Reviews

Confessions Of Felix Krull by Thomas Mann

leserin123's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Hilarious

ladydewinter's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

What a delight!

To be fair, this was Thomas Mann writing as I thought he wrote all his books (and how „Buddenbrooks“ is not written). It took a bit to get used to the long and elegant sentences, but after a while, I was hooked.

This is an unfinished story of a con artist, and it really was a lot of fun to read. And the descriptions! I can see how they might be tedious to some readers (I don’t know if that is the case), but I felt like I was in Frankfurt, in Paris, in Lisbon, seeing what the narrator did.

It looks like I‘m becoming a Mann fan in my old age.

leadbelly's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

I read this because I remembered the 1980s TV version. Apparently it's funny. It's not. Felix isn't endearing in any way, maybe that's the joke. Ho ho. It's verbose, plodding, and tiresome. Maybe that's the joke. Ho ho ho.

msrdr's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Hilarious. Not a word I expected to define one of my favourite writers, Thomas Mann. The unfinished masterpiece, Confessions of Felix Krull, lives up to my memory of Mann’s nearly perfect writing. Flawless sentences, satiric pomposity, adventure, and interspersed philosophical musings on the nature of life, humankind, and beauty. What a combination, what a writer. While disappointingly lacking the completion of its story and the accompany meta-structure you’d expect from Mann’s perfectionist writing, Felix Krull still offers a satisfying and thoroughly entertaining story.

chairmanbernanke's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Interesting imitations

naley's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

trimtim's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

luciamariarita's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

anthares's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

furchtbar. die wahrhaftige definition von "lange rede, kurzer sinn". die letzten drei tage haben sich wie jahre angefühlt, nur weil thomas mann sich mal gefühlt hatte. zu glauben, dass nach all dem es auch noch so unzufriedend endet, ist wohl eine unfassbare frechheit.
trotzdem konnte ich nicht mit gutem gewissen nur einen stern vergeben, denn felix krull als protagonist ist auf jeden fall auch gegen ende an mich herangewachsen und scheint recht gut geschrieben zu sein -wenn auch unaussprechlich nervig. und dazu hat es auch 200 seiten gebraucht, bis es überhaupt so weit war.
im grossen und ganzen sage ich: morgen wird ein werkvergleich geschrieben, wenn auch kein guter!

mzed's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective slow-paced

5.0