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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I was really enchanted by the Magic Mountain the first time I read it, which was in my early twenties. Two decades later I read it more critically, and as a result I liked it less. The novel is about the process of enchantment, and it makes of the reader an example -- if the reader is willing, that is.
Tarkovsky jokingly said that he wanted nothing more than to make a long boring film, and it seems like Mann might jokingly say the same thing about the Magic Mountain. The novel is about time -- time itself and human experience within time. Time becomes a crucial part of the narrative structure, and he plays with it the same way a composer might. The story winds around, characters appear and disappear, themes recur without any apparent meaning, and the novel ends in media res, without a satisfactory conclusion.
The sanatorium becomes a symbol of timelessness, a place where time slows and life loses its seriousness. And the experience of the reader is reflected in this, which is why so many are bored by the novel. But introspective, reflective readers seem to have a different experience. It's not unlike sitting through a Tarkovsky film -- you will either be fascinated, or walk out. But Tarkovsky said he was doing something very similar to what Mann does in the Magic Mountain; he called it "sculpting in time."
Tarkovsky jokingly said that he wanted nothing more than to make a long boring film, and it seems like Mann might jokingly say the same thing about the Magic Mountain. The novel is about time -- time itself and human experience within time. Time becomes a crucial part of the narrative structure, and he plays with it the same way a composer might. The story winds around, characters appear and disappear, themes recur without any apparent meaning, and the novel ends in media res, without a satisfactory conclusion.
The sanatorium becomes a symbol of timelessness, a place where time slows and life loses its seriousness. And the experience of the reader is reflected in this, which is why so many are bored by the novel. But introspective, reflective readers seem to have a different experience. It's not unlike sitting through a Tarkovsky film -- you will either be fascinated, or walk out. But Tarkovsky said he was doing something very similar to what Mann does in the Magic Mountain; he called it "sculpting in time."
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It started off strong and ended strong too. Mann just yabbers on for so long. Why were there 10 pages devoted to one song on a grammphone😭 could’ve been 300 pages shorter
challenging
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes