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Thomas the Impostor
Cocteau’s breakthrough novel on the horrors of World War I.
Too young to fight, Thomas assumes a noble ancestry, adds a few extra years to his age, and becomes a soldier. In this guise, he meets the society star Princess de Bormes and her impressionable daughter Henriette. While the princess pursues charity work with the wounded, Henriette falls in love with Guillaume. However, Guillaume, resplendent in army uniform and issued with a shiny revolver, is lost like a child in a fantasy land of their own creation. At the novel's denouement, he clings to his imposture, but in mind, if not body, he has grasped the real meaning of war. This visionary novel is a "hymn to the cult of youth" in which World War I battlefields become an exaggerated spectacle where fiction and reality are inseparable.
Too young to fight, Thomas assumes a noble ancestry, adds a few extra years to his age, and becomes a soldier. In this guise, he meets the society star Princess de Bormes and her impressionable daughter Henriette. While the princess pursues charity work with the wounded, Henriette falls in love with Guillaume. However, Guillaume, resplendent in army uniform and issued with a shiny revolver, is lost like a child in a fantasy land of their own creation. At the novel's denouement, he clings to his imposture, but in mind, if not body, he has grasped the real meaning of war. This visionary novel is a "hymn to the cult of youth" in which World War I battlefields become an exaggerated spectacle where fiction and reality are inseparable.
131 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
19 people are currently reading
522 people want to read
About the author
Jean Cocteau
576 books895 followersJean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager, playwright and filmmaker. Along with other Surrealists of his generation (Jean Anouilh and René Char for example) Cocteau grappled with the "algebra" of verbal codes old and new, mise en scène language and technologies of modernism to create a paradox: a classical avant-garde. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Colette, Édith Piaf, whom he cast in one of his one act plays entitled Le Bel Indifferent in 1940, and Raymond Radiguet.
His work was played out in the theatrical world of the Grands Theatres, the Boulevards and beyond during the Parisian epoque he both lived through and helped define and create. His versatile, unconventional approach and enormous output brought him international acclaim.
His work was played out in the theatrical world of the Grands Theatres, the Boulevards and beyond during the Parisian epoque he both lived through and helped define and create. His versatile, unconventional approach and enormous output brought him international acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 24, 2025
Apart from a bizarre scene where a convoy of cars heading close to the frontlines end up going on a detour to transport 100 pots of geraniums to a doctor's property near Paris, this coming-of-age / love story / WW1 short novel you wouldn't think was written by one of the major surrealists of the time. It's a pretty simple tragi-comic affair that sees a sixteen-year-old mythomaniac, Guillaume Thomas, who has a thirst for high adventure, somehow con his way into the army by claiming to be the nephew of a war general. He gets close with one Princess de Bromes and her daughter, Henriette - whom he ends falling in love with, as they treat injured servicemen from the frontlines at their home. Matters are complicated by a newspaper editor, Pesquel-Duport, who knows the truth about Thomas, and uses this to his advantage as he is in love with the princess. Cocteau obviously uses his own Great War experiences, where he served as a red cross ambulance driver, and despite later on where Thomas finds himself in the thick of it when it comes to some of the worse battles on the frontline, the novel doesn't come close to capturing the brutal reality of the trenches in the way something like All Quiet on the Western Front did. OK, it's unfair to compare this novel to that, but Cocteau's light-hearted tone, even in moments of death, just didn't quite sit right with me. I liked it enough though to give it 3/5. Next time I want to read about Cocteau's opium addiction.
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November 1, 2014 Thomas the Impostor
Thomas l'imposteur (1923) was one of the first books about the First World War which was not just reportage. But this book is certainly not just a view of the war from the trenches, not a bit of it.
When Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) wrote it, he was already under the influence of the much younger Raymond Radiguet (1903-1923), who, before his unbelievably premature death from typhoid fever, had, like Rimbaud, sprung fully formed into the Parisian literary world at the age of 15. (He also sprang into Cocteau's heart, as Rimbaud had done into Verlaine's.) To oversimplify, Radiguet had steeped himself in the French literature of the 17th and 18th centuries, about which Cocteau knew next to nothing (he was thrown out of school at least once and was never a good student), and his enthusiasm for the classic authors won over Cocteau, with an serious effect on his prose and poetry styles. The two co-wrote a number of texts, and the case has been made that Cocteau's Le grand écart was inspired by Radiguet's Le diable au corps, and his Thomas l'imposteur was inspired by Radiguet's Le bal du comte d'Orgel. The case has also been made that between Radiguet's death and the publication of Le bal du comte d'Orgel Cocteau re-wrote Radiguet's book. But that I'll discuss elsewhere.
