NOTE: Today’s book review was inspired by another book entitled Letters. That book was a memoir of scientist and storyteller Dr. Oliver Sacks, told through a lifetime of his personal correspondence with friends, family, patients and many other interesting people. Over the course of his letter writing, Dr. Sacks often made reference to the written works of others. Today’s books are an example of one such work that he referenced.
The Context in Which Dr. Sacks Made Reference to Doctor Faustus:
***For the fourth time in the same letter between Dr. Sacks and his friends Jonathan and Rachel Miller, Sacks makes a literary reference. This time, instead of making the reference with regard to the Millers, Oliver Sacks decided to close his letter by updating his friends on what books he had been reading for pleasure.
Here is a short summary of the whole letter:
In August of 1963, Oliver Sacks wrote a letter to his friend Jonathan Miller and Miller’s wife, Rachel. In 1963, Miller had resigned his position in the comedy troupe Beyond the Fringe and was laying the groundwork for a move into the world of theatrical directing. Beyond the Fringe had been achieving a great deal of success up until this point and had moved to London to continue their work in a larger market when Miller had stepped aside. All throughout this transitional period, Miller and Sacks had kept in touch via letters and phone calls. As was always the case with these two friends, Sacks was highly supportive of his friend and encouraged him to pursue his ambitions and broaden the scope of his creative expression. In today’s portion of the letter, Dr. Sacks ends his advice to Miller and begins to fill his friend in on what he had been reading lately. It is while doing so that Sacks says the following:
“Readings: Doctor Faustus: tedious but monumental. Marvellous descriptions of neurosyphilis and imaginary compositions.” Page 65, Letters by Dr. Oliver Sacks.
A Brief Summary of the Storyline of The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
NOTE: The story of Doctor Faustus is one of English literature’s most noteworthy creations. Originally based upon German folklore, it was conceived of as a play in the late 1500s by English writer, dramatist and playwright, Christopher Marlowe. Over time, the Faustus story has been rewritten in various forms by other famous writers which is why you, dear reader, are getting two book reviews for the price of one today. Because Dr. Oliver Sacks did not list which iteration of the story he was referencing in his letter to the Millers, I decided to begin at the beginning, as they say, and read the original Marlowe version of the Faustus story. After reading Marlowe’s play, I discovered that it was probably not the story Sacks was referencing because it was light and breezy and easily read. I quite enjoyed it. Having concluded that I had read the wrong version of the story (for the purposes of this project), I moved on to the Thomas Mann version. That book was a novel, as opposed to a play. It was a dense, oft times deeply intellectual tome that I had to work hard to plow my way through. I don’t know for a fact that this is the version Sacks was referring to but I, too, found the going to be tedious at times. Based on the fact that my reaction to Mann’s novel seemed to mirror that of Dr. Oliver Sacks, I am content to stake my claim to it being the book he referenced above. Because I read two versions of the Faustus story, I will give brief summaries of both. First up, Marlowe’s play.
Christopher Marlowe was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is considered to be one of the great Elizabethan writers ever. One of the traits exhibited by Marlowe that helped set him apart was his courage to explore subjects that weren’t generally topics of polite conversation in those days. Back in the 1500s, much of the artistic output of the times was aimed at giving praise unto God, religion and/or the Church or else, Art was created to honour those in positions of power throughout Europe. There were very few popular works of note that sought to challenge the conventional mores of society at the time. The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus was one of the very first plays that specifically challenged some of the strict doctrines of the Church. As such, although it was highly controversial at the time of its debut in the 1590s, Marlowe’s play is often viewed through the lens of History as being one of the first steps take by Elizabethan society toward a more humanistic view of life and the world in which we all live.
The play centres around a character known as Doctor Faustus. In the beginning of the play, we find Faustus involved in the study of Theology. By all accounts, Faustus is doing well in his studies and in his life. However, he feels as though something is lacking so, in a quest to add some spice and dash to his world, Faustus begins to double in the dark realm of Magic. He manages to acquire a book of spells. Faustus uses this book of spells to summon a demon of sorts who turns out to be Mephistopheles. In time, Mephistopheles convinces Faustus that a deal is possible in which fame, fortune, knowledge and power can be his for a period of twenty four years in a simple exchange for his soul at the end of that twenty four year period. From a cultural perspective, such a transaction has become known as a Faustian bargain. In any case, Doctor Faustus agrees to the deal. Fame and fortune become his. But then, as the twenty four year period draws to a close, Doctor Faustus begins to feel a sense of dread and impending doom. As such, he attempts to bargain his way out of his contract by repenting to God and begging for forgiveness.
