[xquFzpNw]

Rainer Maria Rilke, The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge (1910)

A longer stay in Paris in 1902/03 inspired Rilke to write an account about his experiences gained in the French capital. He finished his work several years and working interruptions later in 1910. But by then, he hadn?t any longer written a simple account about his impressions of everyday life in Paris, he had written a novel which reflected also his ways of thinking changed over the course of years.

The Notebooks consist of 71 fragments, being the notes of the young Danish writer Malte Laurids Brigge. Arranged in the form of a diary, Malte?s notes consist, roughly speaking, of three parts: his experiences in Paris, reminiscences of his childhood and reflections about historical personalities. -- The first part is dominated by his intense impressions of everyday life in Paris, a life full of stench, dirt, illness, and death, but also a life full of technological change and increasing anonymity. The second part becomes somewhat quieter in tone, as Malte remembers his childhood on Danish castles, his encounters with the supernatural and his difficult family life. The last part is the most demanding one, as there are reflections about kings, saints and medieval women poets (which reflect clearly Rilke's own opinion).

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge are a varied collection of impressions, reminiscences, thoughts, fears and reflections. They are the authentic and moving description of a sensitive life, whose acts and thoughts are influenced by non-existing family ties and a feeling of social estrangement. It is a story of the (unconscious) search for something which might be able to provide the lonely protagonist what he had been forced to do without and always longed for ? stability and security. Written in a beautiful language full of deep emotions and moving descriptions, we recognise in Malte the Uprooted, the Insecure, the Seeker, someone who hasn't found yet the meaning of his life. If you decide to let yourself in for the story, you will be rewarded with a profound and thoughtful novel about the difficult search for one?s own identity.

(I'm so proud. My first review. )

[zoolissentesy]

(I'm so proud. My first review. )

...and it's a good one, makes me want to read this. Welcome!

[MzTT]

I second Beth. Nicely done.
And as someone without the patience (or ability, but we'll keep that quiet) to organize my thoughts into something coherent enough for others to understand, I'm a wee bit jealous. Kudos!

Did you come into this novel as a fan of his poetry? I'm unacquainted with Rilke's work.

[AM1VV9r6]

I third the praises.Specialy given the nature of the book!
I can fairly say that it's the most difficult i read this years.The 150 pages or so toke me forever and it required every bit of brain i own to make sense out of it.(i liked it thought)
I would not have dreamed to review it.

Bravo.

[tetMitshisk]

I read it three or four years ago and found myself underwhelmed. For me, it's in the category of books that work best when you're at a certain age, like the Catcher in the Rye. I could, of course, see its qualities but I couldn't connect to it at all, which is a serious problem in a book that banks so much upon empathy.

[whimpykid]

Same here. I read this for his prose. It was painful beyond 50 pages and was a slow uninteresting read since then.

[jadabaad]

(I'm so proud. My first review. )

Your pride is justified, Gretchen! Welcome aboard!!!

[bortycuz]

I liked this book a lot, but I agree with Mirabell, one has to be at a certain age, or rather, a certain point in one's life, to connect with it and that is essential for an enjoyable reading. It doesn't tells a biography in the common sense, it tells a life in feelings.

[xquFzpNw]

Did you come into this novel as a fan of his poetry? I'm unacquainted with Rilke's work.

No, I haven't read his poems yet. But after reading The Lay of the Love and Death of Cornet Christophe Rilke I fell in love with Rilke (as a writer) and had to buy his complete works. I recently read his works of prose and love him more than ever.

So, if you want to give him a try, read something short in the beginning and decide whether you like his style or not. There's no need to recommend something particular, as all his writings are sublime (I really adore him, huh)

And concerning your jealousy and kudos: I'm member in another literature forum and took to reviewing each book I read. It's a good way for me to "finish" its story definitely and also to remember more details. Maybe you should give it a try, too.

[jadabaad]

To suggest that there is a particular age for the appreciation of any serious literature is not only patent idiocy, but also only the kind of "observation" that an extremely literally challenged infantile person could make. I'm not too sure that this has actually been said, but I fear we've come close to it.

[jeargefef]

To suggest that there is a particular age for the appreciation of any serious literature is not only patent idiocy, but also only the kind of "observation" that an extremely literally challenged infantile person could make. I'm not too sure that this has actually been said, but I fear we've come close to it.

Than definitely mark me down as a literally challenged infantile person. Not to mention patented idiot.

There should be recognition for another Literature Canon, ...maybe another Harold Bloom's Western Canon....For Readers Under 20


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[jadabaad]

Than definitely mark me down as a literally challenged infantile person. Not to mention patented idiot.

There should be recognition for another Literature Canon, ...maybe another Harold Bloom's Western Canon....For Readers Under 20


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I wrote the above under the assumption that it was understood I was talking about readers above a particular age, although I think 20 is way too high.