The consequence for Cocteau's prose style: he began writing a linear, relatively simple, emotionally reserved narration in the style of the psychologizing and moralizing classic French authors, which culminated later in his Les enfants terribles. This was neither the first nor the last of Cocteau's transformations. But Cocteau always remained the upper class aesthete, no matter what his reference style; that, in my opinion, is the unmistakable constant of his work, that and the fact that he always had the eye of a poet.
In any case, turning to the book at hand, it should be mentioned that though Cocteau was rejected by the French army for medical reasons, he did serve for a time in the Red Cross' ambulance corps on the Belgian front. And he became very close friends with the unique poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who did fight in the trenches and was horribly wounded, and with whom he surely shared many impressions of the war.
To what end did Cocteau use these? To write, with a lofty serenity I have only seen attainable in French, a biting satire of the absurdity of mankind. At least that describes the first two thirds of the book.
An accidental agglomeration of persons, each for his own private reason, led by a princess with connections and a young impostor, who, because of his imposture, has even more connections, gallivant across the ruined countryside in a convoy of private automobiles and makeshift ambulances looking for wounded soldiers. And they actually help some of them, very nearly by accident. They stumble from horror to absurdity and back again. Back in Paris, they just stumble from absurdity to absurdity. All of the absurdity is, alas, completely possible, realizable, credible. As the impostor's imposture crumbles, the other parties realize that they now depend upon the credibility of that imposture... But Cocteau suddenly drops this promising line, and the book's tone changes.
Abruptly, the impostor excitedly finds himself at the front in Belgium; granted, it is not a hot zone, because the Belgian royal family lives close by. But men die there every day. Cocteau delivers a splendid description of the setting, for here he is reporting from personal experience. He was there with these men in this zone of the front. The soldiers adopt the impostor, for there in the trenches none of his imposture has any meaning; he can discard it. The satire is forgotten, and the impostor becomes Cocteau.
Again, Cocteau jettisons this promising line and occupies himself with a complicated interplay of unrequited loves. He digresses again and again. He finally returns to the impostor, and the inevitable occurs.
What was the role of the digressions and why the change of tone? I just don't know, even after this second reading. Perhaps Cocteau lost his focus or changed his mind. Perhaps he began to identify too strongly with the impostor, and in making this identification he lost his ironic distance and slipped into a tragic mode. Read it and see what you think - there is much to enjoy in this fine little book, in any case.
Note: If you care to know what star rating I give this book, please see my blog at
http://leopard.booklikes.com/blog
Thomas l'imposteur (1923) was one of the first books about the First World War which was not just reportage. But this book is certainly not just a view of the war from the trenches, not a bit of it.
When Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) wrote it, he was already under the influence of the much younger Raymond Radiguet (1903-1923), who, before his unbelievably premature death from typhoid fever, had, like Rimbaud, sprung fully formed into the Parisian literary world at the age of 15. (He also sprang into Cocteau's heart, as Rimbaud had done into Verlaine's.) To oversimplify, Radiguet had steeped himself in the French literature of the 17th and 18th centuries, about which Cocteau knew next to nothing (he was thrown out of school at least once and was never a good student), and his enthusiasm for the classic authors won over Cocteau, with an serious effect on his prose and poetry styles. The two co-wrote a number of texts, and the case has been made that Cocteau's Le grand écart was inspired by Radiguet's Le diable au corps, and his Thomas l'imposteur was inspired by Radiguet's Le bal du comte d'Orgel. The case has also been made that between Radiguet's death and the publication of Le bal du comte d'Orgel Cocteau re-wrote Radiguet's book. But that I'll discuss elsewhere.
The consequence for Cocteau's prose style: he began writing a linear, relatively simple, emotionally reserved narration in the style of the psychologizing and moralizing classic French authors, which culminated later in his Les enfants terribles. This was neither the first nor the last of Cocteau's transformations. But Cocteau always remained the upper class aesthete, no matter what his reference style; that, in my opinion, is the unmistakable constant of his work, that and the fact that he always had the eye of a poet.
