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 is known as a type of bildungsroman. The nature of stories like these is to focus not on the hero or heroine but rather their journey or education itself. This story of an apparently simple young man and his journey of personal growth focuses on the path he takes and the experiences associated with it, some real and some imagined.
One of the most well-used literary devices in this book is irony. Hans Castorp, the main character, is declared as simplistic early on in the story. However, he is soon shown to be not as simplistic as he first appeared. This is a commentary on the complexity of everyone. Reality is often simplified for Hans, ironically framing the complexities of life.
One of the central themes of the book is disease both as it pertains to individuals and to society. Symbolically, disease comes to represent a symptom of a need for change, and sometimes for a spiritual journey to be made. The polarity of life and spirit is a theme that the author uses a lot in his work, and resolves that this polarity must be transcended.
Almost anyone who reads this book will have a hard time honestly saying that he or she understood all of the symbolic ideas that are there in the story. One of the biggest challenges for readers of this story is the engaging, almost interactive nature of the narrative. The reader will have to answer certain questions posed by the narrator, and some are more subtle than others.
The complexity of the book is in part due to the way the author uses both realism and symbolism alongside each other. This makes it hard to always tell what is symbolic and what isn't, and his use of irony makes it even harder. Mann's own recommendation was to read the book twice, so there is no shame in not understanding everything on the first read.
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 is known as a type of bildungsroman. The nature of stories like these is to focus not on the hero or heroine but rather their journey or education itself. This story of an apparently simple young man and his journey of personal growth focuses on the path he takes and the experiences associated with it, some real and some imagined.
One of the most well-used literary devices in this book is irony. Hans Castorp, the main character, is declared as simplistic early on in the story. However, he is soon shown to be not as simplistic as he first appeared. This is a commentary on the complexity of everyone. Reality is often simplified for Hans, ironically framing the complexities of life.
One of the central themes of the book is disease both as it pertains to individuals and to society. Symbolically, disease comes to represent a symptom of a need for change, and sometimes for a spiritual journey to be made. The polarity of life and spirit is a theme that the author uses a lot in his work, and resolves that this polarity must be transcended.
Almost anyone who reads this book will have a hard time honestly saying that he or she understood all of the symbolic ideas that are there in the story. One of the biggest challenges for readers of this story is the engaging, almost interactive nature of the narrative. The reader will have to answer certain questions posed by the narrator, and some are more subtle than others.
The complexity of the book is in part due to the way the author uses both realism and symbolism alongside each other. This makes it hard to always tell what is symbolic and what isn't, and his use of irony makes it even harder. Mann's own recommendation was to read the book twice, so there is no shame in not understanding everything on the first read.
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