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Jack Faust
The acclaimed novels of award-winning author Michael Swanwick have been praised for their "heady mix of wild ideas and images" (San Francisco Chronicle) and "extraordinary richness and scope" (Kirkus Reviews). But nothing that has come before can quite compare to this, Swanwick's finest creation to date.It is Wittenberg, Germany, and Dr. Faust is burning his books. The alchemist is in deepest despair, for even his vast learning is powerless against the ignorance and superstition of his fellow man. Then, in his darkest moment, a voice whispers: Faust. And so begins Swanwick's masterful reinvention of Goethe's story of a scholar who sells his soul to the Devil for the gift of unlimited Knowledge.
But the wisdom this Mephistopheles offers goes far beyond anything even imagined in Goethe's day. The principles of flight, technology and economics, the mysteries of the cosmos, medicine and the atom -- all are made known to Faust as he remakes the world in his own image, ushering in the New Age of Mechanization centuries before its rightful day. Ultimately it is love -- for his creations and for a woman named Margarete -- that damns Jack Faust, as this brilliant story spins forward through time, pulling the reader to the very brink of the new millennium to confront the "progress" Faust has wrought.
Lyrical, arresting and provocative, "Jack Faust" is a cause for celebration -- it is an extraordinary work that entertains gloriously as it takes a deep and disturbing look into the collective soul of humankind.
But the wisdom this Mephistopheles offers goes far beyond anything even imagined in Goethe's day. The principles of flight, technology and economics, the mysteries of the cosmos, medicine and the atom -- all are made known to Faust as he remakes the world in his own image, ushering in the New Age of Mechanization centuries before its rightful day. Ultimately it is love -- for his creations and for a woman named Margarete -- that damns Jack Faust, as this brilliant story spins forward through time, pulling the reader to the very brink of the new millennium to confront the "progress" Faust has wrought.
Lyrical, arresting and provocative, "Jack Faust" is a cause for celebration -- it is an extraordinary work that entertains gloriously as it takes a deep and disturbing look into the collective soul of humankind.
337 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 3, 2019
Set in Wittenberg, Germany, on the eve of the 19th century, Swanwick's vivid, retelling of an immortal tale opens with Faust burning his books in frustration at his own ignorance, trapped in a time and in a city where things were done "by magic." Faust accepts Mephistopheles's offer of infinite and absolute knowledge.
Faust has no companion except Mephistopheles. He accepts the devil's offer to see women naked, falls in love at the sight of virginal young Margarete Reinhardt, and is willing to do anything to win her. Faust approaches Margarete's father with get-rich-quick schemes, and essentially becomes a businessman instead of a scholar, learning that the best way to sell inventions is by applying them to military ends.
In the name of love, Faust sets the world into a downward spiral of greed and war.
Faust has no companion except Mephistopheles. He accepts the devil's offer to see women naked, falls in love at the sight of virginal young Margarete Reinhardt, and is willing to do anything to win her. Faust approaches Margarete's father with get-rich-quick schemes, and essentially becomes a businessman instead of a scholar, learning that the best way to sell inventions is by applying them to military ends.
In the name of love, Faust sets the world into a downward spiral of greed and war.
December 28, 2013
"If there is no God, everything is permitted." --Fyodor Dostoevsky
"'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the law!" --Aleister Crowley
Both of the quoted lines could well serve as epigraphs for this novel (though the author actually used three other quotes), and both summarize the major thrust of its message. Swanwick uses the Faust legend here as a literary conceit for a very dark and pessimistic meditation on the social, moral and spiritual results of modernity. The Goodreads description is technically accurate enough, but really doesn't convey the flavor of what's here.
Marlowe and Goethe both envisioned the Faust legend in terms adapted to the ideas and concerns of their day; Swanwick does likewise. This is a vision of the Faust story for a secular-minded age: the protagonist's bargain, in the early decades of the 16th century as a scholar who's lost his faith, is not with the devil, but with a malevolent alien race supposedly omniscient and capable of communicating telepathically across the vastness of space, and one of their first supposed "revelations" to Faust is that "there is no God." And unlike the devil, they're not bargaining for a human soul. For reasons not fully explained, their race faces extinction. If they can't live, they don't want any other race to live, either; and barring their intervention, the human race will outlast them. What they want of Faust is to be the conduit for their scientific knowledge and nihilistic philosophy into the 16th century, to ensure that the human race will complete its own self-destruction in Faust's lifetime.
