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Jacques the Fatalist

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 1,867 ratings · 84 reviews

Jacques the Fatalist is a provocative exploration of the problems of human existence, destiny, and free will. In the introduction to this brilliant translation, David Coward explains the philosophical basis of Diderot's fascination with fate and examines the experimental and influential literary techniques that make Jacques the Fatalist a classic of the Enlightenment.

Paperback, 304 pages

Published September 16th 1999 by Oxford University Press, USA (first published 1778)

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Jan 05, 2012 Paquita Maria Sanchez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, invisible-pink-unicorn

Master: Do you pray?
Jacques: Sometimes
Master: And what do you say?
Jacques: I say: "Thou who mad'st the Great Scroll, whatever Thou art, Thou whose finger hast traced the Writing Up Above, Thou hast known for all time what I needed, Thy will be done. Amen."
Master: Don't you think you would do just as well if you shut up?

It is often too easy for me to forget that high humor and religious cynicism are not new developments within the realm of published fiction. On top of that, as much as we readers...more Master: Do you pray?
Jacques: Sometimes
Master: And what do you say?
Jacques: I say: "Thou who mad'st the Great Scroll, whatever Thou art, Thou whose finger hast traced the Writing Up Above, Thou hast known for all time what I needed, Thy will be done. Amen."
Master: Don't you think you would do just as well if you shut up?

It is often too easy for me to forget that high humor and religious cynicism are not new developments within the realm of published fiction. On top of that, as much as we readers here about "pomo trickery" and meta-humor, these terms--often used as insults akin to calling someone "trendy"--are generally associated with literature no more than a century old. Well, to all you pomos and popomos: allow me to introduce you to Denis Diderot. He is your metatastic brother from another great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. At some point before his death in 1784, he composed Jacques the Fatalist (in some editions titled Jacques the Fatalist and His Master, an arguably better name because of the fact that it directly references the text's play on character power dynamics). 1784. Remember that.

This "novel", written in the stage play style seen above combined with frequent asides by an omniscient, brassy narrator, tells the story of real-life-storytelling as depicted in written form. Diderot breaks down the common motifs of the stock "novel", holding its cliches in one hand and the reality of conversing with other human beings in the other. The dialogue is the same interrupted, rambling, endless swirl of words that we tend to find in actual attempts at expressing ourselves verbally either one-on-one or in groups. Therefore, stories are begun and left unfinished, people are cut off, corrected, and reprimanded, and plot possibilities are dangled in front of the reader and left to his or her own particular devices, all while our playful, snarky narrator reminds us that there is no way we can know for a fact one way or another if he is being truthful, so why put stock in him or the story/stories in the first place? The book constantly re-references, repeats, mirrors/distorts, and criticizes itself in a way that calls to question all creative interpretations of reality due--amongst other things--to the biases reader, storyteller, and subject bring into the telephone game that is relaying information in a meaningful way. And it is amazingly funny while doing so. I would be willing to bet my lunch money that Charlie Kaufman is a huuuuge Diderot fan.

To go back to my earlier point...if you are religiously inclined, I would stay away from this book unless you are of a mind to read eloquently expressed, harshly stated opinions which conflict with your own. It is no secret that Diderot was a spiteful sort about organized religion, and he uses Jacques and his insistence on Predestination as means to excuse his debauchery (along with every other spiritual figure in the story, each of which is almost more corrupt than basically every non-religious character within this fictional realm) as a means to highlight the hypocrisy, escapism, and general slovenliness he saw in default spiritual beliefs. Proceed with caution, as this one does bite.

This story was a bit of an awakening for me. It may be the oldest piece of literature I have read which embraced meta-humor to such an extreme. As I previously stated, I tend to let myself think that this sort of thing is a new-ish development, a product of information over-saturation or something. However, Jacques the Fatalist is one of the most self-aware, admittedly (even brazenly) self-critical, and quite frankly hilarious novels about novel writing and reading that I have ever read. It constantly stops to reflect on itself, jarring you with by repeatedly pointing out that this is not an escape, this is not a reality, this is a story about stories within stories within stories, and you are reading it right now. The tangled mess that it eventually becomes reminded me in many ways of THIS bit of genius. (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 [P] rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It has always been interesting to me how, as we become increasingly, almost aggressively, secular, how many people still believe in fate and

- What is this?

Excuse me?

- You’re meant to be reviewing Jacques the Fatalist

Are you telling me how to review, Reader? I’m getting to Jacques. I’m doing what is known as ‘setting the scene’ and your interruptions are only going to prolong it and therefore exacerbate your impatience.

- Do hurry. I don’t have time for this.

