Jeroen Vandenbossche’s Reviews > La théorie du roman > Status Update

What did make you choose this one? I remember he was a prototype for Thomas Mann’s Leo Naphta and I thought I knew enough:-))

Katia wrote: "What did make you choose this one? I remember he was a prototype for Thomas Mann’s Leo Naphta and I thought I knew enough:-))"

Haha, yes I heard that theory before but, frankly, I did not notice any similarities yet. It has been several decades since I read The Magic Mountain so I cannot claim I remember the actual content of the conversations between Naphta and Settembrini. I only remember the general thrust, the atmosphere and the desperate attempts by Castorp to keep up with the esteemed intellectuals.

Why did I pick this one? I don’t know. I read it once already in Dutch translation many moons ago and last year I read a bit of Benjamin. Maybe it was the latter who inspired me? Anyway, I definitely find this a fascinating read even if a lot of it is over my head. I don’t know who Gyorgy’s intended audience exactly was but I am sure they read a lot more Hegel and Schelling than I did…😉

You are moving closer and closer to Hegel:-) Have you thought of reading Kojeve and his lectures (or maybe you have done it ages ago). I've just noticed many inc M-Ponty were enchanted by him. I love Benjamin but never tried Lukacs. Look forward to your review before reconsidering my prejudices:-))

Katia wrote: "You are moving closer and closer to Hegel:-) Have you thought of reading Kojeve and his lectures (or maybe you have done it ages ago). I've just noticed many inc M-Ponty were enchanted by him. I lo..."

Hahaha Katia, maybe you are right and I am about to be sucked in a Hegelian rabbit hole! Your comment made me think about a famous quote by Foucault, taken from his inaugural lecture at the Collège de France (L'ordre du discours) where he claims that, despite our best intentions, there may, in the end, simply not be any means to escape Hegel's gravitational pull. I looked it up for you so I could quote it in full. Here it is:

"Je sais bien que (...) toute notre époque, que ce soit par la logique ou par l’épistémologie, que ce soit par Marx ou par Nietzsche, essaie d’échapper à Hegel : et ce que j’ai essayé de dire tout à l’heure à propos du discours est bien infidèle au logos hégélien. Mais échapper réellement à Hegel suppose d’apprécier exactement ce qu’il en coûte de se détacher de lui ; cela suppose de savoir jusqu’où Hegel, insidieusement peut-être, s’est approché de nous ; cela suppose de savoir, dans ce qui nous permet de penser contre Hegel, ce qui est encore hégélien ; et de mesurer en quoi notre recours contre lui est encore peut être une ruse qu’il nous oppose et au terme de laquelle il nous attend, immobile et ailleurs."

Scary shit if you ask me! :-)