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Fionnuala's Reviews > Jakob von Gunten
Jakob von Gunten
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As I was reading through Jakob von Gunten I wondered what genre it belonged to. Was it some kind of memoir? Was it a coming of age story? Was it a love story? Was it perhaps something totally new, a genre I'd never met before? Or was it rather something utterly ancient, as ancient as the stories of the Old Testament.
Ancient, yes, that was the predominant feeling I was left with at the end, though the writing has nothing biblical about it whatsoever being extremely lighthearted and jolly in tone which is one of the many paradoxes of this short novel. In fact Jacob, the narrator, speaks constantly in paradoxes: he tells of a school where no learning takes place, and of a feared principal who is really rather meek.
Jacob sees beauty in the oddest of places, even in the idiosyncrasies of headboy Kraus:
Jacob expounds on the virtues of compliance to rules in one breath while telling us that he loves running on the stairs in the next:
Although it was written more than one hundred years ago, each word, each sentence, in this slim book, has the freshness of new snow, though perhaps new snow on which a happy dog has left a yellow stain, because Jacob’s sparkling words are always sprinkled with little ironies.
The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions. Nothing can excite me so deeply as the sight and smell of what is good and just, Jacob tells us before revealing that:
Those tremblings of beauty in defiance reminded me of the biblical story of Lucifer before the Fall, whose heart, according to Ezekiel was lifted up because of thy beauty but who had become corrupted by reason of thy brightness.
I imagined Jacob as a latter-day Lucifer, shining very brightly among his duller fellows. But unlike Lucifer, he succeeds in seducing the Father figure of his world completley and causes him to lose his bearings so that instead of rejecting Jacob and casting him out, he 'casts out' all the 'good' pupils/angels instead, even the rule-abiding and very fundamentalist Archangel, Kraus.
So the story made me think about what the Judeo/Christian/Islamic world would be like if we’d never had a Lucifer figure to demonise, and if the deity had presented itself as just as human and weak as the rest of us...
Image:
(view spoiler)
Ancient, yes, that was the predominant feeling I was left with at the end, though the writing has nothing biblical about it whatsoever being extremely lighthearted and jolly in tone which is one of the many paradoxes of this short novel. In fact Jacob, the narrator, speaks constantly in paradoxes: he tells of a school where no learning takes place, and of a feared principal who is really rather meek.
Jacob sees beauty in the oddest of places, even in the idiosyncrasies of headboy Kraus:
I do like people who get angry. Kraus gets angry on the slightest pretext. That is so beautiful, so noble. The sinner must always be faced with the person outraged, or else something would be missing. The mumbling of a grumbler is lovelier to me than the murmuring of a woodland stream.
Jacob expounds on the virtues of compliance to rules in one breath while telling us that he loves running on the stairs in the next:
To be supposed not to do something is so alluring sometimes that one can’t help doing it. Therefore I love so deeply every compulsion, because it allows me to take joy in what is illicit. If there were no commandments, no duties in the world, I would die, starve, be crippled by boredom. I provoke the frowning law to anger a little, afterwards I make the effort to pacify it.
Although it was written more than one hundred years ago, each word, each sentence, in this slim book, has the freshness of new snow, though perhaps new snow on which a happy dog has left a yellow stain, because Jacob’s sparkling words are always sprinkled with little ironies.
Sly and knowing people are to me an unspeakable abomination. How nice Peter is, in precisely this point. His being tall, so tall that he could crack in two, is good, but even better is the goodness of heart which keeps whispering to him that he is a cavalier and has the looks of a noble rake.
The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions. Nothing can excite me so deeply as the sight and smell of what is good and just, Jacob tells us before revealing that:
nothing pleases me more than to give a completely false image of myself to people for whom I have made a place in my heart…Thus for example, I imagine that it would be unspeakably lovely to die with the terrible knowledge that I have offended whomsoever I love the most and have filled them with bad opinions of me. Nobody will understand that, or only someone who can sense tremblings of beauty in defiance.
Those tremblings of beauty in defiance reminded me of the biblical story of Lucifer before the Fall, whose heart, according to Ezekiel was lifted up because of thy beauty but who had become corrupted by reason of thy brightness.
