saenggangaji's review against another edition
5.0
my poor, poor basini and my unhappy, little torless.
anyway, as stupid as it sounds, the first chapter or two i related to torless quite a bit. but then he became sick and i no longer felt said connection. get better little boy ! don't be so deranged !
anyway, as stupid as it sounds, the first chapter or two i related to torless quite a bit. but then he became sick and i no longer felt said connection. get better little boy ! don't be so deranged !
polyglot_booklover's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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
_dunno_'s review against another edition
1.0
Such a generous subject but such a boring book. And now, as some1 around here said, I can reply to: "Have you read Musil's famous ?" with: "No, but I read his very first book. Have you?" :D
I'm almost sure I would have enjoyed it better if it had been written in the 1st person (I even liked Zeno more while reading Torless). The poetic (sometimes pathetic) language lost me. And all those philosophical perorations! Coming of age was never duller! I choose [b:The catcher in the rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517671s/5107.jpg|3036731] and [b:The adventures of Huckleberry Finn|629740|Huckleberry Finn (Illus. Classics) (Illustrated Classics)|Mark Twain|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176488294s/629740.jpg|1835605] without even blinking. And as for adolescence cruelty & adventure, try [b:Lords of the flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165637417s/7624.jpg|2766512].
Now let's get down to some serious reading.
I'm almost sure I would have enjoyed it better if it had been written in the 1st person (I even liked Zeno more while reading Torless). The poetic (sometimes pathetic) language lost me. And all those philosophical perorations! Coming of age was never duller! I choose [b:The catcher in the rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517671s/5107.jpg|3036731] and [b:The adventures of Huckleberry Finn|629740|Huckleberry Finn (Illus. Classics) (Illustrated Classics)|Mark Twain|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176488294s/629740.jpg|1835605] without even blinking. And as for adolescence cruelty & adventure, try [b:Lords of the flies|7624|Lord of the Flies|William Golding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165637417s/7624.jpg|2766512].
Now let's get down to some serious reading.
trouvaille21's review against another edition
2.0
i was tempted to give it one star but i still didn't dislike it as much as The Book Thief soooooo i'll be generous and give it 2
edgar_allans_hoe's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
asiemsanyal's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars for language.
This book is set in an all-boys boarding school in Austria, somewhere in the 19th century. In addition to the eponymous Törless, there are two other boys, Beineberg and Reiting. Beineberg fancies himself an-almost mystic, drawing on the experiences of his father in India, who encountered the wonders of asceticism while he was there. Reiting is far more straightforward, possesses an aggressive swagger and is the de-facto 'leader' of the boys in his form. Törless, around whom the book revolves, is at that confused early adolescent phase of his life, where he attempts to explain the happenings around him through philosophy and literature.
And then there is Basini.
Basini, in my opinion, is the glue that somehow holds the other three together. An aristocratic child, he is soon discovered to be guilty of thievery, and from there his fate is sealed. He becomes the victim of bullying, especially by Reiting and Beineberg, which soon metamorphoses into something more predatory. There is sexual abuse, and, when that is not enough, there is physical abuse (whipping).
Throughout all this, Törless maintains an almost detached view of the proceedings, becoming more interested only when he is suddenly inflamed with desire for Basini, whereupon he proceeds to debase that poor boy in his own cruel way, before relinquishing him to the authorities.
For every person who has been the victim of bullying at school (boarding or otherwise), this book may act as a trigger at various stages. The fall from grace of Basini, who is eventually expelled for thievery, is a horrifying reminder of the bullies in our lives who managed to get away with almost-murder, without being duly chastised or reprimanded.
Perhaps the cruelest revelation is that this is an autobiographical account of Musil's own adolescence. At a point in the book where Törless is reminiscing of his school-days, he mentions:
"I certainly do not deny that this was a humiliation. Why should I?... But anyway, are you going to count the moments of humiliation that every great passion burns into our soul?"
He views it as a learning experience, something that helped him become who he is today.
But what. Of. Basini? Sullied, expelled, never to be heard from again - this is the fate that so many victims of abuse and bullying undergo. And it is never so appallingly apparent as in this book.
This book is set in an all-boys boarding school in Austria, somewhere in the 19th century. In addition to the eponymous Törless, there are two other boys, Beineberg and Reiting. Beineberg fancies himself an-almost mystic, drawing on the experiences of his father in India, who encountered the wonders of asceticism while he was there. Reiting is far more straightforward, possesses an aggressive swagger and is the de-facto 'leader' of the boys in his form. Törless, around whom the book revolves, is at that confused early adolescent phase of his life, where he attempts to explain the happenings around him through philosophy and literature.
And then there is Basini.
Basini, in my opinion, is the glue that somehow holds the other three together. An aristocratic child, he is soon discovered to be guilty of thievery, and from there his fate is sealed. He becomes the victim of bullying, especially by Reiting and Beineberg, which soon metamorphoses into something more predatory. There is sexual abuse, and, when that is not enough, there is physical abuse (whipping).
Throughout all this, Törless maintains an almost detached view of the proceedings, becoming more interested only when he is suddenly inflamed with desire for Basini, whereupon he proceeds to debase that poor boy in his own cruel way, before relinquishing him to the authorities.
For every person who has been the victim of bullying at school (boarding or otherwise), this book may act as a trigger at various stages. The fall from grace of Basini, who is eventually expelled for thievery, is a horrifying reminder of the bullies in our lives who managed to get away with almost-murder, without being duly chastised or reprimanded.
Perhaps the cruelest revelation is that this is an autobiographical account of Musil's own adolescence. At a point in the book where Törless is reminiscing of his school-days, he mentions:
"I certainly do not deny that this was a humiliation. Why should I?... But anyway, are you going to count the moments of humiliation that every great passion burns into our soul?"
He views it as a learning experience, something that helped him become who he is today.
But what. Of. Basini? Sullied, expelled, never to be heard from again - this is the fate that so many victims of abuse and bullying undergo. And it is never so appallingly apparent as in this book.
mgatta's review against another edition
2.0
El libro no es demasiado atrayente en general, quizás leído durante la adolescencia sería más interesante, pero ahora mismo el libro simplemente me ha parecido una novela de desarrollo de un adolescente que como mínimo podría ser clasificado como un “psico” una vez que se convierte en adulto. Sin embargo, el autor usa el libro como una plataforma para exponer algunas teorías filosóficas y psicológicas, pero no ofrece ningún interés en la historia de fondo. El estilo de la narración no hace el libro más interesante de lo que lo hace la vida de Törless.
Esperaba (dado que el libro trata sobre el desarrollo moral y los problemas de un adolescente), que una vez empezado el libro, y los problemas y abusos a Basini, que Törless desarrollaría algún tipo de ética personal que le permitiera parar los abusos y locuras cometidas por sus compañeros. En vez de eso, acaba en el desinterés total por Basini (aunque hasta cierto punto le debe quedar algo den moral, teniendo en cuenta el final), y con un sentimiento de superioridad moral, que en nada corresponde a la realidad.
Esperaba (dado que el libro trata sobre el desarrollo moral y los problemas de un adolescente), que una vez empezado el libro, y los problemas y abusos a Basini, que Törless desarrollaría algún tipo de ética personal que le permitiera parar los abusos y locuras cometidas por sus compañeros. En vez de eso, acaba en el desinterés total por Basini (aunque hasta cierto punto le debe quedar algo den moral, teniendo en cuenta el final), y con un sentimiento de superioridad moral, que en nada corresponde a la realidad.
foxteeth's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5