Niels Lyhne

Fascinating story set around the turn of the century that looks at the lives and beliefs of a number of memorable characters as they traverse society and the times they lived in.

I consider myself well read but I usually default to reading non-fiction. I have nothing but appreciation for Rilke and the wisdom he conveys in his letters to a young poet. It is because of his mentioning this book with high merit that I've given it a try.. but I digress.With respect to the various translations of Neils Lhyne, I have read several. This version contains many errors and an abundance of tricky/dated vernacular however it is still the most eloquent version. If you are reading this book correctly: you should be pausing to think after nearly every sentence or paragraph at times; having to look up words frequently is therefore not as tragic as it may seem.This book costs less than $10. I have bought many copies of this version for myself and as a gift. I've returned here for the first time in a couple years to purchase 3 more copies. I highly recommend that all people read this book with great patience and focus as if it were something sacred such as a religious text on which your soul depends.

A lyrical but lugubrious novel by the writer Thomas Mann credited with being his major literary influence. The protagonist weaves his way through life as a poet who cannot create, facing one tragic event after another. Throughout, he maintains, to the book's end, a consistent rejection of hope based on religion's promise of a compensatory afterlife; thus, he faces the author's onslaught of nordic severity after nordic severity with a kind of secular faith and acceptance of what the world brings. Central to the author's message, the life of the artist is portrayed through several characters: the gulf between ordinary life and the demands of artistic creativity, with its reliance on inspiration as well as sustained commitment. The artist seems fated to live the life of "the other," and the protagonist attempts to find a way to reconcile his "otherness" with the quotidian. Jacobsen, who died young, clearly understood this well. Abandon all hope you who enter, but anticipate some beautiful writing.

Good characters- last 50 pp compressed story. Good language lots of nature

I enjoyed reading this book more than anyother in recent years. I really enjoy Jacobsen'swriting. The translation in this edition appearsto be extraordinarily good.

Beware! This edition is a very poor translation of a wonderful novel.I bought it not realizing there was another edition (Penguin) which is very much better.This edition has no indication whatsoever in the book about the publisher, the translator etc.If you "look inside" this edition and compare even the first page to what you find when you look inside the Penguin edition, you can see for yourself!

Superbly written, extraordinary descriptions: nature, and human nature. Indepth analysis of a search for one self, with dramtic hapenings.

This publisher has GOT to be kidding! Over 3,000 locations and NO table of contents!

Cheap and nasty digital copy. Do not bother to buy, you can get the proper book in Penguin Classic. Avoid at all cost.

This is a horrendously awkward publication which I can only assume was made by pirates. The book begins with an add for the software used in copying this book from wherever they found it. It's printed in tiny 3 column format on about 60 standard printer size pages... I thought I was buying a used book. This isn't used, it's just junk.