠈 魏伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻伪 伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠀蟻纬畏渭伪蟿喂魏蠈.
螘谓畏位喂魏委蠅蟽畏, 蟽蔚尉慰蠀伪位喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿伪, 伪喂蟽胃畏蟽喂伪蟽渭蠈蟼, 蔚谓慰蠂萎, bullying, 尾伪蟻尾伪蟻蠈蟿畏蟿伪, 蟽伪未喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 蔚谓未慰蟽魏蠈蟺畏蟽畏, 渭蔚位伪纬蠂慰位委伪, 蠀蟺慰魏蟻喂蟽委伪, 蠈位伪 蟽蠀谓蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓.
螣 谓蔚伪蟻蠈蟼 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺苇蟻尾伪蟽畏, 伪纬蠅谓委味蔚蟿伪喂 谓伪 尾维位蔚喂 蟽蔚 蟿维尉畏 蟿喂蟼 蟽魏苇蠄蔚喂蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蟿慰 蟽蠋渭伪 蟿慰蠀蟼, 蟿喂蟼 蔚蟺喂胃蠀渭委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀. 螒蟺伪谓蟿萎蟽蔚喂蟼 未蔚谓 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 慰蠉蟿蔚 蟽蟿伪 螠伪胃畏渭伪蟿喂魏维 (魏伪喂 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蠁伪谓蟿伪蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 伪蟻喂胃渭慰蠉蟼), 慰蠉蟿蔚 蟽蟿慰谓 螝维谓蟿. 螆位魏蔚蟿伪喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 魏伪魏蠈 伪位位维 蟺伪蟻伪渭苇谓蔚喂 胃蔚伪蟿萎蟼 魏伪喂 胃蠉蟿畏蟼 蟿畏蟼 尾委伪蟼 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓慰蠉蟼 蠂蠋蟻慰蠀蟼 蟿畏蟼 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿喂蠅蟿喂魏萎蟼 伪魏伪未畏渭委伪蟼.
螒蠁萎纬畏渭伪 渭蔚 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委伪 Bildungsroman 伪位位维 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 魏维胃伪蟻蟽畏, 位蠉蟽蔚喂蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪谓蟿萎蟽蔚喂蟼 蠈蟺慰蠀 慰 蟺蟻蠅蟿伪纬蠅谓喂蟽蟿萎蟼 伪蟺位维 蟿蟻苇蟺蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蔚 蠁蠀纬萎.
螒谓蠀蟺慰渭慰谓蠋 谓伪 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿慰谓 鈥溛單轿赶佅壪€慰蟼 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 螜未喂蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼鈥�
February 26, 2020
Con quella fine analisi introspettiva e psicologica che caratterizza molti dei suoi scritti, in questo splendido romanzo di formazione Musil traccia la crescita personale, intellettuale e, soprattutto spirituale del giovane T枚rless, la scoperta del s茅 che passa tra luci e ombre, tra sessualit脿 e sofferenza e non esita certo a sprofondare anche nel disgusto o nella disillusione quando si ritrova a fare i conti con la bassa crudelt脿 umana. Un percorso complesso e spesso incerto, compreso in un costante stato riflessivo che, in ultima analisi, porta alla scoperta di una diversit脿 quasi inconciliabile con un contesto esterno gretto e ottuso.
December 11, 2017
The Confusions of Young Robert Musil
Semi-autobiographically little Robert slowly develops into an adolescent. Sensitive and insecure in the company of equally insecure boys without qualities, except being of respectable aristocratic families.
Coming-of-age in a boarding school environment where everyone is eager to prove his manhood (!) either by showing traces of intellect, by being the master bully or bragging of imaginary amorous adventures.
The long and winding road leading to climax is very foreseeable 鈥� for a man who studied both psychology and philosophy and even graduated the latter cum laude, the descriptions of the mechanisms at work in groups is quite weak.
Controversial for it麓s time? Maybe, but even in Austria it was an open secret what boys did together after dark.
There is nothing of real interest to be obtained from this work, no new insight into human soul or behavior and nothing of historical significance. In short, it was a waste of time.
Semi-autobiographically little Robert slowly develops into an adolescent. Sensitive and insecure in the company of equally insecure boys without qualities, except being of respectable aristocratic families.
Coming-of-age in a boarding school environment where everyone is eager to prove his manhood (!) either by showing traces of intellect, by being the master bully or bragging of imaginary amorous adventures.
The long and winding road leading to climax is very foreseeable 鈥� for a man who studied both psychology and philosophy and even graduated the latter cum laude, the descriptions of the mechanisms at work in groups is quite weak.
Controversial for it麓s time? Maybe, but even in Austria it was an open secret what boys did together after dark.
