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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Our book club has been running for around seven years now, with three of the original founding members still going strong. We meet every six weeks or so, and alternate who gets to pick the book each time. We never pick a book any of the group have read and like alternating genres and mixing up easy reads with books that we think will challenge us.
Steppenwolf, a 1930s modern classic by German author Hermann Hesse, definitely comes steppenwolfinto the second category for me. The protagonist is Harry Haller, a loner who struggles with depression and seems to be making it through life only by promising himself he will commit suicide on his 50th birthday. The book moves from a short point of view opening section by Haller's new housemate, to be narrated by Haller himself, with a 40 page interlude of an unnamed omniscient narrator, who tells Haller's story for him.
Simply put: I did not care for this book. It is deeply philosophical, so therefore most of it went way over my tiny brain. I don't need everything in a book to be literal (I thoroughly enjoyed Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle), but I need it to make some kind of sense to me. Parts of the book I did derive pleasure from reading. The opening narrator was amusing and interesting and the large part of the book told by Haller himself, before he heads off to the masked ball that signals the climax of the book and the height of the metaphorical waffling, actually reminded me of Fitzgerald in style. Not my favourite, but perfectly readable. The third party narrator section was about as intelligible as Woolf or Joyce for me (spotting a trend in what I don't like reading...?!) and the hallucinogenic nature of the closing ball made it very clear why a 60's culture had embraced this book with such fervour. The bizarre relationship between Haller and a girl he meets halfway through the book, Hermine, kept my attention, as she tries to lift him from his depression by tempting him with the sensual joys of life. I found it very interesting that the women in the novel were depicted as strong characters and there was no judgement of them for using their bodies in barter to achieve what they wanted. This book was written by a male in the 1930's and this was a progressive attitude towards women.
For a book club pick, this was an excellent choice. We meet tonight to discuss it and I'm very much looking forward to talking about the themes that come out in the novel: gender, sexuality, humanity, morality, death, depression and more. Would I have kept reading this if it wasn't a book club pick? Highly unlikely. I give this only 2 out of 5 for a rating, because I didn't enjoy the process of reading it. However, in terms of expanding my mind and reading outside of my comfort zone, this certainly ticked a few boxes!
Steppenwolf, a 1930s modern classic by German author Hermann Hesse, definitely comes steppenwolfinto the second category for me. The protagonist is Harry Haller, a loner who struggles with depression and seems to be making it through life only by promising himself he will commit suicide on his 50th birthday. The book moves from a short point of view opening section by Haller's new housemate, to be narrated by Haller himself, with a 40 page interlude of an unnamed omniscient narrator, who tells Haller's story for him.
Simply put: I did not care for this book. It is deeply philosophical, so therefore most of it went way over my tiny brain. I don't need everything in a book to be literal (I thoroughly enjoyed Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle), but I need it to make some kind of sense to me. Parts of the book I did derive pleasure from reading. The opening narrator was amusing and interesting and the large part of the book told by Haller himself, before he heads off to the masked ball that signals the climax of the book and the height of the metaphorical waffling, actually reminded me of Fitzgerald in style. Not my favourite, but perfectly readable. The third party narrator section was about as intelligible as Woolf or Joyce for me (spotting a trend in what I don't like reading...?!) and the hallucinogenic nature of the closing ball made it very clear why a 60's culture had embraced this book with such fervour. The bizarre relationship between Haller and a girl he meets halfway through the book, Hermine, kept my attention, as she tries to lift him from his depression by tempting him with the sensual joys of life. I found it very interesting that the women in the novel were depicted as strong characters and there was no judgement of them for using their bodies in barter to achieve what they wanted. This book was written by a male in the 1930's and this was a progressive attitude towards women.
For a book club pick, this was an excellent choice. We meet tonight to discuss it and I'm very much looking forward to talking about the themes that come out in the novel: gender, sexuality, humanity, morality, death, depression and more. Would I have kept reading this if it wasn't a book club pick? Highly unlikely. I give this only 2 out of 5 for a rating, because I didn't enjoy the process of reading it. However, in terms of expanding my mind and reading outside of my comfort zone, this certainly ticked a few boxes!
mysterious
reflective
Gros flop pour ma part, j’ai absolument pas adhéré à l’histoire, aux personnages, et encore moins à la façon dont c’était écrit. Alors ça vient peut-être du traducteur mais j’ai vraiment pas aimé. Parfois c’est inutile de sortir de sa zone de confort, heureusement que le livre était assez court.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
challenging
slow-paced
From the premise, you'd assume this book is a lot more fun than it is.
For a book to be intellectual, it needs to be smart. For it to be profound, it needs to be emotional. I'm not convinced Hesse really hits the mark on either of these fronts.
It's fine, but I expected more.
For a book to be intellectual, it needs to be smart. For it to be profound, it needs to be emotional. I'm not convinced Hesse really hits the mark on either of these fronts.
It's fine, but I expected more.
Armanda maniac pixie dream girl? Me costo muchisimo leer este libro, si bien enganchaba a ratos, en general se me hizo tedioso de leer.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 3.7
I must admit that this is one of the most difficult book that I've ever read. And being a philosophical fiction I had anticipated that. The story starts slowly but gets required speed in the later half. But the ending is what makes it a challenging read. You might even give up on it. The climax is confusing and will make you wonder, "What the hell did I just read?"
Said that, the philosophical aspects as I've seen in many reviews have been misunderstood. This book isn't something that you can understand just by reading it once. I might give it another try again. ANd maybe you should too.
I must admit that this is one of the most difficult book that I've ever read. And being a philosophical fiction I had anticipated that. The story starts slowly but gets required speed in the later half. But the ending is what makes it a challenging read. You might even give up on it. The climax is confusing and will make you wonder, "What the hell did I just read?"
Said that, the philosophical aspects as I've seen in many reviews have been misunderstood. This book isn't something that you can understand just by reading it once. I might give it another try again. ANd maybe you should too.