I will take my own sweet time, and...more

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Sep 24, 2011 MJ Nicholls rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, pernod-and-gauloises, pre-1900s, oxford-classics

For those exhausted or defeated by Tristram Shandy, here is a precursor to the postmodern novel that packs in more incident, philosophy, bitching and warm humour in its 237 pages than most modern avant-garde writers manage in a whole corpus. Jacques—the titular Fatalist—attempts to recount the tale of his “first loves” while accompanying his Master on a series of oblique misadventures that invariably end up as digressions and more digressions. All postmodern tricks—stories-within-stories, frames...more

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Feb 11, 2009 yellow tree rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: cogitating people

Recommended to yellow tree by: my mother

Shelves: prose

this book really has something. its style is as innovative now as it was in diderot's time, and the ideas being articulated, then ground-breaking, are still worth some thoughts. for a work of this age, it's surprisingly easy to be read, and the difficulties arise from elsewhere then expected. the storyline is permanently interrupted by stories, dialogues, and the narrator, suddenly starting to talk to the reader about the trustworthiness of the former reports, so sometimes it's hard to reorienta...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Gabriel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Much is made of Diderot's rather bald appropriations from Sterne's "Tristram Shandy." Diderot made no secret of it-- his book is, in many ways, the Dionysian face of that book (! if that can be said with a straight face). Just look at Sterne's material-- war, and the wounds that result; Diderot, on the other hand, skips lightly past the battlefield to the real seat of Uncle Toby's wound, the heart, and its battles.* As such, Jacques put me more in mind of "The Decameron," or even "Don Quixote" (...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Howard rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second perhaps less well known novel by Diderot of ‘The Nun’ fame. The novel appears in the list of top 100 World literature and was written in around 1770.

The book is the dialog and stories told by Jacques, a valet, and his master. It is based around the same period as it was written and includes many references to historic actual people (priests, thinkers etc). The thread of the story is Jacques and the master’s first loves and how they meet the girls; Jacques as a wounded soldier...more This is the second perhaps less well known novel by Diderot of ‘The Nun’ fame. The novel appears in the list of top 100 World literature and was written in around 1770.

The book is the dialog and stories told by Jacques, a valet, and his master. It is based around the same period as it was written and includes many references to historic actual people (priests, thinkers etc). The thread of the story is Jacques and the master’s first loves and how they meet the girls; Jacques as a wounded soldier and the master as a youth conned by a clever friend. There are some funny lines between the erudite and existential Jacques and his equally forthright colleague and even one in the references in the back. They are good friends becoming equals.

It starts quite philosophically introducing the guys as they journey to the master’s home; and then leans more to about 4 or 5 shortish, slightly bawdy, tales in the mode of the Decamaron linked by Jacques fatalism (and his learning from his esteemed Captain) and some booze. The pair, indeed with some textual references, are comparable to Don Quixote and Sancho. It is unlike Quixote in two respects, firstly not least being considerably shorter, there isn’t really an extended story or arc. Secondly and most interestingly the author Diderot engages with the reader about how he might affect the story and characters and lead the reader’s thinking – this can be quite weird and modern but certainly enteraining.

Some quotes:
“All preachers want people to practise what they preach because we might find ourselves better off and they certainly will be”

“…you are depriving yourself of the most delightful of pleasures. In all honesty, the merit of being morally superior to me is not worth the sacrifice”

(on the subject of his praying sometimes) Jacques: I say ‘Thou who mad’st the Great Scroll, whatever Thou art, Thou whose finger hast traced the Writing Up Above, Thou hast known for all time what I needed,. Thy will be done. Amen’. Master: Don’t you think you would do just as well if you shut up? Jacques: Perhaps yes, perhaps no. I pray on the off-chance

An interesting book reasonably placed in the class of Quixote or Cervantes’ ‘Exemplary Stories’, Pantagruel, Decameron and Bouvard & Pécuchet. If you go for erudite classics then definitely 4 stars but as a ‘general book’ overall 3 stars. In summary 'Quixote lite'
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Sep 07, 2012 Realini rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jacques le Fataliste, by Denis Diderot

This is a very interesting work. I have started reading on it about 30 years ago. I’m not sure I finished, but the debut sure made me remember it.
I try to read all the best books I can and Jacques is on the Guardian list. For good reason, since this is a very good book.

A bit frustrating, as the author keeps provoking the reader, or perhaps his intellect. I read on the net that it was inspired in some measure by Tristram Shandy, but I found passages resembli...more Jacques le Fataliste, by Denis Diderot

This is a very interesting work. I have started reading on it about 30 years ago. I’m not sure I finished, but the debut sure made me remember it.
I try to read all the best books I can and Jacques is on the Guardian list. For good reason, since this is a very good book.

A bit frustrating, as the author keeps provoking the reader, or perhaps his intellect. I read on the net that it was inspired in some measure by Tristram Shandy, but I found passages resembling The Decameron- maybe the atmosphere, the eroticism in the barn, with the priest witnessing some sexual games.

It is certainly funny in many chapters and surprising. Jacques is the servant, but at the same time the real hero, as the title plainly proves.
The servant is very witty, as a matter of fact, brainier than the master, who seems to be annoying when he disagrees with Jacques.

Denis Diderot keeps playing with our expectations, turning the plot around, delaying the counting of Jacques love story.

As I try to write for my daughter the adventures of my life, I wonder if I should use the same techniques- a twist here, a detour over there…

At times I got bored. How can I say that? Well, in the manner of Diderot-it is my business, this is my essay, my opinion on this book…so you reader, if you have another opinion, why don’t you put it down…
The issue with some of these old, “medieval” stories is to see them somehow placed in their own time frame, but to try and look from our perspective: are they politically correct? Nowadays, you wouldn’t be able to publish something like it….

