<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A book of my life
Review: I read it translated in Korean about 12 years ago. Though i felt it was somewhat boring at that time, i couldn't put it down, so i persisted. And now i know the book has been serving all these years as a formative novel to me. I am afraid I don't remember the details, but surely i remember how absolutely it absorbed me and arrested me. I want to get a copy of it now and read it again, for now I am sure i will be fully enjoying it, even loving the memory of boredom it gave me when i was a novice and dull reader. So sad it is out of print.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars 10 years ago
Review: I read this book when I was in high school. All summer nights in 1994!! I even felt bad as I progressed through the pages as if the book was a bag of cookies. Ideal, spiritual, as pure as the sound of a wood wind instrument. A decade later I revisited this book this summer. The protagonist were no more as inspirational as before. First of all this Jean Christophe person is such a super moral man that I don't see any reality in his character. It is hard to imagine that Beethoven was such a character.( Another book by the same author. See how I was intrigued then.) Maybe I'm wrong. People born before WW2 could have lived different lives than our own.
Rating:
Summary: "Those who know not of 'suffer' ought not talk about it"
Review: Jean-Christophe is a very touching story that does indeed prove the saying above.Jean Christophe may be the idea of a rascal, evil and full of hatred to the rich, but he's just a desperate man in need of comfort, of peace, and most of all, of appreciation. It just-in it's persuasive way-forces you to look upon the dirty, 'unworthy' ones with a new light, with pity-not disgust. The language simply cools down the heart like a mountain-full of ice by the beauty of it. And it's hatred for the world behind the mask just burns your heart as it did with Christophe. Down with pretense! Down with politeness! All in all, the tragedy of this impatient man who found peace in death will either pierce your heart with enlightment or choke you with laughter. Be it a long lecture, a 1600+ pages of enlightment, a rebellion, this is not a master of the great arts you will soon forget.
Rating: 
Summary: Jean Christophe
Review: Part One is wonderful. The remainder is very outdated. I can appreciate the man's spirit but am not really interested in early 20th century discourses on European culture and nationalism. Rolland, like Sinclair Lewis, was probably deserving of the Nobel in his time, but the lack of attention both receive today is indicative of how confined to their time their works were, IMHO. By the way, if we're going to read early 20th greats let's not forget Tagore.
Rating:
Summary: Jean-Christophe
Review: The beauty of the language even after translation, the depth of emotions and feelings and human nature described in the book have continuesly inspired me in all the years. Very few people can have the bravery (as I remember the author wrote) of standing in front the door of life and facing all its heartaches and pains and hardships -- and bursting out laughing, with one's head high. I had wished and imagined I could when I read it in high school. With all his flaws, Jean Christophe represents the unconquerable, undefeatable and ever-improving human spirit. He has inspired and will continue to inspire me in life. Just wish the book can be published again and I can get a copy of it -- not as an antique book or an used one.
<< 1 >>
| 
