vudemn's review against another edition
4.0
Legenda o Faustu nije bezrazložno jedna od najzanimljivijih ljudima, jer svako od njih pojedinačno teži ka osvajanju vrha torte, onoj višnji na šlagu, samoj srži života... eh, ali i tu postoji caka, treba prodati dušu da bi se osvojio taj breg.
Tragajući za smislom, Faust je pročešljao sve nauke, svaku knjigu koja mu je dospela u šake ali ništa značajno nije pronašao, shvativši da život treba živeti a ne istraživati. Ipak nije dovoljno očajan da izvrši samoubistvo iako mu to jeste palo na pamet.
Mefistofeles, đavo nižeg ranga postaje njegov saputnik, sluga bolje reći, koji verno iščekuje završetak ovog posla da bi mogao da postane gospodar. Ipak, ne može se poreći snaga njegovih reči, ne samo što je pronicljiv i inteligentan, u neku ruku i sveznajući nego što se služi prljavštinom da prljavo dodatno zagadi.
Tako da nije Faust bezrazložno odabran kao žrtva, uzimajući u obzir njegove mračne misli, ali baš zbog toga Mefistofeles reče kako ne može da utiče na Gretu zbog njene čistote i potpune nevinosti.
Knjiga obiluje perfektnim aluzijama i metaforama, šteta što ne bih mogao čitati u originalu, verujem da bi tada moja ocena porasla za još jednu zvezdicu, ali štagod bude, biće, vremenom. Drugi deo me čeka, što će reći, avantura još nije gotova.
Tragajući za smislom, Faust je pročešljao sve nauke, svaku knjigu koja mu je dospela u šake ali ništa značajno nije pronašao, shvativši da život treba živeti a ne istraživati. Ipak nije dovoljno očajan da izvrši samoubistvo iako mu to jeste palo na pamet.
Mefistofeles, đavo nižeg ranga postaje njegov saputnik, sluga bolje reći, koji verno iščekuje završetak ovog posla da bi mogao da postane gospodar. Ipak, ne može se poreći snaga njegovih reči, ne samo što je pronicljiv i inteligentan, u neku ruku i sveznajući nego što se služi prljavštinom da prljavo dodatno zagadi.
Tako da nije Faust bezrazložno odabran kao žrtva, uzimajući u obzir njegove mračne misli, ali baš zbog toga Mefistofeles reče kako ne može da utiče na Gretu zbog njene čistote i potpune nevinosti.
Knjiga obiluje perfektnim aluzijama i metaforama, šteta što ne bih mogao čitati u originalu, verujem da bi tada moja ocena porasla za još jednu zvezdicu, ali štagod bude, biće, vremenom. Drugi deo me čeka, što će reći, avantura još nije gotova.
aenabus's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
I was really confused sometimes, but it was good
nameless's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heavensknights's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Somtimes way too fast and somtimes way too slow. I can see why it’s a classic tho, I think Goethe is a silly guy with a lot of thoughts that we should take in consideration, even today. Interesting characterisation of a men doubling down on his mistakes. Devil is in the detail in that one.
Weirdly really human, weirdly really monsterous, weirdly really emotional, weirdly really comedic.
Weirdly really human, weirdly really monsterous, weirdly really emotional, weirdly really comedic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia
waldkauzz's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
roxanamalinachirila's review against another edition
4.0
I have four books I told myself I'd read this year. Goethe's Faust is one (well, technically, it's two). I initially came across Kline's translation and, since it was free and it seemed to be written in normal English, I gave it a try.
Unfortunately, the readability of that version is less than I initially thought - I found myself reading Wikipedia to keep track of what was going on. After I reached the second part and felt like shooting someone rather than continue reading the book, I searched for another translation, this time by way of recommendations. I found David Luke's and it was almost love.
The introduction is a must-read - something I don't often say, but in this case, it really makes sense of some things which confused me in the beginning: when Gretchen's mother died, what was up with the random Earth Spirit who appeared in the beginning, never to be mentioned again and why a Walpurgis' Night Dream had nothing to do with anything.
Faust, Part One, reads like a medley of adventures and poetry and more like a writing experiment that went on for a long time rather than a consistent text. Which can be horrible... or exciting.
Unfortunately, the readability of that version is less than I initially thought - I found myself reading Wikipedia to keep track of what was going on. After I reached the second part and felt like shooting someone rather than continue reading the book, I searched for another translation, this time by way of recommendations. I found David Luke's and it was almost love.
The introduction is a must-read - something I don't often say, but in this case, it really makes sense of some things which confused me in the beginning: when Gretchen's mother died, what was up with the random Earth Spirit who appeared in the beginning, never to be mentioned again and why a Walpurgis' Night Dream had nothing to do with anything.
Faust, Part One, reads like a medley of adventures and poetry and more like a writing experiment that went on for a long time rather than a consistent text. Which can be horrible... or exciting.
jpwright87's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sure there's a lot I cant appreciate in my cursory reading but its heavy themes and amazing prose are obvious enough.
ben_smitty's review against another edition
Don't know if I'm ready for an opinion without reading part II. I'll just say that I thought it a little disjointed, although this could just be due to the Oxford World Classics edition and its inclusion of what Goethe edited out.
broomgrass's review against another edition
3.0
I can certainly understand its influence, particularly for the Romantics, Continental lit, etc; however, although the poetry is undeniably beautiful, the structure and narrative are too fractured and frustrating to let the lyricism come through, particularly for a first time reader who only has the introduction and some cursory Wikipedia browsing. In fact, I was quite disappointed with the introduction in this edition; it was quite long and was focused on the various writing periods of Goethe/Faust. I think having a better contextual introduction and relegating the extensive discussion of the writing phases to the back would have been better.
Oh, and some of the German, Latin, and French cited, particularly in the introduction, wasn't translated.
The translator clearly knows his stuff, but he doesn't always help out the reader enough. Also, amusingly, he notes in the intro that other translations use archaic or odd phrasing - then he uses similarly quaint turns of phrase in his own translation.
Oh, and some of the German, Latin, and French cited, particularly in the introduction, wasn't translated.
The translator clearly knows his stuff, but he doesn't always help out the reader enough. Also, amusingly, he notes in the intro that other translations use archaic or odd phrasing - then he uses similarly quaint turns of phrase in his own translation.
the_dave_harmon's review against another edition
2.0
"Mephistopheles (to Faust). The common people never know the devil, even when they've caught him."