The Cambridge Introduction to Thomas MannNobel Prize-winner Thomas Mann (1875-1955) is not only one of the leading German novelists of the twentieth century, but also one of the few to transcend national and language boundaries to achieve major stature in the English-speaking world. Famous from the time that he published his first novel in 1901, Mann became an iconic figure, seen as the living embodiment of German national culture. Leading scholar Todd Kontje provides a succinct introduction to Mann's life and work, discussing key moments in Mann's personal life and his career as a public intellectual, and giving readers a sense of why he is considered such an important - and controversial - writer. At the heart of the book is an informed appreciation of Mann's great literary achievements, including the novel The Magic Mountain and the haunting short story Death in Venice. |
Contents
Origins influences and early mastery | 13 |
Artists and outcasts in Manns early fiction | 33 |
From world war to the Weimar Republic | 54 |
The struggle against National Socialism | 73 |
Lotte in Weimar | 91 |
Tribulations and final triumphs | 113 |
Notes | 128 |
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anti-Semitic artist autobiographical begins birth brother Buddenbrooks career Castorp characters Chauchat Christian Confessions of Felix cultural Death in Venice decades depiction desire Disorder and Early Doctor Faustus Early Sorrow Egypt Egyptian Erika essay Europe European exile fascism father Felix Krull final French German National Germany's Goethe Goethe’s Gustav von Aschenbach H. T. Lowe-Porter Hagenströms Heinrich Mann Hitler Holy Sinner homosexual intellectual Jewish Jews Joseph Katia Mann Klaus Mann Knopf later letter Leverkühn literary Little Herr Friedemann lived Lotte in Weimar Lübeck Magic Mountain Magician Mann began Mann wrote Mann’s Mann's early Mario marriage married modern mother Munich Naphta narrator National Socialism Nazi Nietzsche novel novella passion political portrait Pringsheim protagonist racial readers Reflections role Royal Highness sanatorium sense Settembrini sexual Sita Spinell story symbolic theme Thomas Mann tion Tonio Kröger tradition trans Transposed Heads Wagner woman writing York young Zeitblom