The Thomas Mann Group discussion

This thread is to post supplementary readings and links to information about Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family.

This is part of a recent interview with VS Naipaul who was at the time reading Mann's Buddenbrooks. I'll get the link and post right after this part.

IC: I was wondering what you like to read now.

VSN: I read many things. I read to fill in my knowledge of the world. I am reading this writer, [Thomas] De Quincey, here [points to the book]. The other thing I am reading, quite unusual for me, is Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks. I was staggered by it.

IC: Why did it stagger you?

VSN: It was so wise. Wonderful narrative gift. His language is wonderful. When he is talking, it varies from mode to mode. And it’s always marvelous. He has to deal with typhoid, which will kill his character, and he does it pulling away. He goes inside the sufferer and says, this is what happens to a cancer patient, a typhoid patient. At a certain stage, life calls out to him. Very beautiful way of writing. I am feeble trying to paraphrase. Very, very moving. I was dazzled by it.

Thanks so much for posting the excerpt from the interview, William. Great start to this thread. :)

Here's the link to the full interview: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/11...

I've added a number of potential critical analyses of Buddenbrooks and Thomas Mann in general to the group bookshelf (under criticism). A goodly number of them are in German, but I did manage to find some promising looking english language studies as well.

Thanks so much, Gundula!

Kris wrote: "Thanks so much, Gundula!"

You're welcome, hope the books will be of use.

I'm sure they will be. I'm looking forward to looking through them.

I just got Buddenbrooks: Family Life as the Mirror of Social Change in the mail. Looks interesting and readable (Martin Swales has written a number of excellent critical analyses of German literature).

I also ordered Savage Reprisals: Bleak House, Madame Bovary, Buddenbrooks (the comparison of Bleak House, Madame Bovary and Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family intrigues me).

Found this which looks very interesting..

will put it in the shelves.

Die Welt der Buddenbrooks

Kalliope wrote: "Found this which looks very interesting..

will put it in the shelves.

Die Welt der Buddenbrooks"

Cool -- this is by one of the people who were behind the idea of creating the Lübeck Buddenbrooks museum! (Currently President of the Thomas Mann Society.) He also co-authored a book on the history of the Buddenbrook House (the building, that is):

http://www.amazon.de/Das-Buddenbrookh...

Themis-Athena wrote: "Kalliope wrote: "Found this which looks very interesting..

will put it in the shelves.

Die Welt der Buddenbrooks"

Cool -- this is by one of the people who were behind the idea of creating the L..."

Yes, I saw also that he teaches Literature at the Lübeck university. I am certainly getting it.

Kalliope wrote: "TYes, I saw also that he teaches Litearture at the Lúbeck university. I am certainly getting it."

Good ... I'm looking forward to comparing notes! :)