In any case, turning to the book at hand, it should be mentioned that though Cocteau was rejected by the French army for medical reasons, he did serve for a time in the Red Cross' ambulance corps on the Belgian front. And he became very close friends with the unique poet Guillaume Apollinaire, who did fight in the trenches and was horribly wounded, and with whom he surely shared many impressions of the war.
To what end did Cocteau use these? To write, with a lofty serenity I have only seen attainable in French, a biting satire of the absurdity of mankind. At least that describes the first two thirds of the book.
An accidental agglomeration of persons, each for his own private reason, led by a princess with connections and a young impostor, who, because of his imposture, has even more connections, gallivant across the ruined countryside in a convoy of private automobiles and makeshift ambulances looking for wounded soldiers. And they actually help some of them, very nearly by accident. They stumble from horror to absurdity and back again. Back in Paris, they just stumble from absurdity to absurdity. All of the absurdity is, alas, completely possible, realizable, credible. As the impostor's imposture crumbles, the other parties realize that they now depend upon the credibility of that imposture... But Cocteau suddenly drops this promising line, and the book's tone changes.
Abruptly, the impostor excitedly finds himself at the front in Belgium; granted, it is not a hot zone, because the Belgian royal family lives close by. But men die there every day. Cocteau delivers a splendid description of the setting, for here he is reporting from personal experience. He was there with these men in this zone of the front. The soldiers adopt the impostor, for there in the trenches none of his imposture has any meaning; he can discard it. The satire is forgotten, and the impostor becomes Cocteau.
Again, Cocteau jettisons this promising line and occupies himself with a complicated interplay of unrequited loves. He digresses again and again. He finally returns to the impostor, and the inevitable occurs.
What was the role of the digressions and why the change of tone? I just don't know, even after this second reading. Perhaps Cocteau lost his focus or changed his mind. Perhaps he began to identify too strongly with the impostor, and in making this identification he lost his ironic distance and slipped into a tragic mode. Read it and see what you think - there is much to enjoy in this fine little book, in any case.
Note: If you care to know what star rating I give this book, please see my blog at
http://leopard.booklikes.com/blog
August 25, 2025
A whimsical waltz through the trenches of World War I, where the absurdity of war is matched only by the audacity of young Guillaume Thomas. At sixteen, too young to fight but not too young to fib, Guillaume borrows a noble ancestry and a few extra years, transforming himself into a soldier with a name that opens doors faster than a master key. His adventures begin when he meets the Princesse de Bormes, a Polish widow who has set up an ambulance service with her daughter Henriette and various friends. Guillaume's fabricated identity as the nephew of a famous general allows him to join their efforts, where his charm and quick thinking prove invaluable.
The plot is a delightful tangle of mistaken identities and charming deceptions. Guillaume's adventures with the Princesse de Bormes and her impressionable daughter Henriette are a testament to his ability to charm everyone from high society to the lowliest soldiers. Even when his aunt threatens to expose him, Guillaume's cool composure and quick wit turn potential disasters into laugh-out-loud moments. His false name opens doors and secures supplies, making him a crucial asset to the ambulance service.
Cocteau's writing is a blend of light-hearted satire and touching moments, capturing the chaos of war with a touch of humor that keeps you grinning from start to finish. The Impostor is a delightful journey through the absurdities of identity and the power of a well-told lie. Perfect for those who appreciate a clever tale with a dash of historical whimsy.
Cocteau is able to juxtapose the gravity of war with a whimsical narrative, creating a surreal yet moving experience. His background as an ambulance driver during World War I lends authenticity to the setting, while his avant-garde sensibilities infuse the story with a unique blend of realism and fantasy. Cocteau's skill in blending the tragic with the absurd allows readers to navigate the horrors of war with a sense of lightness and irony, making The Impostor a singularly enchanting read - don't be intimidated by the author's notoriety, this is one of the lightest reads I've come across, ever.
In what other country could a teenager's fib about noble lineage in the midst of a devastating war be met with admiration rather than skepticism.
Oh France...
The plot is a delightful tangle of mistaken identities and charming deceptions. Guillaume's adventures with the Princesse de Bormes and her impressionable daughter Henriette are a testament to his ability to charm everyone from high society to the lowliest soldiers. Even when his aunt threatens to expose him, Guillaume's cool composure and quick wit turn potential disasters into laugh-out-loud moments. His false name opens doors and secures supplies, making him a crucial asset to the ambulance service.
