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The Golem and The Man Who Was Born Again: Two German Supernatural Novels
English, German (translation)
412 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1976
2 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Gustav Meyrink
319 books327 followersThe illegitimate child of a baron and an actress, Meyrinck spent his childhood in Germany, then moving to today's Czech Republic where he lived for 20 years. The city of Prague is present in most of his work along with various religious, occult and fantastic themes. Meyrinck practiced yoga all his life.
Curious facts:
He unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide at the age of 24. His son committed suicide at the same age with success.
Meyrinck founded his own bank but was accused of fraud for which he spent 2 months in prison.
He worked as a translator and translated in German 15 volumes by Charles Dickens while working on his own novels.
Among his most famous works are Der Golem (1914) and Walpurgisnacht (1917).
Curious facts:
He unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide at the age of 24. His son committed suicide at the same age with success.
Meyrinck founded his own bank but was accused of fraud for which he spent 2 months in prison.
He worked as a translator and translated in German 15 volumes by Charles Dickens while working on his own novels.
Among his most famous works are Der Golem (1914) and Walpurgisnacht (1917).
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 4, 2011
I had a great review started and the system kicked me out so I'll try to resurrect it. These stories are a part of the German turn-of-the-20th-century school of occultism/Expressionism/supernaturalism. If I could have, I would have split my rating. Although this are both extremely well-known and highly rated authors of this time period, to me they are vastly unequal. The Man Who Was Born Again is basically just one of those variations on reincarnation. The thing is, however, the second person remembers the entire life of the first person and actually writes it down. It read quickly, but I was really disappointed.
I had to go on Amazon and purchase my own copy of the Golem though. Meyrink is an example of a great writer in any era. I just wish more of his work was available in English.
The layers in this book are many and I had to read it twice to begin unraveling them. And it was worth it. I'll read it again as soon as my own copy comes and learn new things, I'm sure. It is somewhat Kafka-esque, but I won't say anything more about that in case someone actually reads this review and decides to read it.
As well as the multiple layers (very psychological, not really what we would call supernatural), the language grabbed me. Some of the metaphors took my breath away. One I'll always go back to is
"A snowstorm was raging in front of my window. The snowflakes sped like regiments - little miniature soldiers in white furry coats - past the panes of my window, on and on, one behind the other, always the same direction, as though in universal retreat from a peculiarly formidable foe. All of a sudden they seemed to get tired of running away, and, in some mysterious manner having decided to attack, would whizz back again, till fresh hostile armies fell on their flanks, and the whole resolved itself into a pallid hurly-burly."
There's a lot more like that, too. I know I missed a lot of it the second time through as well, because I was unravelling layers, but more of it caught my eye than the first time.
I admit this isn't a book for everyone and not even a book for very many people. Seems like I read a lot of those. But anyone who can take it in the context of its time and likes a challenging read, should love it!
I had to go on Amazon and purchase my own copy of the Golem though. Meyrink is an example of a great writer in any era. I just wish more of his work was available in English.
The layers in this book are many and I had to read it twice to begin unraveling them. And it was worth it. I'll read it again as soon as my own copy comes and learn new things, I'm sure. It is somewhat Kafka-esque, but I won't say anything more about that in case someone actually reads this review and decides to read it.
As well as the multiple layers (very psychological, not really what we would call supernatural), the language grabbed me. Some of the metaphors took my breath away. One I'll always go back to is
"A snowstorm was raging in front of my window. The snowflakes sped like regiments - little miniature soldiers in white furry coats - past the panes of my window, on and on, one behind the other, always the same direction, as though in universal retreat from a peculiarly formidable foe. All of a sudden they seemed to get tired of running away, and, in some mysterious manner having decided to attack, would whizz back again, till fresh hostile armies fell on their flanks, and the whole resolved itself into a pallid hurly-burly."
There's a lot more like that, too. I know I missed a lot of it the second time through as well, because I was unravelling layers, but more of it caught my eye than the first time.
I admit this isn't a book for everyone and not even a book for very many people. Seems like I read a lot of those. But anyone who can take it in the context of its time and likes a challenging read, should love it!
Displaying 1 of 1 review