Part 1: THE MAN WITHOUT QUALITIES by Robert Musil
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ม.ค. 2020
- Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/leafbyleaf
Looking at the first of the two-volume set from Knopf. Two more videos will follow in this brief series on THE MAN WITHOUT QUALITIES.
Other videos in this series:
Part 1 - • Part 1: THE MAN WITHOU...
Part 2 - • Part 2: THE MAN WITHOU...
Part 3 - • Part 3: THE MAN WITHOU...
Links referenced in the video:
Twitter reading group - search?q=%23Musil...
Your guide to the Twitter reading group:
/ reemk10
Musil Scholar Genese Grill's blog:
musilattempts.blogspot.com/
Entitled Opinions interview regarding TMWQ - entitledopinions.stanford.edu...
Umberto Eco's speech "The Library As a Model for Culture" - • Umberto Eco: The Libra...
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Discussion of the book starts at 5:18
btw, Chris-can you make a video giving us a friendly tour of those book shelves? I doubt I’m the only person always wondering what’s there and how you choose to organize it all.
This very request is getting more and more frequent, indeed. Seems I need to take some action!
One of my favorites. Surprisingly addictive. I'm fascinated by the time period. This is a great companion to Magic Mountain
I read MM not too many years back. Loved it! I need to read more Mann.
@@LeafbyLeaf please do read the Buddenbrooks! Very different from MM but the most impressive debut I ever read.
I definitely need to get Mann on this channel. Buddenbrooks would be a good one!
@@LeafbyLeaf one of germanys finest! :) love him
I have fallen in love with this passionate bibliophile. His review of Musil and his opus is free from the professorial academese. It was like a chinwag in a bar over a double peg of single malt. You are a wiser man as you debouch on the quiet road.
What kind words! I really appreciate that. And even more I appreciate those who are taking time to consider the Musil videos. What a work of literature! Again, though, your words are very generous.
Love your content! You’ve inspired me to seek this book out and delve in!
Thanks so much! Enjoy!
What a nice reading of The Man Without Qualities. I was reading also the book. Ulrich's thoughts are really insane!!!
Thanks! Yeah, he’s pretty radical!
I bought robert Musil on the flea market, had no idea . but I remember it was quite funny, I remember I was laughing .
I found that Musil's punchy succinct prose really moves this novel along.
Agreed. It read a lot snappier than I expected.
My musil is still begging for being read. Years ago i read the first volume but then i stopped and never picked it up. Maybe listening to your amazing 3-step reviews, i'll find in myself the strenght to pick it up again. Thanks for reviewing "the man without qualities"!
Thanks and you're welcome! NB: The second volume is even better!
This has been on my list because of its sheer size. Thank you for offering more poetic passages at the end but I'm still wary of dryness. Maybe your other videos on this will convince me fully. I'm sure I'll read this at some point but it's not high on the list.
Dryness would of course depend on the comparative, but I didn’t find it dry until portions of the 200pp of posthumous material Musil was at work on at his death. The 1200pp of the novel published in his lifetime constitute a masterpiece of modernist literature. In terms of aesthetics think Mann.
Attempted this read a while back, I should get around to it eventually.
Right on.
Together with "Better Than Food", I feel like I've FINALLY found the right corner of the bookish internet for me. I couldn't believe I found someone who has read The Man Without Qualities, let alone have several videos about it. It's late where I am, so I'll watch the other videos and comment tomorrow, but I just wanted to say how glad I am that I found your channel. (Sorry for the errors, english is not my first language.)
Leaf by Leaf is the best booktube channel. I love the community he has created, I've met some amazing people because of this channel, I'm extremely grateful with the work that Chris has done. Not only I am a better reader but also a better person because Chris and his friends have taught me a lot outside literature, truly amazing and inspiring people :) . Welcome to the channel
@@estebanmejia3473 Thank you so much, it's heartwarming to know this. I'm glad I've found this.
Your English is just fine. Thank you very much for the compliments! I really like Better Than Food myself--great channel. Hope you enjoy the videos. Musil was a very, very fruitful way to spending the first two months of 2020.
@Esteban - I am sincerely humbled and honored by your comments here. Responses like this make all the time and effort worth it. It has been a pleasure to be a part of such a great community dedicated to literature. I am very appreciative and look forward to many more great interactions. Thank you, thank you.
If that's the kind of thing you're interested in, you may like the content from my channel. I have a public discord with a fantastic community!