There is nothing of real interest to be obtained from this work, no new insight into human soul or behavior and nothing of historical significance. In short, it was a waste of time.
June 4, 2018
Dobro, to je taj problem sa ocenjivanjem. Knjigama koje nemaju velike ciljeve olako dajemo silne zvezdice dok prema knjigama velikih majstora koje ne uspeju sve 拧to 啪ele 膷esto budemo previ拧e strogi. Nije ovo lo拧a knjiga, mo啪da sam preterao s trojkom ali, na啪alost, nije ni za pet. Ovo je Muzilova prva knjiga koju je napisao i to u vreme dok jo拧 nije pomi拧ljao da se u potpunosti posveti pisanju. Tako, uop拧te ne mo啪e da se poredi s 膶ovekom bez osobina. O膷igledno je da se ovde jo拧 uvek tra啪io. Tra啪io se i stilski. Vidi se da je Muzil od po膷etka bio 膷ovek koji nije pristajao na kompromise. Vidi se i njegov stav da umetnost pre svega treba da tera na razmi拧ljanje. Ovo je roman koji ima mnogo nivoa. Ali ovde jo拧 nije uspeo da do膽e do one rasko拧ne filozofije iz svog glavnog dela. Dodu拧e, to mu ovde nije ni glavni cilj. Ovde je vi拧e u prvom planu psihologija, razvoj i problemati膷an polo啪aj slabih i slobodnomisle膰ih de膷aka u vojnoj 拧koli i uop拧te u autoritarnom svetu. Tako膽e, otvara i 拧kakljiva pitanja eksperimentisanja sa homoseksualno拧膰u i surovo拧膰u mladi膰a u takvim sredinama. Da, ima filozofiranja i stalno se smenjuju delovi dijaloga i radnje sa razradom filozofskih muka mladog 膷oveka ali ni拧ta od toga meni nije od nekog zna膷aja. I to mi je osnovni problem, nedore膷enost i nedovoljna relevantnost (barem za mene) razmi拧ljanja u ovoj knjizi. U smislu, mogao sam i bez ove knjige i sumnjam da 膰u joj se vra膰ati. Malo mi je i sve konfuzno. Ali sve to ne zna膷i, da se kajem 拧to sam potro拧io par sati te拧ko se probijaju膰i kroz ovaj roman. I jo拧 uvek imam 啪elju da pro膷itam i ostala njegova dela.
March 1, 2011
The New York Times Book Review was supposed to have said that this novel, published in 1906, was a chilling foreshadowing of the coming of Nazism. That, I feel, was a bit of a stretch.
Four young men in an all-boys military school in Austria, maybe sometime the start of 20th century. Torless, with his heavy philosophical musings, and around whom the story is built; Basini, weak and victimized; Beineberg, the mad (silly, to me) mystic; and Reiting, the manipulator who revels on torture. At the side (of the story, and of the school too) is a house where an aging prostitute lives. As expected, what with these good-looking boys with raging libido and no girls on sight (except a prostitute who mocks them), there were some boy-and-boy loving. Then, the bullying and abuse by the strong against the weak.
Admittedly, Beineberg's crazy ideas, though not racist, may be likened to Hitler's own, to some degree. He and Reiting, with their adolescent cruelty, could conceivably have grown into full-blown Nazis by the 1930's. Still, however, they were not that unusual. There are bullies and lunatics in all schools, even up to now.
Trying to understand what Torless was saying, in the midst of all these, was the torture for me. One can say they were too deep for me to understand. Another might say, however, that they're just plain baloney. Whatever.
Four young men in an all-boys military school in Austria, maybe sometime the start of 20th century. Torless, with his heavy philosophical musings, and around whom the story is built; Basini, weak and victimized; Beineberg, the mad (silly, to me) mystic; and Reiting, the manipulator who revels on torture. At the side (of the story, and of the school too) is a house where an aging prostitute lives. As expected, what with these good-looking boys with raging libido and no girls on sight (except a prostitute who mocks them), there were some boy-and-boy loving. Then, the bullying and abuse by the strong against the weak.
Admittedly, Beineberg's crazy ideas, though not racist, may be likened to Hitler's own, to some degree. He and Reiting, with their adolescent cruelty, could conceivably have grown into full-blown Nazis by the 1930's. Still, however, they were not that unusual. There are bullies and lunatics in all schools, even up to now.
Trying to understand what Torless was saying, in the midst of all these, was the torture for me. One can say they were too deep for me to understand. Another might say, however, that they're just plain baloney. Whatever.
April 19, 2019
Decadent Austro-Hungarian kids torture and sodomize a classmate as a rehearsal of the upper-class adulthood awaiting them out of the military academy.