My only experience of Swanwick's work prior to reading this book was his short story "A Midwinter's Tale" (which I wasn't overly impressed with); but when I saw a remaindered copy of this book on sale, being a sucker for alternate world scenarios, I took a chance on it. It does deliver a fascinating alternate 16th century, as the full effects of the scientific, commercial and industrial revolutions, the Enlightenment, Darwinism, Marxism and Fascism are all crammed into a few decades. (In this alternate world, Faust's Periodic Table of the Elements, not Luther's 95 Theses, is the revolutionary document nailed to the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church.) Dark and pessimistic reads, of course, aren't usually my cup of tea. I rated this one as highly as I did, partly because Swanwick's story-telling skills here are pretty effective at involving the reader, and partly because this is a very penetrating, honest critique of exactly what modernity has done to the human race, in terms of the quality of our lives and thought and our relations with each other (not a Pollyanna celebration of the glories of "Science and Progress"). And this critique also takes seriously the devastating and socially destructive effects of widespread loss of religious belief, a recognition that's significant given the fact that elements of the book indicate that Swanwick is an atheist himself --but, like H.P. Lovecraft, one who refuses to whistle in the graveyard.
Although I did check the Wikipedia description of Goethe's Faust before writing this review, I've never read the latter work, and you don't have to have in order to appreciate this one. Swanwick, however, has clearly read it, and having read it beforehand would doubtless enhance your appreciation, and understanding of where some of the plot elements come from. . There's a certain amount of bad language here, including use of the f-word; but this reflects the fact that a good deal of 16th-century speech, judging from some indications in the extant writings, actually was more than a little coarse. (There's no explicit sex, and not much violence.)
"'Do what thou wilt' shall be the whole of the law!" --Aleister Crowley
Both of the quoted lines could well serve as epigraphs for this novel (though the author actually used three other quotes), and both summarize the major thrust of its message. Swanwick uses the Faust legend here as a literary conceit for a very dark and pessimistic meditation on the social, moral and spiritual results of modernity. The Goodreads description is technically accurate enough, but really doesn't convey the flavor of what's here.
Marlowe and Goethe both envisioned the Faust legend in terms adapted to the ideas and concerns of their day; Swanwick does likewise. This is a vision of the Faust story for a secular-minded age: the protagonist's bargain, in the early decades of the 16th century as a scholar who's lost his faith, is not with the devil, but with a malevolent alien race supposedly omniscient and capable of communicating telepathically across the vastness of space, and one of their first supposed "revelations" to Faust is that "there is no God." And unlike the devil, they're not bargaining for a human soul. For reasons not fully explained, their race faces extinction. If they can't live, they don't want any other race to live, either; and barring their intervention, the human race will outlast them. What they want of Faust is to be the conduit for their scientific knowledge and nihilistic philosophy into the 16th century, to ensure that the human race will complete its own self-destruction in Faust's lifetime.
My only experience of Swanwick's work prior to reading this book was his short story "A Midwinter's Tale" (which I wasn't overly impressed with); but when I saw a remaindered copy of this book on sale, being a sucker for alternate world scenarios, I took a chance on it. It does deliver a fascinating alternate 16th century, as the full effects of the scientific, commercial and industrial revolutions, the Enlightenment, Darwinism, Marxism and Fascism are all crammed into a few decades. (In this alternate world, Faust's Periodic Table of the Elements, not Luther's 95 Theses, is the revolutionary document nailed to the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church.) Dark and pessimistic reads, of course, aren't usually my cup of tea. I rated this one as highly as I did, partly because Swanwick's story-telling skills here are pretty effective at involving the reader, and partly because this is a very penetrating, honest critique of exactly what modernity has done to the human race, in terms of the quality of our lives and thought and our relations with each other (not a Pollyanna celebration of the glories of "Science and Progress"). And this critique also takes seriously the devastating and socially destructive effects of widespread loss of religious belief, a recognition that's significant given the fact that elements of the book indicate that Swanwick is an atheist himself --but, like H.P. Lovecraft, one who refuses to whistle in the graveyard.
Although I did check the Wikipedia description of Goethe's Faust before writing this review, I've never read the latter work, and you don't have to have in order to appreciate this one. Swanwick, however, has clearly read it, and having read it beforehand would doubtless enhance your appreciation, and understanding of where some of the plot elements come from. . There's a certain amount of bad language here, including use of the f-word; but this reflects the fact that a good deal of 16th-century speech, judging from some indications in the extant writings, actually was more than a little coarse. (There's no explicit sex, and not much violence.)
