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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
I finally picked this up after hearing Faust referenced by so many of the other things I was reading (namely, Kandel in In Search of Memory and Hofstadter in Godel, Escher, Bach). I read the Kauffmann translation, and absolutely loved it!
Mephistopheles is a real one. Don't have time for more thoughts rn but will update later.
Mephistopheles is a real one. Don't have time for more thoughts rn but will update later.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
Faust was a confusedly enjoyable book which spent long periods of time on banal moments in its plot and then very little time on the material of substance. That said, I am excited for Part II.
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Das also war des Pudels Kern!
Had to read this for class. Could not finish it - was just not a very easy or intriguing read.
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Don't read if you hate spoilers!!!
After reading this book, i, for the first time in my life, regret not studying German. Why? Because now, one can argue that bad translation may be the reason why i didn't like it.
At the beginning i was very intrigued: Faust's monologues about wanting to know everything, wanting something more, really got to me. The thing is i like to think that no matter what you read, you find what you need at that moment. Right now i'm really big on learning new things, being productive, wandering about the world around you...etc.. so i found myself not only agreeing with his thoughts, but also thinking them before. I was really hyped to see the plot unravel...and boy did it disappoint!
Mephisto is supposed to be the goofy devil but he is neither goofy, nor he is the devil.(I had much greater expectations after reading Bulgakov's novel which was inspired in great part by this, but he did a much better job in presenting the whole devil charade. Of course i should not look over the fact that Faust is a different literary genre... but that's not the reason i gave this book 1 star)
Now let's get to the point of my RAGE. First and foremost: I get it,19th century, women were women and men were men, and all the things that go with women and men of that age. But honestly, four years of highschool we learn that these people(writers), the great ones, erudites, were far ahead of their time... Their works are timeless....they deal with society problems...and so on and so on... So, can someone explain to me why is woman, in every timeless piece, written as a poor shy girl who is there to love the main character and make him believe in good and in God and literally used as a tool for the development of a sinful man protagonist... Okay i get it, women symbolizes good and purity and so on.. why am i complaining? Because here, Greta literally says Im too dumb for you(no wonder since she is 14 and he is 60... but lets get past that this time),i will just say yes to everything you say and i will trust you and comply to you... So, then, naturally, this smartass chatterbox kills her brother, technically kills her mother, which she blames herself for, SLEEPS WITH HER WHILE HER MOTHER IS THERE LYING DEAD(not to mention all the talk about boobs and etc.. so he was basically just a horny pedo that will do anything to get into her pants...sorry.. to get what he wants*(i mean obviously since he sold his sould to devil)) AND THEN SHE GETS HUMILIATED BY HER BROTHER AND EVERYONE ELSE, LEAVES HER KID, DIES??? BUT SHE FOUND GOD AND SHE IS FORGIVEN SO ITS FINE? FORGIVEN FOR WHAT? FOR SOME MANIAC MANIPULATING HER?
And all of this, just so she could be used as a tool for him to be miserable and to suffer. A tool for his character to have some depth, since without her, he is just a snoby rich doctor who has everything this earth could offer, but is not satisfied with that.
After reading this book, i, for the first time in my life, regret not studying German. Why? Because now, one can argue that bad translation may be the reason why i didn't like it.
At the beginning i was very intrigued: Faust's monologues about wanting to know everything, wanting something more, really got to me. The thing is i like to think that no matter what you read, you find what you need at that moment. Right now i'm really big on learning new things, being productive, wandering about the world around you...etc.. so i found myself not only agreeing with his thoughts, but also thinking them before. I was really hyped to see the plot unravel...and boy did it disappoint!
Mephisto is supposed to be the goofy devil but he is neither goofy, nor he is the devil.(I had much greater expectations after reading Bulgakov's novel which was inspired in great part by this, but he did a much better job in presenting the whole devil charade. Of course i should not look over the fact that Faust is a different literary genre... but that's not the reason i gave this book 1 star)
Now let's get to the point of my RAGE. First and foremost: I get it,19th century, women were women and men were men, and all the things that go with women and men of that age. But honestly, four years of highschool we learn that these people(writers), the great ones, erudites, were far ahead of their time... Their works are timeless....they deal with society problems...and so on and so on... So, can someone explain to me why is woman, in every timeless piece, written as a poor shy girl who is there to love the main character and make him believe in good and in God and literally used as a tool for the development of a sinful man protagonist... Okay i get it, women symbolizes good and purity and so on.. why am i complaining? Because here, Greta literally says Im too dumb for you(no wonder since she is 14 and he is 60... but lets get past that this time),i will just say yes to everything you say and i will trust you and comply to you... So, then, naturally, this smartass chatterbox kills her brother, technically kills her mother, which she blames herself for, SLEEPS WITH HER WHILE HER MOTHER IS THERE LYING DEAD(not to mention all the talk about boobs and etc.. so he was basically just a horny pedo that will do anything to get into her pants...sorry.. to get what he wants*(i mean obviously since he sold his sould to devil)) AND THEN SHE GETS HUMILIATED BY HER BROTHER AND EVERYONE ELSE, LEAVES HER KID, DIES??? BUT SHE FOUND GOD AND SHE IS FORGIVEN SO ITS FINE? FORGIVEN FOR WHAT? FOR SOME MANIAC MANIPULATING HER?
And all of this, just so she could be used as a tool for him to be miserable and to suffer. A tool for his character to have some depth, since without her, he is just a snoby rich doctor who has everything this earth could offer, but is not satisfied with that.
dark
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
First book was kind of nice to read. It didn't amaze me, but it was different to read a book written in verse. However I just couldn't go past the first half of the second book. It seemed to me that nothing made any sense. There were all kinds of characters, plots and scenes thrown in the same place that I could not make any sense of. I give it two stars mostly for the effort to be written in verse.