168
PARTISAN REVIEW
ground, but never the other way around. The result is that, indeed, "the
binoculars contribute both to our understanding of the individual, as well as
to
an ever deepening lack of comprehension of the nature of humanity," Musil's
own meticulous vision making us question our own by "dissolving the com–
monplace connections and discovering new ones."
"Layer by layer art strips life bare," writes Musil in "Black Magic," but
in this small book packed with brilliance the process is as pleasurable as it is
provocative.
As
for the question whether or not these "little tales" exude any
"weakness," perhaps it makes sense
to
return again to Musil's foreword
where he, as in so many places, provides the most succinct and insightful an–
swer:
The faith th at I nonetheless place in the durability of th ese little
satires de rives from a line of Goethe's, that may without forfeit of
truth be modified
to
suit my purpose. So it reads: " In one thing done
badly you can see th e simile of all things done badly." This line offers a
ray of hope that th e critique of little errors may not be rendered ob–
solete, even in times whe n so much lal-ger elTors are being made.
PETER FILKINS
Encounters
edited
by
Kai Erikson
An engaging series of word portraits
by
and
Jbollr some of rhe most nor.lblc tigures of
our lime
We (jce,
for cx.lmplt,
rhe
young
John Hersey
J~
sccn:r.lf)'
to Sinclair
Lc\\'is~
francine
till
Plcssix Gray
J.S
Charles Olson's
studcnr;
QlIentin
Bdl's
shock at ml'cting
Matisse; Jerome.: Bruner
mOllntain
climbing
with
Jc.1I1
Pi.tge£.
"The volume
i"'i
packed with enchantments,
as the
fe.H.fer
cm.:ountcrs a diverse collection
ofpcrsUl1.1lttics."-T1;e
Nelli Yorker
"El1COll11tfrS
i....
1
mid morning snack of a book,
of the most delicious kind, that will kccp
YOLI
reading till lunch
.1Ild
bcyond."-Hul1lphrcy
Carpenter.
lJ,'nshmJ1tml Post Rook ''''orld
" My
idea of perfect
reading."-Phylli~ Ro~c
S ' 9.95
Yale University Press
a
Dept.
216, 92A
Yale Station, New Haven, CT
06520 ..
l
I
I
