Jean-Christophe

Just like many of the readers, I first read it about ten years ago and surely it has since remained the best book I've ever read in my life. As a keen lover of music, I have experienced, am experiencing and will experience how music of Beethoven's gives me bravery and strength during dark and weak period of life. This book, too, certainly is the counterpart that will be accompanying me for life, sublimating my soul and give me power and strength.

Jean-Christophe is a very touching story that does indeed prove the saying above.Jean Christophe may be the idea of a rascal, evil and full of hatred to the rich, but he's just a desperate man in need of comfort, of peace, and most of all, of appreciation. It just-in it's persuasive way-forces you to look upon the dirty, 'unworthy' ones with a new light, with pity-not disgust. The language simply cools down the heart like a mountain-full of ice by the beauty of it. And it's hatred for the world behind the mask just burns your heart as it did with Christophe. Down with pretense! Down with politeness! All in all, the tragedy of this impatient man who found peace in death will either pierce your heart with enlightment or choke you with laughter. Be it a long lecture, a 1600+ pages of enlightment, a rebellion, this is not a master of the great arts you will soon forget.

I read it translated in Korean about 12 years ago. Though i felt it was somewhat boring at that time, i couldn't put it down, so i persisted. And now i know the book has been serving all these years as a formative novel to me. I am afraid I don't remember the details, but surely i remember how absolutely it absorbed me and arrested me. I want to get a copy of it now and read it again, for now I am sure i will be fully enjoying it, even loving the memory of boredom it gave me when i was a novice and dull reader. So sad it is out of print.

The beauty of the language even after translation, the depth of emotions and feelings and human nature described in the book have continuesly inspired me in all the years. Very few people can have the bravery (as I remember the author wrote) of standing in front the door of life and facing all its heartaches and pains and hardships -- and bursting out laughing, with one's head high. I had wished and imagined I could when I read it in high school. With all his flaws, Jean Christophe represents the unconquerable, undefeatable and ever-improving human spirit. He has inspired and will continue to inspire me in life. Just wish the book can be published again and I can get a copy of it -- not as an antique book or an used one.

At first I wondered how a long book (1,600 pages) written in the early 1900's could interest me. After a 100 pages, I found myself enjoying an unusual journey into the human psyche. This is not only a book about development of the musical artist, Jean-Christope, but a poetic symphony on the many variations of human nature. Each character brings new insight into the understanding what it means to be human and offers beautiful phrases for us to explain our most complex thoughts and emotions. This is one the greatest books I have read.