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Albert Nobbs
Albert Nobbs, her yerde karşılaştığımız ve ânında unuttuğumuz insanlardan biri. Dublin’in lüks otellerinden birinde yıllardır garsonluk yaparak gözlerden uzak, sade bir yaşam süren bu orta yaşlı adamın bir sırrı vardır – aslında bir kadındır. Bir gece sırrının ortaya çıkmasıyla Albert bir yandan inşa ettiği benliği korumaya çalışır, öte yandan arzularının peşinden gitmeye karar verir. George Moore’un 1918 tarihli öyküsü, cinsellik ve kimlik gibi konuları zamanının ötesinde bir içtenlikle tartışıyor.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1918
19 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
About the author
George Moore
528 books89 followersGeorge Augustus Moore was an Irish novelist, short-story writer, poet, art critic, memoirist and dramatist. Moore came from a Roman Catholic landed family who lived at Moore Hall in Carra, County Mayo. He originally wanted to be a painter, and studied art in Paris during the 1870s. There, he befriended many of the leading French artists and writers of the day.
As a naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. His writings influenced James Joyce, according to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, and, although Moore's work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.
As a naturalistic writer, he was amongst the first English-language authors to absorb the lessons of the French realists, and was particularly influenced by the works of Émile Zola. His writings influenced James Joyce, according to the literary critic and biographer Richard Ellmann, and, although Moore's work is sometimes seen as outside the mainstream of both Irish and British literature, he is as often regarded as the first great modern Irish novelist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 5, 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...Description: To be able to lead an independent and free life, industrious but introverted Albert hides a secret from the world, especially his fellow staff at a Dublin hotel. The encounters with decorator Hubert Page fuel Albert's dreams, not only of a better life, but of being able to share it with someone special.
Unusual period drama featuring Oscar-nominated performances.
Glenn Close as Mr Nobbs
Pauline Collins as Madge Baker
April 3, 2023
Because brevity befits brevity:
Brief summary--Albert Nobbs, in fact, does not have a knob (crude but not inaccurate).
Brief background--"Albert Nobbs" was privately printed as part of A Story-Teller's Holiday, and was later reworked as one of five stories in Celibate Lives, which was published in 1927.
Brief fantasy--Virginia Woolf read and secretly adored "Albert Nobbs." Gender-bending Orlando was published a mere year later.
Brief warning--If you've come to think of quotation marks or dialogue indentation as a form of common decency, do not pick this up. But do, if you enjoyed Loving by Henry Green, for example.
Brief advice--read it in a single sitting.
Brief summary--Albert Nobbs, in fact, does not have a knob (crude but not inaccurate).
Brief background--"Albert Nobbs" was privately printed as part of A Story-Teller's Holiday, and was later reworked as one of five stories in Celibate Lives, which was published in 1927.
Brief fantasy--Virginia Woolf read and secretly adored "Albert Nobbs." Gender-bending Orlando was published a mere year later.
Brief warning--If you've come to think of quotation marks or dialogue indentation as a form of common decency, do not pick this up. But do, if you enjoyed Loving by Henry Green, for example.
Brief advice--read it in a single sitting.
February 2, 2018
One of those books that is perhaps more interesting than enjoyable. A really fascinating novella, ahead of its time in many ways, dealing with a transgender man or, maybe more accurately, a lesbian woman who lives as a man to get better work in the Victorian period (it's not clear). It's a very interesting exploration of gender identity in the Victorian period (when it's set) and early 20th century (when it was written) and one of the most interesting classics I've read in terms of its LGBTQI+ themes. However, I didn't think it was as well written as his Drama in Muslin, and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. A mixed one, then, but I'm very glad I finally read this.
September 1, 2016
I probably would not have heard of Albert Nobbs had one of my best University friends not written about it for her Master's dissertation. I was so intrigued by it after reading her thesis through that I immediately downloaded it onto my Kindle and read it a couple of days later.
Albert Nobbs is fascinating, and remarkably well fleshed out considering its length. It demonstrates the very versatility of clothing in terms of gender performance, and the disparities which existed (and still exist) between men and women in the spheres of work and the home. The novella should certainly be read far more than it is; it was out of print for decades, and was only republished due to the film coming out.
Moore's writing is wonderful, and whilst I found the genders confusing in places - switching, as they do, from 'he' to 'she' and back again when describing the same character - it did not take away any of my enjoyment of the story. Albert Nobbs is a work which is clever, relevant, and important, and which has made me want to read the entirety of George Moore's back catalogue sooner rather than later.
Albert Nobbs is fascinating, and remarkably well fleshed out considering its length. It demonstrates the very versatility of clothing in terms of gender performance, and the disparities which existed (and still exist) between men and women in the spheres of work and the home. The novella should certainly be read far more than it is; it was out of print for decades, and was only republished due to the film coming out.
