The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge is a 1910 semi-autobiographical novel by Austrian writer Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926). The novel takes the form of a series of notebook entries, written by a young impoverished Danish man who lives in Paris and scrutinizes the world around him. The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge has been praised as one of the most important books of the 20th century. Rilke was one of the greatest German-language poets, and this is his only novel-length literary work. It is expressionist in style and is noted for its lyrical brilliance. Other works by this author include “Black Cat”, Duino Elegies, and Letters to a Young Poet. This guide uses an eBook version of the 2016 Oxford World's Classics edition, translated by Robert Vilain.

Plot Summary

Malte Laurids Brigge is a young Danish man who observes life on the streets of Paris. He records these observations in a series of 71 notebook entries of varying lengths: some are a few lines, others a few pages. The first entry is dated September 11, but the rest remain undated. Brigge comes from a wealthy family in Denmark but, in Paris, he is poor. He shares his environment with other poor, struggling people. The sick, poor, and desperate people of Paris fascinate him as they struggle to stay alive. The sights, sounds, and smells of the city are almost overwhelming, but he feels a need to expose himself to the travails of modern life in his effort to understand the world. The more time he spends in the city, the more he feels himself changing. He fears death after suffering through many sicknesses as a child. When he thinks about his childhood, he thinks about these sicknesses. He thinks about his family, which has fallen apart. Now, he writes extensively in his notebooks as a way to tire himself out and combat his fear of death.

Brigge feels as though his life is empty. At the age of 28, he feels that he has accomplished nothing. The writing that he has produced is, to him, inferior and lacking in insight. He blames this failure on his lack of maturity and perspective. However, he extrapolates this theory, wondering whether most people share his lack of perspective and understanding, thereby causing much of the suffering he sees around him.

Brigge remembers his childhood. His mother died when he was a young man and he remembers taking a trip to visit his grandfather, Count Brahe, shortly after her death. The Brahe home was a large castle that no longer belongs to the family. The dark rooms and the strange personalities of Brigge’s aunts, uncles, and cousin made him feel strange. Many members of the family expressed an interest in spiritualism and the occult. To that point, they collectively witness the ghost of a young woman passing through the dining room on several occasions. However, they do not discuss the incident with one another.

In Paris, Brigge passes the time by reading poetry in the national library. He enjoys being surrounded by people who are completely absorbed in their books. He differentiates himself from many of the poor people around him. Even though they may be similarly as poor as him, he takes pride in his cleanliness, and his expensive suits—though they are now tattered and worn—can still gain him admittance to the salons and cafés that most poor people cannot enter.

Throughout his life, Brigge has endured treatments from doctors—such as electroshock treatment—but he worries that doctors have never truly understood him or his pain. He sees people on the street who suffer from strange illnesses and, though he tries to help, the interactions leave him feeling empty and alone. Despite the beauty and wonder of Paris, Brigge cannot help but feel depressed.

Brigge remembers the deaths and funerals of his aunts. He remembers seeing the ghost of his Aunt Ingeborg during her memorial service. Brigge has experienced interactions with the supernatural on several occasions and he has been left with a sense of dread. After one interaction with the ghostly hand, he became very sick and took comfort from his mother’s care and attention. His father was austere and distant during this time. His mother read to him when he was sick. To please her, he would occasionally dress up as Sophie, the daughter that she never had but always wanted. Brigge remembers his awkward, stifled family life. In the wake of his mother’s death, he grew very close to his aunt, Abelone, and wrote her many love letters when he was sent away to boarding school. When his father died, he remembers being expected to deal with the funeral arrangements. Brigge struggled with the responsibility even though he was on the cusp of being a young man.

Thinking about death, Brigge recalls strange incidents with neighbors. He also recalls stories from a book read to him during his childhood. In the book are stories about historical figures such as Charles VI of France. His memories of these stories—in which the king struggles to overcome his own illnesses as his subjects plot against him and each other—become infused with his day-to-day life. During one trip to a Roman amphitheater, Brigge reflects on the way in which people’s individual anxieties and fears distract them from the bigger, communal experiences of life and God.

As his thoughts become increasingly disconnected and abstract, Brigge thinks about his youth, about Abelone, about a trip to Venice, and then he finishes the notebooks with a reflection on the biblical story of the prodigal son. The son becomes disillusioned with his life at home and runs away, only to return to the family at a later date. Brigge sees in the story many lessons about man’s relationship with God and what it means to be loved.