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Luke's Reviews > Faust
Faust
by
But until then, what will you do to achieve that world?
It's an almost impossible balance, especially when the rest of the world is thrown in at full tilt. The passion becomes split, and when one track is spent the next is sought, and the next, and the next, by any means to any measure. One may wish at the beginning to be good, but when the so-called custodians of morality sell it by the yard for a varying price, and all the esteem generated by the straight and narrow pales in comparison to the smallest glimpse of moonlit wraith, well. One must consider the odds when the devil comes a calling.
On the one hand, your wish at the immortal's command. On the other, all the ramifications of those wishes, bound as they are in a reality of finite glory, finite justice, finite truth. To go forth enraptured in the potential, and in the end consigning everything outside of that potential to the flames.
Now, who among you would proclaim yourselves worthy of judging just how far one can go?
---
Now, as this is Faust we're talking about, I know this first reading was nowhere near good enough to exempt me from future rereadings. Also, the German language is one that I am intent on mastering, and what better piece to work towards than one of, if not the, pillars of German literature? So, until we meet again, Mephisto, preferably on a span of stage that does full honors to your Walpurgisnacht. I'm very much looking forward to it.
by
Luke's review
bookshelves: german, translated, poetry, to-re-read, reviewed, 3-star, r-2013, r-goodreads
Apr 20, 2013
bookshelves: german, translated, poetry, to-re-read, reviewed, 3-star, r-2013, r-goodreads
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:In Faust, the name of the game is passion. Passion for learning, passion for love, passion for life in all its forms and facets. The deprivation of passion by the slow grind of facts and figures and hypocrisy, the boons of inheritance providing shortcuts without granting the necessary experience of true effort, and excess. When the world is at one's feet, what is there left for passion to strive for?
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
-Percy Bysshe Shelley, 'Ozymandias'
Wer immer strebend sich bemüht,
Den können wir erlösen.
("Who ever strives with all his power,
We are allowed to save.")
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust
But until then, what will you do to achieve that world?
It's an almost impossible balance, especially when the rest of the world is thrown in at full tilt. The passion becomes split, and when one track is spent the next is sought, and the next, and the next, by any means to any measure. One may wish at the beginning to be good, but when the so-called custodians of morality sell it by the yard for a varying price, and all the esteem generated by the straight and narrow pales in comparison to the smallest glimpse of moonlit wraith, well. One must consider the odds when the devil comes a calling.
On the one hand, your wish at the immortal's command. On the other, all the ramifications of those wishes, bound as they are in a reality of finite glory, finite justice, finite truth. To go forth enraptured in the potential, and in the end consigning everything outside of that potential to the flames.
Now, who among you would proclaim yourselves worthy of judging just how far one can go?
---
Now, as this is Faust we're talking about, I know this first reading was nowhere near good enough to exempt me from future rereadings. Also, the German language is one that I am intent on mastering, and what better piece to work towards than one of, if not the, pillars of German literature? So, until we meet again, Mephisto, preferably on a span of stage that does full honors to your Walpurgisnacht. I'm very much looking forward to it.
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Reading Progress
April 20, 2013
– Shelved
April 20, 2013
– Shelved as:
german
April 20, 2013
– Shelved as:
translated
October 24, 2013
–
Started Reading
October 24, 2013
– Shelved as:
poetry
October 25, 2013
–
12.72%
"The beginning of the actual text. Great, great introduction, but Faust (and a putting of my stunted German skills through the wringer) awaits."
page
64
November 18, 2013
–
65.01%
"...Nenn's Glück! Herz! Liebe! Gott!
Ich habe keinen Namen
Dafür! Gefühl ist alles;
Name ist Schall und Rauch,
Umnebelnd Himmelsglut.
(...Call it bliss! heart! love! God!
I do not have a name
For this. Feeling is all;
Names are but sound and smoke
Befogging heaven's blazes.)"
page
327
Ich habe keinen Namen
Dafür! Gefühl ist alles;
Name ist Schall und Rauch,
Umnebelnd Himmelsglut.
(...Call it bliss! heart! love! God!
I do not have a name
For this. Feeling is all;
Names are but sound and smoke
Befogging heaven's blazes.)"
November 19, 2013
– Shelved as:
to-re-read
November 19, 2013
– Shelved as:
reviewed
November 19, 2013
–
Finished Reading
December 3, 2013
– Shelved as:
3-star
April 26, 2014
– Shelved as:
r-2013
September 16, 2014
– Shelved as:
r-goodreads
Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)
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message 1:
by
Ted
(new)
Nov 20, 2013 12:49AM
I like the style of writing, Aubrey, I must say it reminds me somewhat of the way I have written a few reviews. (Which I have very much enjoyed writing, even though I have struggled over them mightily. This seems like one which you just poured out of a jug so easily, very impressive.)
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Thank you, Ted. I draw my writing inspiration from all my reading, so perhaps some of your reviews slipped into the mix. If that is the case, I thank as well for the subconscious assistance.
No, i doubt I can take any credit. The style I'm talking about (at least what I perceive) is the tendency towards long, multi-phrased, run-on sentences, with references running back and forth between phrases within the same sentence ... if that makes any sense I all.It's what I think of (my memory may be coudy here) as the way a lot of Faulkner's writing is.