If you now read the 2nd, and quite longer part, you will be surprised to be disapointed with all these plot lines not being resolved.2nd part is like almost an another story, a quest for love and mysticism. Hope you review it some day !
I've indeed reviewed all extant English parts of this work:
th-cam.com/video/KMQjElfsP_o/w-d-xo.html
@@LeafbyLeaf my bad ! Will watch it now ! Thanks
No problem! I apologize in advance for the distracting music.
Of some interest, though I have no idea what significance, Musil was from Klagenfurt, southern Austria, and area that was predominantly Slovene at the time, and still largely is. It was one of the few areas Slovenes were gathered and chose to stay OUT of Slovenia, voting to remain in Austria in 1920. (Musil's mother was Czech, his father Austrian.)
I think it's of great interest and edifying for any reader of the book. Thanks, Rick!
For Musil, a worldview is incompatible with poetic creation. Musil hated the dictators of the spirit, oracular sources of worldviews that declare perpetual entire ages just because they did not fit their idiocratic and despotic worldviews. As Musil said: "It is not that we have too much intellect and too little talk, but too little intellect when it comes to the soul". Musil dreamed of the Alliance of intelligence with feeling - the feeling-mental attitude. In this way he was a romantic aware of the positivism of E. Mach that contaminated Vienna of his time.
Very cogent review, Chris. Only a year after having read it, you're making me itch for a reread.
I really love the quote you pull at the end of the video re: the piano. What an excellent description of music and the feelings it can evoke in us. Happy reading, my friend!
Thanks, Wesley! That’s the whole purpose of my channel-to spark it rest in (re)reading!
When I read that description of the music I knew I would have to read all that verbatim on the video.
@@LeafbyLeaf When it comes to books like The Man without Qualities, I often look back and wonder how much I missed on the first pass-through. I've been feeling that way about Proust here recently, too, as I read all of that my senior year of high school. There are simply too many good books vying for my limited time.
Wesley Allen story of my life. Books like these have too much to ingest in even the first few readings. I have a shelf on Goodreads for books marked for reread. Proust is on there for me too.
@@LeafbyLeaf It probably wouldn't be too difficult to spend a lifetime with a handful of dense reads. I feel the same way about McElroy's Women and Men and the infamous Finnegans Wake. Once doesn't cut it. And I suspect Bottom's Dream will be joining this list after we tackle it!
I constantly think through a 10 Desert(ed) Island Books list. It changes a lot but there are some staples: Bible, Norton Shakespeare, Moby-Dick, Iliad and Odyssey, Don Quixote, Ulysses, Wuthering Heights, À la recherche du temps perdu, Faust, Paradise Lost-oh, drats, already over 10! Anyway, the other “lifetime feasts” are Women and Men (I’m certain); The Recognitions; Infinite Jest; etc.
I found the first three volumes in the wild. Also found Vollmann's Europe Central for $12.50 Australian!
Score!!!
Hey man! I've been meaning to buy this for so long and your video did not help my urge! ahaha
On a related note, i've been binging your videos, and I saw that you have read - and loved - My Struggle and À la recherche du temps perdu. I want to read both of the series and I would love to see a video with your thoughts on them. Is it something you would see yourself making?
Oh, boy! I would love to post videos on Proust's and Knausgaard's epics. Proust I have't read since 2015 and it is begging for a reread. I actually wrote a small book that includes notes from my whole reading of the Search. www.amazon.com/gp/product/1793130051. Perhaps I could adapt those notes into a video. Nah--I would need to reread both to get them fresh in my mind. Oh, my review of the last installment of Min kamp is here: www.raintaxi.com/my-struggle-book-six/.
Interesting analysis, as always! I’m way behind on this read-along but I’m reading it slowly, admiring the writing, and taking some notes. I’m glad you decided to join the book community on Twitter! Lots of interesting discussions and recommendations can be found there, if you follow the right people.
Thanks! It is definitely to be savored. I have already added it on my to-be-read-again shelf on Goodreads. I'm seeing just that with Twitter; I just wonder if I'll be able to keep up there!
Leaf by Leaf It’s definitely one of those books that benefits from a reread. Will you be reading and reviewing any of Musil’s other books?
After this experience-YES! Any you recommend to start with?
Leaf by Leaf TMWQ is my first Musil, but he doesn’t seem to have a big backlist. I’ve been meaning to check out the ones that were released by Archipelago.
@@beyondtheepilogueagnes I LOVE Archipelago Books!
