Advantages Short, easy to read
Disadvantages Possibly not as engaging as it could be
I received this book as part of a 'Forgotten Classics' collection a while ago, and have been eager to read it ever since I read the blurb. Marlowe's Faustus is one of my favourite texts, and so it's evident why the tale of a man who sells his shadow to the devil in exchange for wealth would appeal to me. However, I was left slightly disappointed with the book after reading it.

Peter Schlemihl sells his shadow to the devil - "the man in grey" - in exchange for Fortunatus' Lucky Purse, which provides him with an endless amount of wealth. He soon begins to regret his decision when he is taunted for being different, and has to go to extreme lengths to appear normal, learning in the process that he was probably better off before. I like the simplicity of the plot, and Chamisso moves through things rapidly, packing each chapter with a good amount of action. Peter is presented as a likable character - although he does succumb to greed, his intuition and regret reassert his humanity, and by the end, I wasn't left with conflicting emotions towards him. He wasn't particularly captivating, but he wasn't abhorrent or difficult to identify with either.
The book is 11 chapters long, fairly short, and pretty easy to read, provided you are engaged with it. It took a lot for me to motivate myself to keep reading this simply because I lost interest in it fairly quickly. However, I completely encourage you to read it if the plot interests you - you may have a completely different experience and enjoy it a lot more than I did!
Attention, this is the first review from this author
Instead of giving a negative rating, consider:

Help this member by giving your advice

Report fraud (for example plagiarism) or other issue with the review to the Ciao support team
Add your comment
MAFARRIMOND 04/07/2012 21:33
pinky50 04/07/2012 13:14
RICHADA 04/07/2012 11:20
gingelou 04/07/2012 10:11
Can it be coincidence, do you think, that the name Schlemihl is clearly cognate with the Yiddish 'shlemiel' - a dolt or gullible bungler?