This book was published in 1924, and over the years it has come to be known as one of the most important German books of the 20th century. The original German title of the novel is Der Zauerberg. Because of the symbolic complexity and universal nature of the messages being conveyed in the book, The Magic Mountain Thomas Mann has become a classic.
Over the course of twelve years, the author worked on this book off and on. His work was interrupted by an event in his personal life when his wife was suffering from a problem with her lungs and was treated in Switzerland. Mann's visits to her served as the foundation of the story's opening.
One of the major historical events that interrupted the work of this writer was the First World War. While this may have caused a major delay on Mann finishing his work, it also had a major impact on the nature of his narrative. The conflict of this war and everything that resulted from it made the author take a close look at how he felt about everything from health, to sexuality and mortality.
This novel falls into the genre of bildungsroman, a classic form that focuses on the education or spiritual journey of the heroine or hero. Rather than centralizing the plot on the great deeds of the protagonist, this kind of story is mainly about the journey taken. In this book, the hero is undergoing personal growth and the story focuses on that path.
This is an author who favors the use of irony, and it can be seen used in many ways throughout this book. It is ironic that the main character, Hans Castorp, is initially described as being a simple man, when it is seen through the telling of the story that he is anything but simple. This use of irony speaks to the complexity within everyone. The simplistic way that reality is presented to Hans is an ironic contrast from life's complexity.
Disease plays a big part in this novel, and has cryptic and layered meaning like almost everything else in the book. The author poised disease in his story so that it could symbolize a symptom of the need for spiritual growth not just of individuals but of society as a whole. His favorite theme of the polar nature of spirit and life and the need to transcend it is central to the story.
One of the big things that many readers struggle with when reading and trying to understand this book is the way the narrator challenges the reader by posing certain questions. This makes the work much more interactive than other novels, and requires a higher level of engagement from the reader. Sometimes these questions are obvious, while other times they are subtle and hidden.
The Magic Mountain has now been read and reviewed by countless people, and it still eludes the comprehension of many readers. The irony that pervades the narrative, as well as the blending of realism with symbolism, result in a story that is difficult to analyze. Mann himself even recommended that the book be read twice to fully understand it.
Over the course of twelve years, the author worked on this book off and on. His work was interrupted by an event in his personal life when his wife was suffering from a problem with her lungs and was treated in Switzerland. Mann's visits to her served as the foundation of the story's opening.
One of the major historical events that interrupted the work of this writer was the First World War. While this may have caused a major delay on Mann finishing his work, it also had a major impact on the nature of his narrative. The conflict of this war and everything that resulted from it made the author take a close look at how he felt about everything from health, to sexuality and mortality.
This novel falls into the genre of bildungsroman, a classic form that focuses on the education or spiritual journey of the heroine or hero. Rather than centralizing the plot on the great deeds of the protagonist, this kind of story is mainly about the journey taken. In this book, the hero is undergoing personal growth and the story focuses on that path.
This is an author who favors the use of irony, and it can be seen used in many ways throughout this book. It is ironic that the main character, Hans Castorp, is initially described as being a simple man, when it is seen through the telling of the story that he is anything but simple. This use of irony speaks to the complexity within everyone. The simplistic way that reality is presented to Hans is an ironic contrast from life's complexity.
Disease plays a big part in this novel, and has cryptic and layered meaning like almost everything else in the book. The author poised disease in his story so that it could symbolize a symptom of the need for spiritual growth not just of individuals but of society as a whole. His favorite theme of the polar nature of spirit and life and the need to transcend it is central to the story.
One of the big things that many readers struggle with when reading and trying to understand this book is the way the narrator challenges the reader by posing certain questions. This makes the work much more interactive than other novels, and requires a higher level of engagement from the reader. Sometimes these questions are obvious, while other times they are subtle and hidden.
The Magic Mountain has now been read and reviewed by countless people, and it still eludes the comprehension of many readers. The irony that pervades the narrative, as well as the blending of realism with symbolism, result in a story that is difficult to analyze. Mann himself even recommended that the book be read twice to fully understand it.
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