I read in the Economist about the success of the Nordic Literature, especially the detective kind: The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and the like, Perhaps I should read that, get inspired and write a crime story on the Dambovita…

From Wikipedia:
« Ce roman complexe, déconcertant et déroutant par ses digressions – sans doute l'œuvre de Diderot la plus commentée – puise pour partie son inspiration dans Vie et opinions de Tristram Shandy, gentilhomme de Laurence Sterne, paru quelques années auparavant (1759-1763). »
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Jul 01, 2012 Amir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

توی روزگاری که همه‌مون دنبال مفرّی هستیم تا به نوعی، با «تر» شدن بین بقیه محبوب بشیم، سر و کار داشتن با آدم‌هایی که بی‌هیچ دغدغه، فقط و فقط خودشونن و خودشون، اصلا چیز کمی نیست. کسایی که نه خیال دارن دوست‌داشتنی‌تر جلوه کنن، نه بافضیلت‌تر، نه مهربون‌تر، نه زیباتر، نه و نه و نه و نه چیزی بیشتر از اونی که هستن. راوی رمان ژاک قضا و قدری و اربابش یکی از همین‌هاست. راوی حکایت در عین ‌این‌که به صرف داستان‌گویی از وضعیت انفعال و بی‌تفاوتی نسبت به مخاطب دراومده، حتی برای لحظه‌ای به خواننده باج نمیده و ا...more توی روزگاری که همه‌مون دنبال مفرّی هستیم تا به نوعی، با «تر» شدن بین بقیه محبوب بشیم، سر و کار داشتن با آدم‌هایی که بی‌هیچ دغدغه، فقط و فقط خودشونن و خودشون، اصلا چیز کمی نیست. کسایی که نه خیال دارن دوست‌داشتنی‌تر جلوه کنن، نه بافضیلت‌تر، نه مهربون‌تر، نه زیباتر، نه و نه و نه و نه چیزی بیشتر از اونی که هستن. راوی رمان ژاک قضا و قدری و اربابش یکی از همین‌هاست. راوی حکایت در عین ‌این‌که به صرف داستان‌گویی از وضعیت انفعال و بی‌تفاوتی نسبت به مخاطب دراومده، حتی برای لحظه‌ای به خواننده باج نمیده و اگه صفحه به صفحه‌ یک‌بار اون رو جون به لب نکنه راحت نمی‌شینه. این قضیه بعد یه مدت خواننده رو هم حساس می‌کنه؛ اون‌قدر که با شروع هر خرده‌روایت، لحظه به لحظه منتظر هوار شدن راوی هستی. اگه از این نظر مقایسه‌ای قایل بشیم بین ژاک... و تریسترام شندی، من یکی که سفت و سخت طرف راوی ژاک... هستم. توی تیکه‌ای از رمان، ژاک داره واسه اربابش از خاطراتش میگه که خانم میزبان سر می‌رسه و قصه‌ی اون‌جا نیمه‌کاره رها می‌شه. این وسط صحبت‌هایی رد و بدل میشه و به یک باره میونه‌ی همه به هم می‌خوره و درست سربزنگاهِ گیس و گیس‌کشی، راوی دو لنگ پا می‌پره وسط ماجرا و میگه:

«و اما، خواننده عزیز، چه چیزی مانع می‌شود که بین این سه نفر یک دعوای جانانه راه بیندازم؟ چرا ژاک شانه‌های خانم میزبان را نگیرد و او را از اتاق بیرون نیندازد؟ و چرا ارباب شانه‌های ژاک را نگیرد و او را بیرون نکند تا یکی به گوشه‌ای برود و دیگری به گوشه‌ای دیگر؟ تا شما نه داستان خانم میزبان را بشنوید و نه ادامه‌ی داستان عشق و عاشقی ژاک را؟ اما نگران نباشید، این کار را نمی‌کنم...»

و این‌طور میشه که ادامه‌ی روایت صرفا و منحصرا به خاطر لطف و مرحمت راوی روی کاغذ ریخته میشه. لامصب بابا جان اصلا ما چقدر اینایی که کاسه‌لیس نیستن دوست می‌داریم.(less)

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Jan 13, 2011 Maryam Shin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: رمان

بهتره درباره نویسنده چیزی نخونید و بعد از تموم کردم کتاب مشخصات نویسنده رو ببینید. اون وقت هست که حسابی متعجب می‌شید وقتی می‌فهمید این کتاب رو یه نویسنده قرن هجدهمی نوشته.
اگر اهل خوندن کتاب‌های ایتالو کالوینو بوده باشید احتمالاً نوع نوشتار و زبان راویان کتاب شما رو یاد کتاب‌های این نویسنده می‌ندازه. نوع نوشتار "اگر شبی از شب‌های زمستان مسافری" رو به یادتون میاره و طنز موجود در کلام شخصیت‌ها و راوی "سه گانه نیاکان ما". اون وقت ممکنه توقع داشته باشید که این نویسنده هم ایتالیایی بوده باشه. ولی وقت...more بهتره درباره نویسنده چیزی نخونید و بعد از تموم کردم کتاب مشخصات نویسنده رو ببینید. اون وقت هست که حسابی متعجب می‌شید وقتی می‌فهمید این کتاب رو یه نویسنده قرن هجدهمی نوشته.
اگر اهل خوندن کتاب‌های ایتالو کالوینو بوده باشید احتمالاً نوع نوشتار و زبان راویان کتاب شما رو یاد کتاب‌های این نویسنده می‌ندازه. نوع نوشتار "اگر شبی از شب‌های زمستان مسافری" رو به یادتون میاره و طنز موجود در کلام شخصیت‌ها و راوی "سه گانه نیاکان ما". اون وقت ممکنه توقع داشته باشید که این نویسنده هم ایتالیایی بوده باشه. ولی وقتی می‌بینید نویسنده فرانسوی هست و تو قرن 18 میلادی هم این رمان رو نوشته باز تعجب می‌کنید.
حتی ممکنه اسم مترجم هم براتون آشنا باشه. اما باز توصیه می‌کنم چیزی دربارش نخونید و بگذارید که بعداً بفهمید که این خانم همون کسی هست که کوری رو هم ترجمه کرده.

البته تعجب‌ها و تحسین‌هایی که این کتاب در وجود شما ایجاد می‌کنه به همین جا ختم نمیشه. داستان در ظاهر قرار هست داستانی باشه درباره عشق و عاشقی‌های ژاک که برای اربابش تعریف می‌کنه. اما نویسنده با چنان مهارتی داستان‌های با ربط و بی ربط دیگه رو توی متن قرار میده و چنان دیالوگ‌هایی بین کاراکترها میذاره که یه جاهایی حس می‌کنید باید برای احترام گذاشتن به این نویسنده و این پردازش قوی ذهنش چند لحظه‌ای کتابش رو ببندید و بایستید و بهش احترام بگذارید. هر چند خیلی جاها هم اینقدر مشتاق شنیدن داستانی که بعد از بارها وقفه دوباره از سر گرفته شده هستید که اگر ببینید باز هم حیله‌ای سر راهتون قرار داده شده برای تعریف نکردن اون داستان اصلی و گفتن داستانی فرعی، توانایی اینو دارید که فحش رو بکشید به نویسنده و برای همیشه قید تموم کردن این کتاب رو بزنید! البته مطمئن باشید این حالت شما بیشتر از چند ساعت ادامه پیدا نمی‌کنه و وسوسه می‌شید و باز کتاب رو برمی‌دارید و ادامه می‌دید.

ژاک و اربابش تازه با هم آشنا شدن و آغاز به سفر کردن. ارباب آدمی هست که دوست داره داستان بشنوه و ژاک هم مثلاً نوکری که دوست داره حرف بزنه. چه چیزی بهتر از این؟ ژاک نظرش درباره اتفاقات زندگی رو که از فرمانده‌ش یاد گرفته رو بیان می‌کنه و میگه که هر اتفاقی که توی مسیر زندگی براش میفته اون بالا توی طومار بزرگ نوشته شده و قابل تغییر نیست. برای همین نه از چیزی شاد میشه و نه از چیزی ناراحت. اما داستان به این سادگی پیش نمیره که ژاک و اربابش همش در حال اسب سواری و طی مسیر باشند و ژاک هم بتونه راحت داستانش رو برای اربابش تعریف کنه. باید با ژاک طناز و فیلسوف و اربابش همراه بشید تا بفهمید چه اتفاقاتی سر راهشونه.

ژاک قضا و قدری و اربابش رو باید خوند و تحسین کرد هوش سرشار نویسنده و حتی کاراکتراش رو. باید دیالوگ سازی و داستان پردازی رو ازش یاد گرفت. باید حرف زدن و بازی با خواننده رو ازش یاد گرفت.
ژاک قضا و قدری و اربابش ممکنه داستان خاصی نداشته باشه، ولی مطمئناً فراموش نمیشه. و حتی شاید شما هم مثل من به نوشته‌ی "رمان‌های کلاسیک خارجی" که روی جلد کتاب نوشته شده بخندید. ژاک برای کسانی که آثار جدید رو خونده باشن اصلاً کلاسیک به حساب نمیاد.‏

اما من. این کتاب رو شاید یک سال و نیم پیش یکی از دوستای دانشگاه بهم معرفی کرد. خیلی وقته تو لیست خرید کتابم هست و هی فراموش شده. تا اینکه یه شب که یهویی عشقم گرفت و رفتم خونه خواهرم موندم، و خوابم نبرد و تا 1 و نیم تو جام غلت می‌زدم، موبایلم رو برداشتم و با نور صفحه‌ش رفتم سراغ کتابخونه خواهرم تا ببینم به چه چیز هیجان انگیزی برمی‌خورم. و خب گفتن نداره که اولین تیتری که خوندم ژاک قضا و قدری بود و باعث شد دیگه چراغ رو روشن کنم و تا ساعت 3 که خوابم بگیره 100 صفحه‌شو یه نفس بخونم! و با اینکه چیزی به نام آخرین امتحان دوره کارشناسی جلوی راهم بود کلاً کتاب اون رو ببندم و به دو ساعت قبل از امتحانش بسنده کنم، ولی در عوض لذت خوندن یه کار خوب رو از دست ندم. به قول خود ژاک حتماً اون بالا توی طومارم نوشته بودن که باید این اتفاق برای من بیفته.
:)

