The Forty Days of Musa Dagh

The Forty Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel, translated by Geoffrey Dunlop and James Reidel

This is a somewhat controversial story of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks. The Turks were working to assert their independence and control over the region. The Armenians were Christian and thus did not belong. They had also done some bad things. This novel primarily deals with a small population and their resistance. They were forced out of their land (often based on some past wrong.) There were people that had differing views of resistance. There were also some internal struggles over property rights - even among those that had no properties. The book portrays the Turks in a bad light, and thus with America trying to keep a middle eastern friend, the powers that be were willing to limit the production of a film based on the book. The book itself is very long and reads similar to those covering Jewish ghettos.

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship

Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Wilhelm Meister comes of age. He spends some time in the theater trying to find himself. There are also romances with women and a deep relationship with another man. The book did carry on for a long time.

Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals

Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant, translated by Thomas Kingsmill Abbott

Kant can be dense. He explores metaphysics and morals. Where do morals come from? What about animals? Can they be moral? The discussion can be quite difficult to follow.

This was originally Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten in German, and has some alternate English translations, such as Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals, Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals, and the Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals.

An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment

An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment by Immanuel Kant

In this very short essay, Kant defines enlightenment. To him it is the freedom and the willingness to challenge one's thoughts. It is the emergence from one's immaturity and the willing to think for oneself as opposed to having others tell you what should be thought. 

I listened to the version from librivox which was from a translated source. However, I cannot seem to find who the original translator was.

The Metamorphosis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The narrator of this audiobook, Ralph Cosham, would often narrate under the pseudonym Geoffrey Howard.

Gregor woke up one day and discovered he was a bug. It was just a "oh, I'm a bug and not human". He is slow getting out the door. His family and even his manager try to come and get him out. Later they learn that he is a bug. His sister is the only one that regularly attends to him. Others protect him but generally avoid him. He was a primary earner in the house, so his "bugification" creates some stress. Eventually, he fades from view. They clean out human furniture from his room to make it more comfortable. They send him food, but he rarely eats. His room gradually becomes a junk room. His family takes on tenants to make ends meet. Eventually, while his sister is playing violin, Gregor goes out to listen. This freaks out the tenants (who are neat freaks.) Gregor shortly after decides to give up on life and dies. The family acknowledges his passing and opts for some privacy from the tenants. Then they go on with their lives. They are somewhat relieved that they don't have to tend for him anymore. They can now move to a smaller apartment and live financially well with their new work.

This can be seen as part of a struggle of caring for somebody that has challenges. They may have changed to be different. At first you see them as who they are. Gradually they become more of a burden. Eventually, there is a relief when you no longer need to care for them anymore. There may be a hope they can return to how they were, but an exit is a more likely outcome.

Telling this story primarily from Gregor's view helps emphasize the changes that are made. He was not killed, he just gave up. He was capable of thought and realized his change. However, he could not do anything about it. He gradually adopted more and more to the life of a bug. Eventually he stopped eating and stopped living. The world and his family was not capable of giving him a life that he felt worth living. He couldn't provide it for himself either.

Gregor's sister was the one that had cared for him. She also played violin in a way that pleased Gregor, but not the tenants. The family barely noticed her until Gregor's pasing. Only then did they realize she had blossomed into a woman. The first thing they thought to do then was to marry her to somebody. Is this good or bad? Is it another form of control or more freedom?

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Fireside Reading of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King: Fireside Reading by E. T. A. Hoffmann

The Nutcracker ballet was based on this German novella. Interestingly, this audiobook credited the original author, but not the translator. I guess it was just the "most popular" version, whatever that may be. In the ballet, the plot was fairly baffling, as it is in the book. There are a lot of fantastical creatures and a battle with mice. It is unclear why it is all happening.

The World of Yesterday

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig was a Jewish Austrian writer who lived through World War I and World War II. He was born in the late 1800s and saw great improvements in society. The Victorian prudishness fell away, giving people greater freedom. The order and technology allowed for predictable, comfortable life. It felt like society was only getting better. People were gaining more freedoms and creature comforts. Poverty and depravity were on their way out. The summer of 1914 started out beautifully. Then Franz Ferdinand was assassinated. Alas, he wasn't very popular, so this could lead to a better heir. It caused a bit of a spurt, but didn't seem like a big impact. Then war was declared. Everyone was eager to go, expecting to be back by Christmas. Then the war dragged on. Morale went down. After the war, Austria was carved up. The people wanted to have their imperial borders, or just be part of Germany. Alas, they didn't get a say and were forced to be an independent German state. Conditions were not great. Inflation was out of control. Germans would come across the border to take advantage of low prices. (This would latter change as Germany had high inflation.)

The inflation lead to significant reorganization in society in both Germany and Austria. Long term wealth and debt both evaporated. Conditions were ripe for the growth of fascism and the rise of Hitler. Anti-semitism rose up. The natural progression of society was placed in reverse.

The book is Zweig's autobiography. The world events just happened to occur in his life. The first part covers his youth. He had little positive to say about the school system. There was a lot of tedious "learning" and little true intellectual engagement. Both the students and teachers were eager for the school day to learn. Alas, little has improved in the education system of the day. He learned to get true education from Vienna. There were many chances to see musical premiers, read books and truly learn. 

He traveled extensively, primarily throughout Europe. He met many literary figures, from Joyce to Richard Strauss (with whom he composed an opera). As a Jew, the gradual rise of anti-semitism led him to leave Austria permanently. He was a "person without a state" in England. However, he was also an enemy of the state once Austria declared war on Britain. There is a tone of loss at the end. He loved his Austria, but was distraught be the end of society. 

Despite living a century ago, the situation of his life is distraughtingly similar to today. The education system has not significantly changed. The general attitudes of society are similar. There is a feeling that progress is improving society, yet concerns and underlying conflict. There is comfort in the societal structure. Minor inflation during the Covid-19 pandemic caused issues. Would major inflation lead to another World War?

William Tell

William Tell by Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller

When I think of William Tell, the first thing that comes to mind is Rossini's Overture. Then I see an apple shot off a head. And that is about it. This play is based on the William Tell legend. Rossini's opera was in turn based off this play. In it William Tell does shoot an apple off of his son's head. He was promised that doing so would be the only way to preserve his life. However, the leader that made the promise then realizes that he is too dangerous to have around, so he imprisoned him. However, he is asked to guide the ship over rough seas. He does so, but then uses the opportunity to escape. He later uses a well-placed shot to kill the leader as he is traveling. This foments a revolution. At the end, the emperor his shot by one of his relatives. Tell does not agree with this, but does talk with him as he visits and asks him to atone for his action. I got lost in some of the convoluted parts, but the apple scene was quite clear.