One of the most famous literary works of the 20th century, the novella “Death in Venice” embodies themes that preoccupied Thomas Mann (1875–1955) in much of his work; the duality of art and life, the presence of death and disintegration in the midst of existence, the connection between love and suffering, and the conflict between the artist and his inner self. Mann’s handling of these concerns in this story of a middle-aged German writer, torn by his passion for a Polish youth met on holiday in Venice, resulted in a work of great psychological intensity and tragic power.
DIVAn author's infatuation with a handsome youth has fatal consequences in Death in Venice. A Man and His Dog is a charming essay about Mann's canine companion. Excellent English translations by Appelbaum. /div
Celebrated novella of a middle-aged German writer's tormented passion for a Polish youth met on holiday in Venice, and its tragic consequences. New translation with extensive commentary.
Death in Venice, by Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann, is one of the most popular and widely taught works of German literature. It is also a complex work of art that challenges its readers. This reference is a convenient guide to the novella. In addition to providing a plot summary, the volume helps students and general readers discover the literary and intellectual qualities of Mann's famous story. The guide alsos surveys Mann's life and works, compares Death in Venice to Mann's other fiction, as well as to works by other writers, summarizes the events Mann relates, and discusses the genesis, editions, and English translations of his novella. Mann's literary and non-literary influences are considered, along with his narrative style, and the historical, cultural, and sociological factors surrounding Death in Venice. The guide also explains how the issues Mann treated remain current today, and reviews the critical and scholarly reception of his text.
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann: Death in Venice is a haunting novella by Thomas Mann that explores the themes of beauty, desire, and the pursuit of perfection. Set in the early 20th century, the story follows Gustav von Aschenbach, a renowned writer, as he becomes captivated by the allure of a young boy he encounters in the city of Venice, ultimately leading to his spiritual and physical decline. Key Points: Mann's novella delves into the complexities of desire and the destructive power of obsession, as Aschenbach's infatuation with the boy becomes an all-consuming force that disrupts his moral compass and challenges his notions of art and beauty. Death in Venice examines themes of decay, mortality, and the juxtaposition of artistic ideals with the realities of human existence, offering a profound exploration of the tension between the pursuit of aesthetic perfection and the inevitable imperfections of life. The novella showcases Mann's masterful prose and psychological insight, delving into the inner turmoil and psychological disintegration of the protagonist, while also providing a poignant commentary on the limitations and consequences of unbridled desire.
In the summer of 1911, the German writer Thomas Mann visited Venice in the company of his wife Katia. There, in the Grand Hotel des Bains, as he waited for the dinner-gong to ring, the author's roving eye was drawn to a nearby Polish family, the Moeses, consisting of a mother, three daughters, and a young sailor-suited son who, to Mann, exuded an almost supernatural beauty and grace. Inspired by this glancing encounter with the luminous child, Mann wrote Death in Venice, and the infatuated writer made of that boy, Wladyslaw Moes, one of the twentieth century's most potent and enduring icons. According to Gilbert Adair in his sparkling evocation of that idyll on the Adriatic, Mann wrote his novella, "as though taking dictation from God." But precisely who was the boy? And what was his reaction to the publication of Death in Venice in 1912 and, later, the release of Luchino Visconti's film adaptation in 1971? In this revealing portrait, including telling photographs, Gilbert Adair brilliantly juxtaposes the life of Wladyslaw Moes with that of his mythic twin, Tadzio. It is a fascinating account of a man who was immortalized by a genius, yet forgotten by history.
John Stone, a man so wealthy that in the years before World War One he was able to manipulate markets, industries and indeed whole countries and continents, has been found dead in mysterious circumstances. His beautiful young widow commissions a journalist to carry out an unusual bequest in his will but as he begins his research he soon discovers a story far more complex than he could have ever imagined... As the story moves backwards through time, from London in 1909 to Paris in 1809, before concluding in Venice in 1867, the mystery of John Stone's life and loves begins to unravel. The result is a spellbinding novel that is both a quest for the truth, a love story that spans decades and a compelling murder mystery.
This volumes includes eight stories by Thomas Mann: Death in Venice Tonio Kröger Mario and the Magician Disorder and Early Sorrow A Man and his Dog The Blood of the Walsungs Tristan Felix Krull
The Nobel Prize–winning author’s masterful novella of eros and obsession, presented alongside other short works of lyrical beauty and psychological depth. In Thomas Mann’s immortal novella A Death in Venice, renowned author Gustave Aschenbach faces both middle age and a severe case of writer’s block. He resolves to go on holiday in search of inspiration, only to find himself awestruck by the classical beauty of a fourteen-year-old boy. Submitting to his obsession with the youth, Gustave slowly loses himself, his dignity, and finally his life. This volume includes six short works by Mann, including “Little Herr Friedmann,” “Gladius Dei,” Tristan,” and “Tonio Kroger,” among others.
Study of the critical reception of one of the most famous and widely read works of modern literature. Thomas Mann's 1912 novella Death in Venice is one of the most famous and widely read texts in all of modern literature, raising such issues as beauty and decadence, eros and irony, and aesthetics and morality. The amount and variety of criticism on the work is enormous, and ranges from psychoanalytic criticism and readings inspired by Mann's own homosexuality to inquiries into the place of the novella in Mann's oeuvre, its structure and style, and its symbolism and politics. Critics have also drawn connections between the novella and works of Plato, Euripides, Goethe, Schopenhauer, Platen, Wagner, Nietzsche, Gide, and Conrad. Ellis Shookman surveys the reception of Deathin Venice, analyzing several hundred books, articles, and other reactions to the novella, proceeding in a chronological manner that allows a historical perspective. Critics cited include Heinrich Mann, Hermann Broch, D. H. Lawrence, Karl Kraus, Kenneth Burke, Georg Lukàcs, Wolfgang Koeppen, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Thomas Mann himself. Particular attention is paid to Luchino Visconti's film, Benjamin Britten's opera, and to other more recent creative adaptations, both in Germany and throughout the world. Ellis Shookman is associate professor of German at Dartmouth College.
