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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

The man without qualities

Jester

15:56 / 17.06.04

Has anyone else read this book?

I am just starting it, after reading a biography of Musil was reviewed in the NLR saying that it is widely considered to be the best novel of the 20th century. Now I was a bit surprised, never having heard of Musil (maybe I am just ignorant though, and he is some kind of household name??

). Rather bizarrly, an American(?) writes a rather bland political blog, called the Man without qualities, posting as Robert Musil, but otherwise I haven't really found many other people who have heard of him at all?

I'm kind of enjoying the book, although it is a big slab of a thing and I'm only about 100 pages in. It really is very interesting, and seems to have a lot to say about (literary) characters as opposed to real people, and human beings as being at the whim of their surroundings...

anyone else read it? reading it? want to talk about it?

Grey Area

14:55 / 18.06.04

I'm waiting on my copy to arrive...should be here soon. Once it does arrive, I'll be happy to debate it with you.

Kit-Cat Club

15:32 / 18.06.04

I used to have a copy but am ashamed to say that I sold it when I was in particularly dire straits a couple of years ago. I didn't read it though... just posting to say I have heard of it, and am interested; let us know how you get on with it...

Jester

17:04 / 18.06.04

Gray Area: were you tempted into it by the NLR too?

So far it's going really well. The beginning is a bit dry. I have to admit, reading a novel with the fact that someone has told you it is THE 20th century novel in your mind, you're looking for something pretty spectacular. But that is partly because the prose is reasonably subdued, at least in the beginning. There have already been some really great passages, particularly describing playing the piano, and some witty plays on time and reading. I am starting to get an idea of what it's all about. There has been some pretty funny satire in it so far, which is an achievement considering I have a complete blank when it comes to austro-hungarian history. So far, so good. There are lots of pages to go, which I can't help but think is a good thing in a book.

Grey Area

18:27 / 18.06.04

At the risk of losing literary cred: What's the NLR? (that should answer your question too)

I had it recommended to me by a friend. Seeing as the past two books this person recommended were spot on in terms of me liking them, I'm assuming that this one will be too. It had better be, because I'm in dire need of something weighty to fill the summer evenings between dinner and bedtime.

In all honesty I don't think hearing something is 'the best book of the 20th Century' affects me when I start a new read. Books are such subjective things that I tend to ignore most statements like that and instead rely on the opinions of people I know personally.

Jester

19:40 / 18.06.04

It's not really a literary thing Grey

It just shows me up at the zine-geek that I am: NLR stands for the New Left Review. They have something literary every issue, but mostly its long articles on politics/theory.

Maybe it is Just Me that never heard of tMwoQ before... Does nothing for my well-read cred...

Jester

19:57 / 25.06.04

Did you get it yet, Gray?

I am about 250 pages in so far... Still loving it. There are some really thought provoking moments... It seems like a kind of proto-post modern book, in the themes it is talking about... occasionally in the way the characters resist the concept of characters in a novel, with characteristics and drift into something a bit more amorphous. And of course, all of the satire of History. There are some really funny moments so far. Kind of more like verbal tricks than situations, mostly, but still...

HCE

23:38 / 25.06.04

I suspect I've posted a Musil thread at some time in the past. This is one of my very favorite books (although I have a big list of favorites, this is a 'very' favorite). One of the few books I keep in duplicate -- a reading copy and a first (more or less: the newish US first with Musil's portrait across the spines).

The first volume's better than the second, but everything Musil writes is well worth your while. Although it's thickish, it's funny and a quick, easy read, though it rewards more cautious reading as well. He gets so many fine little points of characterization just right.

You couldn't have made much better a choice, congratulations.

HCE

23:39 / 25.06.04

And after you read Musil you can read Bernhard! And I can bring that thread back from the dead.

No star here laces

07:20 / 28.06.04

I picked it up in a library when I was 16 because New Fast Automatic Daffodils had named a song after it. At the time I thought it was super-boring (being a fucking pretentious 16 year old I was trying to read it and Steppenwolf at the same time, and finished neither).

Is it one of those Hesse-type books (I forget the literary term - it's in German) where the author follows a character's psychological development in enormous detail, and all the action takes place in their head?

HCE

17:54 / 29.06.04

Bildungsroman?

http://65.107.211.206/victorian/genre/hader1.html

HCE

14:28 / 05.10.04

Bought another copy of this, an older one, different translation. I do not think three copies are too many.

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