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elementalmoon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
This was a book full of challenging texts. Each of Muller’s plays presenting a fascinating view of his perspective on the time in which he lived. Brutal in many ways, but also, a truly insightful commentary.
tornikios's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not usually big on plays and I don't necessarily pick them up for that same reason (although, I'm trying to change that), but what a brilliant read this was! Absolutely gripping and engaging from start to finish.
clonazine's review
5.0
Leí MEDEAMATERIAL, amo a este autor lo malo es que tiene pocas obras traducidas y me cuesta un montón conseguir algo suyo. Al igual que MAQUINAHAMLET el tipo te agarra una obra clásica y lo convierte en algo nuevo, un groso total!!!.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
5.0
«Ich war Hamlet. Ich stand an der Küste und redete mit der Brandung BLABLA, im Rücken die Ruinen von Europa.»
One of the best things I've ever read.
In the line "Pest in Buda Schlacht um Grönland," the word "Pest" literally means "plague" (cf. French peste), but is also a pun on Budapest, as well as a reference to the 1956 Budapest uprising which was crushed by Eastern bloc tanks. My proposed alternative would be "Pestilence in Buda."
In the phrase "Wie schreibt man GEMÜTLICHKEIT," which is translated as "how do you spell FRIENDLINESS," the word Gemütlichkeit (translated as "friendliness"), refers also to cosiness, comfort, good cheer, etc. My proposed alternative would be "how do you write COMFORT" (or "comfortable").
In the line "Ekel Ein Sichelwagen der von Pointen blitzt," the word Pointen is translated as "one-liners," but can also refer to literal sharp points. My proposed alternative would be "punchlines," which preserves the violent undertone.
Is the line "Mit den Narben der Konsumschlacht Armut," the word Konsumschlacht ("consumption-battle," i.e., the violence of consumerism) is translated as shopping blitz. I don't think shopping blitz is that bad as an adaptation, honestly, although you could really lean into the pun with something like "shopping brawl." The schlact (fight)/lacht (laugh) pun is pretty much unsalvageable, unfortunately.
In "Ich will in meinen Adern wohnen, im Mark meiner Knochen, im Labyrinth meines Schädels," Mark is translated as "bone marrow," but is also a play on the two official German currencies, Ostmark (East) and Deutschmark (West). Personally I'd probably explain this subtext in a footnote, because I can't conceptualise a way to keep the joke... "bone euro" doesn't sound similar enough to bone marrow, tragically.
In the line "EIN NARR DAS SCHELLENKLEID DES PHILOSOPHEN," the word Schellenkleid is translated as "clown-costume," but is also a reference to the carnival costumes worn during springtime street festivals common in Central Europe. Again, I'd just footnote this one; I can't think of anything that preserves the joke. (Yet another double entendre I'd footnote is the line "Wildharrend In der furchtbaren Rüstung Jahrtausende," which is from the poetic fragment "Shakespeare" by the late-18th/early-19th century poet Hölderlin.)
*Although Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play at nearly 40 thousand words, it typically requires only slightly over 4 hours to stage in its entirety. Most performances involve a selection of abridgments.
One of the best things I've ever read.
Hier kommt das Gespenst das mich gemacht hat, das Beil noch im Schädel. Du kannst deinen Hut aufbehalten, ich weiß, daß du ein Loch zu viel hast. Ich wollte, meine Mutter hätte eines zu wenig gehabt, als du im Fleisch warst: ich wäre mir erspart geblieben. Man sollte die Weiber zunähn, eine Welt ohne Mütter. Wir könnten einander in Ruhe abschlachten, und mit einiger Zuversicht, wenn uns das Leben zu lang wird oder der Hals zu eng für unsere Schreie. Was willst du von mir. Hast du an einem Staatsbegräbnis nicht genug. Alter Schnorrer. Hast du kein Blut an den Schuhn. Was geht mich deine Leiche an. Sei froh, daß der Henkel heraussteht, vielleicht kommst du doch in den Himmel. Worauf wartest du. Die Hähne sind geschlachtet. Der Morgen findet nicht mehr statt.Die Hamletmaschine is alleged to have been written after Müller attempted a translation of Shakespeare's Hamlet into German. Müller later directed a 7.5-hour performance* of Hamlet in Berlin in 1990, in which Hamletmaschine acted as the play-within-a-play.