Moore's writing is wonderful, and whilst I found the genders confusing in places - switching, as they do, from 'he' to 'she' and back again when describing the same character - it did not take away any of my enjoyment of the story. Albert Nobbs is a work which is clever, relevant, and important, and which has made me want to read the entirety of George Moore's back catalogue sooner rather than later.
June 18, 2012
I started reading Albert Nobbs when I stumbled upon it and recognized that it was cheap, short and a recent movie.
After reading the intro, a lovely one by Glenn Close (did you know she played Albert in NYC as one of her first characters ever?), I knew that I must read it.
Alfred is a girl who doesn't realize she has dreams. As head waiter at a prestigious restaurant she uses her secret identity as a man to grow a nice nest-egg for herself. She understands that it is this identity that enables her to live a decent life and she doesn't want to ruin it. That is until she is forced to bunk with a man named Hubert and a flea threatens to ruin her secret.
After Albert's encounter she begins to wish for a wife and home, children and freedom, all the things that Hubert told her that she could have. Without Hubert around to guide her, she begins a relationship with a flirty, money-grubbing maid. This relationship will be her downfall.
At first glance this story seems to be nothing more than a sorrowful tale of lost identity and of love; how sad it must be to recognize that you can have more in life, but not know how to get it.
But, it's so much more than that as it comments on...
Societies treatment of gender
Albert wouldn't even be considered for her job as a woman. As a woman she would have become a prostitute or worse to survive. Being a man during this time period forced Albert into her livelihood and into her falsehoods. It would seem that men, too, are limited by their gender roles and can only be in pursuit or alone. Albert learns that to get and keep a woman he must spend money and time...it seems that it does not require honesty and forth-rightness.
Androgyny
As a man, Albert wasn't a woman to complete her, but not in the sexual sense. Only a woman can help her raise a family and only a room can help her keep her house. In this respect she reminds me of the women in the novel The Fox. It isn't that she wants a relationship, it's that she can't see the way around getting what she wants without being in one. It is this thought that proves to be disastrous.
Love
In the end, Albert's false feelings ruins him. Having had no other friends, because he didn't allow himself out of fear, and having never been in a relationship, he cannot figure out how to make it work. Albert learns about the ideals of love from those that would rather use it has an ends to a means. He cannot have what Hubert has with Cathleen because he is searching in all the wrong places.
Male/Female relationships
Albert is used by society, by women, and by men. Her naive nature limits her experiences. In the end every relationship is crushed.
And, all I could think about while reading this book was this poem:
THE FLEA.
by John Donne
MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ;
It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;
And this, alas ! is more than we would do.
O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met,
And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou
Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me,
Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.
Source:
Donne, John. Poems of John Donne. vol I.
E. K. Chambers, ed.
London: Lawrence & Bullen, 1896. 1-2.
After reading the intro, a lovely one by Glenn Close (did you know she played Albert in NYC as one of her first characters ever?), I knew that I must read it.
Alfred is a girl who doesn't realize she has dreams. As head waiter at a prestigious restaurant she uses her secret identity as a man to grow a nice nest-egg for herself. She understands that it is this identity that enables her to live a decent life and she doesn't want to ruin it. That is until she is forced to bunk with a man named Hubert and a flea threatens to ruin her secret.
After Albert's encounter she begins to wish for a wife and home, children and freedom, all the things that Hubert told her that she could have. Without Hubert around to guide her, she begins a relationship with a flirty, money-grubbing maid. This relationship will be her downfall.
At first glance this story seems to be nothing more than a sorrowful tale of lost identity and of love; how sad it must be to recognize that you can have more in life, but not know how to get it.
But, it's so much more than that as it comments on...
Societies treatment of gender
Albert wouldn't even be considered for her job as a woman. As a woman she would have become a prostitute or worse to survive. Being a man during this time period forced Albert into her livelihood and into her falsehoods. It would seem that men, too, are limited by their gender roles and can only be in pursuit or alone. Albert learns that to get and keep a woman he must spend money and time...it seems that it does not require honesty and forth-rightness.
Androgyny
As a man, Albert wasn't a woman to complete her, but not in the sexual sense. Only a woman can help her raise a family and only a room can help her keep her house. In this respect she reminds me of the women in the novel The Fox. It isn't that she wants a relationship, it's that she can't see the way around getting what she wants without being in one. It is this thought that proves to be disastrous.
Love
In the end, Albert's false feelings ruins him. Having had no other friends, because he didn't allow himself out of fear, and having never been in a relationship, he cannot figure out how to make it work. Albert learns about the ideals of love from those that would rather use it has an ends to a means. He cannot have what Hubert has with Cathleen because he is searching in all the wrong places.
Male/Female relationships
Albert is used by society, by women, and by men. Her naive nature limits her experiences. In the end every relationship is crushed.
And, all I could think about while reading this book was this poem:
THE FLEA.
by John Donne
MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ;
It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;
And this, alas ! is more than we would do.
O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met,
And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou
Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me,
Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.
Source:
Donne, John. Poems of John Donne. vol I.
E. K. Chambers, ed.
London: Lawrence & Bullen, 1896. 1-2.
