5 of 1001 Books: Robert Musil's The Confusions of Young Torless

Robert Musil's debut novel grows more interesting as you read, and you might even be puzzled as to the target audience who could read this. It's about young adults, but the sexual content, and lack of direction they take doesn't seem suitable for a teen, and an adult may be a little past the age group of wanting to read about boys at a boarding school. Overall, it sort of seemed like Harry Potter was a cleaner version of The Confusions of Young Torless. The book did meet with controversy upon it's 1906 release though. The dealings with the young boys, and the sexual nature of the book did meet it with resistant.

Reiting, Beinberg, and Torless are three friends at an all boy's boarding school. Basini is caught stealing from one of the boys, and instead of turning him in they decide to torture him themselves with their own payback, and by getting him to grant their own wants. Torless' friends begin mentally, physically, and sexually abusing Basini. Torless is confused by his own moral, and sexual stance so he begins experimenting in the abuse against Basini. Basini tries to justify what is happening to him because he is attracted to other boys. Along with this happening, Torless also ponders his relationship with a local prostitute, grapples deep conversations with his math teacher, and ponders his own parents disconnect from him quite often.


I didn't expect for The Confusions of Young Torless to be as interesting as it was. It does start off a little slow, and you wonder about the direction this very short novella will take. At first you wonder if it will be just the ponderings of the one boy until things begin to get very dark with the introduction of bullying and sexual abuse. Considering the new wave of anti-bullying it's an interesting read. The book never presents a plausible attitude to give a solution or some hope for any of the characters though, which is probably why it isn't the most suitable read for younger audiences. You like to at least give younger audiences some way to feel a little resolve.

If you're seeking a book where the leading bad guys get theirs in the end then this is probably not the book to read. Beinberg and Reiting are just mean boys who have found a way to get what they want by blackmailing a kid into being the subject of their entertainment. Torless seems to be caught into his want to act like them, but also the fact that his nature isn't completely as bad off as theirs. The fact that he caves into his friends same acts though makes him an unlikable lead character. His rants may be the part that takes away from the book.

As said, at times the rants of Torless ramble a bit. While the side plots do give him a bit of depth you also just want to get back to the point of what is happening between the three and Basini. The fact that the book takes the twist it does is what is so shocking, and for most it may even be too horrid to read. You can already sort of tell even by the depth of brutality how the ending of this will turn out.

Musil might leave you feeling a little conflicted. There is no real likable character. They are all young boys looking for their own gain, and even Basini has his own terrible happenings that make him not so likable, but he never deserves the torture that he endures at the few mistakes he has made. Torless seems to be a guy who is curious about his attraction to other boys, and very philosophical in nature, but he never really makes of himself the potential he is given by his own depth.

Rating 7 of 10.