4.01 AVERAGE

slow-paced

Zoals Hans Castorp in een reis die 2 weken zou duren uiteindelijk 7 jaar sukkelde, heb ik zelf de maanden in dit Zwitsers sanatorium voorbij zien vliegen.
eternally_sam's profile picture

eternally_sam's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 50%

it’s just really difficult to read under a time crunch. and it just drags which is the point but it’s so frustrating 
challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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
hopeful informative reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
lauracarew's profile picture

lauracarew's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 35%

i came to conquer but it conquered me instead
challenging slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

So many peaks and valleys on the journey to and from the magic mountain…it will take me a while to grapple with them.  Peaks: the characters and the descriptions that allow you to see the story unfold.  Valleys: the many discourses the prevent any momentum and the random events that are detailed but don’t seem to matter.  Can’t say I “enjoyed” it but This will live in my brain for a long while 
challenging reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
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: No

This novel is long. It is very well crafted - translation permitting too. Quite a lot happens for a place that doesn't really change.

The best thing about this book is the authorial voice. The main character is being observed alongside the reader, and he is flawed. All of the characters are flawed - I didn't actually like any of them? Yet I wasn't put off the book by this. There flaws are allowed to stand as a real aspect of the narrative.

A young man goes up to a see his sick cousin, gets a temperature and stays at the sanatorium for ages. He has pals who deliver long philosophical sermons, - at the strangest point in the book- there is a séance, he's obsessed with a lady (some dark objectification), some background racism (it was written in the 1920s), seemingly abrupt twist at the end to glorify war - (written in the 1920s).

It is an epic novel as it morphs through its different phases. It's reflections on time are quite touching. There are definitely many moments of beauty but I am not sure I would recommend it. Unless you're desperately craving a dose of early 20th Europe from a rich male layperson perspective.
funny reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes