ensis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
monty27's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Ich bin ehrlich und wahrlich begeistert. Was für ein tolles Buch, was für ein Schreibstil, was für eine Geschichte.
Es ist etwas ganz anderes, die Atmosphäre der NS-Zeit von jemandem erzählt zu bekommen, der sie tatsächlich erlebt, diese Luft geatmet hat.
Es ist etwas ganz anderes, die Atmosphäre der NS-Zeit von jemandem erzählt zu bekommen, der sie tatsächlich erlebt, diese Luft geatmet hat.
bookishwendy's review against another edition
4.0
Some of the most fascinating books I've read recently have been criticisms of 1930's era Germany, written before any countries were invaded or any insidious "Solutions" adopted as official state doctrine. Mephisto is a particularly scathing novel published in 1936 by Klaus Mann, the son of the celebrated Thomas Mann, after he was exiled to Amsterdam for...well, pretty much everything about the man demanded immediate exile by the regime. (For the record, he soon emigrated to the US where he joined the army. Awesome.)
Everything about this novel feels like it was published well after the war when the true horrors were well known. It was really, really easy to write a scathing novel about Nazi Germany in the 50's, 60's etc...not so much in the 30's. The caricatures of certain overweight dandy prime ministers and limping, unctuous propaganda ministers have a very Vonnegut feel. The story itself, of a low-class actor who chooses career ambition over moral duty, feels very much like [b:Mother Night|9592|Mother Night|Kurt Vonnegut|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344621657s/9592.jpg|1222244] (one of my favorite reads this year). Some of the passages are creepily prescient:
The propaganda minister sent a basket of orchids, which looked so poisonous that one might well have imagined the recipient dying after breathing in their perfume (246).
Remember, this was published in 1936.
The title of course highlights the parallel between an actor selling his soul to the Reich and Faust selling his soul to the devil, and the plot is cleverly, cinematically carried out. The tone is distant and ironic, the political stance or the author never wavers, yet crescendos by the end to almost a scream (if it's possible to write a scream). Mann is preaching to the choir at this point, yes, but preaching perhaps just a little too long, at the expense of his plot and characters. The ending is abrupt, but then, we modern readers can fill in the rest of the story for ourselves.
Everything about this novel feels like it was published well after the war when the true horrors were well known. It was really, really easy to write a scathing novel about Nazi Germany in the 50's, 60's etc...not so much in the 30's. The caricatures of certain overweight dandy prime ministers and limping, unctuous propaganda ministers have a very Vonnegut feel. The story itself, of a low-class actor who chooses career ambition over moral duty, feels very much like [b:Mother Night|9592|Mother Night|Kurt Vonnegut|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1344621657s/9592.jpg|1222244] (one of my favorite reads this year). Some of the passages are creepily prescient:
The propaganda minister sent a basket of orchids, which looked so poisonous that one might well have imagined the recipient dying after breathing in their perfume (246).
Remember, this was published in 1936.
The title of course highlights the parallel between an actor selling his soul to the Reich and Faust selling his soul to the devil, and the plot is cleverly, cinematically carried out. The tone is distant and ironic, the political stance or the author never wavers, yet crescendos by the end to almost a scream (if it's possible to write a scream). Mann is preaching to the choir at this point, yes, but preaching perhaps just a little too long, at the expense of his plot and characters. The ending is abrupt, but then, we modern readers can fill in the rest of the story for ourselves.
kiriamarin's review against another edition
4.0
Finalmente meu reencontro com este livro que deixei quase a metade em 2021,é interessante notar quando minhas leituras em um certo ponto tem uma temática em comum mesmo parecendo aleatórias, só venho notar isso nas minhas notas.
Aqui é uma obra com tema "diabólico", nada de sobrenatural mas sim humano. Um ator que tem sua carreira e vaidade acima de tudo,algo natural no mundo da arte,em especial do gênero masculino, a diferença aqui é que a trama está situada no período de ascensão do extremo nacionalismo-socialista na Alemanha, o partido de Hitler.
Hendrick
, o titere,bobo da corte,narcisista,ambicioso, desfilando por um caminho de sangue ,por cima de cadáveres em nome da arte, ou será tudo pela arte mesmo?
Um protagonista fascinante e sedutor, que também as vezes lembra que é apenas um homem comum e também ouve a voz da consciência ou do medo?? Para logo esquece-la pelo próximo canto da sirene do poder. Um ator fascinante e inseguro ,um farsante,um lindo monstro, que esquece sua humanidade ao escolher a fama.
Bom podemos notar da sua trajetória um paralelo com o fascínio que ditadores populista populistas tem sobre o "povo". No palco político e da arte tudo pode ser corrompido e adulterado...
Aqui é uma obra com tema "diabólico", nada de sobrenatural mas sim humano. Um ator que tem sua carreira e vaidade acima de tudo,algo natural no mundo da arte,em especial do gênero masculino, a diferença aqui é que a trama está situada no período de ascensão do extremo nacionalismo-socialista na Alemanha, o partido de Hitler.
Hendrick
, o titere,bobo da corte,narcisista,ambicioso, desfilando por um caminho de sangue ,por cima de cadáveres em nome da arte, ou será tudo pela arte mesmo?
Um protagonista fascinante e sedutor, que também as vezes lembra que é apenas um homem comum e também ouve a voz da consciência ou do medo?? Para logo esquece-la pelo próximo canto da sirene do poder. Um ator fascinante e inseguro ,um farsante,um lindo monstro, que esquece sua humanidade ao escolher a fama.
Bom podemos notar da sua trajetória um paralelo com o fascínio que ditadores populista populistas tem sobre o "povo". No palco político e da arte tudo pode ser corrompido e adulterado...
dalia_larissa's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tindows's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
serena_zeitblom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
clara_lotte's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75