April 18, 2017
This is one instance in which I saw the movie before reading the book. Usually I like to do it the other way around. I tried to read the book last year, but couldn't get into it, having difficulty adjusting to the "story within a story" style of its writing. This time, however, I sailed through it.
I was surprised to find that the movie differed from the book in several respects. In the book, Helen is described as rather drab and course, whereas in the movie she's very pretty. More is made of her relationship with Joe Mackins in the movie than in the book. Joe gets Helen pregnant in the movie; in the book he doesn't. In the movie, Albert goes to visit Hubert and his wife, whereas in the book she does not. The biggest difference is in the endings, although ultimately in both Albert dies.
The tragedy of this story is that, had Albert never met Hubert and discovered the possibility of companionship and love, she would have continued at the Hotel until she had enough money to buy the shop and lived to a ripe old age. Was she better off for having experienced, however briefly, love and hope? I don't think so. As I read I felt keenly Albert's naive hopes and later anguish, but I felt even more keenly the heartbreaking tragedy of it all.
Even more tragic, however, is the fact that Albert had to dress up as a man just to get liveable wages at all. I wonder how many other women back then did the same?
Albert Nobbs is a short book, really a novella, and so would make a quick read with lots of discussion for an English class or a book discussion group. I highly recommend both the book and the movie.
I was surprised to find that the movie differed from the book in several respects. In the book, Helen is described as rather drab and course, whereas in the movie she's very pretty. More is made of her relationship with Joe Mackins in the movie than in the book. Joe gets Helen pregnant in the movie; in the book he doesn't. In the movie, Albert goes to visit Hubert and his wife, whereas in the book she does not. The biggest difference is in the endings, although ultimately in both Albert dies.
The tragedy of this story is that, had Albert never met Hubert and discovered the possibility of companionship and love, she would have continued at the Hotel until she had enough money to buy the shop and lived to a ripe old age. Was she better off for having experienced, however briefly, love and hope? I don't think so. As I read I felt keenly Albert's naive hopes and later anguish, but I felt even more keenly the heartbreaking tragedy of it all.
Even more tragic, however, is the fact that Albert had to dress up as a man just to get liveable wages at all. I wonder how many other women back then did the same?
Albert Nobbs is a short book, really a novella, and so would make a quick read with lots of discussion for an English class or a book discussion group. I highly recommend both the book and the movie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2015
סיפור מוזר על חיי אלברט, אישה שחייה כגבר מלצר בדבלין. אלברט בצעירותה זיהתה את הסכנה שבגברים לנערות צעירות, מוצאת דרך להתפרנס כמלצר גבר.
היא חייה בבדידות, לא כגבר לא כאישה כמשהו לא מוגדר, כשהפחד מהעוני רודף אותה. מפגש עם יוברט, אישה שגם היא התחפשה לגבר, הופך את עולמה ומוביל אותה לנסות לפרוץ את מגבלות חייה.
זה סיפור עצוב על חיים בבדידות מזהרת, ללא אהבה, ללא אחווה, ללא רעות. זה סיפור על כישלון לפרוץ את המסגרות ואת תנאי החיים והמוסכמות, על ניפוץ חלומות, משאלות ושאיפות. ולבסוף זה סיפור של חברה לא סבלנית ולא סובלנית.
היא חייה בבדידות, לא כגבר לא כאישה כמשהו לא מוגדר, כשהפחד מהעוני רודף אותה. מפגש עם יוברט, אישה שגם היא התחפשה לגבר, הופך את עולמה ומוביל אותה לנסות לפרוץ את מגבלות חייה.
זה סיפור עצוב על חיים בבדידות מזהרת, ללא אהבה, ללא אחווה, ללא רעות. זה סיפור על כישלון לפרוץ את המסגרות ואת תנאי החיים והמוסכמות, על ניפוץ חלומות, משאלות ושאיפות. ולבסוף זה סיפור של חברה לא סבלנית ולא סובלנית.
April 29, 2015
Short book. An Irish woman starts cross-dressing out of necessity and lives her life as a waiter. This makes her a lot more money and keeps her safer. Then one day she happens to meet another 'perhasper' and he plants the idea in that she should get married to a woman. So she courts a woman and dreams about being married but the woman rejects her, breaks her heart, and she dies alone. Not very uplifting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2016
From BBC i Player:
Unusual period drama. To be able to lead an independent life, industrious but introverted Albert hides a secret from the world, especially his fellow staff at a Dublin hotel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...
Unusual period drama. To be able to lead an independent life, industrious but introverted Albert hides a secret from the world, especially his fellow staff at a Dublin hotel.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/...
March 27, 2017
Really a very sad story of a woman living as a man in the early 20th century Dublin. Lovely prose.
