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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
dark
reflective
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 Törless, 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 Törless'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 Törless 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.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Originally Published in 1906 and often viewed as second rate to Man without qualities, this work definitely precedes its reputation.
Young Törless is Musil's first novel, as concise as it is memorable. It's main focus is the corruption of a young man in boarding school.The novel is horrifying enough without any knowledge of pre-Weimar Germany, but the entire piece – essentially a novel-length reflection on the brutality of power gone awry – can be read with political implications still.
The novel dissects human nature, brutality and power gone awry. This probably is going to be the darkest novel, I've read.
Young Törless is Musil's first novel, as concise as it is memorable. It's main focus is the corruption of a young man in boarding school.The novel is horrifying enough without any knowledge of pre-Weimar Germany, but the entire piece – essentially a novel-length reflection on the brutality of power gone awry – can be read with political implications still.
The novel dissects human nature, brutality and power gone awry. This probably is going to be the darkest novel, I've read.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
foi uma releitura, mas é bem mais cruel e pesado do que eu imaginava