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chiaramasciari's review against another edition
4.0
Ero indecisa se dare tre o quattro stelle, ma sul finale il libro si riprende decisamente e merita la votazione in più. Avendo avuto occasione di leggere più di un'opera di Kleist ho capito che tutte le sue produzioni differiscono l'una dall'altra in qualche modo, in positivo o in negativo. Paradossalmente, quest'opera raccoglie, sia nel bene che nel male, tutta la versatilità dell'autore. Perché? Questo romanzo è geniale, ha tutto: il realismo storico, il dramma psicologico, il trasporto emotivo, addirittura alla fine si aggiungono anche un paio di elementi soprannaturali. Per farla breve, questo romanzo è la cosa più kafkiana che Kleist potesse fare (e non mi stupisco infatti che a lui sia piaciuto moltissimo). Durante la lettura ti ritrovi ad odiare e ad amare Kohlhaas, perché effettivamente la causa che porta avanti è paradossale, e i metodi che usa sono estremi e poco raccomandabili, ma sotto sotto speri fino alla fine che riesca nel suo intento. L'unica pecca forse è lo stile di scrittura, il fatto che sia scritto tutto di fila e senza capitoli o divisioni lo rende un po' pesante, ma vabbè. Ma comunque, alla fine, questi cavalli dove finiscono? Giustizia per i cavalli xfav
briancrandall's review against another edition
5.0
While his men were plundering the outskirts, he made fast a notice to a pillar of the church to the effect that "he, Kohlhaas, had lit the town, and, if the Junker be not surrendered to me, I will proceed to demolish it," as he put it, "so that there be not two stones upon one another for him to hide behind."
The horror of the inhabitants about this awful crime was indescribable; and the flames that, in what was fortunately a calm summer night, destroyed no more than nineteen houses, admittedly including a church, were not quite put out towards break of day when the old Governor, Otto von Gorgas, sent out a detachment of fifty men to arrest the rabid aggressor. [39]
alexsintschenko's review against another edition
2.0
In its German original, this is one of the most unreadable books I've ever read.
For (I suppose?) stylistic reasons it's written entirely in reported speech. Consequently, every single sentence in the book is overladen with commas, split into several subordinate clauses and extremely annoying to read.
The story itself is worth reading, especially given its age and true account but not remarkable either.
Perhaps the English translation is better than the original?
For (I suppose?) stylistic reasons it's written entirely in reported speech. Consequently, every single sentence in the book is overladen with commas, split into several subordinate clauses and extremely annoying to read.
The story itself is worth reading, especially given its age and true account but not remarkable either.
Perhaps the English translation is better than the original?
benjaminfcruz's review against another edition
Stunning, strange—damn bureaucracy! Kohlhaas is a hero and a fool, the best kind of both.
cryo_guy's review against another edition
5.0
I had a great time with this one. A slim volume; a recent, new translation of Kleist's medieval German tale. I didn't know much about Kleist but after reading about his influences and such it seemed like a cool book to try out. Plus, I liked the cover a lot. As for the translation, I really couldnt say if it's better than previous ones or not, but it definitely seems to stick to the German-style syntax which I know can be taxing for some English speakers. To that end, my only real criticism is that in parts it does drag. However, overall it's a short tale so it's not too weighty.
The story has elements of folklore to it, notably featuring a gypsy's prophecy (or two). And the other significant element was the "pre-absurdist" participation in bureaucracy which makes it clear why Kafka loved it so much. I enjoyed the revenge tale aspect which winded its way through the bureaucracy until the more folkloric resolution capped it off. Definitely worth a read if any of those things sound interesting. For the more demanding reader, I might say that it's not the most accessible text, but I don't think it's that exclusive at all. And it really becomes something more than merely a revenge tale which gives it a depth you might not expect to find!
For whatever reason, I've found myself bouncing around various absurdist books from different countries and it was cool to read a very early version of such elements in a book that wasn't consumed by the genre.
5/5 for exceeding my expectations. I almost wish it were longer.
The story has elements of folklore to it, notably featuring a gypsy's prophecy (or two). And the other significant element was the "pre-absurdist" participation in bureaucracy which makes it clear why Kafka loved it so much. I enjoyed the revenge tale aspect which winded its way through the bureaucracy until the more folkloric resolution capped it off. Definitely worth a read if any of those things sound interesting. For the more demanding reader, I might say that it's not the most accessible text, but I don't think it's that exclusive at all. And it really becomes something more than merely a revenge tale which gives it a depth you might not expect to find!
For whatever reason, I've found myself bouncing around various absurdist books from different countries and it was cool to read a very early version of such elements in a book that wasn't consumed by the genre.
5/5 for exceeding my expectations. I almost wish it were longer.
marleysclassics's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Kleists Schreibstil ist immer noch ein zweischneidiges Schwert: Einerseits sind die Sätze nicht selten überkomplex (und der Satzbau auch irreführend, daher war ich sehr dankbar für die Anmerkungen in dieser Edition, die das aufgezeigt haben). Andererseits liebe ich diese Sätze auch (solange sie in sich sinnvoll sind), weil sie Geschehnisse und Gefühle auf eine (aus heutiger Sicht) unkonventionelle Weise beschreiben und so subtil eine neue Perspektive darauf geben.