Physical and psychological harassment!
A crumbling empire!
Pre-nazi post-sadism galore!
Depravity!
Pseudo-Freudian expressionism!
The chance to hear the bookshop assistant's ooohs and aaahs as you put a book by Robert Musil on the counter!
No need to say I licked my lips as soon as I read the blurb. Boy, I must have looked like Wile E. Coyote drooling after the Road Runner.
Ahem.
M盲hrisch Weisskirschen, Moravia, around 1900.
Three teen cadets of a military school spend their time hiding in attics and cellars turned into impromptu boudoirs, eating pastries and paying weekly visits to a Slavic pockmarked whore in the nearby village. Spoiled brats get easily bored though, especially when they also happen to be mad as they come, as the author tells us from the very beginning.
We know little more about them: no first names, no information about their origins and age, the fewest possible descriptions of their looks. All the author really wants us to keep in mind is that these kids are utterly insane, each of them in his own way.
T枚rless, the protagonist, is obsessed with sex and quite keen on introspection and self-abasement. His mind is haunted by fantasies of blasphemy and incest (more precisely, he gets off imagining her mother's sexual life). Hence his morbid attraction to the scum, seen as a means to fill an existential void made of the feeling of not belonging in either his own social class nor in the dirty populace, both of which fascinate and disgust him at the same time.
Beineberg is even more disquieting in his potentially murderous ennui: a Mitteleuropean dandy, between Des Esseintes and De Sade's beastly aristocrats, fond of cheap esotericism and weird Hindu philosophy, a hodgepodge of exotic bullshit that allows him to escape his frightening lack of any morals whatsoever.
Last but not least, Reiting - whose violent nature is cunningly sublimated in a destructive, asocial behaviour. This sadistic sociopath, born in a controversial (half ruined?) family and brimming with frustrated dreams of juvenile grandeur, is the basic asshole whose only aim is the objectification of his victim, devoid of any sort of intellectual subtlety.
Quite different natures indeed; unfortunately enough, they all share a penchant for (homo)sexually charged violence that finds the perfect victim - perhaps a scapegoat - in a fourth boy, Basini (clearly Italian origins), a creepy weakling bound to be mercilessly exploited by the depraved trio.
To be honest, nobody would ever shed a tear for him: Basini is so disgustingly opportunist that he hardly stirs up any feeling of sympathy in the reader. What follows is quite predictable: in the eyes of the perpetrators, Basini is the nameless, faceless, voiceless and soulless Untermensch: the less-than-human creature made to be enslaved, thus enduring all its masters' whimsical fantasies. When a farcical series of petty thefts puts the kid in their hands, the boys lose control once and for all.
Although Musil's clever writing never indulges in detailed descriptions of sex and brutality, he basically tells us about a homosexual gang-rape that takes place in a dusty backroom, with plenty of sadistic acts as foreplay - including the use of whips and needles. From this moment on, each of the three buddies gets increasingly involved in experimenting his peculiar version of abusive lust, desires that go beyond mere sex and manifest themselves in the forms of psychological torments (T枚rless), parodies of tantric spirituality (Beineberg) and sheer old-school sadism (Reiting).
According to Musil, a former student of Weisskirchen college himself, this short novel is full of autobiographical hints and true memories. Although slightly altered for the author's fictional purposes, both the events and the setting are thus supposed to be painfully real; after all, R. M. Rilke gave a similar description of Weisskirchen, which he had also attended a few years before Musil.
Even if the writing style is far from being perfect (in my opinion, that is) this debut novel is amazingly interesting and complex. I dare say it provides the reader with an unexpected insight in the years that shaped last century's collective and individual psyche. No doubt the passages of T枚rless' musings and ramblings are way too long and often repetitive; they're nonetheless a great example of how deeply the newborn science of psychoanalysis was influencing European literature and arts.
Bildungsroman? Yes, but also a surprisingly good depiction of an era we hardly know and fathom in all its momentous importance.
Forget about the stereotypical idea of a repressive, heavy-handed education in which the students' vulnerable minds are violated with huge doses of ossified culture, religiosity and militarism. On the contrary, what truly scares here is the educational void of the institutions, the total lack of direction and meaning of a whole culture.
Teachers are hardly ever mentioned, let aside a few passages in which they are actually caricatures of themselves. Families are equally non-existent or toxic: mothers seen as ghosts awakening 艗dipal pulsions, fathers dismissed as entities floating in a limbo of oblivion. Religion is nothing more than a school lesson nobody cares about. All in all, in such a desert of boredom and hopelessness the claustrophobic atmosphere of the college, so drenched in lust and violence, is the only conceivable way out.
