Death in Venice is the second book I’ve read from Thomas Mann’s after The Magic Mountain. To be honest, I think this long story is a better option than The Magic Mountain to start reading Thomas Mann. One of the reasons for this is that The Magic Mountain is a bit of a “difficult” book, and the other is that Death in Venice is a beautiful long story. So, you better start your Thomas Mann journey with Death in Venice.
Gustav von Aschenbach, the real hero of Death in Venice, is a successful and respected author with grey hair. He lived a very controlled and sensible life until now and goes to Venice with the hope of getting rid of this ritual and writing a little bit. He sees a beautiful Polish boy named Tadzio at his hotel and compares him to the Greek gods. Life has changed for Gustav von Aschenbach even if he never speaks or touches Tadzio. There is a new man in front of us, thinking of beauty only.
Thomas Mann’s command of the language, and the way he tells how the creative mind changes with love will blow your mind. Your perspective on physical beauty will change; you will pay more attention to who is looking at you while you are on the beach. This is a must-read. Enjoy!
Death in Venice
Thomas Mann was the 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, so noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual. Death in Venice, this tale of so forbidden love which has long intrigued the reading public, was his early masterpiece.
Thomas Mann
Paul Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist. And the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and so ironic epic novels and novellas are noted. For their insight into the so psychology of the artist and the intellectual.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
