The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
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"One of the world's most beautiful books."
-"The Philadelphia Inquirer"
-"The Philadelphia Inquirer"
Product Description
While his old furniture rots in storage, Malte Laurids Brigge lives in a cheap room in Paris, with little but a library reader's card to distinguish him from the city's untouchables. Every person he sees seems to carry their death with them, and he thinks of the deaths, and ghosts, of his aristocratic family, of which only he remains. The only novel by one of the greatest writers of poetry in German, the semi-autobiographical Notebooks is an uneasy, compelling and poetic book that anticipated Sartre and is full of passages of lyrical brilliance.
Michael Hulse's new translation perfectly conveys the unsettling beauty of the original and is accompanied by an introduction on Rilke's life and the biographical and literary influences on the Notebooks. This edition also includes suggested further reading, a chronology and notes.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Letters to a young poet" made me interested in Rilke, and therefore "The Notebooks of Malthe Laurids Brigge" founds it way to my night stand.
Rilke's voice is very different in the two. "Notebooks" seems so much more orchestrated and not as quotable or easily read as "Letters". However, "Notebooks" has its own sombre drift that carries you - the reader - into the realm of the young Brigge, his thoughts and his childhood. What I like about the medium of a notebooks is its authenticity. It has the detail and rigid structure of many real notebooks and diaries, unlike many of fictional diaries that read as one continuous line of thought. This makes "Notebooks" personal and I found myself absorbing the thoughts.
Also "Notebooks" is to be read slowly or aloud to savor the poetry of the words. There are truly beautiful, detailed descriptions in "Notebooks" and I would recommend the book for this reason alone.
I was extremely grateful for the section of notes in the back of the book. Rilke makes reference to 14th century French kings, dukes and other noblemen, that I was completely unaware of.
I am sure that "Notebooks" deserve more than 3 stars. However, I must admit that my understanding of "Notebooks" only results in 3 stars. There is much in "Notebooks" to be analysed and deciphered.
Louise
Rilke's voice is very different in the two. "Notebooks" seems so much more orchestrated and not as quotable or easily read as "Letters". However, "Notebooks" has its own sombre drift that carries you - the reader - into the realm of the young Brigge, his thoughts and his childhood. What I like about the medium of a notebooks is its authenticity. It has the detail and rigid structure of many real notebooks and diaries, unlike many of fictional diaries that read as one continuous line of thought. This makes "Notebooks" personal and I found myself absorbing the thoughts.
Also "Notebooks" is to be read slowly or aloud to savor the poetry of the words. There are truly beautiful, detailed descriptions in "Notebooks" and I would recommend the book for this reason alone.
I was extremely grateful for the section of notes in the back of the book. Rilke makes reference to 14th century French kings, dukes and other noblemen, that I was completely unaware of.
I am sure that "Notebooks" deserve more than 3 stars. However, I must admit that my understanding of "Notebooks" only results in 3 stars. There is much in "Notebooks" to be analysed and deciphered.
Louise
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the only novel of a famous German poet, Rainer Rilke written in 1910. I was attracted to the book because it is described on the back as `full of existential disquiet' - I know nothing of the author or style of poetry and thus was reading it without prejudice.
The book is in the form a notebook of thoughts of a `semi-autobiographical' Malte Brigge. The opening scenes are more contemporary of Malte's childhood and family, the majority of later scenes are his reflections on real historical characters of the 1300-1500's and some key events in their lives. There is no link or arc within the text holding the short passages together (unlike say Pessoa's Book of Disquiet) - what makes them whole is Brigge himself and his writing style which is in a poetic and challenging structure.
I know I've read a good classic book when I find passages worth remembering here are a few quotes for you:
`'the wish for a death of one's own is becoming ever more infrequent. Before long it will be just as uncommon as a life of one's own'
`is it possible to believe we could have a god without making use of him?'
`Oh how I trembled to be in the costume, and how thrilling it was when I actually wore it; when something emerged from the gloom, more slowly than oneself, for the mirror did not believe it, as it were, and, sleepy as it was, did not want promptly to repeat what it was told; though at length it had to, of course.
`I know that I am destined for the very worst, it will be no help at all if I disguise myself in my best clothes'
Now why have I only given this 3 stars then? I found two things too difficult for me to enjoy this book. 1) There is no narrative thread, and with the second half of the book being notably disconnected and grating I just couldn't keep the text in mind 2) (accepting the possibility of a poor translation) I found the poetic style very tricky indeed - I quickly lost track of the subject of the passage, and when I thought I knew and read the next passage confusingly it may or may not have been a continuance.
In style and interest I did find this book a little bit reminiscent of Nadja by Breton. Try these books if you want to see how differently books can be constructed. Some of the existential stuff in Brigge is really good but if you're after that try Sartre first.
The book is in the form a notebook of thoughts of a `semi-autobiographical' Malte Brigge. The opening scenes are more contemporary of Malte's childhood and family, the majority of later scenes are his reflections on real historical characters of the 1300-1500's and some key events in their lives. There is no link or arc within the text holding the short passages together (unlike say Pessoa's Book of Disquiet) - what makes them whole is Brigge himself and his writing style which is in a poetic and challenging structure.
I know I've read a good classic book when I find passages worth remembering here are a few quotes for you:
`'the wish for a death of one's own is becoming ever more infrequent. Before long it will be just as uncommon as a life of one's own'
`is it possible to believe we could have a god without making use of him?'
`Oh how I trembled to be in the costume, and how thrilling it was when I actually wore it; when something emerged from the gloom, more slowly than oneself, for the mirror did not believe it, as it were, and, sleepy as it was, did not want promptly to repeat what it was told; though at length it had to, of course.
`I know that I am destined for the very worst, it will be no help at all if I disguise myself in my best clothes'
Now why have I only given this 3 stars then? I found two things too difficult for me to enjoy this book. 1) There is no narrative thread, and with the second half of the book being notably disconnected and grating I just couldn't keep the text in mind 2) (accepting the possibility of a poor translation) I found the poetic style very tricky indeed - I quickly lost track of the subject of the passage, and when I thought I knew and read the next passage confusingly it may or may not have been a continuance.
In style and interest I did find this book a little bit reminiscent of Nadja by Breton. Try these books if you want to see how differently books can be constructed. Some of the existential stuff in Brigge is really good but if you're after that try Sartre first.
13 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, Rilke's twenty-eight year old Danish alter-ego, is of primary interest for introducing themes and which the poet was to develop so skillfully in is later works, such as the Duino Elegies and the Sonnets of Orpheus. Brigge, a lonely poet seemingly trapped in a Paris of terrifying hospitals, hotels and sanitoriums, allows us into his (sometimes aimless) thoughts on solitude, love, absence and age.
Though at times Rilke's poeticism seems a little to imprecise for a prose work, it oftens gives us wonderful descriptions of life. A particular favourite of mine being the section often referred to as 'the Bird Feeders'.
The overall impression upon reading the Notebooks is that of viewing the transition of an artist from precocious (but often overly lyrical) poet to grandmaster of emotion. Whimsical, often amusing and emotive, anyone with an interest in Rilke's fine later poetry must read this.
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