October 6, 2024
This is an alternate history, vaguely steampunk, retelling of Goethe's Faustus. It's very dark and Gothically gloomy and the prose gets a bit florid in places, buts it's a very literate, very carefully written work. It was a little too long for me, and I thought the ending was a bit weak, but it was nominated for a bunch of awards and received a number of accolades so it's quite likely much better than I remember.
September 15, 2018
Real Rating: 2.5* of five
~meh~
~meh~
April 6, 2010
Faust said with sudden apprehension, "Yes. Yes, what do you want of me in return?"
"Only that you listen."
—p.28
A demonic bargain, to be sure—in a sense, the same one I ask of you here. But Faust and Mephistopheles go further, of course, in this updated version of the old tale; what the demon asks Faust to listen to is nothing less than the whole of physical science, given centuries before its more natural advent in our universe. The demon makes it clear that its gifts are made from malice, but Faust accepts them anyway, telling himself (and Mephistopheles) that humanity might not use them for destruction after all. That redemption might yet be salvaged from the savage revolutions Faust will set in motion. The chance is there. The choice is there. All we need to do is choose wisely, when faced with worldly ease and wealth taken from the toil of others, at the expense of the future.
And when has humanity ever chosen wisely? When have humans ever really listened? Does Jack's love for Margrete change things? Only time will tell—and Jack's time is out of joint.
This book won multiple awards when it was new, and understandably so; yes, that's exactly how events would proceed, once the bargain has been struck. As a work of speculative fiction, Jack Faust is nearly unparalleled. Yet... is it bad of me or merely all too human, to have wanted just a little more light?
March 19, 2025
To paraphrase Mephistopheles here… information is information, knowledge is knowledge, and this is what happens to humanity (much of which is but a goosestep away from chaos) if no distinction is made between the high and the low. And since even the best of us might not have the tools to make a timely and/or effective discernment, how easily can we be led to our ultimate destruction, whilst the world burns all around.
November 29, 2008
Jack Faust is a retelling of the “Faust” legend. It is richly evocative of the medieval setting and presents Mephistopheles in the most fascinating way as a supernatural being who appears almost randomly as both disgusting and appropriate creatures—visible to the eyes of Faust only. The use of a first name to personalize the protagonist rather fooled me, particularly since the action of the novel all takes place in an alternate medieval history in Europe. The contemporary name led me to believe that this alternate historical novel would reach its climax in either the modern or cyberpunk era—especially given the author’s work in the latter.
I was disappointed in my presumption, but encouraged by the narrative flow. Unlike Doctor Faustus or Faust, the rather poetic stage versions of the legend I had previously encountered, this novel spent less time engaging in philosophical discussion than in dragging the protagonist inexorably downward into the expected tragedy of a life wherein the power to bless (in this case, by scientific means) becomes the reality of a curse.
I was less convinced by the motivation attributed by the author to the demons. [Spoiler alert!] In this recounting of the legend, the author posits that the demons have a shorter lifestyle than that of the humans and that they are, understandably, jealous of the human advantage in this regard. So, their intent is to wreak revenge on humanity by allowing them unlimited knowledge such that they will destroy themselves. I understand the motivation of offering the knowledge such that it can be twisted back upon humanity—such was the promise of the serpent in Genesis 3. I don’t understand the idea of having powerful supernatural beings who survive for a shorter life-span than humans. It seems like the idea of beings beyond time would have added to the idea of a “race” with superior knowledge rather than enhanced it. I think the author was deliberately trying to avoid the traditional idea of demons being jealous of humans because the demonic fall was presumably permanent after Lucifer’s rebellion and the human fall was “reversible” by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this case, I don’t believe anything was gained by jumping the shark of tradition. Of course, if you like novelty for novelty’s sake, it is at least a fresh take on the meta-struggle for humanity’s soul. But then again, if you were looking for novelty, you probably wouldn’t have picked up a novel with a name like Faust in the title. Why go for a retelling when you could get something…er…completely different.
I was disappointed in my presumption, but encouraged by the narrative flow. Unlike Doctor Faustus or Faust, the rather poetic stage versions of the legend I had previously encountered, this novel spent less time engaging in philosophical discussion than in dragging the protagonist inexorably downward into the expected tragedy of a life wherein the power to bless (in this case, by scientific means) becomes the reality of a curse.