Cocteau's writing is a blend of light-hearted satire and touching moments, capturing the chaos of war with a touch of humor that keeps you grinning from start to finish. The Impostor is a delightful journey through the absurdities of identity and the power of a well-told lie. Perfect for those who appreciate a clever tale with a dash of historical whimsy.
Cocteau is able to juxtapose the gravity of war with a whimsical narrative, creating a surreal yet moving experience. His background as an ambulance driver during World War I lends authenticity to the setting, while his avant-garde sensibilities infuse the story with a unique blend of realism and fantasy. Cocteau's skill in blending the tragic with the absurd allows readers to navigate the horrors of war with a sense of lightness and irony, making The Impostor a singularly enchanting read - don't be intimidated by the author's notoriety, this is one of the lightest reads I've come across, ever.
In what other country could a teenager's fib about noble lineage in the midst of a devastating war be met with admiration rather than skepticism.
Oh France...
June 9, 2024
رمانک جالبی بود.
August 14, 2024
I don’t assume any affectation of impartiality whenever Cocteau worked in the novel form; I’m a sucker for all of it. His ability to construct the barest of sentences with the maximum of poetic possibility is not only nearly peerless, but one of my very few dearest things. Reproach with caution—I take no truck with sassing Cocteau (or his Twins, for that matter).
Don’t bring out the Blood Bitch. Or, actually, do. Garland, anyone?
Don’t bring out the Blood Bitch. Or, actually, do. Garland, anyone?
May 31, 2018
حتی یک ستاره هم زیاد بود . من نفهمیدم این کتاب از چه لحاظ مهمه. از بدترین و حوصله سربرترین کتابهای عمرم بود .احتمال میدم بخشی از جذابیت کتاب به نثر زیبای معروف کوکتو بر میگشت که متاسفانه در ترجمه چیزی نمود پیدا نکرده بود .مزخرف
November 11, 2024
J’avoue que fake ses task sur among us c’était cool, je comprends Thomas
January 23, 2011
this is an interesting book. It's very much the opposite of the boy hero in johnny tremain and I think probably a lot more true to life. How does a sixteen year old end up on the front lines? What do they do? Aren't french people awesome.
This review should be longer, but the book was quite short and I can think of nothing else to say that might not be a spoiler.
It has no interesting gimmicks or french dirtiness.
This review should be longer, but the book was quite short and I can think of nothing else to say that might not be a spoiler.
It has no interesting gimmicks or french dirtiness.
July 14, 2023
Gilbert Adair's foreword to this not so subtly hints at the fact that it's... not so great. He asks the question: if Cocteau was a Renaissance man, adept at seemingly all the arts, was he in fact a master of none? Perhaps it’s unfair to base a judgment off this one novella, but it nonetheless suggests that, indeed.
Adair specifically compliments Cocteau's stark descriptions of the battlefields of WWI, which I similarly found to be the book's sole redeeming quality; images like a priest administering sacraments to wounded soldiers, "forcing the teeth apart with the blade of a knife" and an injured horse "tripping on its entrails" as it runs through the streets are so harrowing as to be singed in my mind. But something's off with the story set amid these horrors and ruins — the characters aren't fully developed, the pacing is amiss. By the end I was turning page after page going "yup yeah uh-huh yup" just to get through it lol. Disappointing, considering how memorable the characters are in Les enfants terribles, one of my favorite books as a teen. Ah well... maybe it's time to rewatch the film as a palate cleanser.
Adair specifically compliments Cocteau's stark descriptions of the battlefields of WWI, which I similarly found to be the book's sole redeeming quality; images like a priest administering sacraments to wounded soldiers, "forcing the teeth apart with the blade of a knife" and an injured horse "tripping on its entrails" as it runs through the streets are so harrowing as to be singed in my mind. But something's off with the story set amid these horrors and ruins — the characters aren't fully developed, the pacing is amiss. By the end I was turning page after page going "yup yeah uh-huh yup" just to get through it lol. Disappointing, considering how memorable the characters are in Les enfants terribles, one of my favorite books as a teen. Ah well... maybe it's time to rewatch the film as a palate cleanser.
August 15, 2024
A excepción de algunos pasajes bastante lúcidos sobre la guerra, la prosa es terrible.