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus was innovative for the times because it openly contradicted one of the Church’s most stringent doctrines which was the Doctrine of Predestination. In simple terms, the Doctrine of Predestination stated that God alone, in His infinite wisdom, decided the fate of every human. From the moment we are born, God declares that some people are candidates for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven upon their death and that others are beyond redemption and could never alter that verdict no matter how they lived their lives. Since no one ever knew how their die had been cast upon birth, it was declared that fidelity to the Church and to God was a necessary and unquestionable facet of life for all. In his play, Christopher Marlowe was one of the first to openly declare that the Doctrine of Predestination was bollocks and that we, as humans, definitely had a say in how our lives should be lived. With this personal viewpoint, the heavy burden of personal responsibility for the choices we make along the way becomes the religious cross we must bear. If we live good lives then we steer ourselves to Heaven or if we fail to do so, like Faustus, we direct our souls to the realm of eternal damnation. But regardless of how it all turns out, we are the authors of our own stories. With Marlowe’s creation of his Doctor Faustus play, debate raged throughout England as to whether his work was sacrilegious. In the end, many credit Marlowe with helping Elizabethan society move forward toward humanism by weakening the almost absolute power wielded by the Church up until that time.
Finally, despite the heaviness of the themes involved in The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, there are several comedic moments that lighten the tone of the topics being discussed. His play was one of the very first to show what a conscience looked like, with an angelic character and a devilish character each speaking into Doctor Faustus’ ears as he weighs his decisions throughout the play. This play also was the first public appearance of the famous line comparing Helen of Troy’s beauty to being the face that launched a thousand ships. Like I said earlier, I enjoyed reading Marlowe’s play. It was concisely written. The storyline moved along at a good pace. The core ideas being explored were interesting in a cultural and historical context while, at the same time, never seeming to get bogged down in overly intellectualized debate or discussion. While, as it turned out, reading Marlowe’s play was unnecessary for the task of commenting on Dr. Sacks’ personal library, I am pleased to have read it and feel better for having done so. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in reading one of Literature’s foundational stories. The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe is reasonably short but very profound and important. I liked it and hope that you will as well.
A Brief Summary of the Story Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann
In all of the other versions of the Faustus story that were written, the primary elements of a rejection of the teachings of the Church, the entering into a Faustian bargain by the main character, exploring the heights of glory that the main character enjoys and then, watching their downfall play out as time runs out for them, were all maintained with fidelity. However, what each writer did was adapt those main elements and recreate a new story that best suited the time and place from where it was being created. That is certainly the case with the Thomas Mann version of Doctor Faustus.
Mann was a German writer, which is appropriate because the very first version of the Faustus story was found to be from German folklore in the early 1500s. It was this German folklore version that first came to Christopher Marlowe’s attention in the late 1500s. In any case, Thomas Mann wrote his version just as World War II was winding down. Many scholars consider his novel to be a commentary of the Faustian bargain entered into by the German people with regard to Hitler and Nazi-ism.
Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann is a lengthy book, coming in at over 500 pages. Unlike Marlowe’s play, the Mann book takes the form of a detailed and lovingly curated biography. The narrator of the book is a character named Serenus Zeitblom. He was the childhood (and lifelong) friend of the central character named Adrian Leverkühn. From their earliest days together as boyhood chums, there is a definite sense of love that links them together throughout the course of their lives. Zeitblom is one of the very first people to recognize the genius that lay within the core of his friend’s being. As such, Zeitblom holds Adrian Leverkühn in high regard and, as such, takes great interest in every aspect of his life, including his thoughts, his ambitions, his social relationships and so on. In keeping with the core elements of the Faustus story, Thomas Mann uses the character of Zeitblom as the “good angel” in terms of exploring Adrian Leverkühn’s conscience all through the novel. In fact, there are many times throughout the book that Zeitblom speaks about the seriousness with which he is taking on the responsibility of recording his friend’s life story for posterity. His love for his friend is evident in the care with which he seeks to record his story. The few times that they find themselves separated in life tend to be the times with the “dark angel” appears and things go awry for Adrian.
The short strokes to this long story are that, in keeping with the established story structure for Faustian works, Adrian Leverkühn initially entered into the field of Theology, only to eventually reject it as too limiting and ultimately, unsatisfying for him on a personal level. What he likes most in life is music and, in particular, being a composer. Because Thomas Mann explores multiple topics in great depth, much time is spent on the nature of creativity. There are many discussions/scenes about art for the beauty of its own sake versus art created for commercial gain, for fame and notoriety versus the obligation for artists to create art for the glory of their country, its leaders and for their history as a civilization (which happens to be German). Much time is also spent by Mann describing how musical composition works and how what Adrian Leverkühn was attempting to create was initially in keeping with standard practice of the times and then, after making his Faustian bargain, how his music became increasingly innovative. Thus, one of the main themes of the book is how Mann uses religion and orthodoxy on one hand in contrast to creativity and human imagination on the other to demonstrate the impactful nature of each course. Do we, as a society, rigidly adhere to that which is prescribed to us or do we throw off the shackles of conformity and seek to chart our own course?
