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kavreb's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written and evocative but kinda disturbing as it's basically about an old guy lusting after a child, especially taking into account how it was inspired by the author’s own experience as the older man.
Their gender might be noteworthy, but it doesn't really change the age difference or that one of them is, indeed, very much a child, and it's from the point of view of the adult that we experience this infatuation from. I was reminded of the few pages I've read of Lolita, but Death in Venice is more romanticised and the criticism of the central character feels more nuanced, almost at risk of telling the story at face value.
Still, Von Aschenbach is such an ass that it's impossible to take him too seriously, and the writing is enchanting and well constructed, even when often at risk of losing its way meandering between ironic comparisons and philosophical wanderings; and the great sense of character description breathes naturalistic life into them.
The moral decline of the man is made metaphorically clear within the medicinal downfall of the city surrounding him, a clear warning against such unhealthy and consuming obsessions, perhaps the author wagging a finger at himself, and anybody else who'd be tempted by anything similar, be it as disgusting as this, or something much tamer, closer to most of our’s reality, but as potentially crushing still.
The author also seems to go out of his way to point out, perhaps ironically, how even such a great observer and describer of humanity is incapable of resisting; one wonders what chance have we mere mortals got then? Or perhaps it’s Aschenbach’s artistic ability to consider beauty more greatly that is his downfall, the author stroking his own ego while contemplating the danger.
It is sometimes difficult to enjoy this book due to its disturbingly pedophiliac subject matter and point of view, but the language and irony do still offer moments of unadulterated pleasure (a sentence that is a challenge to write all by itself), and the final chapter is somewhat poignant. I'm eager to try out more Mann, something I've never said before; I just hope the challenge in the other novels lies in more innocent viles.
Their gender might be noteworthy, but it doesn't really change the age difference or that one of them is, indeed, very much a child, and it's from the point of view of the adult that we experience this infatuation from. I was reminded of the few pages I've read of Lolita, but Death in Venice is more romanticised and the criticism of the central character feels more nuanced, almost at risk of telling the story at face value.
Still, Von Aschenbach is such an ass that it's impossible to take him too seriously, and the writing is enchanting and well constructed, even when often at risk of losing its way meandering between ironic comparisons and philosophical wanderings; and the great sense of character description breathes naturalistic life into them.
The moral decline of the man is made metaphorically clear within the medicinal downfall of the city surrounding him, a clear warning against such unhealthy and consuming obsessions, perhaps the author wagging a finger at himself, and anybody else who'd be tempted by anything similar, be it as disgusting as this, or something much tamer, closer to most of our’s reality, but as potentially crushing still.
The author also seems to go out of his way to point out, perhaps ironically, how even such a great observer and describer of humanity is incapable of resisting; one wonders what chance have we mere mortals got then? Or perhaps it’s Aschenbach’s artistic ability to consider beauty more greatly that is his downfall, the author stroking his own ego while contemplating the danger.
It is sometimes difficult to enjoy this book due to its disturbingly pedophiliac subject matter and point of view, but the language and irony do still offer moments of unadulterated pleasure (a sentence that is a challenge to write all by itself), and the final chapter is somewhat poignant. I'm eager to try out more Mann, something I've never said before; I just hope the challenge in the other novels lies in more innocent viles.
garrett_schaffs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
ryhne's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
به این کتاب خیلی خیلی کمتر از لیاقتش توجه شده
من ترجمه محمود حدادی از نشر افق رو خوندم و ازش لذت بردم؛ تنها نکته منفی تجربه خوانش این کتاب برای من این بود که چون می‌دونستم پایان کتاب نقد هایی از این روایت رو آورده، دیگه در طول خوانش کتاب برای پی نوشت چکش نکردم؛ در حالی که پی نوشت هایی کامل در انتهای کتاب مربوط به هر فصل آورده شده؛ تنها ایراد وارده، ارجاع ندادن در میانه داستان به بخش پی نوشت هاست که همین من رو از خوندن توضیحات کامل تر و بهره مندی بیشتر، محروم کرد و در پایان کتاب تازه متوجهشون شدم.
گفتم که شما اگر قصد خوندن کردید مثل من دچار اشتباه و محرومیت نشید :")
به این کتاب خیلی خیلی کمتر از لیاقتش توجه شده
من ترجمه محمود حدادی از نشر افق رو خوندم و ازش لذت بردم؛ تنها نکته منفی تجربه خوانش این کتاب برای من این بود که چون می‌دونستم پایان کتاب نقد هایی از این روایت رو آورده، دیگه در طول خوانش کتاب برای پی نوشت چکش نکردم؛ در حالی که پی نوشت هایی کامل در انتهای کتاب مربوط به هر فصل آورده شده؛ تنها ایراد وارده، ارجاع ندادن در میانه داستان به بخش پی نوشت هاست که همین من رو از خوندن توضیحات کامل تر و بهره مندی بیشتر، محروم کرد و در پایان کتاب تازه متوجهشون شدم.
گفتم که شما اگر قصد خوندن کردید مثل من دچار اشتباه و محرومیت نشید :")
kcreigh22's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
akapsar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lucaso's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
viscountess_black's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
weejman33's review against another edition
2.0
I appreciated the allegory, but this shit was just nasty.