March 13, 2023
Reading this book felt like rereading a page because you zoned out and don't remember what you just read. But in this case, you decided not to go over the passage again, so you're stuck in this constant state of confusion and frustration. I would have enjoyed Thomas' tale if I actually understood what was happening because I LOVE reading about imposters. But I was not too fond of the writing. In fact, I hated it so much. The narrative is all over the place, and I found it challenging to piece the sentences together in a coherent way. Therefore, fuck this book for making me feel stupid.
September 11, 2017
An interesting premise led me to pick this up, but wow, does this book fizzle. The writing is unfocused and weak -- perhaps the result of poor translation? Maybe the film is better.
December 1, 2017
من واقعا متوجه نشدم چرا این اثر یه شاهکاره. خیلی سطحی و حوصله سر بر بود برام. نه در عمق کاراکترها تونستم برم، نه خود داستان پیچش خاصی داشت، نه فضاسازی ها عمیق بود ... دوستش نداشتم واقعا
July 11, 2019
Free download available at Project Gutenberg
I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be published by Project Gutenberg.
I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and it will be published by Project Gutenberg.
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May 3, 2020Extremely my kind of thing, eschews tight plotting in order to glide on the strength of its images and passions. Yet the ending still hits home. My god, what a wonderful book
March 13, 2023
I-
Wha-
" On entendait les cent cinquante-cinq, les soixante-quinze qui débouchent du champagne sec et dont l'obus déchire un coupon de soie, la pièce anglaise dont on ne comprenait jamais d'où elle tirait, les canons contre avions qui couronnent les aéroplanes de petits nuages en boules pareils aux séraphins qui escortent la Sainte Vierge, la mer du Nord, couleur d'huître, secouant une eau si froide, si grise, si ressemblante à la formule H2O"
...
HUH?????
1.5/5 ⭐ because I didn't hate the end as much as the rest
Wha-
" On entendait les cent cinquante-cinq, les soixante-quinze qui débouchent du champagne sec et dont l'obus déchire un coupon de soie, la pièce anglaise dont on ne comprenait jamais d'où elle tirait, les canons contre avions qui couronnent les aéroplanes de petits nuages en boules pareils aux séraphins qui escortent la Sainte Vierge, la mer du Nord, couleur d'huître, secouant une eau si froide, si grise, si ressemblante à la formule H2O"
...
HUH?????
1.5/5 ⭐ because I didn't hate the end as much as the rest
May 30, 2025
Caro Cocteau, non ci siamo proprio! M'è parso un testo senza vitalità, senza un briciolo di "spinta", piatto, anzi 'concavo', se devo essere onesto. Brutto, di fatto, secondo me.
August 20, 2018
Erster Weltkrieg einmal anders. Kekse und Theater an der Front. Wer braucht schon Realität wenn die Fantasie so viel spannender ist?
***
Thomas wird für den Neffen eines Generals gehalten, ein unschuldiges Missverständnis, doch der Träumer klärt die Situation nicht auf. Er stürzt sich in ein Abenteuer: der Erste Weltkrieg. Bald schon zieht er mit einem seltsamen Haufen an Selbstdarstellern und anderen Träumern an die Front, wo Wirklichkeit und Traum aufeinander prallen.
Das Cover des Buches hat mich gleich begeistert. Der Manesse-Verlag veröffentlichte eine Neuübersetzung des Buches, welches ursprünglich 1923 erschien.
Zuerst einmal muss ich die Optik des Buches erwähnen: I’m in love! Das Büchlein ist eine kleine handliche Hardcover Ausgabe mit farbigen Lesebändchen sowie Umschlag. Einige ‚Klassiker‘ sind auf diese Art neuübersetzt/gestaltet worden – ihr solltet euch auf jeden Fall ‚Frankenstein‘ ansehen (ES IST PINK!). Volle Punktzahl für die Optik.
Zum Buch selbst – seid euch bewusst das es 1922 geschrieben wurde. Das damalige Publikum kam quasi frisch aus dem Krieg. Der Autor verzichtet größtenteils auf Detaillierte Beschreibungen der Landschaft oder Umstände. Auch schildert er den Krieg von seiner absurden Seite. Die Charaktere sind keine Kriegshelden, erringen keine besonderen Siege oder erleben auch nur annähernd die Dinge, die man in einem Buch über den Krieg erwartet.