I imagined Jacob as a latter-day Lucifer, shining very brightly among his duller fellows. But unlike Lucifer, he succeeds in seducing the Father figure of his world completley and causes him to lose his bearings so that instead of rejecting Jacob and casting him out, he 'casts out' all the 'good' pupils/angels instead, even the rule-abiding and very fundamentalist Archangel, Kraus.
So the story made me think about what the Judeo/Christian/Islamic world would be like if we’d never had a Lucifer figure to demonise, and if the deity had presented itself as just as human and weak as the rest of us...
Image:
(view spoiler)
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Reading Progress
January 21, 2016
–
Started Reading
January 21, 2016
– Shelved
January 21, 2016
–
11.36%
"One thing is true, there is no nature here. That's just it, this is the big city after all. At home there were views everywhere, near and far. I always heard the birds twittering. The streams were always murmuring..If one went for a walk, it was like walking in the sky, for one saw blue sky everywhere. If one stood still, one could lie down straightaway and dream quietly up into the air oh for the original :-("
page
20
January 23, 2016
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51.14%
"I'm having an unusual experience reading this: though I love the writing style and the ironic tone, I've not found anything that lends itself to being quoted - and I usually find loads of quotes to add to the updates in books where I enjoy the writing this much. It's a mystery.
I think it may be due to... no, I'll save that thought for the review;-)"
page
90
I think it may be due to... no, I'll save that thought for the review;-)"
January 24, 2016
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79.55%
"In my mind I saw delicately coiling spiral stairways and other broad stone staircases laid with carpets, behind that simple door. Also an ancient library, and corridors, long and serene corridors with floormats, ran in my imagination from one end of the building to the other. With all my ideas and follies I could one day found a company for the propagation of beautiful but unreliable imaginings.The capital's there"
page
140
January 24, 2016
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93.18%
"for thy movements were to us as refreshing spring-water to a man who thirsts.
In the comments to the first update, I mentioned that Walser's writing was like drinking very fresh cool water. It's fun to find him now using the same image."
page
164
In the comments to the first update, I mentioned that Walser's writing was like drinking very fresh cool water. It's fun to find him now using the same image."
January 24, 2016
–
Finished Reading
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Tony wrote: "More useful, as discussion topics, than any koan. I prefer to think that we created the deity, as opposed to the other way around; and, human and weak he has proven to be. But Lucifer as a contradictory friend will keep me busy all day. ."Well, yes - we invented the deity, Tony - I had simply put myself totally inside the story of the Fall there, and was trying to imagine it with a different ending.
Jacob/Lucifer is a very attractive character - I was completely happy in his company though judging by other reviews, he's not very popular generally... and you possibly mean something more enigmatic in any case ;-)
It is very pleasing to see you review a book that I've since a couple of times in my feed and to know it from another angle. ONe perhaps I might read it myself and be completely mystified at the book I eventual find for myself!
Jan-Maat wrote: "It is very pleasing to see you review a book that I've since a couple of times in my feed and to know it from another angle...."After Jacob apparatted before me in the guise of Blake's Lucifer, I lost any other angle I might have had on the book, Jan-Maat, but after glancing through the introduction and looking at a few other reviews I see there are mostly very different interpretations of what it might be about - as you say.
I hope you do read it and get to add to the variety of responses..
Great play with Lucifer's name as the bringer of the light and star shining above all others, Fionnuala. Ever tried Vondel's Lucifer?
I was disappointed not to like it, but I was encouraged by a comment left on my review by M. Sarki that the translator is lousy. I'm going to try something else that's been translated by Susan Bernofsky who sounds like the bee's knees.
I suppose we not only read our own version of books, but I also read my own version of your review, picking out and remarking the phrases that summed up my own response to Jakob. 'lose your bearings' YES! and 'a parade of seeming contradictions' - which takes me, personally to Faust - Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust (What, only two???)My only quibble is that I feel defiance is somehow not quite the right concept - defiance, to me, implies a set of rules against which you can rebel, but the trouble here is that the rules keep shifting, there is absolutely no stability in Jakob's world, or indeed within himself. The sense shifts within one sentence sometimes, he creates that instability in the reader too.
