Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by T.J. Reed, John E. Woods, Thomas Mann

1 review

tigerkind's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

4.5

For the better part of my childhood, this paperback tome was looming large on my mother’s bookshelf among all the others she had had to read in school. Now, in my twenties, I finally got around to tackling it and I must say that it is much more accessible to me than I would’ve thought. I started reading out of a feeling of obligation to literary greatness and stayed because I was being entertained. I even found myself abandoning my more lightweight reading in favor of this one. 

I usually read in English, but in this instance, having the original German is such a treat. Mixed in with low German and French, the prose harmonizes beautifully with the plot, supporting the larger themes. I will say that the book had some lengths and the endless, meandering sentences did tempt me into skipping a few lines ahead a few times, but other than that, this was a great read, insightful in its description without being patronizing and entertaining through fine irony, not cheap humor. I will definitely pick up another book by Mann soon and recommend you do the same. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and War