No wonder some of these brats joined the highest ranks of the Nazi party when the real fun began, a couple of decades later, overjoyed to take part in the orgy of blood and lust they probably had been craving since their teens.
Hard to believe this book was written in 1906, huh? But then one must bear in mind these were the years of Freud, Viennese Secession, Die Br眉cke, Fauvism... Musil's little psychos were indeed the first product of a world that was ridding itself of the burden of the past without daring to take a closer look to the present: a present of moral exhaustion and irrationality in which all the pillars of the old world - State, Family, Church, Army - were walking dead, eaten from within by the worms of their terrifying emptiness.
Musil's characters are certainly the embodiment of his times. However, the reader of nowadays is able to look at them from an even darker perspective: that of the future. We know what was going to happen a few years later to most of these youngsters, a whole generation who would be butchered in the blood-soaked, shitty ratholes of WW1; well-groomed pretty junkers merrily sent to be machine-gunned, eviscerated by hand grenades, killed by typhus in the name of their sacred Country and respectable Families.
Because,
"La bourgeoisie n'a jamais h茅sit茅 m锚me 脿 tuer ses fils."
Suggested soundtrack: Dum Dum Girls, "Lost Boys And Girls Club".
Physical and psychological harassment!
A crumbling empire!
Pre-nazi post-sadism galore!
Depravity!
Pseudo-Freudian expressionism!
The chance to hear the bookshop assistant's ooohs and aaahs as you put a book by Robert Musil on the counter!
No need to say I licked my lips as soon as I read the blurb. Boy, I must have looked like Wile E. Coyote drooling after the Road Runner.
Ahem.
M盲hrisch Weisskirschen, Moravia, around 1900.
Three teen cadets of a military school spend their time hiding in attics and cellars turned into impromptu boudoirs, eating pastries and paying weekly visits to a Slavic pockmarked whore in the nearby village. Spoiled brats get easily bored though, especially when they also happen to be mad as they come, as the author tells us from the very beginning.
We know little more about them: no first names, no information about their origins and age, the fewest possible descriptions of their looks. All the author really wants us to keep in mind is that these kids are utterly insane, each of them in his own way.
T枚rless, the protagonist, is obsessed with sex and quite keen on introspection and self-abasement. His mind is haunted by fantasies of blasphemy and incest (more precisely, he gets off imagining her mother's sexual life). Hence his morbid attraction to the scum, seen as a means to fill an existential void made of the feeling of not belonging in either his own social class nor in the dirty populace, both of which fascinate and disgust him at the same time.
Beineberg is even more disquieting in his potentially murderous ennui: a Mitteleuropean dandy, between Des Esseintes and De Sade's beastly aristocrats, fond of cheap esotericism and weird Hindu philosophy, a hodgepodge of exotic bullshit that allows him to escape his frightening lack of any morals whatsoever.
Last but not least, Reiting - whose violent nature is cunningly sublimated in a destructive, asocial behaviour. This sadistic sociopath, born in a controversial (half ruined?) family and brimming with frustrated dreams of juvenile grandeur, is the basic asshole whose only aim is the objectification of his victim, devoid of any sort of intellectual subtlety.
Quite different natures indeed; unfortunately enough, they all share a penchant for (homo)sexually charged violence that finds the perfect victim - perhaps a scapegoat - in a fourth boy, Basini (clearly Italian origins), a creepy weakling bound to be mercilessly exploited by the depraved trio.
To be honest, nobody would ever shed a tear for him: Basini is so disgustingly opportunist that he hardly stirs up any feeling of sympathy in the reader. What follows is quite predictable: in the eyes of the perpetrators, Basini is the nameless, faceless, voiceless and soulless Untermensch: the less-than-human creature made to be enslaved, thus enduring all its masters' whimsical fantasies. When a farcical series of petty thefts puts the kid in their hands, the boys lose control once and for all.
Although Musil's clever writing never indulges in detailed descriptions of sex and brutality, he basically tells us about a homosexual gang-rape that takes place in a dusty backroom, with plenty of sadistic acts as foreplay - including the use of whips and needles. From this moment on, each of the three buddies gets increasingly involved in experimenting his peculiar version of abusive lust, desires that go beyond mere sex and manifest themselves in the forms of psychological torments (T枚rless), parodies of tantric spirituality (Beineberg) and sheer old-school sadism (Reiting).
According to Musil, a former student of Weisskirchen college himself, this short novel is full of autobiographical hints and true memories. Although slightly altered for the author's fictional purposes, both the events and the setting are thus supposed to be painfully real; after all, R. M. Rilke gave a similar description of Weisskirchen, which he had also attended a few years before Musil.