Hello, Can you help me? There are a picador version and there are volume wise version of this book. Which one should I go for. Please Help. Really want to read this book.
Thank you in advanced
I would definitely get the 2-volume edition from Knopf (trans. Sophie Wilkins and Burton Pike).
Very nice 👍 One can see you liked and understood the book. I'll watch the hole playlist. I myself read the man without qualities on my channel in German ✌️
Danke! My apologies in advance for the music--not sure what I was thinking. And thanks for pointing me to your channel!
What kind of BOOKSHELVES are those? Where did you get them??
Hello! They are built-ins that we designed when we built the house back in 2017. :)
Hello Chris! This book has been gathering dust on my shelves for nearly 2 years now. I'm still very intimidated by it. I was just watching your "Why read philosophy?" video, and there you mentioned that one should read Wittgenstein before diving into The Man Without Qualities. What do you think are the major works I should get around to, in order to build a strong foundation to make the most out of this read? Thaaank you!
Oh, and speaking of Wittgenstein, should I simply read his Tractatus logico-philosophicus , or are there other works you would recommend? Again, thanks!
To be honest, I think if you want the psychological and philosophical underpinnings of Musil (among others), you would do well to read Judith Ryan's book "The Vanishing Subject: Early Psychology and Literary Modernism." I started reading this along with the book proper and it really illuminated these aspects of Musil perhaps even more than Wittgenstein.
As regards Wittgenstein, TLP is definitely his most renown work (check out my video of Markson's "Wittgenstein's Mistress" to get some more of TLP). After that, I would say "The Blue Book" and "The Brown Book."
i belive there is now a 3rd volume , fro m notes etc, reassembled..... can you cover it ?
ps . is the happy end revealed there ?
I cover the rest of the currently available English copies (2 volumes, with much of his notes and sketches) in the subsequent videos. But, you’re right-in the original German there is much more available. However, there is no ending whatsoever. It is truly an unfinished book.
So please tell me, did chapters 118 and 119 stand out for you as they did for me? I re-read them and apart somewhat from the context they were not quite as sublime. But I'll never forget the thrill of first reading them.
Honestly, they were standouts for me, too! I felt that Musil finally pushed all the psychological substrata and gathering piles up into a higher caliber with that sequence of Clarisse's madness to the failed attempt with Gerda. I remember thinking of a trajectory of repression leading to a bit of a breaking point with Ulrich (which resulted in an intensified apathy), but I don't think I spoke about that and it doesn't seem I jotted these fleeting thoughts down.
@@LeafbyLeaf I suppose you don't need to hear what a remarkable job your doing, but this is a valuable contribution to literature. I sometimes think of what you are doing as the reading equivalent of serious writing, putting in the same time--effort is a slippery question--and offering up, quite generously, your thoughts. This was an enormous task, the first part of this book, and I'm no longer surprised that I enjoy myself and learn watching your videos--but it certainly can't hurt to give you more direct applause, especially from another person who loved the book...Thanks. At this point I don't think we'll see a disappointing episode of leaf by leaf. r
rick harsch once again, thank you so much for your kind words, Rick. It is, of course, a pleasure to share my passion with others. I get so much out of reading and I want to get others interested in reading and rereading really great books. I also don’t want to just do superficial material-I want to try to present some aspects of the books you don’t get from the jacket copy or Wikipedia. Again-many, many thanks for your compliments. I am humbled.
Do you think Bolano was inspired by TMWQ? I feel like Moosbruger is this kind of force, or at least gets perceived as a force --he could be the "serial killer" that everyone is looking for in 2666 or even the Judge (inspired by Hegel/Nietzsche) in McCarthy; however, what's interesting to me is Musil's describing his kind of grab bag modality of picking up language to imitate power: "he had eagerly picked up such phrases in the mental wards and prisons, with scraps of French and Latin stuck in the most unsuitable places as he talked, ever since he discovered that is was the possession of these languages that gave those in power the right to decided his fate with their findings" Moosbruger, at least early on in my reading, is psychologized more than these other men who haunt these other novels with their singularity. I find him a fascinating character even in these opening pages (I'm only about 150 pages in to the novel) --I'm glad to hear he doesn't just fade away.