پنج شنبه. 23.دی.89(less)

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Sep 09, 2009 Jocelin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Favorite quote: "Do we control our destiny or does our destiny control us?"
It was written in the 1700's. I just assumed that because it was written so long ago that it would be difficult reading but it's not at all. It's about a guy named Jacques who believes that everything happens because it was written in the heavens and that destiny essentially controls everything, and he's very funny. He has a Master who argues with him a lot. The best part of the book is that author just periodically stop...more

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Oct 31, 2009 Christina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Mildly amusing, but mostly exasperating. I know that the point here was to be different from other novels and to bite the proverbial thumb at your traditional narrative, and all that was interesting to a point. I just didn't get that excited about any of the characters or the stories they were trying to tell. Between the interruptions built into the novel and the actual interruptions of life, I could never remember what was going on or who anyone was.
One thing that interested me that was mention...more

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Jun 20, 2011 David Lentz rated it 5 of 5 stars

It may be your destiny to read and adore the pithy wit of Diderot. At a time when the novel was new as a genre as a contemporary of Sterne and Richardson, Diderot confronts the religion and philosophy of his day entrenched in the idea that man's fate was written on a scroll on high and that man only acted out a bit part devoid of real choice in his slavery to destiny. Pre-destination did not sit well with Diderot and Jacques is the novelist in this "dog's breakfast" he has served up railing agin...more

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Apr 04, 2007 Melinda McLaughlin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

Another one of my favorite books. Diderot was one of the few men to be brave enough to admit his atheism in a pre-Darwin world, and definitely suffered many a setback for it. However, this examination of fatalism, life, love, religion, society etc. etc. is both hilarious and undeniably clever. It's not terribly dense, and is pleasurable while remaining clearly smart - read immediately.

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Dec 28, 2010 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

I truly love this book. I first read this at St. John's College, school of knowledge, during a preceptorial or the Philosophical Novel. The Preceptorial was not great, but the books chosen were, and this was really the best of them. I have since taught the book several times, and as of this writing I consider this to be one of the great works of literature. Diderot is really investigating how both the novel and the individual subject comes into being. The story starts from nowhere, with a series...more

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Mar 23, 2009 kasia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Tristram Shandy

Good times.

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Jun 04, 2011 Tom marked it as to-read

Shelves: french-lit

Recent reading of Carlos Fuentes essay "Two Centuries of Diderot" persuaded me to add this to list. CF argues that DD was highly influential on development of novel and remains quite contemporary in vision of writer-reader relationship. I'm a bit wary though, as my love of French novels is rooted in much more traditional narratives of Balzac, Flaubert and Zola. But it's always good to shake out the gnarly trees of tradition now and then to see what nuts fall upon one's head, knocking open some n...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Marcello rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fenomenale. Un racconto - "ceci n'est point un roman" - in cui il narratore, lui, l'enciclopedista, si rivolge in continuazione al lettore per discuterne le reazioni. Giacomo il servo dal cervello fino che, consapevolmente, guida il proprio padrone e glielo fa anche notare. Il divertente e surreale filo conduttore della narrazione, e dei vari episodi che si inseriscono, è la storia degli amori di Giacomo.
Per citare la quarta di copertina: "Qualunque cosa dica, Diderot crea e sorprende in contin...more

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May 01, 2013 Tom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: french, fiction

'Jacques le Fataliste et son maître' is hardly a novel. In fact, it's a very clever parody on the clichés of narration, blind faith and many other things. One should always keep in mind that this is a conceptual novel, written to challenge the standards and thoughts of 18th century France.

Jacques is marked by a form of extreme fatalism - everything that happens to him happens because it was 'meant to be so'; everything is 'written in the stars'. There is, however, no mention of a God who determi...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Dina Nabil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pdf

جاك المؤمن بالقدر بجد روايه غريبه للغايه هى اكتر روايه غريبه ممتعه دسمه قريتها فى السنين اللى فاتت -بالمناسبه انا ملاحظه انى بمدح فى كل كتاب بنفس الطريقه بكل اساليب التفضيل من اول "افضل" ل "اجمل" او "احلى" مشكله حقيقيه لكن ان شاء الله الاقى لها حل ..بس بجد ده مش بيبقى نفاق و لا حاجه بس على طريقه "كلهم ابنائى" فكل كتاب له عندى معزه خاصه جدا- هو انا كنت بقول ايه قبل الجمله الاعتراضيه دى؟؟؟ اه افتكرت كنت بتكلم عن جاك المؤمن بالقدر تلك الروايه ذات ال 327 صفحه من المتعه الخالصه ....

