The Radetzky March (Penguin Modern Classics)
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'The Radetzky March can fairly claim to be one of the great novels of the last century. Its theme, beautifully articulated, is the end of an era. His anthem for a vanished world has the intense, fleeting beauty of a sunset' Sunday Telegraph 'Over recent years, the poet Michael Hofmann's glittering translations of Joseph Roth have single-handedly given a vanished voice fresh resonance in the English-speaking world. Now Hofmann has surpassed himself with the jewel in Roth's crown. The Radetzky March is a majestically assured and engaging novel' Boyd Tonkin, Independent 'He saw, he listened, he understood. The Radetzky March is a dark, disturbing novel of eccentric beauty... If you have yet to experience Roth, begin here, and then read everything' Eileen Battersby, Irish Times 'The true reading pleasure afforded by the rich environment Roth captures may well have increased over time, while the schisms at the heart of Europe continue to fascinate. It seems that we are rediscovering in twentieth-century Central European literature classics for a new millennium' Time Out
Roger Scruton, The Times
‘A heartfelt evocation of an Empire ...Roth’s masterpiece is of such enormous relevance to our times’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
69 of 69 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Perhaps Joseph Roth is not the most widely known name in the literary world however his masterpiece, The Radetzky March, still commands an important place in 20th century German literature. The book was written during the early 1930's and it achieved widespread acclaim until it was supressed by the Nazis along with so many other works by Jewish writers, artists and so forth. The book charts the history of the Trotta family through three generations from 1859-1916. The decadence and impending collapse of the Austrian Empire are described in beautifully crafted and vivid language. A dark mood pervades the story - it is rather like watching a great river flow placidly towards an inevitable water fall. The characterisation is excellent and Roth contrives to draw out every possible detail as the book moves inexorably from scene to scene.
The novel can be appreciated as great literature and also as a valuable historical document. The Radetzky March is an important commentary on the fall of the Austrian Empire and how the legacy of those times still effects the mores Austrian society today.
This is a sound translation from German into English although some words could have been left alone eg ' Yessir for Jawohl '. This edition deserves to bring the Radetzky March to a much wider audience and can be thoroughly recommended.
KNC
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a masterpiece to be savored, celebrated, and shared. Straddling the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, The Radetzky March uniquely combines the color, pomp, pageantry, and military maneuvering of the last days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with the more modern political and psychological insights of the twentieth century, giving this short book a panoramic geographical and historical scope with fully rounded characters with whom the reader can empathize.
Atmospheric effects are so rich and details are so carefully selected that you can hear the clopping of hooves, rattling of carriage wheels, clang of sabers, and percussion of rifles. Parallels between the actions of man and actions of Nature, along with seasonal cycles, bird imagery, and farm activity, permeate the book, grounding it and connecting the author's view of empire to the reality of the land. Loyalty, patriotism, and family honor are guiding principles here, even when these values impel the characters to extreme and sometimes senseless actions, as seen in a duel.
Significantly, there are no birth scenes here, only extremely touching scenes of aging and death, adding further poignancy to the decline and fall of the empire itself. And just as Trotta, in the end, has a little canary brought in to him, commenting that "it will outlive us all," perhaps this novel, too, will someday emerge from its obscurity and live as the classic it deserves to be. Mary Whipple
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although set in the historic background of the Austrian - Hungary empire, the book is timeless in that it describes the increasing discrepancy between actual, political develoments and the set of values to which an older generation tries to adhere. The same holds for the relationship between a father and a son. Often the prose is wonderful ("living bread" rather than grain) and the subtle way in which the story develops surely must make this one of the most beautiful books ever written. Very moving, very recommendable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ultimately disappointing
Although this novel is very well translated it suffers from the fact that its range of characters is far too narrow, and they are all men. Read more
Published 14 days ago by ScepticAl
Last days of the Habsburgs
The events of this novel immediately preceed the war that will sweep away not merely the characters but the world that they inhabit. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nick Antill
Highly recommended
A great historical novel which views the decline of the Austro-Hungarian empire through the military, civic institutions of the period.
Very nice copy of the novel.
Very nice copy of the novel.
Published 1 month ago by LMC
Marching towards collapse
The book gives us the history of four generations of the Trotta family. The first had been a simple Sergeant-Major. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Ralph Blumenau
Decline and Fall
A lost world, vanished forever in the events of 1914-18. Does Roth regret that? I'm not so sure. His characters seem forever driven by events outside their control, codes of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Pensato
A Neglected Masterpiece
I was pleased to discover via a book group this subtle, gently ironic and nostalgic evocation of the last decades of the decaying Austro-Hungarian Empire. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Antenna
The Radetzky March
A forgotten and neglected classic about three generations of the Trotta family at the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Read more
Published 15 months ago by D. J. Lay
"The lamps are going out all over Europe;
...we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime." The subject quote, perhaps apocryphal, is attributed to the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Edward Grey, on the eve of... Read more
Published 15 months ago by John P. Jones III
A spectacular book
This goes straight on to the list as being one of the best books I have ever read. For a while, as you get into it, you wonder where it could possibly be heading. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Keen Reader
Excellent Read
It was sublime. Roth is more than just an author, hes a social commentator and a philosopher who just so happens to write exceedingly well. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2010 by Mr. M. Mcallister
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