WeBuzz

Reader discussion: Death in Venice

Public reader discussion about Death in Venice in the WeRead Catalog by Thomas Mann.

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann… What an absolutely amazing work!

By Moss-Shelf

About two weeks ago I went down a bit of a rabbit hole (pun not really intended) and was looking up stuff on the stinkhorn mushroom on Wikipedia. I noticed it referenced *The Magic Mountain* by Thomas Mann, and I honestly had no idea what the book was or even who Thomas Mann was. I’m not really a fiction reader, so I thought, “Okay, but why not just grab it and see?” I ended up buying it and started reading… and I’m really glad I did. I’m only around 150 pages in, but now I’m kind of hooked. Every time I crack it open, I feel like I’m instantly pulled into that whole Berghof sanatorium world. It’s honestly one of the best things I’ve run into lately. What do you all think about *The Magic Mountain*?

Just finished ”The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann

By hiddenDeer60

I’ve gone through a bunch of the usual “classics” over the years (Iliad, Bible, Dickens, all that), and I genuinely think this one is the best—no competition, not even close. The characters are just unreal. They’re so compelling that you end up caring about basically all of them. The plot is super slow at first (I mean, like the first 200 pages), then it starts picking up steam, and by the last 300 pages it gets really fast and intense. I’m pretty sure Mann built it that way on purpose, to make you feel time passing while he’s thinking about it in the story. The big themes are time, love, and death, but it’s way more than that too. It’s set right up to World War I in Europe, so you can kind of feel the whole disaster hanging over everything. Also, this isn’t something you can really “summarize.” There’s just no good way to do it—just read it. I’ve read a lot, and this one’s in its own category. I don’t cry at novels that often. Like, I only cried once before (at the end of *Parade’s End*), but *The Magic Mountain* had me crying three separate times. It’s so beautiful. I can’t even explain it. Seriously—stop what you’re doing and pick it up.

A psychoanalytic reading of Thomas Mann's novella "Death in Venice"

By Bookworm_Cougar

This book really nails something weird and intense that I can’t fully wrap my head around: that mix of pleasure and emptiness that seems to sit right at the core of being a person. Gustave Aschenbach basically lives through both. Like, his whole life is shaped by this push toward the edge of things—he’s not just “alive,” he’s kind of driven to keep repeating whatever his drive is, and he even treats his vocation like the main reason to keep going. He’s spent years writing seriously, giving up comfort and even his health, all for the work. And somehow that suffering turns into the thing that makes him famous, which is messed up but also feels like it fits what the story is doing. His whole deal as an author ends up looking like this kind of “I’m empty but I’m doing it anyway” version of devotion. Then he takes this long break and goes to an island resort near Venice, and of course everything falls apart when he fixes on Tadzio. It’s not just a passing attraction—he ends up extending his stay, barely acting like he’d even notice the cholera situation in the city, and just watches this kid obsessively. A lot of people label it as some kind of predatory sexual thing, which honestly is where my head goes too at first, but the book seems to push back and make it more like an unreturned, nonsexual obsession. Like admiration that turns into something painful and destabilizing. He’s stuck in this daily routine of watching, and it starts messing with his whole normal life. He’s tormented by guilt and fear and how other people would judge him, but he still can’t stop because it’s the only way he feels “alive” in that moment. And I’m still not sure I fully agree with how it all gets justified, especially ending with the fact that he dies from the plague, but the ending makes it feel almost like he goes out happy—like he’s finally looking at something beyond himself, something almost comforting, even while everything is ending.

Hiii, me and some of my friends are starting a classics book club, but we’re relegating ourselves to relatively short ones (under 400 pages) and I’m looking for some recommendations (nothing after 1920)

By Quill_Ink7868

For reference, here’s the order of books we’ve got planned right now: *A Lost Lady* (Cather), *Passing* (Larsen), *The Touchstone* (Wharton), *Daisy Miller* (James), *Thérèse Raquin* (Zola), *Summer* (Wharton), and *Bonjour Tristesse* (Sagan).

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

By amber-fish

I’ve seen his name pop up in a bunch of other books, so I kept wondering why everyone kept bringing him up, and I finally bought a few of his and this was the first one I read. So far it’s been really good—basically it’s a kid stuck in a hospital, with all these strange characters, and everything is just snow and cold. What I liked is it doesn’t feel like you’re trapped somewhere you hate the whole time. The setting descriptions make it seem like there’s still stuff to find there, even when you think there isn’t. And each character kind of brings something different, then you get this back-and-forth between them. It reminded me of Victor Hugo, but with a bit of G.K. Chesterton vibe mixed in. I’m not sure if it’ll stay my favorite, but it’s definitely up there, and it’s one of the few I’ve read where the ending actually feels right. The writing is also honestly impressive—I can’t stop thinking about it. If anyone else has read it, I’d love to hear what you thought.

