Reviews

Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Céline

sprout_monster's review against another edition

I don't know why I thought this was historical fantasy but I'm pretty sure it's not.
The story graph preview seems spot on. I will say it's well written imo and is like a bearable version of stream of consciousness, but it starts out with the stream of consciousness of like a stereotypical kid that signs up for the army and the payoff isn't worth the time for me (as a different review said "there isn't much that you don't already know" in the book). It's a much better fit for someone looking for something reflective not someone looking for adventure (me).

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

4.0

“The sadness of the world has different ways of getting to people, but it seems to succeed almost every time.”

"When you start hiding from people, it's a sign that you're afraid to play with them. That in itself is a disease. We should try to find out why we refuse to get cured of loneliness. "

Reading Journey is like listening to a drunk old man - the kind one sees in those cowboy movies, telling you why his life sucks. He can't talk about a woman without talking about her legs and there are women he mentions just so as to talk about their body. Then there are a few racist remarks as well.

But it is not to say that he is treating others better - there isn't a character in the whole book who hasn't been joked about. Céline is that kind of guy - he just can't have an acquaintance you don't want to run away from or a boss who don't give all the negative connotations of the word and so on. He may not be the sort of the person you could like to be around in real life.

But beware, it might be a trap. He didn't even mention the part where he showed bravery in first world war.

We are talking about Céline because the novel is autobiographical to some extent - his works are called 'creative confessions' whatever that may mean.

However reality is beaten out of story - every character, except the narrator, is a stereotype. There is nothing of a plot and nothing special about prose. The only thing about the book which can be called poetical is the title taken from Song of the Swiss Guards, 1793:

"Our life is a journey Through winter and night, We look for our way In a sky without light. "

No plot, no deep characters, simple prose with regular dosage of quotable reflections and a lot of satirical, cynical and sarcastic jokes - it kept on reminding me of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. who, btw, has listed him as an important influence.

I don't think you will find much in there that you don't already know - but all the same what is in there is not said enough in literature. Remember alien test? Its ordinariness is what makes it so brilliant. Now isn't these kind of thing some emo or cynic soul sitting in a college canteen would say:

"Just plain living, what a drag! Life is a classroom, and boredom is the monitor, always keeping an eye on you, you have to look busy at all costs, busy with something fascinating, otherwise he comes and corrodes your brain. A day that's nothing more than a lapse of twenty- four hours is intolerable. Like it or not, a day should be one long, almost unbearable pleasure, one long coitus."

He is full of nihilism - wars are stupid, rich are better off than poor, young are better off than old. He bares life of all the colorful clothing we put on it - and finds the truth underneath ugly. Everything done on name of nationalism, religion, love is hypocrisy.

"Misery is like some horrible woman you've married. Maybe it's better to end up loving her a little than to knock yourself out beating her all your life. Since obviously you won't be able to bump her off. "

He feels revulsion at seeing the misery of poor, seeing their children dying. At times he would let his poorer patients off without asking for payments:

"When you get paid by the rich, you feel like a flunky, by the poor like a thief. How can you take a fee from people who can't afford to eat or go to the movies? Especially when they're at their last gasp. It's not easy. You let it ride. You get soft- hearted. And your ship goes down."

Despite his efforts at humor, you could see an angst building in him that will latter turn him towards facism.

Perhaps that is what happens if we look at reality too much - we will want to destroy the world. Perhaps we are not meant to know the truth; it is better off left veiled in songs and movies.

"Truth is inedible."

Perhaps that is the real choice for us - to be hypocrites or to be murderers.

“And where, I ask you, can a man escape to, when he hasn’t enough madness left inside him? The truth is an endless death agony. The truth is death. You have to choose: death or lies. I’ve never been able to kill myself.”

Perhaps ... beat it.

"Philosophizing is simply one way of being afraid, a cowardly pretense that doesn't get you anywhere.”