I was less convinced by the motivation attributed by the author to the demons. [Spoiler alert!] In this recounting of the legend, the author posits that the demons have a shorter lifestyle than that of the humans and that they are, understandably, jealous of the human advantage in this regard. So, their intent is to wreak revenge on humanity by allowing them unlimited knowledge such that they will destroy themselves. I understand the motivation of offering the knowledge such that it can be twisted back upon humanity—such was the promise of the serpent in Genesis 3. I don’t understand the idea of having powerful supernatural beings who survive for a shorter life-span than humans. It seems like the idea of beings beyond time would have added to the idea of a “race” with superior knowledge rather than enhanced it. I think the author was deliberately trying to avoid the traditional idea of demons being jealous of humans because the demonic fall was presumably permanent after Lucifer’s rebellion and the human fall was “reversible” by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this case, I don’t believe anything was gained by jumping the shark of tradition. Of course, if you like novelty for novelty’s sake, it is at least a fresh take on the meta-struggle for humanity’s soul. But then again, if you were looking for novelty, you probably wouldn’t have picked up a novel with a name like Faust in the title. Why go for a retelling when you could get something…er…completely different.
February 25, 2015
Michael Swanwick, rendido à personagem, presenteia-nos com um Fausto insatisfeito, que logo de início se questiona sobre o conhecimento que almejara e que de momento nada significa, não o convence. Queima praticamente todos os seus livros, sendo salvo pelo seu fiel discípulo Wagner, é considerado como louco pelos seus conterrâneos e durante um ataque de febre que o deixa completamente inconsciente, ele recebe a ajuda que tanto almejara.
Alguém oferece-lhe uma visão inesquecível sobre o universo e um inesgotável conhecimento. Finalmente a alma sedenta de Fausto encontra um reflexo naqueles seres que o abordam, aceitando um pacto com eles. No entanto, em qualquer pacto há sempre o outro lado e quando questionados sobre o que pretendem em troca, é-lhe mostrada uma visão horrenda do fim da humanidade, da destruição da raça humana provocada pelo próprio ser humano.
O conhecimento que lhe vai sendo transmitido, tem um propósito bem definido, é que este seja aplicado no desenvolvimento massivo de armamento, de material bélico, que possa conduzir ao fim desejado por aqueles que visitam Fausto, a destruição da raça humana, raça insignificante perante a vastidão do Universo.
Ao despertar da sua doença, Fausto começa uma nova vida, e como prometido é-lhe transmitido o conhecimento que lhe permite desenvolver novas teorias e conceitos da física e da matemática, inovando a tecnologia e provocando uma verdadeira revolução industrial em pleno século XV.
Desde sempre as dúvidas existenciais contrabalançam com a sede de conhecimento. Quem ganhará esta luta interna de Fausto? Não vos vou dizer como é óbvio….
Muito bem escrito, Swanwick leva-nos através do tempo, pela Europa fustigada de crenças religiosas e castradoras. Numa linguagem clara, muito longe, na minha opinião é claro, dos outros Faustos literários que foram surgindo, o autor foca de igual forma as questões de bem e do mal.
Até onde a crença no divino atrofia o desenvolvimento científico, ou mesmo nos responsabiliza pelas andanças dos demónios interiores?
As personagens estão bem desenvolvidas, sendo que todo o livro desenvolve-se à volta de Fausto, Wagner e o inseparável Mefistófeles. Margaret ganha um papel de destaque para o final, revelando uma verdadeira lutadora pela emancipação feminina.
Apenas quero referir que uma verdadeira revolução industrial e tecnológica em pleno século XV conduziria a situações ( a meu ver é claro) verdadeiramente catastróficas. O autor apresenta com muita ligeireza esta situação, a própria igreja tem um papel muito passivo, e este é para mim o ponto menos conseguido na obra.
Alguém oferece-lhe uma visão inesquecível sobre o universo e um inesgotável conhecimento. Finalmente a alma sedenta de Fausto encontra um reflexo naqueles seres que o abordam, aceitando um pacto com eles. No entanto, em qualquer pacto há sempre o outro lado e quando questionados sobre o que pretendem em troca, é-lhe mostrada uma visão horrenda do fim da humanidade, da destruição da raça humana provocada pelo próprio ser humano.
O conhecimento que lhe vai sendo transmitido, tem um propósito bem definido, é que este seja aplicado no desenvolvimento massivo de armamento, de material bélico, que possa conduzir ao fim desejado por aqueles que visitam Fausto, a destruição da raça humana, raça insignificante perante a vastidão do Universo.
Ao despertar da sua doença, Fausto começa uma nova vida, e como prometido é-lhe transmitido o conhecimento que lhe permite desenvolver novas teorias e conceitos da física e da matemática, inovando a tecnologia e provocando uma verdadeira revolução industrial em pleno século XV.