Es war also eher die Komplexität in Bezug auf die Handlung, die mein Leseerlebnis etwas erschwert hat: Es tut mir leid, aber die Grenzen und Politik, Adelstitel und Regelungen des zerstückelten Heiligen Römischen Reiches Deutscher Nation des 16. Jahrhunderts gehen eben nicht so ganz in meinen Kopf. Wenn also ewig lang ebendiese Dinge aufgezählt werden, dann führt das zu gewissen Verständnisproblemen. Das ist vor allem in der zweiten Hälfte der Fall, während in der ersten viel mehr passiert, das richtig mitreißend ist. Kleist beschreibt die Geschehnisse dabei auch so bildlich, dass tatsächlich ein Film vor dem inneren Auge abläuft.
Besonders geht es in „Michael Kohlhaas“ aber natürlich um ihn selbst. Obwohl alles andere als sympathisch - ich glaube, für Männer des 16. Jahrhunderts die von Männern des 19. Jahrhunderts geschrieben wurden, ist das kaum möglich -, ist die Mischung aus Mitgefühl, die man als Leser*in aufgrund der verwehrten Gerechtigkeit, dem Mitfiebern, dass man trotz seiner Schandtaten bis zu einem gewissen Punkt empfindet, gegenüber der Verachtung, die man seiner Selbstüberschätzung und eigenen Ungerechtigkeit irgendwann fühlt, einfach spannend.
Insgesamt also nicht das einfachste Buch, das ich der zweiten Hälfte auch die ein oder andere Länge aufweist; gleichzeitig aber überraschend fesselnd und nimmt mit in eine mittelalterlich-neuzeitliche Welt von Rittern, Junkern und Rosshändlern.
Es war also eher die Komplexität in Bezug auf die Handlung, die mein Leseerlebnis etwas erschwert hat: Es tut mir leid, aber die Grenzen und Politik, Adelstitel und Regelungen des zerstückelten Heiligen Römischen Reiches Deutscher Nation des 16. Jahrhunderts gehen eben nicht so ganz in meinen Kopf. Wenn also ewig lang ebendiese Dinge aufgezählt werden, dann führt das zu gewissen Verständnisproblemen. Das ist vor allem in der zweiten Hälfte der Fall, während in der ersten viel mehr passiert, das richtig mitreißend ist. Kleist beschreibt die Geschehnisse dabei auch so bildlich, dass tatsächlich ein Film vor dem inneren Auge abläuft.
Besonders geht es in „Michael Kohlhaas“ aber natürlich um ihn selbst. Obwohl alles andere als sympathisch - ich glaube, für Männer des 16. Jahrhunderts die von Männern des 19. Jahrhunderts geschrieben wurden, ist das kaum möglich -, ist die Mischung aus Mitgefühl, die man als Leser*in aufgrund der verwehrten Gerechtigkeit, dem Mitfiebern, dass man trotz seiner Schandtaten bis zu einem gewissen Punkt empfindet, gegenüber der Verachtung, die man seiner Selbstüberschätzung und eigenen Ungerechtigkeit irgendwann fühlt, einfach spannend.
Insgesamt also nicht das einfachste Buch, das ich der zweiten Hälfte auch die ein oder andere Länge aufweist; gleichzeitig aber überraschend fesselnd und nimmt mit in eine mittelalterlich-neuzeitliche Welt von Rittern, Junkern und Rosshändlern.
philipn17's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
krennkraft_ja_danke's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bookishwendy's review against another edition
3.0
Kohlhaas is a bit of a legendary figure from German history. He was a fairly successful horsedealer until a Furst ("prince") wrongly confiscates some of his horses, and while Kohlhaas struggles with the bureaucratic red tape to reclaim them, neglects the animals and abuses Kohlhaas' hired man. Kohlhaas sues, but a merchant's word doesn't hold much value against the prince, so K. decides to take the law into his own hands. There's a hint of Kafkaesque futility about the whole thing, surprisingly, as this was written in the early 19th century.
So, maybe this wasn't the best choice for plunging back into German-language literature after a two or so year hiatus. While I have little difficulty reading physical description and action, I found my self really struggling with a lot of the civic, political, and legal vocabulary in Michael Kohlhaas. While I still understood the basic plot of the story, I'm sure that most everything of nuance sailed right over my head. I take the blame for this, since I listened to an audio version from Librivox (very nicely narrated) and forced myself to plow on ahead without stopping to look things up. Often, forcing myself to rely on context works well enough for me, but I was pretty lost by the time Dr. Martin Luther showed up. The moments of high drama were gripping--a woman assaulted by a guard, a death-by-quartering--but I'll really have to go back again with the actual printed text to find out what I missed.
So, maybe this wasn't the best choice for plunging back into German-language literature after a two or so year hiatus. While I have little difficulty reading physical description and action, I found my self really struggling with a lot of the civic, political, and legal vocabulary in Michael Kohlhaas. While I still understood the basic plot of the story, I'm sure that most everything of nuance sailed right over my head. I take the blame for this, since I listened to an audio version from Librivox (very nicely narrated) and forced myself to plow on ahead without stopping to look things up. Often, forcing myself to rely on context works well enough for me, but I was pretty lost by the time Dr. Martin Luther showed up. The moments of high drama were gripping--a woman assaulted by a guard, a death-by-quartering--but I'll really have to go back again with the actual printed text to find out what I missed.