January 27, 2025
Hikaye, ondokuzuncu yüzyılın ikinci yarısında Dublin’de düzenlenen at yarışları nedeniyle tüm konaklama yerlerinin dolu olduğu bir haftada Morrison’s Otelde yaşanan garip bir olayı merkezine alıyor. Aynı yüzyılın başlarında doğudaki Büyük adada, özellikle Temple bahçeleri civarında toplumsal hayatın çelişkileri, varlıklı ve eğitimli sınıfın şatafatı ile sefaletin ve yoksulluğun diz boyu olduğu kesimin geçmiş günleri de anımsatılıyor.
Yukarıda anılan olaydan sonra garson Albert’ın geride kalan hayatına ve geleceğine ilişkin bakışı tümden değişir. Gündelik işlerine rutini aksatmadan devam etmeye çabalarken sonrası için yeni planlar yapmaya da başlar. Çoğunlukla geçmişin kısa bir muhasebesi ile geleceğin uzun erimli hedeflerini düşünürken bulur kendini. Elbette hayatın kendisine hazırlayacağı sürprizlerin farkında olmadan.
Kadın ve erkeğin toplumsal rollerine, cinsiyet eşitsizliğine ilişkin çarpıcı bir perspektif getiren bu kısa roman, özellikle kadınların bağnaz ve tutucu dönemlerde kendilerine dayatılan koşulları aşmak için ortaya koydukları sarsılmaz iradelerine ve baskılara boyun eğmeden hayatta kalmak için geliştirdikleri sıra dışı tedbirlere ilginç bir örnek sunuyor. Viktorya Britanyasının sosyo ekonomik yapısını gözler önüne seriyor.
Yukarıda anılan olaydan sonra garson Albert’ın geride kalan hayatına ve geleceğine ilişkin bakışı tümden değişir. Gündelik işlerine rutini aksatmadan devam etmeye çabalarken sonrası için yeni planlar yapmaya da başlar. Çoğunlukla geçmişin kısa bir muhasebesi ile geleceğin uzun erimli hedeflerini düşünürken bulur kendini. Elbette hayatın kendisine hazırlayacağı sürprizlerin farkında olmadan.
Kadın ve erkeğin toplumsal rollerine, cinsiyet eşitsizliğine ilişkin çarpıcı bir perspektif getiren bu kısa roman, özellikle kadınların bağnaz ve tutucu dönemlerde kendilerine dayatılan koşulları aşmak için ortaya koydukları sarsılmaz iradelerine ve baskılara boyun eğmeden hayatta kalmak için geliştirdikleri sıra dışı tedbirlere ilginç bir örnek sunuyor. Viktorya Britanyasının sosyo ekonomik yapısını gözler önüne seriyor.
August 31, 2019
באתי עם ציפיות גבוהות ויצאתי מאוכזבת.
אני רואה ספר זה כטרגדיה ותו לא.
לגבי כל מה שמובטח בגב הכריכה של הספר - לא מדויק כלל.
אכן יש כאן סיפור על אישה המתחזה לגבר על מנת לשרוד באירלנד הענייה ב-1860.
אך אין כאן אהבה חד מינית, או דיון בנישואים חד מיניים.
יש כאן עיסוק במאבק מעמדי ומעט מעט על הורות אחרת של שתי נשים יחד, ויחסית לזמן שבו פורסם, 1918, הדיון כאן הוא טבעי ואמיץ באופן מפתיע.
אני לא חובבת טרגדיות וגם מזה לא נהניתי.
2.5 כוכבים
אני רואה ספר זה כטרגדיה ותו לא.
לגבי כל מה שמובטח בגב הכריכה של הספר - לא מדויק כלל.
אכן יש כאן סיפור על אישה המתחזה לגבר על מנת לשרוד באירלנד הענייה ב-1860.
אך אין כאן אהבה חד מינית, או דיון בנישואים חד מיניים.
יש כאן עיסוק במאבק מעמדי ומעט מעט על הורות אחרת של שתי נשים יחד, ויחסית לזמן שבו פורסם, 1918, הדיון כאן הוא טבעי ואמיץ באופן מפתיע.
אני לא חובבת טרגדיות וגם מזה לא נהניתי.
2.5 כוכבים
September 19, 2018
Eh. I think I liked the cover better than the book. Sad, abrupt, not overly engrossing. Forgettable.
August 13, 2022
Can Yayınları kampanyasından aldığım kitabı okudum. Adı ilgimi çekti, çok tanıdık gelmişti ama hatırlayamamıştım. Kitabı okuyunca nereden hatırladığımı buldum. 😎
Albert Nobbs, her yerde karşılaştığımız ve ânında unuttuğumuz insanlardan biri. Dublin’in lüks otellerinden birinde yıllardır garsonluk yaparak gözlerden uzak, sade bir yaşam süren bu orta yaşlı adamın bir sırrı vardır – aslında bir kadındır. Bir gece sırrının ortaya çıkmasıyla Albert bir yandan inşa ettiği benliği korumaya çalışır, öte yandan arzularının peşinden gitmeye karar verir. George Moore’un 1918 tarihli öyküsü, cinsellik ve kimlik gibi konuları zamanının ötesinde bir içtenlikle tartışıyor. (Tanıtım yazısı)
İlk cümle düşündürücü; “Albert Nobbs, her yerde karşılaştığımız ve ânında unuttuğumuz insanlardan biri.” Neden bu insanlara dikkat etmiyoruz, önemsemiyoruz? Sait Faik öykülerinin de en önemli özelliği bu değil mi? Önemsiz insan ( garson, balıkçı, boyacı vb.) ve şeyleri (semaver, mangal, iskemle, karpuz sergisi vb.) yazması. Aslında en ilgi çekici hikayeler bu önemsemediğimiz insanların yaşamından çıkıyor.