Now the title, cover and this review may give you the impression that it is a really sad book which it is not. Then there is that tag of misanthropy - which is mostly an exaggeration. And what is up with these titles? I kept on avoiding this one because of its unwelcoming title. Shouldn't humorous books have better titles? Don't judge a book by its title. Here are some of other humorous books I've read: Dead Souls, Slaughterhouse Five, Devil's Dictionary, Demons.

And now here are some of the scary books I have read: Tell-tale heart, Tin Drum, Room and Pride and Prejudice.

Some one-liner from Céline:

"On close consideration, there are two main classes of chick, the "broad- minded" ones and the ones who've had "a good Catholic upbringing."

"The dullest love dialogues are kind of amusing when you know the people."

"As a matter of principle, in all things and for all time, I agreed with the boss."

sleepyghoul98's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

hermen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

natec's review against another edition

challenging dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

lukatoivanen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nkotek's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective slow-paced

spectracommunist's review against another edition

2.0

This book is so frustrating to read, just constant complaints and nothing else.

fr_eddie's review against another edition

3.0

3,5 "Invocare i posteri, è parlare ai vermi"

Questo libro è bello, bellissimo, nichilista, ma mamma mia quanto è lungo. Il fatto che mi sia addormentato leggendolo e che quando lo abbandonavo non volevo ritornarci non è un buon segno. Questo perché Ferdinand vive una vita lunga, travagliata, piena di egoismo, ingordigia, morte, ma nonostante questo scritta magistralmente.

Un libro davvero bello, mi ritrovavo ad annotare le parti a quasi ogni pagina, però il fatto che io l'abbia letto con l'inizio della scuola e il fatto che sia così dannatamente lungo non me l'ha fatto godere appieno, sfortunatamente.

Seguiamo la vita di quest'uomo dalla guerra, una guerra che lui non capisce e che non vuole fare, perché lui non vuole morire ("E a partire da quei mesi lì che hanno cominciato a fucilare i soldati semplici per tirargli su il morale,"), all'ospedale in cui viene ricoverato per una ferita, e sembra che tutti aspettino che si riprenda per portarlo alla morte ("Facevo fatica a pensare ad altro che al mio destino d’assassinato con la condizionale, che tutti d’altronde trovavano assolutamente normale per me."), al suo arrivo tramite una nave piena di vizi all'Africa, alla ricerca di un porto sicuro, trovando solo uomini pieni di cupidigia, che vogliono solo arricchirsi ( e ovviamente fa tutto schifo, ma mi sa che è solo perché è l'Africa). Arriva successivamente in America, dove la solitudine di questo mondo e il suo ruolo come parte di una catena lo porta a fuggire, di nuovo, in Europa, in Francia, di nuovo a casa. Finisce gli studi e diventa medico, solo per ritrovare gli stessi uomini pieni di difetti che popolano il mondo.

E, nel suo viaggio, lo accompagna ( o meglio, lo precede) Robinson, creatura che alla fine lo rispecchia, che fa tutto ciò che lui vuole fare, motivo per il quale si ritrovano così spesso. E la fine di Robinson è l'assaggio della sua morte.

Ferdinand è un personaggio nichilista, senza punti d'appoggio, che vive la sua vita viaggiando durante la notte, alla ricerca di un fine, di qualcosa che riesca a dargli gioia. Ovviamente non è un brav'uomo, maschilista, razzista, ma anche un po' stronzo e basta ("Presi l’iniziativa: “Lola, ti prego prestami i soldi che mi hai promesso o se no dormirò qui e mi sentirai ripeterti tutto quello che so sul cancro, le sue complicazioni, la sua ereditarietà, perché è ereditario, Lola, il cancro. Non bisogna dimenticarlo!”")


Lo consiglierei? Sì, perché è davvero bello, ma sappiate che le pagine si sentono tutte.

ben11m's review against another edition

4.0

It's good, I read it in french and it's very good. I can see the genius in Celine's writing, but it didn't touch me or struck me in a way that it changed my life. Not exactly a fun read, hard one sometimes but i definitely enjoyed it