Even if the writing style is far from being perfect (in my opinion, that is) this debut novel is amazingly interesting and complex. I dare say it provides the reader with an unexpected insight in the years that shaped last century's collective and individual psyche. No doubt the passages of T枚rless' musings and ramblings are way too long and often repetitive; they're nonetheless a great example of how deeply the newborn science of psychoanalysis was influencing European literature and arts.
Bildungsroman? Yes, but also a surprisingly good depiction of an era we hardly know and fathom in all its momentous importance.
Forget about the stereotypical idea of a repressive, heavy-handed education in which the students' vulnerable minds are violated with huge doses of ossified culture, religiosity and militarism. On the contrary, what truly scares here is the educational void of the institutions, the total lack of direction and meaning of a whole culture.
Teachers are hardly ever mentioned, let aside a few passages in which they are actually caricatures of themselves. Families are equally non-existent or toxic: mothers seen as ghosts awakening 艗dipal pulsions, fathers dismissed as entities floating in a limbo of oblivion. Religion is nothing more than a school lesson nobody cares about. All in all, in such a desert of boredom and hopelessness the claustrophobic atmosphere of the college, so drenched in lust and violence, is the only conceivable way out.
No wonder some of these brats joined the highest ranks of the Nazi party when the real fun began, a couple of decades later, overjoyed to take part in the orgy of blood and lust they probably had been craving since their teens.
Hard to believe this book was written in 1906, huh? But then one must bear in mind these were the years of Freud, Viennese Secession, Die Br眉cke, Fauvism... Musil's little psychos were indeed the first product of a world that was ridding itself of the burden of the past without daring to take a closer look to the present: a present of moral exhaustion and irrationality in which all the pillars of the old world - State, Family, Church, Army - were walking dead, eaten from within by the worms of their terrifying emptiness.
Musil's characters are certainly the embodiment of his times. However, the reader of nowadays is able to look at them from an even darker perspective: that of the future. We know what was going to happen a few years later to most of these youngsters, a whole generation who would be butchered in the blood-soaked, shitty ratholes of WW1; well-groomed pretty junkers merrily sent to be machine-gunned, eviscerated by hand grenades, killed by typhus in the name of their sacred Country and respectable Families.
Because,
"La bourgeoisie n'a jamais h茅sit茅 m锚me 脿 tuer ses fils."
Suggested soundtrack: Dum Dum Girls, "Lost Boys And Girls Club".
February 6, 2017
螤蟻蠈魏蔚喂蟿伪喂 纬喂伪 蟿慰 蟺蟻蠋蟿慰 -魏伪喂 魏伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰- 尾喂尾位委慰 蟿慰蠀 Musil 蟺慰蠀 纬蟻维蠁蟿畏魏蔚 蟺蟻喂谓 蟿慰谓 螒' 螤伪纬魏蠈蟽渭喂慰 蟺蠈位蔚渭慰. 螣 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 苇蟺喂伪蟽蔚 蟿慰谓 蟺伪位渭蠈 蟿畏蟼 蔚蟺慰蠂萎蟼 蟿慰蠀, 蟺伪蟻伪蟿畏蟻蠋谓蟿伪蟼 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟿伪, 魏伪喂 苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 蟽蠂蔚未蠈谓 蟺蟻慰蠁畏蟿喂魏蠈, 渭喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蔚蟻喂苇纬蟻伪蠄蔚 渭蔚 未喂慰蟻伪蟿喂魏蠈 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 蟿畏谓 维谓慰未慰 蟿慰蠀 谓伪味喂蟽渭慰蠉.韦伪蠀蟿蠈蠂蟻慰谓伪, 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 魏伪喂 渭喂伪 伪谓维位蠀蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蔚蠁畏尾蔚委伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟿畏蟼 "蟽蠉纬蠂蠀蟽畏蟼 " (畏胃喂魏萎蟼, 蔚蟻蠅蟿喂魏萎蟼 魏位蟺) 蟺慰蠀 蟿畏 蟽蠀谓慰未蔚蠉蔚喂.
韦慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 苇蠂蔚喂 3 未喂伪魏蟻喂蟿苇蟼 蔚谓蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼: 畏 蟺蟻蠋蟿畏 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚喂蟽伪纬蠅纬喂魏萎 渭蔚 蟺慰位位苇蟼 伪谓伪未蟻慰渭苇蟼 蟽蟿慰 蟺伪蟻蔚位胃蠈谓 蟿慰蠀 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼, 畏 未蔚蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蟿畏谓 魏蠉蟻喂伪 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽畏 魏伪喂 畏 蟿蟻委蟿畏 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蟿畏谓 魏慰蟻蠉蠁蠅蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽畏蟼 渭蔚 蟿蔚位喂魏蠈 伪蟺慰蟿苇位蔚蟽渭伪 蟿畏 蠁蠀纬萎 蟿慰蠀 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 慰喂魏慰蟿蟻慰蠁蔚委慰.