George Moore 100 yüz yıl önce bu öyküsünde, cinsellik ve kimlik gibi konuları zamanının ötesinde bir içtenlikle tartışmış. Zamanın ötesinde çünkü geçen zaman bu kimlik ve cinsellik konularını çözemedi. Bu gidişle de çözülmeleri zor gözüküyor. Nobbs, yaşamını Page’e anlatırken bir yerde Page durumu; “Ne erkek, ne kadın, yalnızca bir hiç.” Olarak özetliyor. Bence bu sorunları çözmek için karşımızdakine bu cümlenin sonunu değiştirerek bakmamız lazım; “ Ne erkek, ne kadın, yalnızca insan.”
Nobbs’un öyküsünü okurken arka planda otel çalışanlarının arasındaki dedikodu kazanını, birbirlerinin ayaklarını kaydırmak için çalışmalarını, bahşiş koparma çabalarını; arka sokaklardaki hayat kadınlarının mücadelelerini, yazılmamış kurallarını okuyoruz.
Kitap, 1977’de Fransız yazar Simone Benmussa tarafından “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs” adıyla Paris'teki Théâtre d'Orsay'de oyun olarak sahnelenmiş. 1978’de Londra’da, 1982’de New York’ta sahnelenen oyunun Manhattan’da ki oyunda Nobbs rolünü oynayan Glenn Close En İyi Kadın Oyuncu dalında Obie Ödülü kazandı. 2011 yılındaysa Rodrigo García yönetmenliğinde sinemaya uyarlandı. Nobbs rolünü gene Glenn Close canlandırıyordu. Film Akademi, SAG ve Altın Küre’ye aday oldu. Ben de filmi izlemiştim, uyarlama olduğunu bilmeden sadece Close için.
Böylece ismi ‘Albert Nobbs’ nereden hatırladığımı bulmuş oldum, tabii ki filmden… Durum böyle olunca tüm kitap boyunca Glenn Close’un yüzü gözümün önünden gitmedi. Üstelik filmin tamamını seyredip seyretmediğimi hatırlamıyorum. Sadece belli başlı sahneler aklımda. Kitabı okuduğuma göre filmi uyarlama olduğu bilinciyle tekrar seyredebilirim.
Merak ve keyifle okuyacağınız hatta birkaç saatte bitirebileceğiniz bir kitap. Okurken Nobbs’a çoğu zaman hak verseniz de kızacağınız, uyarmak isteyeceğiniz bölümlerde var. Kitap kısa da olsa düşündürücü, etkileyici bir öykü.
Albert Nobbs, her yerde karşılaştığımız ve ânında unuttuğumuz insanlardan biri. Dublin’in lüks otellerinden birinde yıllardır garsonluk yaparak gözlerden uzak, sade bir yaşam süren bu orta yaşlı adamın bir sırrı vardır – aslında bir kadındır. Bir gece sırrının ortaya çıkmasıyla Albert bir yandan inşa ettiği benliği korumaya çalışır, öte yandan arzularının peşinden gitmeye karar verir. George Moore’un 1918 tarihli öyküsü, cinsellik ve kimlik gibi konuları zamanının ötesinde bir içtenlikle tartışıyor. (Tanıtım yazısı)
İlk cümle düşündürücü; “Albert Nobbs, her yerde karşılaştığımız ve ânında unuttuğumuz insanlardan biri.” Neden bu insanlara dikkat etmiyoruz, önemsemiyoruz? Sait Faik öykülerinin de en önemli özelliği bu değil mi? Önemsiz insan ( garson, balıkçı, boyacı vb.) ve şeyleri (semaver, mangal, iskemle, karpuz sergisi vb.) yazması. Aslında en ilgi çekici hikayeler bu önemsemediğimiz insanların yaşamından çıkıyor.
George Moore 100 yüz yıl önce bu öyküsünde, cinsellik ve kimlik gibi konuları zamanının ötesinde bir içtenlikle tartışmış. Zamanın ötesinde çünkü geçen zaman bu kimlik ve cinsellik konularını çözemedi. Bu gidişle de çözülmeleri zor gözüküyor. Nobbs, yaşamını Page’e anlatırken bir yerde Page durumu; “Ne erkek, ne kadın, yalnızca bir hiç.” Olarak özetliyor. Bence bu sorunları çözmek için karşımızdakine bu cümlenin sonunu değiştirerek bakmamız lazım; “ Ne erkek, ne kadın, yalnızca insan.”
