Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen
1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich:
5.0 von 5 Sternen
Funnier than Catch-22 or Bombardiers, and with more drama, 1. April 1997
Von Ein Kunde
Quite simply, one of the five funniest books of all time, I rate this alongside Confederacy of Dunces, Catch-22, Bombardiers, and Vonnegut's best work. It tells the story of an usually drunken American, Sebastian Dangerfield, studying at Trinity College, Dublin, and his trials and tribulations of him, his wife and friends, colleagues, and fellow drinkers. Written in 1965 and hailed as "A triumph of comic writing..." by The New Yorker it is crying-out-loud funny. The scene where Sebastian tries to buy condoms in 1960s Ireland is alone worth the price of the book. Friends raved about this for years, and I'm still kicking myself for waiting this long to read it. The best story I've ever seen about contemporary man trying to find pleasure in life without working in any sense of the word. I am more apt to give comedies a one, but this is definitely a ten
Helfen Sie anderen Kunden bei der Suche nach den hilfreichsten Rezensionen
War diese Rezension für Sie hilfreich? Ja
Nein
5.0 von 5 Sternen
A Farce with Force, 9. Juni 2000
The Ginger Man definitely fits the category of comedy in the classical sense, with the main character beginning in dire straits and ending with an uncertain but optimistic future. Uncertain here is a key word, because Dangerfield only thrives in uncertain, chaotic circumstances. When he is able to contemplate, he usually tends toward melancholy. This melancholy provides some of the novel's best writing, but is a mood the hero escapes whenever possible, by getting drunk or otherwise stirring things up. It is in this latter mood that the most hilarious episodes occur, but there is entertaining wordplay as well in the most casual observations. Dangerfield has no ambition, only dreams. Real life can only sporadically supply what he requires, so he is constantly moving from one uncertainty to the next. He experiences rare moments of true joy; boisterous camaraderie, sanctuary after a violent episode, forgetfulness in a woman's arms (to put it in a cliched form quite at odds with the tone of the book itself), an occasional epiphany of the poetry of Ireland that led him there in the first place. He reacts with violence to violations of his sovereign right to do what he pleases, or when he feels personally slighted - there is a feeling that he considers himself a keeper of the flame, with a necessary cross to bear in order to tend it, which sometimes manifests itself as an elitist belief in his own righteous passion, at other times as base snobbery, or again as maudlin self-pity. This is one of the endearing aspects of his character. The women in his life generally want something from him that he is unable and unwilling to provide; constancy. The men he relates to don't demand this, so many of the best moments in this book and in Dangerfield's life consist of banter with these men wherein his wit is revealed and distant vistas of unconquered territory momentarily glisten. In these conversations the commodities he provides become clear - raw energy and the feeling that one can act on his impulses and realize his dreams. His saving grace from a reader's point of view is his being true to his own inconstant, selfish self. He's his worst enemy, and woe to those who are attracted to him - but many are.
Helfen Sie anderen Kunden bei der Suche nach den hilfreichsten Rezensionen
War diese Rezension für Sie hilfreich? Ja
Nein
5.0 von 5 Sternen
shocking, 2. Februar 2000
I think this book breaks just about every rule in the book. Treating grammer and convention with superb disregard, the frantic narrative continues to shock you and keep you 'on your toes'. At the beginning I assumed Dangerfield was being presented as the hero of the book, only to witness him punching his wife and threatening his child a few chapters later. He is almost an anti-hero. The book is at once sad, optimistic, violent and serene. Most of all though, it is entirely memorable. Go in with an open mind and you will realise why it has been so consistently praised.
Helfen Sie anderen Kunden bei der Suche nach den hilfreichsten Rezensionen
War diese Rezension für Sie hilfreich? Ja
Nein
|
|
Die neuesten Kundenrezensionen
|