Der Schwindler selbst ist ein Jungspund, der in kindlicher Manier durch das Kriegsgeschehen stolpert als wäre es ein Räuber-und-Gendarm Spiel, die Prinzessin die den Trupp befehligt sieht im Krieg eine Bühne die auf ihren Auftritt wartet, der Doktor der Geschichte macht nichts lieber als seine Mitarbeiter zu hypnotisieren.
All die Figuren sind knapp geschildert und nur grob für den Leser skizziert. So geht die Fantasie ihre eigenen Wege. Trotz Kriegsschauplatz ist der ganze Roman fröhlich erzählt, da die Protagonisten den Krieg kaum als das wahrnehmen was er ist. Kekse, Theaterstücke, quasi Front-Urlaub, direkt an der Front.
Im Roman mischt sich die Inszenierung mit der Realität, gleiches gilt für den Roman selbst, denn Jean Cocteau inszenierte mit Thomas nicht nur eine Fantasiegestalt, sondern auch ein wenig Selbstbildnis. Cocteau meldete sich freiwillig für die Front, wurde allerdings ausgemustert. So beschloss er auf eigene Faust einen Krankentransport für Verwundete ins Leben zu rufen. Jean Cocteau stolzierte daraufhin mit goldener Fantasieuniform durch Frankreich um den Menschen seine Wichtigkeit im Krieg vorzuhalten.
Zu Beginn wirkte der Roman ein wenig als handle es sich um eine Rohfassung, deren Vollendung noch aussteht. Allerdings liest man sich nach einer Weile in die abgehackten Sätze ein.
***
Thomas wird für den Neffen eines Generals gehalten, ein unschuldiges Missverständnis, doch der Träumer klärt die Situation nicht auf. Er stürzt sich in ein Abenteuer: der Erste Weltkrieg. Bald schon zieht er mit einem seltsamen Haufen an Selbstdarstellern und anderen Träumern an die Front, wo Wirklichkeit und Traum aufeinander prallen.
Das Cover des Buches hat mich gleich begeistert. Der Manesse-Verlag veröffentlichte eine Neuübersetzung des Buches, welches ursprünglich 1923 erschien.
Zuerst einmal muss ich die Optik des Buches erwähnen: I’m in love! Das Büchlein ist eine kleine handliche Hardcover Ausgabe mit farbigen Lesebändchen sowie Umschlag. Einige ‚Klassiker‘ sind auf diese Art neuübersetzt/gestaltet worden – ihr solltet euch auf jeden Fall ‚Frankenstein‘ ansehen (ES IST PINK!). Volle Punktzahl für die Optik.
Zum Buch selbst – seid euch bewusst das es 1922 geschrieben wurde. Das damalige Publikum kam quasi frisch aus dem Krieg. Der Autor verzichtet größtenteils auf Detaillierte Beschreibungen der Landschaft oder Umstände. Auch schildert er den Krieg von seiner absurden Seite. Die Charaktere sind keine Kriegshelden, erringen keine besonderen Siege oder erleben auch nur annähernd die Dinge, die man in einem Buch über den Krieg erwartet.
Der Schwindler selbst ist ein Jungspund, der in kindlicher Manier durch das Kriegsgeschehen stolpert als wäre es ein Räuber-und-Gendarm Spiel, die Prinzessin die den Trupp befehligt sieht im Krieg eine Bühne die auf ihren Auftritt wartet, der Doktor der Geschichte macht nichts lieber als seine Mitarbeiter zu hypnotisieren.
All die Figuren sind knapp geschildert und nur grob für den Leser skizziert. So geht die Fantasie ihre eigenen Wege. Trotz Kriegsschauplatz ist der ganze Roman fröhlich erzählt, da die Protagonisten den Krieg kaum als das wahrnehmen was er ist. Kekse, Theaterstücke, quasi Front-Urlaub, direkt an der Front.
Im Roman mischt sich die Inszenierung mit der Realität, gleiches gilt für den Roman selbst, denn Jean Cocteau inszenierte mit Thomas nicht nur eine Fantasiegestalt, sondern auch ein wenig Selbstbildnis. Cocteau meldete sich freiwillig für die Front, wurde allerdings ausgemustert. So beschloss er auf eigene Faust einen Krankentransport für Verwundete ins Leben zu rufen. Jean Cocteau stolzierte daraufhin mit goldener Fantasieuniform durch Frankreich um den Menschen seine Wichtigkeit im Krieg vorzuhalten.
