Reviews

The Confusions of Young Törless by J.M. Coetzee, Robert Musil, Shaun Whiteside

verw0rren's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

reqlikv's review against another edition

dark

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

eufi's review against another edition

2.0

disturbing but kinda good

livay's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

For the first 120 pages I was completely mindblown - talking about homoerotic fantasies, S/M, boys having feelings etc. in 1900? While also foreseeing so many aspects of the Nazi rule? Groundbreaking! Which it truly is. However, at times it is a bit exhaustingly "philosophical" and phsychologizing. I still think that teenagers (in German speaking countries at least) should read this book in school. Much more intelligent than so many others in the curriculum.

demonxore's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

timdorittke's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

hieronymusbotched's review against another edition

4.0

3.8

The rare case where I'm glad to have read 400 pages of the same author's 1200 page novel before starting this 160 page book. Musil's mind clearly works better in macro.

Shocking in its way but not quite focused enough to be fully felt. All the same, it's amazing to think it was published in 1906: transgender anxieties, homoeroticism, and sexual transgressions in a book more than a century old? Incredible.

Back to the 1200 page behemoth, then.

r_musil's review against another edition

2.0

boring

kreuz's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

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

2.5

hej234567's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75