Here I share my experience reading The Magic Mountain. Come join this conversation in the comments! The Audible version I mention, that I listened to early on, is narrated by John E. Woods.
My college literature professor Theodora West used to tell us, "these are the books you should read before you die." Magic Mountain was on her list. I never forgot it. She was right! It was slow going at first, and I put it down for a long while. Eventually I came back to it and slowly got drawn into the world of the Alps and the Sanitarium and the characters who have all day long to converse, and everything you've described. I totally agree with you about the pacing. It picks up about midway through. That scene in the middle, much of it in French, was simply amazing. Thanks for reminding me of it! After that I was hooked, and I went through to the end. I won't give away much of the stuff that happens at the end. But it worked. Oh my did it work. Mann knows how to end a book. It's a philosophical novel, but like you said, there's humor here. As for Buddenbrooks, also a terrific read. Much different tone. I would come back to it after you've gotten some distance from Magic Mountain. His shorter works might be a better followup. Death in Venice is a classic novella, and in some editions it's coupled with short stories. Mario and the Magician is another excellent novella.
thanks so much for sharing your experience with this book. I really enjoyed reading this. And oh, yes! I had completely forgotten about the novella. Fantastic recommendation!
I’m so glad you loved it. Reading Mann truly is an experience. He’s my favorite writer, such fantastic prose, esp in German. Definitely “Herr” like hair. One day I will reread it: read it a very long time ago. A couple of years ago I read Doktor Faustus, and it blew me away. I do remember how we as readers get sucked into the somewhat claustrophobic yet fascinating world of the sanatorium. I remember the snow scene so vividly. Buddenbrooks is good but as you say an earlier work, written over 20 years before MM. That’s another one I need to reread!! (As well as his other novels). His novellas are great too: not always as humorous as parts of MM are, but still magnificent.
Ah Cathy, thanks for the feedback. I’m very glad to know how to pronounce “Herr”. Thank you! Oh, you do recall the snow scene too. Wow. I didnt realize it was a well known or famous scene until I read that somewhere afterwards. And oh, it’s so beautiful. I think I’ll try Death In Venice for my next Mann…at some point! I have to let them hangover dissipate!
[Warning for potential spoilers...] Thank you so much for this. I read it a very long time ago now but I do remember liking the wonderfully fastidious style and how much it suited the rarefied air of the world Mann was writing about. He is the sort of writer that doesn't seem to exist anymore. Whether that is a good or bad thing I really don't know, we live in such a different world now. Reading things out of their historical is always something of a risk of course, projecting backwards the consequences of later events for example. That said, I am reminded of how, for me, the whole thing had this great shadow looming over it.
I love listening to your thoughts about The Magic Mountain. I read it during the pandemic along with Colm Toibin's excellent novel about Mann called The Magician. He had such an interesting life and I was so unaware of his influences. My favorite two chapters were the skiing chapter and its revelations about life and the next (? I think?) about his cousin. Like you said, there were some long-winded passages about politics where I wanted to pull my hair out but still, it was so gratifying! I felt like I was reliving the novel when I was listening to you.
Sonya, oh I’m so glad you got to relive it a bit. And THANK YOU for reminding me about Toibin’s The Magician. I completely forgot about that and would like to read it. I have his, “The Master” and I keep forgetting about, “The Magician”. 👏 I
Most grateful to hear your thoughts on this one. Many moons ago, a friend loaned me this book and I never got around to it. Reading The Magician by Colm Toibin left me wanting to read Thomas Mann again, but it has been near two years. Your enthusiasm for the book has served as a great reminder that I must read this book sooner rather than later.
I was 18 and had to read the Magic Mountain (and the Buddenbrooks and Death in Venice) for my German exams. I was too young, it was too much but there was something exiting in that story, in the atmosphere. I re-read the book in 2 months when I was 40 and enjoyed it so much more. Because of your readingexperience and how you 've told about, I' m exited to start again and want to be with all these persons again. You are so right by taking time for reading and experiencing a story. Thank you Renee. 📚📖Regards, Lily
Lily, thanks so much for sharing your story here. Wow. Ah, how fun it will be for you to read it again. 🥰. (I do think Death In Venice is my next Mann.)
I love how you tackle these kinds of books (long, possibly intimidating) and you get so much out of them 😊 It does sounds like a wonderful book, I loved your review.
I like how you allow yourself to take your time with certain books! Sometimes I find myself rushing unnecessarily because I'm worried I'll miss the next "thing" or not hit some imaginary book count for the month. I turned 40 this year and started panicking about all the books I'll never read 😂This sounds super interesting!
Patti, I’m glad I’m not focused on that too, believe you me. If I was focused on those things, I’d be focused alright! Reading is one of those areas in life that I have a “kick off my shoes & relax” attitude…come what may!!
@@thelefthandedreader6632 "It was the height of summer and he planned to stay for three weeks" is the second sentence in my translation. I read it with a twitter group that did about 10-15 pp a day, so it took us a while, but was so rewarding. "Snow" is one of the great set pieces and so trippy. There are so many things in this book that just seem to come out of left-field and completely nail the scene or the person they're talking about. Sortly after they meet Settembrini, Hans says to Joachim: "He reminds me of fresh hot buns". I don't get it but I also do. Some day I'll re-read this and try to actually follow the Settembrini-Naptha debates.
@@JamesRuchala , oh this description seriously makes me want to start the book over again! A tall order to understand those debates! Oh my god, hot buns. Thanks for reminding me. Ahhhhhhhh, I miss everyone in the story. I’m still hung over. Alright well, maybe it’s a re-read in 2025!
Oh, what a great question! No, not at all. It felt like they all had agency although at first because Hans isn’t all that sick, he’s very impatient to leave.
I read MM a year ago. 🤔 Dunno. I've always been more moved by Hesse than Mann, coevals and colleagues. Magister Ludi (The Glass Bead Game) is an interesting compare/contrast to MM. Like Mann, love Hesse.
@@thelefthandedreader6632 At the beginning. Peter Camenzind is Hesse's first novel, beautiful, lyrical. It will show you what Hesse is about; although his books vary in complexity, many themes are reasserted, reflected and recur throughout his oeuvre. The Glass Bead Game is his most challenging book. Siddhartha is his most famous, then Steppenwolf, Demian and Narcissus and Goldmund, all masterpieces.
@@thelefthandedreader6632 Are you sure the narrator isn't David Rintoul and John E. Woods the translator of the audio version? I'm looking for it in my library. Thanks!
Hi, It took Thomas Mann 10 years to write The MM, Buddenbrooks is not so interesting at all ! I reread The MM several times and l loved it more each time
