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Sept 2007 Gift from my Fiancee, Pamela.
This is one of Pamela's favourite books which she wanted to share with me. I enjoyed reading it but at the moment, (this whole month, it seems like,) I'm in a somewhat irritated mood, and feel dissatisfaction with... many things. And a certain apathy. And I can't think of anything to say... about anything. So if my review is now less than inspiring it shouldn't be taken as a reflection of my feelings for the book.
I tried to be organised and to make notes while reading about the most interesting parts; and I succeeded only once. It was wonderful when stated that "Education is not won in dull toil and labour; rather it is the fruit of freedom and apparent idleness". This certainly characterised my youth. I don't know if I agree with it in all situations and circumstances... but I certainly see it to be true at times. Ummm... I feel there is more to say about the education theme. -And I can't find out what it is.
The peculiar writer which Krull meets in Paris spoke... too deeply? Or of concepts too unusual. She as talking (and acting on) ideas and personal views which were too strange for me to... understand. Perhaps if I went back and read that one part... But I don't see that happening. But if anyone would like to try explaining... if and how her ideas are realistic. (I don't know if they were; It was my thought that perhaps Thomas Mann was exploring a wild idea, one that he himself couldn't believe in.)
Thomas Mann unfortunately died before finishing the book. In the version I have there is a drop off in mid-chapter, and a couple of jotted down sentences after that. (It's even at a moment of great tension, when a climax of the story is taking place.) I was left wondering how the script would have been edited had the author continued living; how many parts would he have gone back and re-written, or taken entirely out? The biggest thing I noticed which would have needed changing was the tone of the last third of the book; The first two thirds are... a history of the young man's development; we see him growing in body, mind, refinement and maturity. We see how he moves from one phase of life to the next. But the last third... wallows in comparison. He stays in one place... somewhat infatuated and dreaming of one girl. He ceases all development. The story changes from How he became a great con-artist to How he met this girl and his wishes to get closer to her. It truly felt to me like it should have been two separate stories, and I wonder what would have happened had the Author gone back and edited everything.
There are a number of dull parts of the book, which seem to further Nothing at all. (Perhaps if the book was finished, all these details would have been tied back in, so well that they would be crucial to the tale.) They still were of some interest to me, but had no place in this novel. (The example that comes to mind is the excess of information about the museum in Portugal. Much of that seemed to contribute nothing at all to the rest of the book.)
Anyhow, I'm disappointed that it's done, and also that we'll never know so much about how the story would have gone. What is Krull's great crime? What happens with him and the Mother? What ever happens to the prince he replaces? We shall not know.