Ich bin Ophelia. Die der Fluß nicht behalten hat. Die Frau am Strick Die Frau mit den aufgeschnittenen Pulsadern Die Frau mit der Überdosis AUF DEN LIPPEN SCHNEE Die Frau mit dem Kopf im Gasherd. Gestern habe ich aufgehört mich zu töten. Ich bin allein mit meinen Brüsten meinen Schenkeln meinem Schoß. Ich zertrümmre die Werkzeuge meiner Gefangenschaft, den Stuhl den Tisch das Bett. Ich zerstöre das Schlachtfeld das mein Heim war. Ich reiße die Türen auf, damit der Wind herein kann und der Schrei der Welt. Ich zerschlage das Fenster. Mit meinen blutigen Händen zerreiße ich die Fotografien der Männer die ich geliebt habe und die mich gebraucht haben auf dem Bett auf dem Tisch auf den Stuhl auf dem Boden. Ich lege Feuer an mein Gefängnis. Ich werfe meine Kleider in das Feuer. Ich grabe die Uhr aus meiner Brust die mein Herz war. Ich gehe auf die Straße, gekleidet in meinem Blut.The play is primarily in German, although there are certain sections in which Müller included brief English text. Honestly the English translation I read is quite good, due in part to the brevity of the original (9 pages), although there are a few details lost in translation. Here are some of them.
In the line "Pest in Buda Schlacht um Grönland," the word "Pest" literally means "plague" (cf. French peste), but is also a pun on Budapest, as well as a reference to the 1956 Budapest uprising which was crushed by Eastern bloc tanks. My proposed alternative would be "Pestilence in Buda."
In the phrase "Wie schreibt man GEMÜTLICHKEIT," which is translated as "how do you spell FRIENDLINESS," the word Gemütlichkeit (translated as "friendliness"), refers also to cosiness, comfort, good cheer, etc. My proposed alternative would be "how do you write COMFORT" (or "comfortable").
In the line "Ekel Ein Sichelwagen der von Pointen blitzt," the word Pointen is translated as "one-liners," but can also refer to literal sharp points. My proposed alternative would be "punchlines," which preserves the violent undertone.
Is the line "Mit den Narben der Konsumschlacht Armut," the word Konsumschlacht ("consumption-battle," i.e., the violence of consumerism) is translated as shopping blitz. I don't think shopping blitz is that bad as an adaptation, honestly, although you could really lean into the pun with something like "shopping brawl." The schlact (fight)/lacht (laugh) pun is pretty much unsalvageable, unfortunately.
In "Ich will in meinen Adern wohnen, im Mark meiner Knochen, im Labyrinth meines Schädels," Mark is translated as "bone marrow," but is also a play on the two official German currencies, Ostmark (East) and Deutschmark (West). Personally I'd probably explain this subtext in a footnote, because I can't conceptualise a way to keep the joke... "bone euro" doesn't sound similar enough to bone marrow, tragically.
In the line "EIN NARR DAS SCHELLENKLEID DES PHILOSOPHEN," the word Schellenkleid is translated as "clown-costume," but is also a reference to the carnival costumes worn during springtime street festivals common in Central Europe. Again, I'd just footnote this one; I can't think of anything that preserves the joke. (Yet another double entendre I'd footnote is the line "Wildharrend In der furchtbaren Rüstung Jahrtausende," which is from the poetic fragment "Shakespeare" by the late-18th/early-19th century poet Hölderlin.)
OPHELIA Willst Du mein Herz essen, Hamlet. [Lacht.]One of my favourite adaptations of Hamletmaschine is the 1991 radio drama, including music by Einstürzende Neubauten (one of my favourite bands), in which Blixa Bargeld played the part of Hamlet and Gudrun Gut the part of Ophelia.
HAMLET [Hände vorm Gesicht]: Ich will eine Frau sein.[Hamlet zieht Ophelias Kleider an, Ophelia schminkt ihm eine Hurenmaske, Claudius, jetzt Hamlets Vater, lacht ohne Laut, Ophelia wirft Hamlet eine Kußhand zu und tritt mit Claudius/Hamlets Vater zurück inden Sarg. Hamlet in Hurenpose. Ein Engel, das Gesicht im Nacken: Horaton. Tanzt mit Hamlet.]
*Although Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play at nearly 40 thousand words, it typically requires only slightly over 4 hours to stage in its entirety. Most performances involve a selection of abridgments.
jarrms's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Death, and Child death
Hamletmachine, Medeaplay, The Despoiled Shore, Medeamaterial, and Landscape with Argonauts are the most intense IMO but the entire books is a lot.
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