Ilse wrote: "Great play with Lucifer's name as the bringer of the light and star shining above all others, Fionnuala. Ever tried Vondel's Lucifer?"I just looked Vondel up, Ilse, and realise he wrote his Lucifer even before Milton wrote Paradise Lost. I had been thinking of Paradise Lost as I read about Jacob and was tempted to look at it again. Perhaps I should look at Vondel first..
notgettingenough wrote: "I was disappointed not to like it, but I was encouraged by a comment left on my review by M. Sarki that the translator is lousy. I'm going to try something else that's been translated by Susan Bern..."In the early pages, I certainly had a great longing to be able to read this book in the original, knot - I suspect there's something about Walser's writing that makes him especially unusual to read, even in German, and therefore especially difficult to translate too.
I eventually got used to Middleton's approach and was quite happy with what he produced in the end. It's a book I'd love to read in parallel text, I think..
You should try The Robber next..
·°²¹°ù±ð²Ô· wrote: "I suppose we not only read our own version of books, but I also read my own version of your review, picking out and remarking the phrases that summed up my own response to Jakob. 'lose your bearings' YES! and 'a parade of seeming contradictions' - which takes me, personally to Faust - Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust (What, only two???).."Great to see you adding to the variety of interpretations, Karen. Yes, I can see the Faust resemblance - Jacob certainly has more than one soul dwelling in his breast! But how would the Mephistopheles theme play out in that case? Would M capitulate to F instead, a reversal of the original - as in my version of the Fall?
Geoff wrote: "You should try The Robber next.."Ok, The Robber it is - and I see it is translated by Bernofskey so I'll get to see a different approach to translating him.
I wonder if you were able to pinpoint why you didn't find much to quote, despite liking the writing and tone? Reading your review, the overall impression seems quite an elusive one.Also, if I may ask, do you give books that you've read ratings later on, or don't bother with ratings at all?
Junta wrote: "I wonder if you were able to pinpoint why you didn't find much to quote, despite liking the writing and tone? Reading your review, the overall impression seems quite an elusive one...."Great point, Junta. I had intended to examine in the review why, early on, I hadn't found very much to quote but then I had a discussion on the updates threads about that and worked it out. The feeling I had at that point was that the text was so tightly wound within itself, like a ball made up of elastic bands, so that it was hard to pull out one thread to examine separately.
Of course I did pull out many thread to examine eventually in the review, but they needed the support of each other and of a central argument. They might not have meant much to the reader in isolation.
Another Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friend, Joshua, quoted Sebald on Walser in the updates comments. It's such a good quote and refers exactly to your sense of the 'elusive' quality that readers of Walser (and readers of reviews of Walser) experience that I'm going to quote Joshua here: W G Sebald wrote that Walser's prose "has the tendency to dissolve upon reading, so that only a few hours later one can barely remember the ephemeral figures, events and things of which it spoke…Everything written in these incomparable books has—as their author might himself have said—a tendency to vanish into thin air."
As to stars, Junta - I stopped awarding them a couple of years ago - I was very erratic about them in any case - but I really felt that it was solely by means of words that I could work out my feelings about a reading experience, and the words were impossible to translate into stars. Stars measure one book against another and I don't want to do that, I don't see the point of doing that. Books aren't in competition one with another. They are too different - and Walser's book is very different indeed :-)
'Though written more than one hundred years ago, each word, each sentence in this slim book, has the freshness of new snow, though perhaps new snow on which a happy dog has left a yellow stain, because Jacob’s sparkling words are always sprinkled with little ironies.'Ah! You resurrect Walser in my eyes, Fio! Delectable review that requires no gen(re)lization ;)
Fionnuala wrote: "Junta wrote: "I wonder if you were able to pinpoint why you didn't find much to quote, despite liking the writing and tone? Reading your review, the overall impression seems quite an elusive one......"Sorry, I actually read that whole thread before commenting, but thought you might have found further constituent elements. The ball of elastic band expression is succinct.
I see, thanks for your explanation. It seems like your approach is in a totally unselfish realm, putting the experience of reading above all. :-) I already had Walser's book as to-read, and it seems like a very worthwhile read.
Seemita wrote: "'Ah! You resurrect Walser in my eyes, Fio! Delectable review that requires no gen(re)lization ;)"Glad to help to raise Walser's status in the community, Seemita!
Junta wrote: "I already had Walser's book as to-read, and it seems like a very worthwhile read. "The thing about this book is the amount of interpretations possible, Junta. I imagine you will bring your own original world view to it which should make for an interesting experience for the rest of us to read about eventually...