Desde sempre as dúvidas existenciais contrabalançam com a sede de conhecimento. Quem ganhará esta luta interna de Fausto? Não vos vou dizer como é óbvio….
Muito bem escrito, Swanwick leva-nos através do tempo, pela Europa fustigada de crenças religiosas e castradoras. Numa linguagem clara, muito longe, na minha opinião é claro, dos outros Faustos literários que foram surgindo, o autor foca de igual forma as questões de bem e do mal.
Até onde a crença no divino atrofia o desenvolvimento científico, ou mesmo nos responsabiliza pelas andanças dos demónios interiores?
As personagens estão bem desenvolvidas, sendo que todo o livro desenvolve-se à volta de Fausto, Wagner e o inseparável Mefistófeles. Margaret ganha um papel de destaque para o final, revelando uma verdadeira lutadora pela emancipação feminina.
Apenas quero referir que uma verdadeira revolução industrial e tecnológica em pleno século XV conduziria a situações ( a meu ver é claro) verdadeiramente catastróficas. O autor apresenta com muita ligeireza esta situação, a própria igreja tem um papel muito passivo, e este é para mim o ponto menos conseguido na obra.
February 21, 2016
Давайте на миг представим, что будет с муравьем, если дать ему осознать, кто он и заставить прогрессировать? Вероятно, он будет поражен. А затем принесет знания о прогрессе в свою колонию, для всеобщего прогресса.
Что будет с человеком, если дать ему знания обо всем на свете? В первую очередь он создаст оружие, чтобы убивать себе подобных.
Фауст, отчаявшись найти знания в книгах и античной науке, взывает к Мефистофелю, отдавая тому свою душу в обмен на знания. Мефистофель, который явился Фаусту Суэнвика, не есть Дьявол-антагонист Создателя. Этот Мефистофель-это коллективный разум инопланетной цивилизации, которая жаждет уничтожение человечества. Почему? Просто завидно, что они, настолько продвинутые, проживут гораздо меньше человечества, которое еще находится на уровне чернокнижников и кровопускания в медицине.
Мефистофель соглашается дать Фаусту абсолютно все знания для развития технических навыков, в обмен на то, что Фауст приведет людей к вымиранию.
"Здесь Бога нет"-говорит и показывает Фаусту Мефистофель, и в целом, это описывает все последствия технического прогресса, который приносит доктор в 16 век. Знания о физике, механике, астрономии, химии, биологии, фармацевтике приводят мир Средневековья к прогрессу середины 20 века буквально за несколько десятилетий. Теория гелиоцентризма, знания о расположении и функционировании внутренних органов, микроскоп и телескоп, создание воздушного шара, открытие электричества, винтовок, многозарядных ружей, массовое производство и заводы-мир преодолел почти 5 веков одним прыжком, оставаясь психологически на уровне Средневековья. "Бога нет"-и возможны любые экономические махинации. "Бога нет"-и священники и монахи начинают заниматься политической и революционной деятельностью. "Бога нет"-и создаются контрацептивы, и проходят аборты.
Впервые хочется сказать, что книга о технике и механике будет интересна в первую очередь людям, изучающим гуманитарные науки, интересующиеся историей и социальными изменениями общества.
Роман-это скорее социальная фантастика , чем действительно альтернативная история. Размышления "а не напоминает ли вам это что-нибудь вокруг?.." о том, что мир перестал быть прежним, как только впервые было испытано ядерное оружие. И о том, что четвертая мировая будет вестись камнями и палками.
Что будет с человеком, если дать ему знания обо всем на свете? В первую очередь он создаст оружие, чтобы убивать себе подобных.
Фауст, отчаявшись найти знания в книгах и античной науке, взывает к Мефистофелю, отдавая тому свою душу в обмен на знания. Мефистофель, который явился Фаусту Суэнвика, не есть Дьявол-антагонист Создателя. Этот Мефистофель-это коллективный разум инопланетной цивилизации, которая жаждет уничтожение человечества. Почему? Просто завидно, что они, настолько продвинутые, проживут гораздо меньше человечества, которое еще находится на уровне чернокнижников и кровопускания в медицине.
Мефистофель соглашается дать Фаусту абсолютно все знания для развития технических навыков, в обмен на то, что Фауст приведет людей к вымиранию.
