September 18, 2011

JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS, by Thomas Mann

BOOKS. I've just finished reading Thomas Mann's Joseph and his brothers. It has taken me more than two months to do so. A tale of sibling quarreling and fighting of biblical proportions. The seed of it coming from Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, even from Cain and Abel. Like a curse from a jealous God perpetuated for all times and all nations. 
It may even be that - images of our God - we are forced to dislike what we see of ourselves in our closest in kin and we do not like.
Having spent so much time reading Mann's words, I will borrow just a few from his book: "We are bitterest about accusations that are indeed false, yet not entirely so". Siblings are somehow fated to excel on that.

Alexander Gurevich's "Joseph and his brothers"

Acabo de terminar de leer Jose y sus hermanos, de Thomas Mann. Me ha llevado más de dos meses hacerlo. Una historia de disputas y luchas entre hermanos de proporciones bíblicas. La semilla puesta desde Ismael e Isaac, Esau y Jacob, incluso Caín y Abel. Como una maldición de un Dios celoso que se perpetúa por todos los tiempos y naciones.
Podría incluso ser que - imágenes de nuestro Dios -  nos vieramos obligados  a rechazar lo que vemos de nosotros mismos en nuestros más próximos, y no nos gusta.
Después de haber pasado tanto tiempo leyendo las palabras de Mann, tomaré prestadas solo unas pocas de su libro: "Somos más brutales en nuestra reacción a las acusaciones falsas pero que no lo son del todo". Los hermanos parecen predestinados a brillar en ello.


You can find references to the book in these Posts too: JOSEPH in Formentera, BIBLICAL SIESTAS, FIG TREES in Formentera, and LA MOLA 2.
Puedes encontrar también referencias al libro en estos Post: JOSEPH in Formentera,  BIBLICAL SIESTAS, FIG TREES in Formentera, y LA MOLA 2.
Posted by Pet
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12 comments:

  1. Jane and Lance HattattSeptember 18, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    Hello:
    We have not, to date, read 'Joseph and His Brothers'; we are now curious so to do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. mermaid gallerySeptember 18, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    i admire your tenacity ....sounds like heavy reading!...siblings can press our buttons easier than anybody else....love the painting!...have a light, beach read now for fun......

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  3. Yvonne OsborneSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Alas, yes, our siblings best know our weaknesses, our secrets and our fantasies. Thus can they hurt us the deepest, wield the accusation we think false, until we examine it in detail. I confess I haven't read Thomas Mann. Sounds like winter reading to me. I'll put him on my winter list behind Inferno. Thank you.

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  4. David TomsSeptember 19, 2011 at 2:23 AM

    I have not read it as yet. I found Mann terribly arduous to read in my youth so will have to try. I guess because siblings can be closest to us biologically
    and also socially as we growing up, that they might have this skill

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  5. RandySeptember 19, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    Amazing piece of artwork.

    ReplyDelete
  6. winterludesSeptember 19, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    if i remember correctly, he had three daughters and three sons. damned! what a good material for observing rivalties in the sibling. consequently, we can suppose that maybe he knew what he was talking about, despite nannies.

    ReplyDelete
  7. saidiSeptember 19, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    gr8 article..
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    ReplyDelete
  8. 1-2punchSeptember 19, 2011 at 7:27 AM

    sounds interesting...but 2 months, I'm afraid I would get disinterested and put it down never to go back, that happened to me with EAT,LOVE,PRAY. Never did finish it, and I knew the movie would never cut it, so never watched that either. (not a fan of JR)

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  9. AprendeconvaleSeptember 19, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    A mí me gusta mucho Thomas Mann y ahora estoy con Los Buddenbrook, una saga familiar!!!Este escritor tiene algo que me fascina en su manera de contar tan alemana diría yo , leí hace muuuucho tiempo muerte en Venecia y me fascinó!ESpero que los Buddenbrook me transmita buenas sensaciones!

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  10. LaPouyetteSeptember 19, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    I do not have read this book but will put it on my list.
    As a German and knowing most of Thomas Mann I should know about this one as well!
    Thanks for introducing it, Pet,
    and Greetings from the Périgord,
    karin

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  11. JaneSeptember 20, 2011 at 11:08 AM

    Hmm...So do YOU have a bad brother or sister too???

    ReplyDelete
  12. JaneSeptember 21, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    Interesting to hear some of your backstory re siblings. Thanks. I myself have a rather difficult brother...

    ReplyDelete

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