螚 慰渭慰蠁蠀位慰蠁喂位委伪 , 苇谓伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 胃苇渭伪蟿伪 蟺慰蠀 胃委纬慰谓蟿伪喂, 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿伪 位蔚纬蠈渭蔚谓伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 渭喂伪 蟿蠀蠂伪委伪 蔚蟺喂位慰纬萎, 渭喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 (蟺维位喂 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 委未喂慰) 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 魏伪喂 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪 畏蟻蠅委未伪 魏伪喂 畏 蟺位慰魏萎 谓伪 蟺蔚蟻喂位伪渭尾维谓蔚喂 维位位伪 "蟿伪渭蟺慰蠉" 胃苇渭伪蟿伪, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蟽伪未喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 渭伪味慰蠂喂蟽渭蠈蟼 蠁蔚蟿喂蠂喂蟽渭蠈蟼 魏位蟺.
螆蟿蟽喂,魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蠅 纬喂伪蟿委 蔚谓蠈蠂位畏蟽蔚 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蟺慰蠂萎 蟿慰蠀 (魏伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻伪 蔚谓慰蠂位蔚委 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 蟽萎渭蔚蟻伪).
螆谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 蠂维蟻畏 蟽蟿畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽萎 蟿慰蠀 未喂伪尾维味蔚蟿伪喂 伪尾委伪蟽蟿伪 魏伪喂 渭慰谓慰蟻慰蠉蠁喂.
韦慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭伪 苇蠂蔚喂 3 未喂伪魏蟻喂蟿苇蟼 蔚谓蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼: 畏 蟺蟻蠋蟿畏 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚喂蟽伪纬蠅纬喂魏萎 渭蔚 蟺慰位位苇蟼 伪谓伪未蟻慰渭苇蟼 蟽蟿慰 蟺伪蟻蔚位胃蠈谓 蟿慰蠀 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼, 畏 未蔚蠉蟿蔚蟻畏 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蟿畏谓 魏蠉蟻喂伪 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽畏 魏伪喂 畏 蟿蟻委蟿畏 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 蟿畏谓 魏慰蟻蠉蠁蠅蟽畏 蟿畏蟼 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽畏蟼 渭蔚 蟿蔚位喂魏蠈 伪蟺慰蟿苇位蔚蟽渭伪 蟿畏 蠁蠀纬萎 蟿慰蠀 韦伪委蟻位蔚蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 慰喂魏慰蟿蟻慰蠁蔚委慰.
螚 慰渭慰蠁蠀位慰蠁喂位委伪 , 苇谓伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 胃苇渭伪蟿伪 蟺慰蠀 胃委纬慰谓蟿伪喂, 蔚委谓伪喂 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿伪 位蔚纬蠈渭蔚谓伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 渭喂伪 蟿蠀蠂伪委伪 蔚蟺喂位慰纬萎, 渭喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 (蟺维位喂 蟽蠉渭蠁蠅谓伪 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 委未喂慰) 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 谓伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 魏伪喂 纬蠀谓伪委魏伪 畏蟻蠅委未伪 魏伪喂 畏 蟺位慰魏萎 谓伪 蟺蔚蟻喂位伪渭尾维谓蔚喂 维位位伪 "蟿伪渭蟺慰蠉" 胃苇渭伪蟿伪, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蟽伪未喂蟽渭蠈蟼, 渭伪味慰蠂喂蟽渭蠈蟼 蠁蔚蟿喂蠂喂蟽渭蠈蟼 魏位蟺.
螆蟿蟽喂,魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蠅 纬喂伪蟿委 蔚谓蠈蠂位畏蟽蔚 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 蟽蟿畏谓 蔚蟺慰蠂萎 蟿慰蠀 (魏伪喂 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻伪 蔚谓慰蠂位蔚委 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 蟽萎渭蔚蟻伪).
螆谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 蠂维蟻畏 蟽蟿畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蟿慰蠀 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺蠈胃蔚蟽萎 蟿慰蠀 未喂伪尾维味蔚蟿伪喂 伪尾委伪蟽蟿伪 魏伪喂 渭慰谓慰蟻慰蠉蠁喂.
April 8, 2024
T枚rless si autopsicanalizza e psicanalizza gli altri e il mondo (猫 pure un pochetto parac楼拢o alla fine, lasciatemelo scherzosamente affermare).