الروايه اظن كده و...more جاك المؤمن بالقدر بجد روايه غريبه للغايه هى اكتر روايه غريبه ممتعه دسمه قريتها فى السنين اللى فاتت -بالمناسبه انا ملاحظه انى بمدح فى كل كتاب بنفس الطريقه بكل اساليب التفضيل من اول "افضل" ل "اجمل" او "احلى" مشكله حقيقيه لكن ان شاء الله الاقى لها حل ..بس بجد ده مش بيبقى نفاق و لا حاجه بس على طريقه "كلهم ابنائى" فكل كتاب له عندى معزه خاصه جدا- هو انا كنت بقول ايه قبل الجمله الاعتراضيه دى؟؟؟ اه افتكرت كنت بتكلم عن جاك المؤمن بالقدر تلك الروايه ذات ال 327 صفحه من المتعه الخالصه ....

الروايه اظن كده و الله اعلم انها صعبه المنال فى الحصول عليها كنسخه ورقيه لانها من النوادر شويه كورق لانها من اصدار دار نشر مصريه من اللى بيعملوا معارض كل 3 دقايق و يعرضوا فيها نفس الكتب اللى حفظها كل رواد المعارض دى لكن "جاك المؤمن بالقدر" من طبع دار الحوار من سوريا و بالتالى غالبا ممكن تلاقيها كورق فى المكتبات العامه كاقصى تقدير لكن غير متاحه كشراء لكن روايتنا دى ك pdf متوفره بكثره على النت بل و تتداولها المنتديات ببساطه

في الفرنسية مثل يقول (النبيذ الفاخر ليس بحاجة إلى شعار). وهذا ينطبق على هذه الرواية لديدرو. وإذا كنا نعتبر عذوبة نثر الجاحظ وابن المقفع أو روعة شعر المتنبي وأبي العلاء المعري من المسلمات، فمثل ذلك يصح في كل ما كتبه علم من عصر الأنوار أسمه ديدرو, عرفه العالم قبلنا بقرنين ونيف, فبالأمس القريب ظهر العمل الأول (ابن شقيق رامو) واليوم يظهر (جاك). والرواية تحقق حلماً يراود المترجم من أيام الدراسة حيث كانت مقرراً دراسياً جامعياً حلماً في أن يتمكن الذين يحبهم ولا يجيدون اللغة الفرنسية من قراءة هذه الرواية. أما وهو يردد: أنا أحب إذن أنا موجود فمن دواعي السعادة أن يكون هؤلاء على اتساع وطن وامتداد أرض.

نجى للروايه نفسها بقى ببساطه هى فيها لمحه من متعه الف ليله و ليله من حيث التنقل السلس بين القصص دون ان تشعر احيانا حيث الدخول من قصه لقصه ثم الخروج من القصتين و الرجوع للخط الاصلى للروايه بسلاسه و بساطه فالملل فى قصه كتلك يصبح كائن خرافى لا وجود له ...بطلنا جاك فى رحله مع "معلمه" طوال القصه كل منهما على دابته السؤال الطبيعى اللى بيطرح نفسه بعد معرفه مين اللى مسافر و ازاى هو طب رايحين فين؟؟ احممممممم فى الواقع-و لا بلاش فى الواقع دى لاحسن اعمل زى تصريحات الوزير بتاعتنا_ فى الحقيقيه طوال ال 327 صفحه محدش يعرف هما رايحين فين!!! طب هاتقول هو المؤلف فين ؟؟ اقولك احنا هنروح بعيد ليه ادى بدايه روايتنا و اللى تحت دول هما اول سطور القصه.....

"كيف تلاقيا؟ مصادفه..مثلما يتلاقى كافه الناس. كيف يدعيان؟ بم يهمك؟ من اين جاءا؟ من المكان الاقرب . الى اين جاءا ؟ من المكان الاقرب. الى اين هما ذاهبان؟ و هل يعرف المرء الى اين هو ذاهب؟ ماذا كانا يقولان؟ ما كان المعلم يقول شيئا. اما جاك فكان يقول ان رئيسه كان يقول: ان كل ما يصينا من خير وشر هنا مكتوب فوق"

كما ترى عزيزى القارئ ان المؤلف دخل فى الجد على طول من حيث انه من دخل من غير ما يقدم للشخصيات لكن وصف لك الحاله اللى هيستمر عليها ابطالنا طول القصه تقريبا حيث سيظل جاك مؤمن بالقدر و من ان كل حاجه جايه من فوق و مكتوبه نعم سيظل يكرارها حتى تتاكد لك ان اسم الروايه على مسمى ... و هيفضل "معلمه" اللى بالمناسبه مش هنعرف اسمه ابدا مبيقولش حاجه ....و هيفضل الاتنين فى حاله سفر مستمره يتخلالها بعض الراحات و الكثيييييييييييييييييييييييييير من الحكايات....هنمشى مع جاك و معلمه فى رحلتهم غير معروفه المقصد و هنقابل ناس كتير كلهم بيحكوا قصص مختلفه عن حاجات متنوعه قصص حب و كره و انتقام و خيانه و نجاح و فشل و صعود و هبوط ....