Nobbs’un öyküsünü okurken arka planda otel çalışanlarının arasındaki dedikodu kazanını, birbirlerinin ayaklarını kaydırmak için çalışmalarını, bahşiş koparma çabalarını; arka sokaklardaki hayat kadınlarının mücadelelerini, yazılmamış kurallarını okuyoruz.
Kitap, 1977’de Fransız yazar Simone Benmussa tarafından “The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs” adıyla Paris'teki Théâtre d'Orsay'de oyun olarak sahnelenmiş. 1978’de Londra’da, 1982’de New York’ta sahnelenen oyunun Manhattan’da ki oyunda Nobbs rolünü oynayan Glenn Close En İyi Kadın Oyuncu dalında Obie Ödülü kazandı. 2011 yılındaysa Rodrigo García yönetmenliğinde sinemaya uyarlandı. Nobbs rolünü gene Glenn Close canlandırıyordu. Film Akademi, SAG ve Altın Küre’ye aday oldu. Ben de filmi izlemiştim, uyarlama olduğunu bilmeden sadece Close için.
Böylece ismi ‘Albert Nobbs’ nereden hatırladığımı bulmuş oldum, tabii ki filmden… Durum böyle olunca tüm kitap boyunca Glenn Close’un yüzü gözümün önünden gitmedi. Üstelik filmin tamamını seyredip seyretmediğimi hatırlamıyorum. Sadece belli başlı sahneler aklımda. Kitabı okuduğuma göre filmi uyarlama olduğu bilinciyle tekrar seyredebilirim.
Merak ve keyifle okuyacağınız hatta birkaç saatte bitirebileceğiniz bir kitap. Okurken Nobbs’a çoğu zaman hak verseniz de kızacağınız, uyarmak isteyeceğiniz bölümlerde var. Kitap kısa da olsa düşündürücü, etkileyici bir öykü.
March 16, 2013
I feel very thoughtful after this little story by George Moore. Albert Nobbs has served as a hotel waiter for years when a housepainter sharing his room for the night discovers a well-kept secret: Albert is a woman. What follows after their midnight conversation is a surprisingly feminist story for one written by a man in 1918.
I really don't want to give any more of the plot away - this is such a short book that there's no reason you shouldn't just read it yourself - but I will say that Moore's writing style pleased me aesthetically. The scarcity of punctuation created a sense of direct, straightforward storytelling between friends, while at the same time conveying the feelings of a character who feels emotionally adrift.
I really don't want to give any more of the plot away - this is such a short book that there's no reason you shouldn't just read it yourself - but I will say that Moore's writing style pleased me aesthetically. The scarcity of punctuation created a sense of direct, straightforward storytelling between friends, while at the same time conveying the feelings of a character who feels emotionally adrift.
April 22, 2025
3.5 rounded up to 4
It's a nice little novella with a premise that I had never really considered before, a woman passing herself off as a man, framed here primarily for economic reasons. It's a very quick read, but the shifting pronouns and lack of punctuation can make it difficult (for me) to parse meaning sometimes.
I recommend it for anyone interested in gender performance in a historical setting
It's a nice little novella with a premise that I had never really considered before, a woman passing herself off as a man, framed here primarily for economic reasons. It's a very quick read, but the shifting pronouns and lack of punctuation can make it difficult (for me) to parse meaning sometimes.
I recommend it for anyone interested in gender performance in a historical setting
March 29, 2012
Poor Albert Nobbs. She expected so little of life and could not even find that much. Women unprotected by family had so little choice in life.
September 17, 2023
A wonderful character study somewhat spoiled by the narration style.
I first discovered Albert Nobbs as a film and then was delighted to learn that it originated in a novella. Moore is not an author I have previously read but he seems to have an acute insight into the life of service staff. Also, for an early 20th Century man, he reveals a surprising compassion for unmarried women and their adoption of other genders.
It is hard not to spoil the fact that Albert Nobbs is actually a woman disguising herself as a man. She does this to earn a better wage as a hotel waiter, compiling tips from generous clientele with hopes of accruing enough to buy a shop for herself. However, to improve her prospects, Albert realises that she needs to seek a wife who is willing to partner up with her. The plot follows her attempt.
While I enjoyed this story, the narration confused me. I struggled to be sure whose perspective we were following and what their connection was to Albert. In the end, I assumed the narrator was delivering testimony at some kind of inquest. Still I struggled to figure out who the narrator actually was, which took me out of this otherwise empathetic tale.
Aside from dubiously referring to Albert on a few occasions as a 'perhapser', I think this is a piece of classic literature that discussed trans identity in a way that condones more than it condemns, which seems to me very rare. I recommend Albert Nobbs to anyone wondering what a woman presenting as a gentleman's gentleman would be like.
I first discovered Albert Nobbs as a film and then was delighted to learn that it originated in a novella. Moore is not an author I have previously read but he seems to have an acute insight into the life of service staff. Also, for an early 20th Century man, he reveals a surprising compassion for unmarried women and their adoption of other genders.
