The Fool: A Novel

Kellermann, Bernhard, 1879-1951Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 658K words
Chapters: 66

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Der Tor: Roman by Bernhard KellermannAuthor: Kellermann, Bernhard, 1879-1951,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: Jan 20, 2013

Editor's review

This novel by the German writer Kellermann, written in German, entered the public domain of electronic books through Project Gutenberg. Kellermann was active in the first half of the twentieth century; works such as The Tunnel made him widely known, and Der Tor continues his concern with the individual's situation and inner life. The title's “fool” signals to readers that this is not a popular story driven by plot, but rather a literary dissection of human weakness. While reading, note the shifts in narrative perspective and the unfolding of characters' interior monologues; these techniques give the work a recognizable place in German literature's transition from tradition to modernity. The value of the Gutenberg edition lies in making this hard-to-find paper book readily accessible; it suits supplementary reading for German literature courses and readers interested in early twentieth-century German fiction for quiet, unhurried reading. Note that this is a public-domain electronic text without notes or introduction; readers should ideally have some German reading ability and literary background to fully appreciate the text's layers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with intermediate to advanced German who want to encounter early twentieth-century German fiction
Students studying narrative techniques and psychological portrayal in German literature's transitional period
German teachers needing public-domain electronic texts as course supplements
Literary fans who prefer slow pacing and inner characterization over strong plot

Not a good fit for

Beginners with weak German who hope to read easily with a translation
Genre-fiction readers seeking tight plots and fast pacing
Entry-level readers needing detailed notes, introductions, and background analysis

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp character relationships and the story's direction, then reread interior monologue passages closely to sense shifts in narrative perspective.
Jot down recurring keywords and images while reading; this helps understand the symbolic meaning of “fool” in the title.
Read alongside introductory materials on Kellermann's other works to observe continuities and changes in his themes.
If German reading is difficult, first use a dictionary to parse long sentences, then return to the original for a complete chapter read.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What German level does this book roughly require?

The text uses early twentieth-century literary German, with long syntax and period-flavored vocabulary; it is not a simplified reader. Readers with intermediate to advanced German accustomed to literary originals will find it smoother; beginners may need frequent dictionary lookups and grammar tools to parse long sentences.

Does the Gutenberg edition include notes or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts, usually keeping only the main text without notes, introductions, or translator's remarks. Readers wanting background analysis can consult research materials on Kellermann and German literature's transitional period alongside the text.

How should “Tor” in the title be understood?

In German, “Tor” can mean fool or simpleton, and can carry irony or compassion. Given the novel's portrayal of characters' situations, the title more likely points to a human weakness or existential state rather than a mere insult. Its specific meaning requires readers to feel it through characters' words, deeds, and inner depictions.

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About the author

Kellermann, Bernhard, 1879-1951 Author

Bernhard Kellermann (1879–1951) was a German-language writer about whose life little is publicly known in China, and available information remains limited. The library holds eight of his works, including Der Tunnel, Das Meer, Ingeborg, Der Tor, Der 9. November, Die Heiligen, Yester und Li, and Schwedenklees Erlebnis. These titles suggest that he wrote both novels and narrative works, with themes ranging from engineering and social imagination to the sea and nature, love and inner longing, and history and the changes of an era. His writing emphasizes plot development and the fate of his characters, with a clear style characteristic of early twentieth-century German fiction. Works such as Der Tunnel earned him a measure of influence and secured him a place in German literary history.