A review by sadonohue
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

5.0

I was torn on how to rate this novel. It took me almost a year to finish in fits and starts as it is not only extremely long but also extremely dense. It drags on at times and elements of it were difficult to parse as an American with a limited background in German history and culture. In fact, I would have understood very little of it if I had not happened to recently read a book on German history.
That all being said, it is an amazing novel. The scope is grand but Mann manages to hit his points beautifully. I have a feeling this will be a novel I think about for a long time as my own life experiences add new insights and interpretations to the work. I am already looking forward to a reread in the future.
It is definitely not something I would recommend to everyone but I think if you are up for the challenge it is very worth it.