Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain (1924) ⛰️ Book Review and Analysis

Comments · 41

• DA

  @danielfinn1526 · 2 weeks ago

  So well put, Jorge. A most magnificent book by a brilliant artist!

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• LA

  @LanaCelebic · 2 weeks ago

  I read this book more than 20 years ago in Croatian translation when I was at the university, mostly out of spite.😅<br>I took a course in German literature and at the end of the course the professor told me that &nbsp;he didn&apos;t see me attending the classes. And I was there for every single lecture! Truth be told, I am an introvert and I don&apos;t like to stand out, but still I was kind of surprised by that comment. So, I decided to set the record straight. Aside from the required reading list, we could also choose something we&apos;d like to read, so I chose The Magic Mountain. I wrote an extensive essay on it and I was the only one who got 5 (that&apos;s an A in my country). That was my little revenge.😅<br>I don&apos;t remember much of the book nowadays, thanks for reminding me. It might be a high time to reread this.😊

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• IG

  @ignaciorabsiun4206 · 10 days ago (edited)

  Gran reseña, Jorge! El final abrupto con Der Lindenbaum sonando tiene una fuerza increíble. Tendré que ver la película!

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• PA

  @pauls.9228 · 2 weeks ago

  What a delight to come across your channel, Jorge! &nbsp;And especially as you are discussing one of my favourite novels with such intelligence and insight. &nbsp;Much appreciated is the translation comparison. &nbsp;I read Woods’ version and greatly enjoyed the experience, for me capturing the unique rhythm and musical quality of Mann’s prose. &nbsp;However, it’s high time I followed Mann’s advice and reread this superb novel…this time will be Pare’s version as you recommend it so enthusiastically. &nbsp;Many thanks for such a stimulating video, I will be following you from now on and will explore your previous videos! &nbsp;Take care and happy reading.

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• PA

  @Passage2enBleu · 2 weeks ago

  It&apos;s on my shelf. Staring at me for many years. X-ray of the human soul is what I needed to hear...

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• PE

  @pedrosilvalima8123 · 2 weeks ago

  Glad I found your channel when looking for a review of Ordet. Very good work, keep it up!

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• GO

  @Gonzalo_Broto · 2 weeks ago

  Me guardo tu reseña para cuando lea la novela, que será el próximo mes. ¡Un saludo, Jorge!

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• ED

  @edwinatakasaki2258 · 2 weeks ago

  It made me look to see that I had, indeed, the Woods version on my shelf! I feel compelled to find the Pare version for an updated read of a much beloved book from my twenties - it was very much embraced and I think I&apos;m ready to re-read it. I hope my brain has the capacity...

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• WA

  @Wanderer123 · 2 weeks ago

  This was a very helpful, interesting and enjoyable review (the structural dimension of the book, the comparison of the different translations, etc.). I like your very precise way of explaining and commenting on the different aspects of the novel. <br>One of the things that appealed to me when reading Magic Mountain was its decadent feel/motifs - decadence probably ending with WW l : Clavdia Chauchat, the femme fatale, the obsession/fascination with illness and death, all the luxurious food and drink that is served... I think Magic Mountain is also very much a novel about loss, the loss of a world that was about (had) to collapse, but was also very complex and rich.

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• FL

  @fleurafricaine5740 · 2 weeks ago

  An excellent presentation, thank you. If I were to read it for the first time I would put its ideas and descriptions foremost in following the artistry of Mann. Its reputation, the Nobel Prize, the Great War, your good Don Juan, and anything else are distractions of context. What you say about expectations applies directly here. On the second reading I would be tempted to draw the parallels between individual and societal illness and try to reconcile this novel of ideas to its 7-part structure.

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• HR

  @hrvojeskenderovic5508 · 2 weeks ago

  Nice review! One odd thing that I have noticed, and didn’t find that anybody had written about it. Hans Castorp is through the novel always referred to as Hans Castorp, i.e. with full name. Never just Hans, or young Castorp, or whatever shorter.

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• MI

  @mirkoeinhorn09 · 2 weeks ago

  Hello from Germany! 👋 Thank you for this wonderful review. I read <b>The Magic Mountain</b> for the first time when I was 18. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it was fascinating. Now I’m 50 and have reread the novel several times—it’s become easier to read, and I understand much more of the intellectual and historical references, but it’s still just as fascinating. What Thomas Mann meant by the musical comparison had a very specific background. In *The Magic Mountain*, he adapted Richard Wagner’s compositional technique—the so-called leitmotifs—for literature for the first time. <br>For me, however, Thomas Mann’s most important book is his magnum opus, the tetralogy *Joseph and His Brothers*. Maybe you should give it a try? And by the way, among my handful of favorite authors, J.L. Borges ranks right at the top alongside Thomas Mann. 😊

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