T枚rless contiene moltitudini di emozioni, pensieri, idee, anime e qualit脿 (vuoi vedere che 猫 una versione di Ulrich de L'uomo senza qualit脿? Lo appurer貌 a breve); le contiene tutte come embrioni di possibilit脿 o non possibilit脿.
T枚rless sa cogliere la piccolezza, la solitudine, la pochezza, l'inadeguatezza dell'uomo di fronte all'universo tutto e sa dire perfettamente, come mai ho letto prima, quanto metamorfica, mostruosa, esaltante, devastante, triste e gioiosa sia l'et脿 che non 猫 pi霉 fanciulla ma neppure 猫 adulta.
"[...]sentiva di essere tutto solo sotto quella volta immota e silente, gli sembrava di essere un piccolo punto vivo sotto quell'immane cadavere trasparente."
Musil esordisce con questo gioiello, con questo saggio filosofico sull'adolescenza, con questa prosa lucida e cristallina. Aveva solo 26 anni.
T枚rless contiene moltitudini di emozioni, pensieri, idee, anime e qualit脿 (vuoi vedere che 猫 una versione di Ulrich de L'uomo senza qualit脿? Lo appurer貌 a breve); le contiene tutte come embrioni di possibilit脿 o non possibilit脿.
T枚rless sa cogliere la piccolezza, la solitudine, la pochezza, l'inadeguatezza dell'uomo di fronte all'universo tutto e sa dire perfettamente, come mai ho letto prima, quanto metamorfica, mostruosa, esaltante, devastante, triste e gioiosa sia l'et脿 che non 猫 pi霉 fanciulla ma neppure 猫 adulta.
"[...]sentiva di essere tutto solo sotto quella volta immota e silente, gli sembrava di essere un piccolo punto vivo sotto quell'immane cadavere trasparente."
Musil esordisce con questo gioiello, con questo saggio filosofico sull'adolescenza, con questa prosa lucida e cristallina. Aveva solo 26 anni.
July 28, 2021
3.5/5
May 3, 2022
Partamos de que esta novela fue escrita en 1906, y habla sobre homosexualidad. Por m谩s Austria, Alemania y Suiza que fueran, sin duda fue un gran rompedor de esquemas morales de la 茅poca. Y es que me atrever铆a a decir que fue uno de los primeros escritores modernos en tratar de un modo crudo y a la vez profundo el deseo masculino. As铆, a secas, pues pese a que las escenas homoer贸ticas podr铆an llevarnos a pensar que se trata de un punto de vista de lo queer o lo exclusivamente homosexual, lo cierto es que Musil va mucho m谩s all谩 de la connotaci贸n de orientaci贸n sexual al intentar desentra帽ar el origen mismo del deseo, el placer y la fruici贸n, por un lado. Y por otro, la din谩mica de las relaciones de poder y el abuso. Son los mecanismos internos de ello y no los resultados, lo que le interesa al autor.
Premisa de entrada arriesgada y que se puede fundir en los mecanismos propios de la ficci贸n. Y de hecho, eso es lo que hace. Musil -entre las varias cosas que estudi贸- tambi茅n se especializ贸 en psicolog铆a experimental y esta disciplina es precisamente la que envuelve a toda la novela. Y quiz谩s a toda la obra de Musil, pues su mayor caracter铆stica narrativa es la de intentar adentrarse en las motivaciones profundas de sus personajes, desde su cualidad como hombres o mujeres; aunque en estas exploraciones profundas haya mucho de ideas entretejidas por el propio autor, que no necesariamente obedecen a una observaci贸n del comportamiento humano. Es decir, Musil a la vez que revela los condicionamientos del subconsciente, los hace bailar a su ritmo de autor de ficci贸n. Hay revelaciones cruciales y profundas en esa exploraci贸n de la psiquis de sus personajes pero tambi茅n hay material esculpido en la base del esp铆ritu humano, en lo cual creo que radica la genialidad de Musil: ser un gran escultor de la condici贸n del ser.
Las tribulaciones del estudiante T枚rless son eso. Las tribulaciones de un estudiante de una escuela militar, quiz谩s las que el propio Musil tuvo alguna vez, pues asisti贸 a una academia de ese tipo, por lo que tambi茅n podr铆a haber algo de autoficci贸n. Ahora, esas tribulaciones son confrontadas de forma cada vez m谩s retorcida, cruenta y profunda. La violencia propia de escuelas de adiestramiento militar empieza a buscar explicaciones apelando a una l贸gica acomodaticia, pseudo-moral y filos贸fica, altamente maniquea y manipuladora, de manos de dos de sus compa帽eros, quienes la ejercen hacia un tercero; mientras el atribulado T枚rless hace lo propio con sus creencias, su psiquis y su intelecto. Hay una explicaci贸n por encima de la verdad matem谩tica irrefutable, a la que T枚rless se rebela y cuestiona: la exactitud matem谩tica es ficci贸n, no existe en el plano real, por lo tanto, todo lo dem谩s es cuestionable, incluso el esp铆ritu humano. Y de esto va la novela, escrita con ese estilo muy propio de Musil, lleno de met谩foras y s铆miles, sin llegar a ser po茅tico, sino por el contrario, haciendo un uso exclusivamente mental e intelectivo de estas figuras literarias, y anunci谩ndolo cada vez que lo hace.