الروايه بتتناول 4 خطوط دراميه اساسيه :
* الخط الاول: هو خط الرحله و السفر و الراحه و البشر و المناظر خلال الرحله نفسها و بيتضمن كده كلام بين الطرفين و هو كلام فيه الكثير من الحكم و متعه الحوار
* الخط التانى : هو خط قصص الناس اللى بيقابلهم جاك و معلمه فى الطريق حيث القصص و الحكايا الظريفه المسليه حينا و المأساويه حينا
* الخط الثالث: هو خط قصه حب جاك!!! ايوه من اول الروايه و جاك بيحكى لمعلمه قصه اول مره حب فيها لكن دائما فى مكان ما من القصه يتدخل عامل ما يوقف القصه الى حين....
* الخط الرابع "وهو اظرفهم" : هو خط المؤلف نفسه!!!مستغرب ليه ايوه خط المؤلف نفسه احيانا و فى وسط القصه يدخل المؤلف يكلمك كقارئ يمكن يناقشك فى موضوع تانى او يحيكلك على مشاكله الشخصيه او يتسأل معاك .. الخط ده على صغره الا انه اضاف عنصر المرح و الكوميديه الى حدا ما الى القصه و اضاف ليها طبيعيه و تلقائيه جعلت من القصه تحفه فنيه...ممكن فى الاول تتضايق من انه بيعوق متابعتك للقصه اللى بتتحكى لكن مع الوقت هتتعود عليه و تستظرفه..

"جاك المؤمن بالقدر" زى ما مكتوب فى اول سطر من التدوينه اكتبت فى القرن ال 18 من قبل مؤلفها الفرنسى الفيلسوف اللى اعترف انى مسمعتش عنه قبل قرائتى للروايه دى لكن احترمته بعد استمتاعى بالروايه دى..ما اظنش كمان ان ليه ترجمات تانيه بالعربى لروايات اخرى لكنى لمحت ليه مقاله اسمها "حول النساء لماذا نظلم نفس المجتمع؟؟" و سمعنا برضه عن روايه اسمها "ابن شقيق رامو" لكنى متقلش ليها ترجمه بالعربيه لسه للاسف....(less)

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Jul 20, 2011 Yann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lumières, france, philosophie, plaisir-de-lire

Le Maître
Ah malheureux! ah! coquin!... Infâme, je te vois arriver.

Jacques
Mon maître, je crois que vous ne voyez rien.

Le Maître
N'est ce pas de cette femme que tu vas devenir amoureux?

Jacques
Et quand je serais devenu amoureux d'elle, qu'est-ce qu'il y aurait à dire? Est-ce qu'on est le maître de devenir ou de ne pas devenir amoureux? Et quand on l'est, est-on maître d'agir comme si on ne l'était pas ? Si cela eût été écrit là-haut, tout ce que vous vous disposez à me dire, je me le serais dit; je...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Edward rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I mentioned to some French friends that I was reading Jacques le Fataliste et Son Maitre, written in the l770's. I thought they might show some enthusiasm for this French "classic", or at least a "curiosity". Instead, they rolled their eyes and asked why? Good question. I read somewhere that it was a French version of Lawrence Sterne's TRISTAM SHANDY, as well as a riff on Don Quixote, so I became curious and read it. It's worth the read and is often a very funny book. the humor even emerges...more When I mentioned to some French friends that I was reading Jacques le Fataliste et Son Maitre, written in the l770's. I thought they might show some enthusiasm for this French "classic", or at least a "curiosity". Instead, they rolled their eyes and asked why? Good question. I read somewhere that it was a French version of Lawrence Sterne's TRISTAM SHANDY, as well as a riff on Don Quixote, so I became curious and read it. It's worth the read and is often a very funny book. the humor even emerges in my time-intensive French reading skills.

It's "road" story about a voyage taken by servant Jacques and his Master, full of running jokes, stories told by each, authorial intrusions asking the reader what he expects from a story anyway, jokey pedantic footnotes on sources. I suppose at the bottom (if there is a "bottom") of this long shaggy dog narrative, is the philosophical question of whether one follows his fantasy, disguised as reason, or his reason which often a dangerous fantasy. Sound like Don Quixote? Yes, and it's no accident, Diderot being a shameless and unapologetic borrower from other writers.

More specifically, who sets the "rules" for what can be included in a story? Aristotle's dictums come up, of course, but they're found inadequate. Jacques undermines the rules of literature, and life, by pointing out that what we think of as "good" often leads to "evil" and apparent evil to good, so one never quite know where one is going. His solution? - It's all being "written above", willed by God.

One of the running jokes is a request for details on Jacques' amorous past adventures. He is not too forthcoming, but an irony is that there is plenty of sex and bawdiness supplied in most of the stories that are told as they continue on their travels which end with the Master being sent to prison for having fathered a bastard son. What will become of the son? Who knows? - he may become a good and respected person, or he may become a scoundrel. Whatever happens is "written above". In an odd way, an appropriate ending - what will be the fate of Diderot's "bastard" mishmash of what could loosely be called a novel? If the reader thinks this is a impossible question to answer, Diderot suggests that he supply his own ending.