It is hard not to spoil the fact that Albert Nobbs is actually a woman disguising herself as a man. She does this to earn a better wage as a hotel waiter, compiling tips from generous clientele with hopes of accruing enough to buy a shop for herself. However, to improve her prospects, Albert realises that she needs to seek a wife who is willing to partner up with her. The plot follows her attempt.
While I enjoyed this story, the narration confused me. I struggled to be sure whose perspective we were following and what their connection was to Albert. In the end, I assumed the narrator was delivering testimony at some kind of inquest. Still I struggled to figure out who the narrator actually was, which took me out of this otherwise empathetic tale.
Aside from dubiously referring to Albert on a few occasions as a 'perhapser', I think this is a piece of classic literature that discussed trans identity in a way that condones more than it condemns, which seems to me very rare. I recommend Albert Nobbs to anyone wondering what a woman presenting as a gentleman's gentleman would be like.
July 14, 2023
Priča napisana 1927.(!) koja propitkuje rod, spol i seksualnu orijentaciju. Jako dobro.
Na prvu sam pomislila "zašto ovo nije dulje, želim znati sve o čemu Albert razmišlja i što sve proživljava", a s druge mi se strane sviđa kako je sve savršeno stalo u 100 strana.
Na prvu sam pomislila "zašto ovo nije dulje, želim znati sve o čemu Albert razmišlja i što sve proživljava", a s druge mi se strane sviđa kako je sve savršeno stalo u 100 strana.
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July 22, 2024Read for uni and don‘t really care??
August 5, 2021
Interesting - written originally in 1913 and made into a movie with Glenn Close, it tells the story of a woman who lives her public life as a man and what happens when she is discovered. Still contemporary.
July 7, 2017
It's Dublin, Ireland, in the 19th century and middle-aged Albert Nobbs is a waiter with a difference. Albert is a woman. She's a woman who through tragic circumstances in her early life finds that it is easier to pass herself off as a man and live life as a lonely bachelor. She works in a rather grand hotel, run by Mrs Baker, and saves her money in the hope of one day having enough to buy a little business and be independent. When she meets a painter and decorator, Hugo Page, Albert develops a new ambition, to meet someone to love and be loved in return.
The novella, Albert Nobbs by George Moore (1852-1933) was originally published in 1918 in A Storyteller's Holiday and later, in 1927, revised for publication in Celibate Lives. The story is told by way of omniscient narrator to someone called Alec (actually, Alec Trusselby, an Irish storyteller). I bought the digital version for Kindle via Amazon but, as far as the digital version is concerned, I was somewhat disappointed. The problem was that punctuation for dialogue was not shown in the conventional way, between 'single quotation marks' or "double quotation marks" and just ran into each other along with the rest of the prose so that there were many times I had to fathom out who was saying what to whom. Not good.
Aside from the problem with the digital version, this short, 112 page novella is a nice, easy, and fast read. However, I didn't find it half so entertaining a storyline as the elaborated and expanded screenwritten version for Albert Nobbs (2011) starring Glenn Close as Albert.
In the book, as in the movie, Albert aspires to find someone to love and to buy himself a tobacconist store and, in the book, his interaction with Hugo is limited to a night of newly kindled friendship and personal revelations. Hugo, however, plays a much bigger role in the movie and he was possibly my favourite character in it. Therefore, the book lacked that wonderful personality and depth of character that came from actress Janet McTeer's 'Hugo' not to mention more scenes between Albert and Hugo which were both heartwarming and sad.
Although the book was published almost 90 years ago it is quite modern in some ways, involving as it does a same sex marriage between two women (described in a non-explicit way). It was followed, in 1928, by the more explicit D. H. Lawrence novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' which became irresistible childhood reading (behind the school desk lid, masked by a brown paper cover).
http://movies-and-books-world.blogspo...
The novella, Albert Nobbs by George Moore (1852-1933) was originally published in 1918 in A Storyteller's Holiday and later, in 1927, revised for publication in Celibate Lives. The story is told by way of omniscient narrator to someone called Alec (actually, Alec Trusselby, an Irish storyteller). I bought the digital version for Kindle via Amazon but, as far as the digital version is concerned, I was somewhat disappointed. The problem was that punctuation for dialogue was not shown in the conventional way, between 'single quotation marks' or "double quotation marks" and just ran into each other along with the rest of the prose so that there were many times I had to fathom out who was saying what to whom. Not good.
Aside from the problem with the digital version, this short, 112 page novella is a nice, easy, and fast read. However, I didn't find it half so entertaining a storyline as the elaborated and expanded screenwritten version for Albert Nobbs (2011) starring Glenn Close as Albert.
