by Thomas Mann
A book of paramount importance of one of the most important writes of all time in the German language. …. And I have read it only at the age of 44. … I asked myself if I should be ashamed. Nevermind!
The novel was subject of various interpretations: autobiography, Nietzsche biography, book about “artistdom”, and it was read as allegory of the recent german history where the Germans allied with the devil to achieve world’s dominance. It is all of that and it makes sense to read all of these interpretations beforehand. It will help to decipher many of the quotations and allegories. It is so complex that the main story seems to be only a vehicle to hold everything together. The main story is the life of Adrian Leverkühn, who makes a deal with the devil (therefore Dr. Faustus) to achieve to write the most complicated music ever written. The music-theoretical content I could not understand but it did not affect my joy to read this novel. Maybe the music theory aspect was one reason why I hesitated to read it before. I had it over 15 years on my bookshelf.
The most joy I draw always from Mann’s perfect German. Sometimes I read a sentence twice or three times to enjoy its beauty. I am not sure if this can be properly translated into another language. I guess only by a translator who is at the same time a writer himself and creating its own work.
The novel was subject of various interpretations: autobiography, Nietzsche biography, book about “artistdom”, and it was read as allegory of the recent german history where the Germans allied with the devil to achieve world’s dominance. It is all of that and it makes sense to read all of these interpretations beforehand. It will help to decipher many of the quotations and allegories. It is so complex that the main story seems to be only a vehicle to hold everything together. The main story is the life of Adrian Leverkühn, who makes a deal with the devil (therefore Dr. Faustus) to achieve to write the most complicated music ever written. The music-theoretical content I could not understand but it did not affect my joy to read this novel. Maybe the music theory aspect was one reason why I hesitated to read it before. I had it over 15 years on my bookshelf.
The most joy I draw always from Mann’s perfect German. Sometimes I read a sentence twice or three times to enjoy its beauty. I am not sure if this can be properly translated into another language. I guess only by a translator who is at the same time a writer himself and creating its own work.
Facts:
English title: Doctor Faustus
Original title: Doktor Faustus
Published: 1947