In a postcript, an "editor" finds three additions, not included in the original story. Ttwo of which he thinks are authentic, and the third clearly spurious. More questions, more uncertainty. In Kurt Vonnegut's words, so it goes. (less)

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Apr 19, 2011 Arash Hadadan rated it 5 of 5 stars

ye ja mige:
miduni chera mardom miran maraseme edam (dar zadan) ro tamasha mikonan?! chun ye chizi dashte bashan ke dar moredesh ba ham harf bezanan.
alan ketab hamram nis,badan eine ebarato mizaram inja vaghan aalie in ketab.
به نظر شما چه چیزی عوام را به میدان اعدام می‌کشاند؟ سنگدلی؟ اشتباه می‌کنید، مردم سنگدل نیستند و اگر زورشان می‌رسید این بدبختی را که روی سکوی اعدام احاطه‌اش کرده‌اند از چنگال عدالت بیرون می‌کشیدند. اینان اگر به میدان اعدام می‌روند برای آن است که وقتی به محله‌شان برمی‌گردند مطل...more

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Jan 26, 2008 Giuliana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

I dreamed I was in "sunny Somerset," England, but it was night. I was finishing dinner at Henry Fielding's house, and Jonathan Swift and Laurence Sterne were also there. We had dined on cold meats and red wine. Three hound dogs were dozing near the fire, and I played with some dried fruit while I listened to the three men's conversation. The atmosphere is one I would confidently define as "jovial." Fielding, Swift, and Sterne were talking about the Odyssey and how epic, poetry, and tragedy were...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Pavlina rated it 5 of 5 stars

18th century french novel written by a man who was among the first ones who were able to say to the world: "Hey, there may not be God the way we have always thought..." A novel about a journey from one nameless point to another, a journey of Jacques the servant and his master. A must read for everyone studying literature. A need read for all those who ever told themselves: Is this honestly my boss? What if I am more although he is my master? A book for all those who believe in destiny...

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Aug 20, 2012 Gijs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: french, fiction, novels, favorites, 16th-to-18th-century, humor

Hoogst originele, aan één stuk doorlopende anti-roman over de reizende Jacques de knecht en zijn meester, waarin praktisch niets gebeurt, behalve dan eindeloze gesprekken tussen de twee hoofdpersonen en tussen hen en de kleurrijke personen die ze tegenkomen.

De roman hangt van (sterke, humoristische en erotische) verhalen aan elkaar en is daarmee een soort mini-1001 nacht, ware het niet dat Diderot een uiterst geestige en zelfbewuste Sheherazade is, die zijn verhalen zeer vaak laat onderbreken (v...more

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Mar 22, 2009 Paula rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Paula by: Raymond Lemieux

Shelves: french, novels-and-stories, best-reads-of-2009

I love this book and have already started to reread it in anticipation of my French book club's discussion. Diderot pays unabashed obeisance to Sterne's Tristram Shandy with his constantly interrupted, disrupted, and recommenced tale. As noted in the Preface to the novel (or anti-novel, as Diderot might have considered it)Jacques le fataliste is composed of one long chapter (over 300 pages in this edition)and includes around 60 characters, 21 stories and 180 breaks in the narrative. This is 18th...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Andrew Calderon rated it 3 of 5 stars

The importance of this book is better understood in the context of the Neo-classical movement. Notoriously, Diderot challenged literary conventions of the time by dismantling the wall between the reader and the author. He did away with the notion of an omniscient author, and did away entirely with the reader's demand for a plot. In fact, at many points in the book he taunts the reader assuming that one is annoyed at his tangents, inconsistencies, and plotlessness.

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Jul 28, 2011 Brian Burt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: philosophical fiction; literary style

An entertaining wandering and more importantly an essential piece of literary history. The novel is philosophical in content and almost exhaustive in its exploration of literary style. The story seems aimless but humorous, even if the narrator is too clever for his own good. The casual reader may not be impressed, but anyone interested in the progression of literature will find much here. To be read after Cervantes.

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Aug 08, 2011 Philip Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Brilliant - very impressed. It felt like a cross between The Canterbury Tales and Tristram Shandy. Lots of farcical stories and lots of comments on the writing process. I didn't enjoy Rameau's Nephew but this was quite enchanting and made me laugh. One I wouldn't have read if I hadn't been attempting the '1001 bookes to read before you die' list.

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Feb 06, 2010 Kirk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read Laurence Sterne's 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman' first; otherwise this book will seem more original and strange than it really was, plus you won't get half the allusions. Diderot took up Sterne's mantle (and some of his narrative) and somehow made the tone even more lighthearted, added some elements forbidden to Sterne - blasphemy, social criticism, more explicit sexual references. It also lacks the weight of Tristram Shandy, as the digressions are limited to a few pa...more

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About Denis Diderot

Denis Diderot (October 5, 1713 – July 31, 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent persona during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie.
Diderot also contributed to literature, notably with Jacques le fataliste et son maître (Jacques the Fatalist and his Master), which emulated Laurence...more

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Quotes from Jacques the Fatalist

“The fact is that she was terribly undressed and I was extremely undressed too. The fact is that I still had my hand where she didn't have anything and she had hers where the same wasn't quite true of me. The fact is that I found myself underneath her and consequently she found herself on top of me.” — 5 people liked it

“Ludzie, którzy coś powtarzają dwa razy, to głupcy mający za głupców tych, którzy ich słuchają” — 1 person liked it

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