I was intrigued by all the hype about this book and decided to put aside some of my reservations and read it. This is a novel about Thomas Mann, the Nobel laureate and author of A Death in Venice and Magic Mountain. He lived during the end of WWI, the rise of Hitler and the ensuing WWII and through the Cold War. His early life was complicated and filled with tragedy. His mother was Brazilian, and his father died early leaving the family with little money. His brother was a famous poet/writer and communist agitator, his sister was an actress who committed suicide on the eve of her marriage. Thomas married a wealthy Jewish heiress and had six children who led complicated and unconventional lives.

It is no wonder that Tóibín chose Mann as a subject for a novel, since there is so much material to work with, and yet I came away with the feeling that Thomas Mann was still an enigma, an introverted narcissist, afraid of his own longings and desires and only able to engage with the world through his writing.

For most of his life Thomas Mann kept to a rigorous schedule. He had breakfast, read the newspaper and then went to his study where he was to be undisturbed until late afternoon, at which time he spent time reading and relaxing. His family followed the dictates of this schedule and as a result it was not until his wife was diagnosed with TB and sent to the Swiss mountains to recover that Mann had any true interactions with his children. When his wife finally returned, Mann again resumed this schedule for the remainder of his life. In some ways this rigorous schedule and the isolation it imposed seems like a metaphor for Mann’s life- always separated from the real world, isolated and protected from ordinary day to day life, Mann could write in peace, but never quite learned how to engage with the world or with the people in his life.

It is obvious that Tóibín has done a lot of research and his writing is elegant, restrained and insightful. He is able to bring to life the many family members, particularly Mann’s wife and daughters, but either by design or because Mann himself is inexplicable, Mann’s character is enigmatic and unsatisfying. I am convinced that this is less because of Tóibín’s abilities and more of a reflection on the true nature of Mann himself- a person with very little confidence, who needed adoration and acknowledgment, who worried constantly about his reputation and how people perceived him. He was an unhappy and unsatisfied person, living a life that he thought was required of him and who was only able to rise on occasion to do the right thing when it seemed necessary and required of him. In fact, in writing this book, Tóibín may be offering us a warning on how not to live a life, even if it seems outwardly successful. 

Brenda’s Rating:**** (4 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Keith, Ken Marian and Sharon

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in e-library format.