Zu Beginn wirkte der Roman ein wenig als handle es sich um eine Rohfassung, deren Vollendung noch aussteht. Allerdings liest man sich nach einer Weile in die abgehackten Sätze ein.
September 22, 2018
Dalsi kniha Honzy Koktala a ja uz asi muzu s ledovym klidem rict, ze si mnoho nerozumime (a to je u surrealistu zridkakdy). I tentokrate je to tak poeticke, ze jsem mel alespon dvanactkrat chut skocit do studny. Nehlede na to, ze ackoliv jsem cetl strizlivy, mel jsem prvnich asi 200 problem zjistit, kdo je kdo, co se deje a proc jedou autem. Tedy podobne pocity, jake zazivam pri navratu z putyky domu.
Tomas Impostor je o manikovi, kterej se vydava za nekoho jinyho. Je valka, vsechno vsude boucha, vsichni jsou zraneni a tak. Mrzi me, ze autori vetsinou pomiji i dalsi hruzy valky a soustredi se pouze na tyto povrchni aspekty. Proc nikdo nezmini, ze se nehraje ligovej fotbal? Ze nikdo nema powerbanku nebo nabijecku na mobil v aute? A daji se vubec sehnat v supermarketu predem nakrajeny a oloupany jablka? Ne, toto ocividne nikoho nezajima. Ubohe.
Jelikoz je Tomas jelito, misto aby si uzival lasky od postavy cislo #26, rozhodne se, ze do valky stejne pujde, protoze tehdy jeste neexistoval Playstation, takze misto hrat Call of duty, ty ses call of duty. DRSNOTA.
Nechtel jsem spoilerovat, ale budu: prave jsem hodil knizku na stul a dopadla hrbetem nahoru, ale spadla z okraje stolu - kniha tedy nedopadne dobre! Toto si ostatne muzete vzdy vyzkouset v knihkupectvi s jakoukoliv knihou.
6/10
Tomas Impostor je o manikovi, kterej se vydava za nekoho jinyho. Je valka, vsechno vsude boucha, vsichni jsou zraneni a tak. Mrzi me, ze autori vetsinou pomiji i dalsi hruzy valky a soustredi se pouze na tyto povrchni aspekty. Proc nikdo nezmini, ze se nehraje ligovej fotbal? Ze nikdo nema powerbanku nebo nabijecku na mobil v aute? A daji se vubec sehnat v supermarketu predem nakrajeny a oloupany jablka? Ne, toto ocividne nikoho nezajima. Ubohe.
Jelikoz je Tomas jelito, misto aby si uzival lasky od postavy cislo #26, rozhodne se, ze do valky stejne pujde, protoze tehdy jeste neexistoval Playstation, takze misto hrat Call of duty, ty ses call of duty. DRSNOTA.
Nechtel jsem spoilerovat, ale budu: prave jsem hodil knizku na stul a dopadla hrbetem nahoru, ale spadla z okraje stolu - kniha tedy nedopadne dobre! Toto si ostatne muzete vzdy vyzkouset v knihkupectvi s jakoukoliv knihou.
6/10
March 24, 2020
کلا نفهمیدمش و این میتونه ایراد من یا مترجم یا نویسنده باشه
March 22, 2014
A young man goes to fight in the first world war, but things aren't what they seem.
December 4, 2022
A II. világháborúban egy fiatalember próbálja keresni a zavarosban a maga hasznát. Véletlen névegyezés miatt a francia hadsereg egyik híres tábornokának az unokaöccseként járja a várost, ahol összefut az unatkozó özvegy grófnővel, valamint a hipnotizőr orvossal, akik pedig hadikórházat rendeztek be az egyik üresen álló bérházban. Már csak a betegek hiányoznak, így útra kelnek kocsikaravánnal, hogy összegyűjtsék a frontról a sebesülteket, itt számos kalandba kerülnek, végül repedezni kezdenek a színfalak, a fiatalember kezdi elhinni, hogy valóban ért a katonasághoz, a jóindulat lehámlik és a hadikórház üzemeltetői már csak a kitüntetéseket látják a szemük előtt, végül egymást gáncsolva mindenki ütközik a valósággal. Tanulságos történet, egyszer érdemes elolvasni.