"Здесь Бога нет"-говорит и показывает Фаусту Мефистофель, и в целом, это описывает все последствия технического прогресса, который приносит доктор в 16 век. Знания о физике, механике, астрономии, химии, биологии, фармацевтике приводят мир Средневековья к прогрессу середины 20 века буквально за несколько десятилетий. Теория гелиоцентризма, знания о расположении и функционировании внутренних органов, микроскоп и телескоп, создание воздушного шара, открытие электричества, винтовок, многозарядных ружей, массовое производство и заводы-мир преодолел почти 5 веков одним прыжком, оставаясь психологически на уровне Средневековья. "Бога нет"-и возможны любые экономические махинации. "Бога нет"-и священники и монахи начинают заниматься политической и революционной деятельностью. "Бога нет"-и создаются контрацептивы, и проходят аборты.
Впервые хочется сказать, что книга о технике и механике будет интересна в первую очередь людям, изучающим гуманитарные науки, интересующиеся историей и социальными изменениями общества.
Роман-это скорее социальная фантастика , чем действительно альтернативная история. Размышления "а не напоминает ли вам это что-нибудь вокруг?.." о том, что мир перестал быть прежним, как только впервые было испытано ядерное оружие. И о том, что четвертая мировая будет вестись камнями и палками.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2018
Storyline: 1/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
I hadn't realized when I picked this up that this was another adaptation of the classic Faust story. That wasn't a tale I felt I really needed to hear again, but I tried to be open-minded and look forward to what Swanwick would bring to the story. His contribution pushes it more into the science fiction realm, though really it probably should simply be considered alternate history. It is the nature of the knowledge and the terms of the Faustian bargain with the "devil" that Swanwick plays with. It was the nature of Faust's bargain that was the most promising, what Mephistopholes wanted from the deal. What follows is almost a comedy of errors except that there's no humor. It would have been satire had it been insightful and revealing. Instead it was spectacle after spectacle whose introductions served simply to raise the stakes and reinforce some nihilistic point that knowledge is destructive. There's not even a thoughtfully-built world or convincing characters for the story to fall back on. The repercussions of Faust's bargain for society are random and discontinuous. I never understood one of the main character's motivations. It all just turned into a lot of words with people doing things that didn't make sense and with consequences that appeared ridiculous. Someone approaching this as their first Faust story will find the mechanics of the writing and characterization sufficient for an average tale. When judged as a contribution to the Faust lineage, though, it is difficult to see why this story needed to be told or why readers need to hear it.
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 1/5
I hadn't realized when I picked this up that this was another adaptation of the classic Faust story. That wasn't a tale I felt I really needed to hear again, but I tried to be open-minded and look forward to what Swanwick would bring to the story. His contribution pushes it more into the science fiction realm, though really it probably should simply be considered alternate history. It is the nature of the knowledge and the terms of the Faustian bargain with the "devil" that Swanwick plays with. It was the nature of Faust's bargain that was the most promising, what Mephistopholes wanted from the deal. What follows is almost a comedy of errors except that there's no humor. It would have been satire had it been insightful and revealing. Instead it was spectacle after spectacle whose introductions served simply to raise the stakes and reinforce some nihilistic point that knowledge is destructive. There's not even a thoughtfully-built world or convincing characters for the story to fall back on. The repercussions of Faust's bargain for society are random and discontinuous. I never understood one of the main character's motivations. It all just turned into a lot of words with people doing things that didn't make sense and with consequences that appeared ridiculous. Someone approaching this as their first Faust story will find the mechanics of the writing and characterization sufficient for an average tale. When judged as a contribution to the Faust lineage, though, it is difficult to see why this story needed to be told or why readers need to hear it.
January 21, 2009
It's tough to like a book that is all about the meaninglessness of life and inherent evil of humanity, but the author comes close to making the sale. This supposedly modern retelling of Faust is really an alternate history tale, with aliens standing in for the Devil. The premise is that these aliens wish to terminate humanity by accelerating the development of technology, which of course happens. But this is patently unfair to humanity since technological and societal change usually move hand in hand and to expect that underdeveloped societies just emerging from 1,000 years of darkness since after the fall of Rome would be able to handle nuclear power overnight is simply ridiculous. It's like giving children cars to drive and concluding that children are ultimately self-destructive because they subsequently get into accidents with the cars and kill themselves, when in reality they just weren't ready for them and neither are the humans in this book. Still, the writer is very skilled and his descriptions of a Middle Ages industrial, financial and social revolution are fascinating, as are the manifestations and observations of his Sci-Fi Mephistopheles, and his sometimes sweet, mostly cynical and always vivid passages on sex - this book is definitely not for the puritanical. However, notwithstanding these enjoyable aspects, this ultimately remains a hard book to like. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I just don't think that mankind or life sucks as much as the author does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2021
This book is a departure from what I would normally read. I like sci-fi/fantasy, but this story had a much darker outlook. It was a little hard to get into, the first chapter was very technical, but the pace picked up after that. I liked the take on Mephistophiles, it was an interesting spin on the character, and he occasionally offered some comic relief. I also very much liked Margarete/Gretchen. She was a strong and well written character. She seems a bit wishy-washy at first glance, but as the story progresses she fleshes out. It definitely took me a little bit longer to read this than average because it always made me feel a bit down. The ending was extremely pessimistic. I decided to gave it four stars because despite everything, it was extremely well written. It kept me interested, but man was it depressing.
