A review by david_rhee
Doctor Faustus: The Life The German Composer Adrian Leverkühn As Told By A Friend by Thomas Mann

3.0

Thomas Mann uses the Faustian legend in a novel which parallels the life of fictitious composer Adrian Leverkuhn and the fall of fascist Germany. My weak historical knowledge of the times in question (I'm more at home in Hellenic and Roman histories) disqualified me as one who is insightful enough to appreciate the scope of what Mann is attempting. It sure felt grand though and the tragic fall at the novel's conclusion carries significant impact. Although I speak as a reader who got lost often while reading this work, one can certainly sense the ambition behind it. Mann spoke with composers and researched the work of past musical figures in order to write competently in musical terms. One can only imagine what Mann is feeling as a German in America writing this work and watching the events of WWII unfold overseas.