I realise it’s not directly on topic to this sub but I think there is perhaps crossover interest in it. I’m in Australia and it seems like the only option is to import a dvd from German language websites or pay a premium via amazon germany. I don’t really need a physical copy of the movie, I just want to watch it once.

Has anyone else in the group read Nobel winner Olga Tokarczuk's new novel "The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story"? It's a deliberate riff on Magic Mountain, and just as ambitious, but she takes it in a very different direction. The blurb description:

"September 1913. A young Pole suffering from tuberculosis arrives at Wilhelm Opitz’s Guesthouse for Gentlemen in the village of Görbersdorf, a health resort in the Silesian mountains. Every evening the residents gather to imbibe the hallucinogenic local liqueur and debate the great issues of the day: Monarchy or democracy? Do devils exist? Are women born inferior? War or peace? Meanwhile, disturbing things are happening in the guesthouse and the surrounding hills. Someone—or something—seems to be watching ...."

I'm currently reading Death in Venice, and want to then read The Magic Mountain. Any suggestions of what books I should follow these with? Should I read something before The Magic Mountain?

https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/luca-guadagnino-bernardo-bertolucci-documentary-thomas-mann-film-1235057454/

Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufsr3m6p2rk&t=6s

https://preview.redd.it/4r34g0alnnqd1.jpg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f1e20d1499abe3c9c9acdfb52ee30ae130c3537

Here are the details: https://www.audible.com/pd/Doctor-Faustus-Audiobook/B0DH8JNRT7?qid=1727138193&sr=1-2&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=71KZQKFS7ZX9B1GRAV93&pageLoadId=jp1EvQ8qClInzNCX&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSs_00ezhYA&t=3283s

I enjoyed this video from the Thomas Mann Archives in Zurich. With the centenary of The Magic Mountain coming up this November, I thought you might, too. You can launch the English subtitles by using the YouTube settings (click on the 'gear' icon). Please let me know what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SNnDkmflYs

I read the Buddenbrooks. I have to say it was pretty dry and mechanical. The best part was the description of little Hanno's day. Maybe I am not well versed in the descriptive details corresponding to the different time periods the novel takes place in but overall not as satisfied with the Buddenbrooks as I was with Magic Mountain. The style was rather rote and cliche. The story is utterly nonexistent. Being American the most similar novel to it would be Roots. Like Roots it takes place across several generations. Also like Roots it deals with one family. Albeit the families could not be more different but it's fun draw comparisons across races and countries.

Does anyone have or can link to a place where I'll find the introduction to Anna Karenina that Mann wrote for the 1939 Random House edition? Can't find it anywhere, and the book itself (shipping to my location) unfortunately breaks my bank

The discussions on music in Faustus are beyond me, I skip read these and only have a smattering of knowledge of what he's talking about, but I'm wondering how much they make sense to someone with knowledge of music and music history, and Schoenberg, are they a good read?

This is very much a spoiler, so be warned --

On the final page of Dr. Faustus, Adrian's funeral is attended by Zeitblom, Rudiger Schildknapp, Jeannette Scheurl, Meta Nackedey, and Kunigunde Rosenstiel -- "plus a muffled, unrecognizable stranger, who had vanished again as the first clods fell on the lower coffin."

Who the hell is this stranger? And why did Mann put them in the ending? For such an addition to appear in the second-last paragraph, let alone at Adrian's funeral, seems pretty key to the novel. Is it that woman he was receiving funds from who no one met -- Madame de Tolna? She only appears in a single chapter, and would not appear to be fundamental to the story. Is it the Devil? Is it just some solitary fan of Adrian's music?

It was pretty hard for me to read, at about 20 pages/hour, it took me a month to finish, although I'm an amateur reader. I did enjoy reading it overall, however, there were very long parts that didn't feel rewarding enough for how difficult they were.

By any chance, are The Magic Mountain or Death In Venice any easier? I'm sure I'll pick them up at some point, but I'm scared to do so:)

Hi guys, I just finished The Magic Mountain after three long weeks. Some mixed thoughts but an incredibly rewarding experience. Beautiful book. However, I believe some stuff was meant to be intentionally left fairly ambiguous, but what was the reasoning for Hans staying at the Berghof for the years after Claudia left? Did he not want to go back to his work? Did the real world scare him? Did he enjoy the non-existent passage of time (which is in itself a contradiction because he has just wasted years of his youth)? Or was he simply a metaphor for Europe and the civilians there around the time period? I really liked the book I just would like to hear some of your guys’ opinions, if you have any🏔️

We had a lively and interesting book discussion in 2022. It was conducted over on r/thehemingwaylist sub and it's a living archive, meaning you can still post in the discussions thread.

Archive

I finished reading Death in Venice, which I thought was brilliant, along with its 1971 film adaptation. I’m curious to check out some other works by Mann and was wondering what should be the next one I check out.

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Hello! I'm new to this platform and looking for people to discuss Die Buddenbrooks with. I finished the book two weeks ago and everything about the story fascinated me. So: is anyone here interested in an exchange about this book? Übersetzt mit DeepL https://www.deepl.com/app/?utm_source=android&utm_medium=app&utm_campaign=share-translation

Can anyone recommend a good biography of Mann?

Not sure long ago where I got the impression or if it was groundless wishful thinking, but I was expecting Magic Mountain to include profound fictionalvisualization of Schopenhauer's philosophy. Any fellow admirer of Schopenhauer is a friend of mine, but though I'm only 50 pages in, I'm finding it exhaustive like the introduction warns but too much so. I have a translation from like 1960. Maybe there's a livelier one? Is there an agreed-upon best and closest to the german?

Thanks for your help.

I saw this claim recently in passing and am wondering if anyone knows more about why.

What are the chances, do you think, that I'll find two other people here in Madison, WI who would form a Thomas Mann reading/discussion group with me? Usually I say Mann's name and get blank stares. Le sigh.

Hello!

I've been reading 'Sculpting in Time' by Andrei Tarkovski, where he paraphrases this quote by Thomas Mann. Where does it come from? I'm interested in reading the source material for this specific one.

Thank you in advance