I would recommend this book if you like distopian futures and the classic Faust tale. If you are looking for a light sci-fi read, this is definitely not it.
I would recommend this book if you like distopian futures and the classic Faust tale. If you are looking for a light sci-fi read, this is definitely not it.
December 12, 2017
The middle of this book was so strong, but the ending really fell apart for me. I think it either needed to take the apocalyptic trajectory of J. Faust further to explicitly allude to the prophecy/pact come true, or to go out with the air raid on the Spanish fleet. A bad ending rates equal with the average of the rest of the book in weight and importance for me, so this one left me meh, in spite of lovely prose and a fantastic Gretchen/Margaretta.
January 10, 2021
A retelling of the Faust story in which Mephistopheles -- a collective of malevolent intelligences from another dimension -- offers a 16th-century German alchemist unlimited knowledge, which he then uses to encompass five centuries worth of technical development in a couple of decades. The resulting story is a deeply misanthropic tale, grimly insistent that technology and society can only go together in one way and that way can lead only to destruction. This assertion is simply assumed, rather than proven: we see Faust spreading knowledge, and then observe as Europe goes through an accelerated industrial revolution that follows the contours of the real-life one, with not just the same progression of technologies -- no skipping over intermediate ones, as would presumably be possible if Faust were truly granted unlimited knowledge -- but very similar social institutions. Swanwick doesn't even really try to suggest that Mephistopheles, who tells Faust up front that he is hoping humanity will destroy itself, is feeding Faust knowledge in a way that will maximize human suffering: the clear implication is that, given enough technical know-how, humanity will inevitably self-destruct. Your enjoyment of this book will probably depend on to what extent you agree.
February 11, 2010
great so far!-- Wow, i've never read any of Swanwick's books before although i've had The Iron Dragon's Daughter by him for over a year. I have definitely been missing out, this guy is GOOD!
Jack Faust is a rewrite of Goethe's classic tale of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in order to posess all the knowledge in the world, and beyond.
Jack Faust is a rewrite of Goethe's classic tale of a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in order to posess all the knowledge in the world, and beyond.
March 13, 2018
Swanwick's just a frakking genius and this just goes to further his place in the list of criminally underrated authors. Much as I liked this, it's no Dragons of Babel (which, just go read that, I regret at least weekly that I sent my hardback copy off to a friend). Worth buying if you're looking for a pleasant reworking of the Faust legend or just a pleasant read.
September 18, 2021
This modern retelling of Faust is really an alternate history tale, with aliens standing in for the Devil. The premise is that these aliens wish to terminate humanity by accelerating the development of technology.But this is patently unfair to humanity since technological and societal change usually move hand in hand and to expect that underdeveloped societies just emerging from 1,000 years of darkness since after the fall of Rome would be able to handle nuclear power overnight is simply ridiculous. It's like giving children cars to drive and concluding that children are ultimately self-destructive because they subsequently get into accidents with the cars and kill themselves, when in reality they just weren't ready for them and neither are the humans in this book.
Swanwick doesn't even really try to suggest that Mephistopheles, who tells Faust up front that he is hoping humanity will destroy itself, is feeding Faust knowledge in a way that will maximize human suffering: the clear implication is that, given enough technical know-how, humanity will inevitably self -destruct. It's very much high on nihilism.
Still, the writer is very skilled and his descriptions of a Middle Ages industrial, financial and social revolution are fascinating, as are the observations of his Sci-Fi Mephistopheles.
And I would most definitely recommend his short stories.
Swanwick doesn't even really try to suggest that Mephistopheles, who tells Faust up front that he is hoping humanity will destroy itself, is feeding Faust knowledge in a way that will maximize human suffering: the clear implication is that, given enough technical know-how, humanity will inevitably self -destruct. It's very much high on nihilism.
Still, the writer is very skilled and his descriptions of a Middle Ages industrial, financial and social revolution are fascinating, as are the observations of his Sci-Fi Mephistopheles.