In the book, as in the movie, Albert aspires to find someone to love and to buy himself a tobacconist store and, in the book, his interaction with Hugo is limited to a night of newly kindled friendship and personal revelations. Hugo, however, plays a much bigger role in the movie and he was possibly my favourite character in it. Therefore, the book lacked that wonderful personality and depth of character that came from actress Janet McTeer's 'Hugo' not to mention more scenes between Albert and Hugo which were both heartwarming and sad.
Although the book was published almost 90 years ago it is quite modern in some ways, involving as it does a same sex marriage between two women (described in a non-explicit way). It was followed, in 1928, by the more explicit D. H. Lawrence novel 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' which became irresistible childhood reading (behind the school desk lid, masked by a brown paper cover).
http://movies-and-books-world.blogspo...
August 2, 2021
Wanted to get my reading game started so i chose this bc its thin and felt electrified to unravel the secret in this book and no spoilers for you have to read it!
March 2, 2012
A very interesting story of a man who lived in mysterious circumstances. He worked for years and years as a waiter at a hotel, never known for being anything but a hard working serious man. Then after one chance encounter everything changes.
Albert Nobbs becomes obsessed with the thought of a normal life, something that would have been in the grasp of any normal man, but is illusive to Albert. The story of his life is rather tragic, but Albert never dwells on it, the story concentrates more on his dreams and his attempts to find happiness.
This edition has a foreword by Glen Close who has played Mr. Nobbs on two occassions. Close is eloquent and shows insight into the character whom she embodied and who it seems had some influence over her.
The book is very brief and is told as a narrative inside a story. I would caution other readers though, it is a bit difficult to read in some areas, the author makes no break between speakers in the story, so sometimes it is difficult to assign speech directly, sometimes it takes a little puzzling out to understand.
Albert Nobbs becomes obsessed with the thought of a normal life, something that would have been in the grasp of any normal man, but is illusive to Albert. The story of his life is rather tragic, but Albert never dwells on it, the story concentrates more on his dreams and his attempts to find happiness.
This edition has a foreword by Glen Close who has played Mr. Nobbs on two occassions. Close is eloquent and shows insight into the character whom she embodied and who it seems had some influence over her.
The book is very brief and is told as a narrative inside a story. I would caution other readers though, it is a bit difficult to read in some areas, the author makes no break between speakers in the story, so sometimes it is difficult to assign speech directly, sometimes it takes a little puzzling out to understand.
May 1, 2012
Albert Nobbs is a sad story, as 19th century gender-bending tales often are. I just found it a little difficult to read and a little formal for my taste.
My biggest problem with it is that there are almost no paragraph breaks and no quotations. It makes it hard to figure out who is speaking to whom. It's just unclear. I like punctuation.
The formality is the same formality that accompanies any kind of 19th century story about looking for love. I think that is more a product of the society about which it was written, than a plot flaw. This is a story where after going for walks in the evening was a viable precursor to a marriage proposal.
I could see how this could make a good movie - and I will see it, but the reading of it was a little too much work to figure out who was doing what. (And I almost never like the movie more.)
My biggest problem with it is that there are almost no paragraph breaks and no quotations. It makes it hard to figure out who is speaking to whom. It's just unclear. I like punctuation.
The formality is the same formality that accompanies any kind of 19th century story about looking for love. I think that is more a product of the society about which it was written, than a plot flaw. This is a story where after going for walks in the evening was a viable precursor to a marriage proposal.
I could see how this could make a good movie - and I will see it, but the reading of it was a little too much work to figure out who was doing what. (And I almost never like the movie more.)
May 25, 2015
I agree with the Actress Glenn Close when she says that Albert Nobbs is a special character. In a way, this character kind of finds her way into your heart. I tried reading this book several times, but it never seemed to be the right time. I cruised through it over the weekend, and while the way the dialogue is written is hard to understand, deciphering it is well worth the effort. I found myself wanting to know more and more about Hubert Page, as did Albert. And how crazy is it that they share the same secret!! I felt for Albert when she tried to pursue Helen, because even though we've all experienced heart-break, Albert's was so innocent. If you have a free hour and want to have a quick read, I would definitely recommend this one!
July 24, 2012
3.5 stars The premise of this book is rather strange, but it isn't unlikely that some women of that era were at least tempted to make the lonely choice the main character makes. As I read about the sad course of Albert's life, I felt some of the melancholy and discouragement "he" must have felt with his solitary and guarded life.The end seems rather abrupt and I'm not sure I understood the author's purpose in the last few pages. But it gave me a new glimpse into the difficulties women encountered before they were free to have lives separate from men.
February 6, 2013
I came across this and my curiosity was roused because of the film (which I hadn't seen. It's a bit of an oddity, but draws a picture of Dublin at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries which I found interesting. It's a long short story or a short novella,so it's a quick read. When I did rent the film last week it was obvious that it didn't provide enough meat for a 90 minute movie, which I abandoned halfway through.
March 1, 2012
Very disappointing ending, considering it had such potential with its strong ideas throughout the whole book. I truly felt for the characters and appreciated the realism but the end could have used some work. It was almost like an apologia, like "hey if I had more time I could have made this a good book"
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