A review by riley_2502
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I HAVE DEFEATED THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN!!!!! Read with the Game of Tomes bookclub, this was certainly a labor of... dedication? Jumping into this book i really enjoyed the first half but slowly struggled to move thru the later parts (particularly following the introduction of Naphta). I really liked the warping of time and Mann's separation between the characters and their lives in "the flatlands". certain musings were strangely relatable to me as someone with a chronic pain/illness. the living of a horizontal life and blending together of days really struck close to home LOL. some chapters were uneventful but in an enjoyable way, while others were a downright SLOG for me. While the ideological and philosophical debates are probably very interesting to some, and were to me at times, mostly they were difficult to follow and went on and on. Definitely the most difficult parts of this book to get through. not without its challenges but overall I enjoyed this classic and im glad I read it! bittersweet to say goodbye to Hans Castorp