A keen thought there at the end, Fio.I also agree with you on Walser's unusuality. The first Walser I read was translated by Bernofsky - Berlin Stories. I felt rather tepid towards most of the microscripts. However, I read Jakob von Gunten immediately on the heels of Berlin Stories and I am certain I just wasn't listening to Walser well enough the first time around. I've taken up German solely to be able to read Walser in the original, in another decade. His poetry is a joy, a sorrow and everything that a heart can hold at once.
I agree with every single thing you've said about Jakob von Gunten in the review, in the comments. I felt so happy reading your words and remembering reading this book myself, Fio. :)
Vipassana wrote: "...I've taken up German solely to be able to read Walser in the original, in another decade. His poetry is a joy, a sorrow and everything that a heart can hold at once.."That's inspiring, V!
Having read this one book of his, I have had a glimpse of how sparkling his writing must be in the original and I'm cheering you on mit Schmackes!
I read your review yesterday and noticed some parallels in the way we'd interpreted Jacob's meanderings - and also noticed that you were among the few who'd been solidly enthusiastic about him.
Have you read The Robber? I think I'll go for it next rather than the stories perhaps - though another friend had recommended the stories a while back..
Fionnuala wrote: "Vipassana wrote: "...I've taken up German solely to be able to read Walser in the original, in another decade. His poetry is a joy, a sorrow and everything that a heart can hold at once.."That's ..."
Danke Fio! I am inordinately fond of Walser. I haven't read the Robber. Only this, his Berlin stories, and collection of poems. I think The Robber might be a good next choice. I'll probably read that soon as well or maybe The Tanners.
The parade of seeming contradictions got me, Fio. It helps that I recently got a copy of Jakob. And I think we'd be answering to something much more human had Lucifer or Izazeel ever brought God to his side.
Jibran wrote: "The parade of seeming contradictions got me, Fio. It helps that I recently got a copy of Jakob. And I think we'd be answering to something much more human had Lucifer or Izazeel ever brought God to his side."
Glad you're going to get a chance to interpret Jacob for yourself, Jibran - and I hope my alternative Lucifer scenario won't interfere with that interpretation. It seems to be a book that strikes different readers differently so I'm sure you'll pull something unique and interesting from Jacob's luminous but opaque statements ;-)
Fionnuala, you wrote, "The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions." I read "parody" instead of "parade." Does parody fit any aspect of the book? (Just now, I also read "Gluten" instead of "Gunten," so maybe I'm just sleepy and having slips of the eye....)
Jan wrote: "Fionnuala, you wrote, "The entire book is a parade of seeming contradictions." I read "parody" instead of "parade." Does parody fit any aspect of the book? (Just now, I also read "Gluten" instead of "Gunten"....Can you imagine, Jan, if you'd been one of the people translating the Old Testament way back time back - things could have become beautifully distorted...
Fionnuala wrote: "...Can you imagine, Jan, if you'd been one of the people translating the Old Testament way back time back - things could have become beautifully distorted..."Now that I think about it, you could say it did happen. Assuming you mean the Hebrew scripture and the Septuagint with Apocrypha...there was no subsequent scripture as of yet, since it was around 200 BCE. But a whole mythology grew up as to the perfection of the translation, stuff like 70 separate scholars in separate rooms who all came up with exactly the same translation.... Who couldn't use some cover now and then?
But is there no parody whatsoever? Sometimes a parade is not just a parade....
Jan wrote: "Fionnuala wrote: "...Can you imagine, Jan, if you'd been one of the people translating the Old Testament way back time back - things could have become beautifully distorted..."Now that I think ab..."
I didn't know about the story of the 70 scholars, Jan - great piece of apocrypha itself.
I was thinking of later periods when the books of the bible were being transcribed by scribes - in poor light probably and not even always for the purpose of translation - and the odd line must surely have been misread and miss transcribed, changing the meaning a little or at least leading to confusing/paradoxical interpretations later.
As to whether Walser really intended some parody here, I don't know, but I read the story as an allegory/parody in any case. The book is set in a school where young men are trained to be manservants. Walser himself attended such a school, but the one he describes here is so unreal-sounding that he has to have had intentions other than a faithful account. The gr reviews of this book are mostly very different to each other which adds to the uncertainty for me about what Walser has created here. I'm sure you'd bring another totally different interpretation to it, Jan...