That’s an astute observation, my fiend! Great analogies between the villains that haunt Musil’s, McCarthy’s, and Bolaño’s great books. Not sure whether Bolaño had Moosbrugger in mind specially. He seems to have been obsessed with the efforts of journalists in Mexico at the time feeding him information. Moosbrugger was based on a real serial killer of the time that haunted all the citizens. They sang songs about him to help warn women and children and so on. You’re right, TMWQ Moosbrugger is so well drawn. There’s more of him in the posthumous stuff, especially a scene I will talk about in one of the next Musil videos that is perfect. All my best to you!
Want to read this, how hard of a read is it? Want to read in English since it's probably a better translation, but if it's too difficult I might read the Spanish translation
I’m of course not aware of your proficiency in English, but it is probably a bit of a stretch (I’m thinking in terms of my reading of Proust in my moderate level of French). The vocabulary isn’t obscure, but the more philosophical passages and figurations I could see being trying. I hope this helps somewhat. What’s the most difficult book you’ve read in English successfully? That will help me gauge better.
@@LeafbyLeaf is it easier than Pynchon or Theroux?
I have book shelf envy big time!
A lot of people don't realize it, but BSE is indeed a real condition. Leading doctors say that the best way to deal with it is to try to turn the envy into inspiration. Trust me--I am a recovering sufferer of BSE. All my best to you!
@@LeafbyLeaf I am proud that every book has its proper upright place in my home. Thank you.
Excellent!
12:20 LOL I was hoping for an explanation of chapter 38. : ( Greetings from Cocania!
Whoa! The YT editor really screwed that up! I'll fix that immediately.
I will go back and read 38 after work and give my thoughts.
@@LeafbyLeaf Oh, I thought it was intentional. It was funny though. : )
And about chapter 38, it's the best description of sex in all the world literature. Keep in mind censorship of those times.
Are you planning to read "Europe Central" by Volman soon?
I'm reading "Insatiability" by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, a great novel too.
Funny for you; embarrassing for me! Definitely unintentional. TH-cam editor botched all of that portion.
I am a big Vollmann fan and my plan is to have a video for each of all his books. Although I have not read Europe Central yet.
Chapter 38-I still don’t have the book in front of me. Is this the sex with Bonadea? The descriptions of fondling and so on with Gerda and the attack of Ulrich by Clarisse were a real treat with Musil’s on-the-edge-for-the-time language! I will reread 38 when I get home for sure!
Is that a Polish author? I’ve only read Pan Tadeusz, Mrożek’s Tango, and Gombrowicz’s diaries. Thinking of having a Polish friend of mine help me with a video.
@@LeafbyLeaf Believe me, there is nothing more embarrassing than my trying to write in English!
Oh no, it's Walter and Clarisse "playing piano" in chapter 38. You might want to reread chapter 14 too. Where Walter is playing Wagner in his room, alone...
Sorry, I'm Croat, not Polish, but I can recommend you Bruno Schulz, Witold Gombrowicz and Witkiewicz. These three were friends. Gombrowicz is my favorite. I have his diaries but haven't read them yet.
There is one novel that reminds me of The Man Without Qualities the most, and believe or not it is Turkish The Time Regulation Institute by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar.
How many hours do you read daily, if I may ask?
These days I get at least 2 hours of reading in per day.
@@LeafbyLeaf Thank you. I'm obsessed with these sorts of reading habits to a ridiculous extent, perhaps out of some inferiority complex. I always think I'm too slow a reader. So many books and so little time, all that stuff. I guess my follow-up question would be, how many pages are you able to dispatch on a good day, and does this kind of thing bother you? Thanks again
Don't know if I should buy this book or the Anatomy Of melancholy 😢
Man. That’s tough. Perhaps read the first pages of each and see which grips you more?
Also-can you mind yourself as a teacher and do this right, ie. tell us the era musil wrote this in and the time period he writes about. Hungarian Empire? When? etc. Just for clarity. Still think you’re the best book channel on yt so don’t take offense.
Hmm. I did cover those very questions. Perhaps rewatch the video.
10:44 - 15:17
Please, please, please learn how to pronounce the names of the main characters.
Sorry about that. 😔
I would sum up Robert Musil as a man of exceptional intellect with no talent for literature. He seems to me bit like his unlikeable hero Ulrich, who feels the need to achieve something great, but cannot quite find what it is. If Musil avoided literature and focused on academic fields he would have achieved something. His so called masterpiece is a sham, very badly written and terribly monotonous. I would much rather read Kant, Hegel and Heidegger (none of them renowned for their readability) than to read this dud book. At least other philosophers like Sartre & Iris Murdoch wrote decent enough novels.
I think u should actually read the book or any sentence of it, and report back.