And I would most definitely recommend his short stories.
January 5, 2018
Here we have a re-telling of the Faust legend as a science-fiction tale in which a scholar who has grown restless with the scholarship of his time begins to burn all of his books, only to be visited by Mephistopheles (representing an extra-terrestrial race) who offers him knowledge on the presumption that the human species will render itself extinct. Faust, who has retained his best hopes for humanity, agrees to the bargain.
This sets up a fun alternative history in which the industrial revolution coincides with the renaissance, which leads to some entertaining or intriguing results, examining the ills of modernity in a story that sticks close to the legend including the agony of Gretchen - but without the redemption Goethe offers.
This sets up a fun alternative history in which the industrial revolution coincides with the renaissance, which leads to some entertaining or intriguing results, examining the ills of modernity in a story that sticks close to the legend including the agony of Gretchen - but without the redemption Goethe offers.
February 11, 2020
Basically “what if the Faustian bargain was actually modernity.” The ideas are compelling, as is watching the plot fast forward through the last few centuries. But I felt like this book should have either been much longer or much shorter - longer so he could go truly explore in a deep way the transition to industrial capitalism, or shorter so it could be a tight little short story w/ a twist. As it was I felt like the plot moved at a herky-jerky pace and Faust’s final transformation into “basically Hitler” was unearned. I was pleasantly surprised by Gretchen’s arc tho - I thought Swanwick was setting her up to be a #girlboss but actually her moral corruption as a titan of industry is handled pretty well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2020
This is a retelling of the Faust story in which Dr Faustus is given the sum of human knowledge and remodels society in his image. It’s cold and heartbreaking in places, filled with all the advances and struggles of the last two centuries over the space of less than a decade. It’s vivid and brutal but not without moments of heartbreak and tenderness. This is the sort of SF/ fantasy that really pushes what can be done with the genre.
August 29, 2023
An intriguing spin to the Faustian tale with some innovative perspectives thrown in. While it is somewhat fun to see Swanwick fits later technological inventions into Faust’s time, the retelling does not manage to explore anything new, aside of ‘what-ifs’ about military technology and the impossibility of “building a pyramid from the top down”.
June 13, 2019
Was really intrigued early on, but as the story evolved it seemed to fall into a rather predictable alternate reality. In my mind Gretchen was the most intriguing character of the story. I feel it would have been a stronger ending if the book ended when her tale finished.
November 13, 2019
This is just amazing on every level - it’s been so long since I couldn’t put a book down. The writing is lush, the characters and settings totally absorbing and the dialogue fantastic. I do love literature which involves the devil.
January 17, 2018
This book was unnecessarily dirty. I love the story of Faust, so when I read this was a re-telling, I was expectant of a great literary tribute. I was grossly disappointed.
July 11, 2019
Read it through but didn't buy it in the end.
October 3, 2019
Decent, but too long for its own sake.
November 24, 2019
Goethe redux.
June 13, 2021
Three and a half really, very well written.
February 22, 2022
Love his writing style and this rendition of the Faust material.
August 5, 2022
I devoured this novel. From the cinematic (almost vaudevillian oldschool Disney-esque) opening scene where Faust is burning his books all the way to the grim and slightly over-the-top ending. Swanwick really uses the power of the novel as a medium to illustrate what unearthly powers the devil possesses. It feels like Swanwick is fully in control and knows buttons and cogworks that other writers haven’t discovered yet.
I also noticed his fascination for carnaval and parades, a fascinating theme for scifi and fantasy novels as it “doubles” the level of alienation one step further, but at the same time it also connects us with the characters- a naive sense of wonder that runs through childhood. Often in his novels, carnavals and parades take place just before things go really wrong. It is “paradise lost”, a moment caught in amber.
Swanwick is a master, an incredible writer and an entertainer, but above all, a deep humanist. This might come as a surprise to people who read Jack Faust, bur I am sure they will know what I mean: Swanwick’s love for the human species is heartfelt and authentic.
I also noticed his fascination for carnaval and parades, a fascinating theme for scifi and fantasy novels as it “doubles” the level of alienation one step further, but at the same time it also connects us with the characters- a naive sense of wonder that runs through childhood. Often in his novels, carnavals and parades take place just before things go really wrong. It is “paradise lost”, a moment caught in amber.
Swanwick is a master, an incredible writer and an entertainer, but above all, a deep humanist. This might come as a surprise to people who read Jack Faust, bur I am sure they will know what I mean: Swanwick’s love for the human species is heartfelt and authentic.
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