Summary of The Magic MountainĀ
Hans Castorp, a young German engineer from Hamburg, visits his cousin, Joachim Ziemssen, at the Berghof sanatorium in Davos, high in the Swiss Alps, where Joachim is undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. What was meant to be a brief visit turns into a seven-year stay in the secluded and exclusive sanatorium. During his time in the mountain resort, Hans encounters a diverse cast of characters who embody the various ideological and cultural currents of European civilisation on the eve of the First World War.
Reasons to read The Magic Mountain
āThe Magic Mountainā is one of the most significant works by Thomas Mann and a cornerstone of twentieth-century German literature. It is often considered a āBildungsromanā (a novel about a young personās journey to maturity) or a satirical take on the genre. A deeply philosophical and symbolic novel of ideas, āThe Magic Mountainā explores themes such as illness and health, the passage of time, the power of music, the role of love and desire in life, and, on a broader level, the conflicts in society between humanism, conservatism, and radicalism. Set in the clear air of the Swiss Alps, the novel provides a panoramic view of European civilisation in the early 20th century. Other notable works by Thomas Mann ā who won the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 1949 Goethe Prize – include āBuddenbrooksā, āDeath in Veniceā, āJoseph and his Brothersā, and āDoctor Faustusā.
Setting: Davos (Switzerland)
Novel set in Switzerland: Davos in the Swiss Alps (GraubĆ¼nden), specifically the Berghotel Schatzalp (now a venue for the annual meetings of the World Economic Forum)
Original title: Der Zauberberg
Year of publication: 1924
Nr of pages: 720
