You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
A review by emleemay
Jacques the Fatalist and His Master by Denis Diderot
2.0
Sort of interesting to analyse and study; not particularly enjoyable.
Even now, humour is completely subjective, but humour from several centuries ago is always hit and miss. I thought Voltaire's [b:Candide|19380|Candide|Voltaire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345060082l/19380._SY75_.jpg|2833018]-- written shortly before this one --was quite funny in parts. 150 years earlier, [b:Don Quixote|3836|Don Quixote|Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546112331l/3836._SX50_.jpg|121842] contained moments of comedic brilliance. The humour in [b:Jacques the Fatalist|18212|Jacques the Fatalist|Denis Diderot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925793l/18212._SY75_.jpg|1413941], however, slipped right on past me without leaving a mark.
Jacques and his master gallivant around having supposedly comical adventures, all of which are to emphasise Jacques' philosophy that everything is prewritten and predestined. The adventures are whimsical and random and there is no character, conflict, or promised destination to really connect you to the narrative.
Harsh, but if you want to experience some men going on a trip and getting themselves in and out of comical scenarios, you could just watch The Hangover.
Even now, humour is completely subjective, but humour from several centuries ago is always hit and miss. I thought Voltaire's [b:Candide|19380|Candide|Voltaire|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345060082l/19380._SY75_.jpg|2833018]-- written shortly before this one --was quite funny in parts. 150 years earlier, [b:Don Quixote|3836|Don Quixote|Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546112331l/3836._SX50_.jpg|121842] contained moments of comedic brilliance. The humour in [b:Jacques the Fatalist|18212|Jacques the Fatalist|Denis Diderot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925793l/18212._SY75_.jpg|1413941], however, slipped right on past me without leaving a mark.
Jacques and his master gallivant around having supposedly comical adventures, all of which are to emphasise Jacques' philosophy that everything is prewritten and predestined. The adventures are whimsical and random and there is no character, conflict, or promised destination to really connect you to the narrative.
Harsh, but if you want to experience some men going on a trip and getting themselves in and out of comical scenarios, you could just watch The Hangover.