April 11, 2025
''En esta obra publicada en 1923, Cocteau nos muestra a través de Thomas, su propia experiencia en el París de la Primera Guerra Mundial. Recién publicada, fue calificada de escandalosa por una sociedad para la que la guerra era un asunto sagrado que debía quedar al margen de cualquier mirada irónica o crítica. Cocteau se disfraza, y por medio de la impostura de su personaje, crea una realidad distinta de la que le tocó vivir. El relato nos va ofreciendo una serie de acontecimientos tan irreales como sorprendentes y en los que Thomas, un muchacho de dieciséis años dotado de una especial personalidad, no tiene más que jugarlos, provocando en los personajes que le rodean una irresistible confianza y atracción.''
November 26, 2025
Thomas es un joven que hace pasarse por el sobrino de un famoso militar. Se une a Clémence, la hija de la princesa de Bormes, que recorre el frente francés próximo a la frontera belga durante la Primera Guerra Mundial con una ambulancia de la Cruz Roja, viendo todo tipo de experiencias.
Una novela caótica, mezcla las experiencias del frente con el amor no revelado entre Thomas Guillaume y Henriette, quien se declara con una carta a Thomas, pero este caerá en acto de servicio sin saber de esa carta.
Novela muy breve pero pesada por su extrañeza, caos y altibajos en la narración, quizá marcada por la propia existencia de este díscolo artista.
Una novela caótica, mezcla las experiencias del frente con el amor no revelado entre Thomas Guillaume y Henriette, quien se declara con una carta a Thomas, pero este caerá en acto de servicio sin saber de esa carta.
Novela muy breve pero pesada por su extrañeza, caos y altibajos en la narración, quizá marcada por la propia existencia de este díscolo artista.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2020
This is really a novella, easily read in one or two sittings, that focuses on a 16 year-old boy who lies and charms his way into French high society and into action in the trenches in World War I. The contrasts between the romantic notions and preoccupations of the young protagonist and the mother/daughter aristocrats that he wins over, on the one hand, and the horrors of war's realities, on the other, couldn't be drawn much more strongly. The use of metaphor and simile is unusual and at times quite striking. There is a helpful forward by Gilbert Adair.
March 14, 2024
A strange & haunting lark of a book involving a number of idle eccentrics on the fringes of The Great War whose frothy intrigues & odd adventures ultimately can't save them from being touched by the random madness & tragedy of it all. Cocteau brings the appealing absurdity of the Surrealists to this bizarre, thin novel (novella?), keeping it entertaining & even enchanting as it tumbles blithely along in a fog of its own manufactured atmoshpere, a kind of charmed pocket universe adjacent to the more grim & gruesome reality alongside.
September 26, 2024
Thomas the Imposter is more of a prose poem than a novel. It lacks a linear plot--characters appear and disappear, names change, and the setting jumps back and forth between Paris to the Belgian Front (the book takes place during WW1). At times (I suspect a bad translation is partly to blame), one is not quite sure what is going on. Still, the book is so beautifully written (and nicely illustrated by the author), that I forgive the confusion. It’s funny, sad, and transcendent all at the same time. A little gem.
December 14, 2020
J'étais curieux de lire Cocteau. Ce roman ne s'est pas avéré une bonne porte d'entrée. Le style porte d'abord à confusion ; le texte est encombré d'effets et épuré d'éléments narratifs. Éventuellement, la trame semble s'imposer à l'auteur et on s'y sent plus dans un roman qu'un poème. L'ensemble m'a semblé faible, mais certains passages excellents m'incitent à peut-être tenter une oeuvre plus tardive de Cocteau.
October 28, 2022
Je n’ai pas apprécié plus que ça le roman. L’histoire est assez bancale avec beaucoup de narration parfois un peu éparpillée à mon goût. C’est un roman comique qui ressemble assez à une pièce de théâtre. J’ai trouvé le personnage d’Henriette ridicule mais qu’il laisse sourire. J’attends de voir si la plume de Cocteau va plus m’enchanter avec son œuvre la machine infernale…
December 27, 2018
An interesting read, with some good lines now and then. I read this mostly in Bellingham, finishing it up on Christmas Morning. Such a short read, I felt compelled to finish, but if it had been longer, then I might have abandoned the piece.
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