One key time in the story, Serenus and Adrian become separated due to Zeitblom entering into military training and Adrian Leverkühn moving to a new city. In this scene, Adrian Leverkühn decides to explore his new city and is met by a stranger who offers to show him around. This stranger turns out to be “the Devil” in disguise. Apparently, as subsequent discussions are held and the Faustin bargain is offered and agreed to, the Devil informs Adrian that he had been on their radar, so to speak, since he was a child. *(This harkens back to the old Marlowe-era debate about the Doctrine of Pre-Destination). All that remained was for an opportunity to present itself for the connection to be cemented. In this initial case, the Devil shows Adrian all around the town. At the end of the day, Adrian suggests that his new friend (who he does not know is the Devil yet) help him to find suitable lodging for the night. The stranger brings Adrian to a place and tells him to seek a room inside. When Adrian goes in, he discovers that the stranger has brought him to a brothel. Inside the brothel, Adrian seeks to calm his nerves by playing music on a piano. While playing, one of the girls available for hire brushes her bare arm against his face. At the touch of this woman, Adrian Leverkühn loses his self control and falls deeply in love. For many weeks and months that follow, Adrian is completely distracted by his memory of that touch and decides to seek this temptress out and confess his undying love for her. When he eventually tracks her down, she tries to turn him away by revealing that she has contracted syphillis and cannot be with him. He rejects her rejection and says that he is fine to love her as she is. Never having been accepted in so loving and pure a manner, the woman agrees to be with him. Naturally, Adrian contracts syphiliis from the encounter. He leaves the disease untreated. As the initial symptoms of syphilis begin to show themselves, Adrian is visited again by the Devil. A long discussion ensues about the nature of life and creativity and fame and renown. In time, the Faustian bargain is offered by the Devil with the same twenty four year term. The deal is accepted. In exchange, Adrian Leverkühn becomes an increasingly famous composer. His compositions become more and more innovative, straying far from the standard form used by a majority of the composers of the day. As the twenty four years ticks down, Adrian Leverkühn becomes increasingly incoherent and physically incapacitated by the syphillis. On his deathbed, he confesses to Zeitblom and others gathered there about his pact with the Devil. His last days are spent in a state of helplessness and dependence.
In the end, we are left with many thoughts regarding how the bargain made by Adrian Leverkühn mirrors that made by the German people during the run up to WWII and to what end was it all for when all is said and done. Mann also devotes much time and space to the topic of Art and the nature of creativity. Finally, Mann spends much time illuminating the inner purpose that we all possess and wondering if, in the end, is happiness and self-fulfillment and productivity all that matter or are we pre-destined for Heavenly reward or eternal damnation regardless of the path we choose in life. As I mentioned at the beginning of this summary, I found this book to be far weightier and challenging to read than I did Marlowe’s play. I did not enjoy this book but, having said that, there is a lot that I will take with me going forward. For that, I am proud that I stuck with it and managed to make it to the end. The deathbed confession scene is a good one. It reminded me (loosely) of a similar scene in one of my favourite movies Amadeus, in which Mozart is dying (of syphillis?) and uses his final moments to give his mentor/murderer, Salieri, a sneak peak inside his creative process. Oscars all around for this movie and those actors. *(You can watch a clip of that scene here). Now, I know that the two deathbed scenes are not based on one another but, just the same, when I got to witness the death throes of a musical genius in one form on paper, it did invoke for me memories of the second one on screen. Both scene resonate for me. I hope they might for you as well.
My Thoughts on The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann (for what that is worth):
With Dr. Sacks having described the reading of Faustus as being “tedious”, I can fairly safely conclude that he didn’t find the book an enjoyable read on a personal level. It is tempting to say that because Sacks was Jewish that any book that explored the cultural aspects that contributed to the rise and subsequent fall of the Nazis would be of interest. Mann’s version of the Faustus story certainly qualifies in that regard. His novel is a lengthy, detailed exploration on the nature of Faustian bargains within the context of German civilization, replete with historical reference galore. And yet, my best guess as for what Dr. Sacks got out of the Thomas Mann book is based upon his own words which were “Marvellous descriptions of neurosyphillis and imaginary compositions.” When Dr. Sacks was writing to the Millers, he was only on the cusp of becoming the neuropathologist that he would eventually become. I have no doubt that he would have followed Adrian Leverkühn’s physical, emotional and intellectual transformation with great personal interest and an increasingly trained clinical eye. Case studies form an important part of the training of any medical professional. Dr. Oliver Sacks was no different in that regard. While the book, itself, may have been “tedious” to him, I believe that the medical knowledge he gleaned from the story was probably highly satisfying in the end.
The link to the official website for Christopher Marlowe can be found here.
The link to the official website for Thomas Mann can be found here.
The link to the official website for Dr. Oliver Sacks can be found here.
The link to an article that outlines the symptoms for neurosyphilis can be found here.
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