Por lo dem谩s, esperen unas cuantas escenas despiadadas y retorcidas que sorprenden sobre todo por la 茅poca en la que fueron escritas. Ello no obstante, no es gratuito y est谩 estructurado conforme a esa exploraci贸n profunda de la que he hablado en esta rese帽a. Musil no es para todos y no es de lectura simple (aunque en apariencia lo sea en esta novela), pero tiene una forma exquisita, brillante y a la vez enmara帽ada de construir a sus personajes, que resultan de una intensidad inusitada, y eso lo convierte en un autor imprescindible del Siglo XX. Por 煤ltimo, algo que me deja pensando es si Vargas Llosa habr谩 le铆do esta novela cuando escribi贸 "La ciudad y los perros"... (no son comparables, pero hay un evidente paralelismo).
Premisa de entrada arriesgada y que se puede fundir en los mecanismos propios de la ficci贸n. Y de hecho, eso es lo que hace. Musil -entre las varias cosas que estudi贸- tambi茅n se especializ贸 en psicolog铆a experimental y esta disciplina es precisamente la que envuelve a toda la novela. Y quiz谩s a toda la obra de Musil, pues su mayor caracter铆stica narrativa es la de intentar adentrarse en las motivaciones profundas de sus personajes, desde su cualidad como hombres o mujeres; aunque en estas exploraciones profundas haya mucho de ideas entretejidas por el propio autor, que no necesariamente obedecen a una observaci贸n del comportamiento humano. Es decir, Musil a la vez que revela los condicionamientos del subconsciente, los hace bailar a su ritmo de autor de ficci贸n. Hay revelaciones cruciales y profundas en esa exploraci贸n de la psiquis de sus personajes pero tambi茅n hay material esculpido en la base del esp铆ritu humano, en lo cual creo que radica la genialidad de Musil: ser un gran escultor de la condici贸n del ser.
Las tribulaciones del estudiante T枚rless son eso. Las tribulaciones de un estudiante de una escuela militar, quiz谩s las que el propio Musil tuvo alguna vez, pues asisti贸 a una academia de ese tipo, por lo que tambi茅n podr铆a haber algo de autoficci贸n. Ahora, esas tribulaciones son confrontadas de forma cada vez m谩s retorcida, cruenta y profunda. La violencia propia de escuelas de adiestramiento militar empieza a buscar explicaciones apelando a una l贸gica acomodaticia, pseudo-moral y filos贸fica, altamente maniquea y manipuladora, de manos de dos de sus compa帽eros, quienes la ejercen hacia un tercero; mientras el atribulado T枚rless hace lo propio con sus creencias, su psiquis y su intelecto. Hay una explicaci贸n por encima de la verdad matem谩tica irrefutable, a la que T枚rless se rebela y cuestiona: la exactitud matem谩tica es ficci贸n, no existe en el plano real, por lo tanto, todo lo dem谩s es cuestionable, incluso el esp铆ritu humano. Y de esto va la novela, escrita con ese estilo muy propio de Musil, lleno de met谩foras y s铆miles, sin llegar a ser po茅tico, sino por el contrario, haciendo un uso exclusivamente mental e intelectivo de estas figuras literarias, y anunci谩ndolo cada vez que lo hace.
Por lo dem谩s, esperen unas cuantas escenas despiadadas y retorcidas que sorprenden sobre todo por la 茅poca en la que fueron escritas. Ello no obstante, no es gratuito y est谩 estructurado conforme a esa exploraci贸n profunda de la que he hablado en esta rese帽a. Musil no es para todos y no es de lectura simple (aunque en apariencia lo sea en esta novela), pero tiene una forma exquisita, brillante y a la vez enmara帽ada de construir a sus personajes, que resultan de una intensidad inusitada, y eso lo convierte en un autor imprescindible del Siglo XX. Por 煤ltimo, algo que me deja pensando es si Vargas Llosa habr谩 le铆do esta novela cuando escribi贸 "La ciudad y los perros"... (no son comparables, pero hay un evidente paralelismo).
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