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Tuesday 9 September 2008

Robert Musil - The Man without Qualities



I just got the second volume of this enormous book. I read the first volume many years ago, in Hebrew, and couldn't find the second at the time. I wonder if it will be as much a pleasure to read as it was when I was younger. At the time I fell in love with the man without qualities, who was so very charming, as with Musil's writing.

"...Man needs no more for his happiness; for what one achieves is what moulds the spirit, whereas what one wants, without fulfillment, only warps it. So far as happiness is concerned it matters very little what one wants; the main thing is that one should get it."

2 comments:

Bob Davidson said...

I am just finishing the first part... what an amazing piece of literature...

check out this essay:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/books/review/Queenan-t.html?pagewanted=all

all best,

The Professor who bought the Paul Smith jacket

Renaissance Man said...

Thanks, Professor Callaghan. So happy to see you here. Nice to know who you are.
Happy travels, I'm envious. Barcelona, ahhh...