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הצבוע המאושר: אגדה לאנשים עייפים

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אולי רציתם לפרוש מהחיים לשעתיים ולקרוא יצירה אינטנסיבית ומשעשעת, קופצנית ואירונית, מלאת חמלה ואלגנטיות, שנגמרת בפתרון עלילתי מושלם? קחו לכם את "הצבוע המאושר" של הדנדי, הקריקטוריסט והסופר הענק מקס בירבום.

מה קורה בנובלה: לורד הֶל הוא מהמר כפייתי, אדם מפוקפק ורודף שמלות המתאהב פתאום ברקדנית צעירה ששמה ג'ני, הנראית לו התגלות. היא באה לעולם להציל את נפשו. הוא לא חושב פעמיים ומציע לה נישואים. ג'ני לא חושבת פעמיים ודוחה אותו, כי היא רוצה לחיות עם אדם בעל פני מלאך. לורד הל, מיואש, מזמין לעצמו מסכת מלאך ועוטה אותה במטרה לרמות את אהובתו. אבל נראה שכוחותיה של המסכה יפתיעו את לורד הל, שטרנספורמציות אישיות בלתי פוסקות חלות בו.

תומאס וולף, חורחה לואיס בורחס ורוברטו בולניו התאהבו באמנות הכתיבה של בירבום, וכעת מגיע תורנו לקרוא את סיפוריו כמעין יצירה קאמרית מהבארוק האיטלקי, או כשיר שישמח אותנו ויהדהד בראשנו כמנטרה מרוממת רוח.

49 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 1896

14 people are currently reading
165 people want to read

About the author

Max Beerbohm

288 books94 followers
Sir Henry Maximilian Beerbohm, as "Max," known British writ, apparently wrote Caricatures of Twenty-five Gentlemen in 1896.

Henry Maximilian Beerbohm served as an English essayist, parodist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bee...

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5 stars
29 (18%)
4 stars
52 (33%)
3 stars
61 (38%)
2 stars
9 (5%)
1 star
6 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Siv30.
2,790 reviews193 followers
June 22, 2018
אגדה רומנטית די קיטצ'ית על לורד עשיר, טיפוס די מפוקפק שמתאהב ברקדנית שאינה מעוניינת בו בגלל אופיו הניכר בפניו.

הלורד המתוסכל מחליט לשנות דרכיו אך את פניו אינו יכול להחליף ולכן שם מסכה. הרקדנית מתאהבת בו מידית וגם כשהוא נחשף בפניה בדמותו האמיתית מסתבר שהוא עבר מטמורפוזה ופניו הפכו להיות פני המסכה כל זאת תוך חודש.

קיטצ'י לחלוטין וגם קצת ילדותי. למי שמחפש אגדות אולי הסיפורון הזה יזיז איזה נים ברגשות.
Profile Image for Lisa of Troy.
1,179 reviews8,190 followers
Want to read
January 6, 2026
Unannotated Book in F. Scott Fitzgerald's College of One
Profile Image for Gaya Aran.
48 reviews9 followers
September 8, 2020
מעין "תמונתו של דוריאן גריי" בכיוון הפוך.
לא הבנתי מדוע כותרת המשנה היא: אגדה לאנשים עייפים. לא הייתי צריכה לגשת אליה עייפה, כי היא עייפה אותי יפה בעצמה.
נובלה סתמית סך הכל.
203 reviews6 followers
April 15, 2014
After my introduction to Beerbohm via Zuleika Dobson, I promised to revisit this master storyteller and am pleased to say I have done so with my reading of The Happy Hypocrite.

While some second acts have been disappointing, this was certainly not one of them. After this venture, I am ready for more and am saddened that Sir Max Beerbohm is not a more familiar name outside literati.

Also referred to as A Fairy Tale for Tired Men, this is a tale of Lord George Hell, a selfish man who deceives others shamelessly and while considered a man who has it all, realizes he has nothing. Rather than a tale of redemption, however, Beerbohm uses his mastery to weave an ironic tale of raw humanity in all its ugly colors.

Lord George Hell, the book’s namesake, leads a privileged life and suffers no guilt as he cheats those around him. His life, however, has become blasé and his search leads him to a very young actress who has her own naive expectations.

The object of Lord George’s desires, Jenny Mere, is looking for a man with the face of a saint. She believes she can only truly love such a man and no other. Only 16, she is young, beautiful and naive.

Signora Gambogi is a fiery Italian mistress of Lord George and sees what lies ahead. She is not at all please with George’s infatuation and attempts to reveal his true identity to the unsuspecting Jenny.

A meeting with Sir Beerbohm would be heavenly. Perhaps he’d recite this tale as I’m sure his voice would add another level of perfection to this fairy tale. If I had enough nerve, I’d ask him to put create some sketches for The Happy Hypocrite.

