tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13573225.post3839079467095435572..comments2021-09-30T10:14:50.139-04:00Comments on Brown Study: Reading fail - The Man Without QualitiesSelenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16303596216112203977noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13573225.post-979346742943025192011-03-15T21:07:53.850-04:002011-03-15T21:07:53.850-04:00Whoops, sorry for the delay. I didn't realize ...Whoops, sorry for the delay. I didn't realize I had a comment hidden in moderation. No worries -- I sometimes just can't get in the mood for some books, and I didn't have the stamina for it! I've been a slow reader this winter.Selenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16303596216112203977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13573225.post-75469643227185671942011-02-15T06:33:10.668-05:002011-02-15T06:33:10.668-05:00Ah, sorry sorry! I know you were planning to read...Ah, sorry sorry! I know you were planning to read this anyway, but I gave you my recommendation and I'm really sorry you didn't like it.<br /><br />The central character in TMWQ is really hard to like, and I think that makes the book a challenge as well. What I like about the author is his deep insight into the modern world and the way it works (and how the older structures fail in the modern world). I thought that it was very sad (pathetic?) to see all these characters wrapped up in the great minutiae of the celebration of the Austrian monarchy, knowing that a year later it will become completely pointless. The central question is "What has a point?"<br /><br />It still staggers me to consider that Musil wrote chapters dedicated to the trial of a serial killer, considering he wrote in the 20's 30's and 40's. He seems to have guessed what was coming somehow.<br /><br />I feel I should have prepared you for the fact that it's not War and Peace -- yeah, it's not that kind of work at all -- it really is more like The Magic Mountain, if anything.<br /><br />I guess my personal identification got in the way more than I realized (Musil, Ulrich, and I are all former military, former mathematicians / engineers). <br /><br />Anyway, sorry for the miss -- look forward to hear about what you're reading next.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11334684290869790826noreply@blogger.com