Published in 1947 in the aftermath of Germany’s infamy being revealed in all its horror, Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkühn, Told by a Friend is a lament not just for the nation state that was brought so low by its own ideology, but also for the idea of Germany as a place of civilisation and culture. This tone, for all its fussiness and pedantry, is central to understanding Mann’s lament for a deep and powerful loss.
Woods became available in 1999, and one can only wonder at the skill of the translator in this case: the novel is so rich and complex and dynamic, even without knowing a word of German I can see how difficult the task must have been to convey the tone of the narrator Dr Serenus Zeitblom. How little they knew what a truly great writer he was to become!) This translation of Doctor Faustus by John E. It’s the third novel I’ve read by this author, the others being Buddenbrooks (1901) and The Magic Mountain (1924), both written before Mann was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1929 (which was cited principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature. Well, contrary to my own expectations, I’ve finished this in time for German Lit Month!ĭoctor Faustus (1947) was the last novel of Thomas Mann, (1875-1955) and it’s considered to be his masterwork.
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