My rating for The Happy Hypocrite is a 9 out of 10.
Profile Image for Grant Bearden.
2 reviews
March 22, 2017
I just stumbled on this gem today while reading a Fredrick Buechner book where he made a comparison between the change the protagonist experiences and the taking of the Eucharist. Beautiful short story that I highly recommend. The PDF is available for free online and it only takes a half hour to read.
1 review
September 16, 2020
The Incomparab!e Max

The most major minor author of the turn of the 19th century, Beerbohm is always a delight to read. This gentle fable about the reformation of a Victorian cad is a good example of his unique qualities as a writer.
1,166 reviews35 followers
July 15, 2019
This being Beerbohm, I assume it was tongue-in-cheek, parodic, mocking some genre or other, but I found it quite revolting actually. I don't think nowadays we can laugh off an older man deceiving and seducing a 16-year old even though he feeds her on buns.
Profile Image for Mika.
154 reviews
Read
January 13, 2021
A short dandy fairytale, bordering on paedophilia but I guess that’s the spirit of the time.
Profile Image for Virginia.
1,419 reviews19 followers
July 31, 2021
Tal y como pone en la portada, el farsante feliz, es un pequeño cuento delicioso y enternecedor.

Lo primero que he leído de su autor, Max Beerbohm me ha parecido correcto. La manera de escribir resulta elegante y fluida. Con sus descripciones concisas y unas notas al pie, la mar de curiosas e interesante, creo que invención del propio autor.

La historia es sencilla y bonita. En esencia seguimos a Lord George Hell, individuo mujeriego y de dudosa moral, que decide cambiar tan pronto se enamora perdidamente de Jenny Mere, una pésima bailarina. Ésta rechaza la proposición de matrimonio, alegando que solo se casará con un hombre que tenga la cara de un santo (¿?), por lo que Lord George utilizará una máscara para poder conquistarla.
En esencia, este cuento trata de como el poder del amor es capaz de reformarnos y hacernos ir por el buen camino. Su corta duración, así como su agradable historia hacen que leerlo sea una curiosa novedad.

Resumiendo, el farsante feliz, es pequeña joya que nos enseña una gran lección: el amor es increíble y su poder, prácticamente ilimitado.
Profile Image for Juan Guillermo Fridkin.
163 reviews5 followers
January 6, 2019
#ElFarsanteFeliz de #MaxBeerbohn.
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Excelente relato que se lee tranquilamente en un día de playa.
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Lord George Hell es un jugador, estafador, mentiroso, mujeriego que se enamora de la joven Jenny Mere. Ella lo rechaza diciéndole que sólo se casará con un hombre con cara de santo. A partir de allí, Lord George Hell, empezará a usar una máscara de cera para siempre para poder conquistarla. En el final aparece una examante que lo cambiará todo.... O no.
Profile Image for Mary Showalter.
14 reviews
June 25, 2025
Enchanting!

As one reviewer observed, this is akin to a reversal of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. It’s a tale of love, atonement, and redemption. A short and easy read which I will recommend to my friends and family.
Profile Image for Sarah K.
19 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2019
Ridiculous, but the 1915 illustrated edition is absolutely gorgeous
Profile Image for Jenifer.
1,273 reviews28 followers
September 4, 2022
This is a tale about a man who wears a mask to win his love. There is some introspection here, but overall this was just so-so for me.

included in "The Golden Argosy" edited by Cartmell and Grayson
Author 15 books81 followers
July 11, 2023
Very well written story of redemption, even though the act was done with deceit. I learned of this book from Russ Roberts on EconTalk.
Profile Image for Sandi.
241 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2024
Short story that's a reversal of Dorian Gray. Rather than a beautiful face hiding an evil nature, a beautiful face reforms that nature--and eventually the face. The truth of masks.
Profile Image for Simon Sweetman.
Author 13 books71 followers
March 5, 2024
Hard to read these sorts of historical / satirical texts with anything other than an eye for the era. This is gently amusing, a comedy of manners-type thing.
239 reviews
May 23, 2024
Una historia muy sencilla. Un cuento con moraleja. Si te empeñas en hacer el bien terminarás haciéndote bien a ti mismo. Aunque tal vez no te des cuenta de que has cambiado.
Profile Image for Arman.
85 reviews93 followers
May 4, 2015
احتمالا اگه مردمِ 200 سال پیش این داستان رو می خوندن می شد که بهش 3 بدن، ولی توی سال 2015 واقعا نمیشه بیشتر از یک ستاره بهش داشت
راجع به داستان هم چیز خاصی ندارم بگم. تنها نقطه غیر منفی کتاب پایانش بود
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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