I'm happy to have your review, Fionnuala, as one can't read 'em all! The reviews of friends serve to extend my reach. Thanks!!!P.S. On the subject of translations/mistranslations of scripture, here's a fun trivia word for you (actually, two words): pious emendations. :)
Jan wrote: "I'm happy to have your review, Fionnuala, as one can't read 'em all! The reviews of friends serve to extend my reach. Thanks!!!P.S. On the subject of translations/mistranslations of scripture, here's a fun trivia word for you (actually, two words): pious emendations. :) ..."
Ah hah! There were more than mistranscriptions and mistranslations in the history of the bible?
I enjoyed that, Jan!
What genre does it actually belong to. I think it was a fantastic book/novell
It made me think of religion vs religion example christianity vs judhasim
kinny wrote: "What genre does it actually belong to. I think it was a fantastic book/novell"It seems that Robert Walser attended a school similar to the one described in the book, and after leaving home in circumstances similar to Jacob's so it is tempting to see the novel as autobiographical - but think it is better to avoid seeing the autobiographical in writers' work if possible, so for me it is a novel.
...but happy in a strange way unique to himself!
Thanks for a wonderful review. Jakob von Gunten has been on mh PAl (pile à lire) for two years. You have motivated me to start reading.
Happy to have motivated you to read Walser, Czarny.
I gave it two stars; I was in a generous mood. Here is how my scale works. Pride and Prejudice gets five stars. Persuasion gets four. This means that Jakub Von Gunten is 40% as good as Pride and Prejudice or 50% as good as Persuasion.
Your rating scale and my system of appreciation are world's apart, Czarny. I'm unable to compare authors or rate them against each other because I find them all just too different. Walser and Austen are good examples of my difficulty. To me, they share no common ground whatsoever - even though I enjoy reading them both. Their books could be from different planets, they are so different!
Czarny, you are too kind. I gave it one.
david wrote: "Czarny, you are too kind. I gave it one."It takes a brave man to give a book a one star rating. I lacked backbone in this case.
Fionnuala wrote: "Your rating scale and my system of appreciation are world's apart, Czarny. I'm unable to compare authors or rate them against each other because I find them all just too different. Walser and Auste..."You are right of course. Ratings come from the Business administration facult not the literature department. They are a marketing tool designed to create momentum for new releases.
Walser and Austen do have one thing in common however. They both take tiime to read and time is a limited commodity. This is why you are right to focus so heavily on the classics.
Czarny wrote: "...Walser and Austen do have one thing in common however. They both take tiime to read and time is a limited commodity..."Indeed, Czarny. But even though our time for reading may be limited, when we do get time to read, what does it matter that the book we choose takes longer to complete than some other title? I read in order to enjoy the phrasing and the ideas rather than to get to the ending, so the length doesn't put me off.
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ discourages us from taking a long time to read a book, of course, constantly reminding us that we are behind schedule in our reading challenge - which is another example of the focus on marketing you mentioned.
Along with avoiding ratings and conventional reviews, the yearly reading challenge may be the next thing I drop. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed Walser's book so much. Like Jacob von Gunten, I enjoy the establishment I'm a part of here, but I feel compelled to break the rules at every turn :-)
What I was trying to say was that the number of good books is in practical terms infinite. Consequently there is what economists would call an "opportunity cost" to reading bad books. One make better use of one's time.You appear to minimize the "opportunity cost" by reading and re-reading classics. There is an obvious advantage to this. The reality is that the truly great books are dense and one cannot extract all that they offer in one reading. This is the charm of university. You read "Pride and Prejudice" or "Madame Bovary" once to prepare for the lecture, a second time to write your essay and a third time for the exam. The experience is tremendously rewardign.
Czarny wrote: "What I was trying to say was that the number of good books is in practical terms infinite. Consequently there is what economists would call an "opportunity cost" to reading bad books..."That's exactly the conclusion I've come to in the last few years, Czarny. I decided that I don't have time to read books that may be unrewarding, and so I steer clear of many contemporary novels unless the premise or the writing style announce something unique and exciting. I'm glad to report that two recent contemporary novels, Reservoir 13 and Lincoln in the Bardo have ticked all those boxes. I got great satisfaction from both - though I haven't had time to review either yet.
More useful, as discussion topics, than any koan. I prefer to think that we created the deity, as opposed to the other way around; and, human and weak he has proven to be. But Lucifer as a contradictory friend will keep me busy all day.