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A review by bdingz
Death in Venice by Michael Cunningham, Michael Henry Heim, Thomas Mann
5.0
Mann's writing style is strange, and the plot was strange. Yet, I truly loved this novel.
I feel like some readers jump the gun because of the obsession the protagonist (Gustav von Aschenbach) develops with Tadzio, a thirteen-year-old boy. But it’s not explicit and the two characters don’t come into physical contact. The book tells the story of Aschenbach's fall from grace as both a writer and a human being, and it does an amazing job of that.
Mann's use of symbolism is stunning, and it shows the consequences we are dealt when we become too fixated in the ideas of beauty and youth. It's a quick read, but haunting enough to stay with you for a long time.
I feel like some readers jump the gun because of the obsession the protagonist (Gustav von Aschenbach) develops with Tadzio, a thirteen-year-old boy. But it’s not explicit and the two characters don’t come into physical contact. The book tells the story of Aschenbach's fall from grace as both a writer and a human being, and it does an amazing job of that.
Mann's use of symbolism is stunning, and it shows the consequences we are dealt when we become too fixated in the ideas of beauty and youth. It's a quick read, but haunting enough to stay with you for a long time.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia and Adult/minor relationship