「death in venezia」

By WildHeron1980

So I’m assuming the whole thing is basically “Death in Venice” by Thomas Mann, but with a weird twist: it shows up like the book, except every page is blank—like it just takes the shape of whatever text the target sees. And then there’s this Ghaccio copypasta thing. It can trigger whenever anyone thinks, says, or writes the word “Venice,” and it’s supposedly on all the time, anywhere. Even if someone plans to do it, it’ll still happen. The only way to stop it is saying “Venezia” instead of “Venice,” which feels kinda silly, but whatever. Not sure what the stats are really supposed to mean here, but I guess destructive power is e, range a, durability a, and speed is n/a.

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (translated by Michael Henry Heim)

By hardcoverStorm

He was just sitting there in his coat with a book in his lap, kind of settling in as the hours went by without him really noticing. The rain stopped and the awning was down, so you could finally see the whole horizon. There was this huge, dead-looking stretch of sea under this gray, cloudy sky. Still, out in all that empty space it’s like your sense of time just goes weird—you can’t really tell what’s going on, and everything feels way too big to measure. He kept drifting off, thinking in pieces about weird, shadowy figures from earlier—like that older dandy and the guy with the beard who was down below—talking and moving around in his head like bits of a dream. Then he fell asleep.

This book destroyed me

By glimmer_ocean49

I just finished *Call Me By Your Name* and I feel like I got knocked sideways. For real, I didn’t know what to do with myself after it—like I wanted to text all my exes, quit my job, and just run off somewhere. I was suddenly craving all these crazy, reckless decisions. The book really did something to me. I can’t remember the last time I was this messed up by something I read. After a few days I’m finally calming down and feeling more normal, but the first stretch was rough. I kept thinking how badly I wanted to be young again and fall in love the way they did. And part of me was sad that I’ll probably never feel that intensely about someone again. But now I’m realizing I kind of had an intense thing going with the book itself, which is wild. I’m actually more into reading again because of it. Like, it genuinely changed me.

Death in Venice

By honestdelta4

Sorry it took me a bit, but it’s here—*Death in Venice* by Thomas Mann. For the discussion, I keep getting pulled toward three big questions. First: what does it even mean to “live”? Aschenbach has a pretty successful, controlled life—he’s an artist, has a wife and family, and seems comfortable. Then suddenly he wants to travel. Once he’s in Venice, though, he doesn’t really seem to *do* much. He mostly sits around thinking and watching people. The only time he really gets close to being part of the city is when he starts looking into what’s going on with cholera. So… is that actually living? Was he happy when it was all happening? Does Mann even care about happiness like that? Is happiness the same thing as living, or is it something separate? Second: love and friendship. Mann brings up Plato’s *Phaedrus* a bunch, so I’m assuming it matters a lot. I haven’t read it in a few years, but I remember Socrates talking to Phaedrus about love—like eros. There’s the whole idea of the soul as a chariot with two horses: one is calm and restrained (reason/morality), and the other is more wild and causes trouble (passions/appetites). My understanding is Socrates basically says love is kind of like madness and a constant fight. If I’ve got any of that wrong, someone please correct me. But I feel like Mann is setting up a parallel between Aschenbach/Tadzio and Socrates/Phaedrus. Do you think Aschenbach’s “inner self” looks like that description? And do you think Tadzio actually feels anything back? Also—what even is the love Aschenbach has here? Like, is it really romantic love, or something else entirely? What kind? Third: art, beauty, aesthetics. What makes someone a good artist? What makes something beautiful? And how does Aschenbach actually see art and literature?

Queer Studies in Mann's "Death in Venice".

By cosmicChair98

I just finished Mann’s novella *Death in Venice* and I can’t stop thinking about the whole relationship/infatuation between the main character and Tadzio. Does anyone know if there’s been any discussion, research, or theories about it—like whether it could be read as a somewhat queer connection? I’d love to hear what people think, because it would help me understand the analysis and critique of the book, and I’m genuinely curious about that kind of interpretation.

Just finished Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann. Stunned.

By bronzeFish1980

I’m totally the kind of person who gets sucked into these long, messy family sagas, so I figured I’d be into it. But honestly, it was the second half that really got me. It feels like it digs hard into despair and this constant ache to get away from the life you’re stuck in. There’s this part near the end that just landed way too close: “When the fever is at its height…” you know the moment—I was reading and kept thinking, wow, there’s this pull back to life and duty, and then the other option is just… refusing it so hard that you end up not making it. The whole thing is kind of brutal, and it makes sense why it hits so strongly. And as the story keeps going, the gloomy, hopeless vibe just keeps piling on. Even when it finally ends, you don’t really get any comfort from religion or family like you’d hope. The characters seem to know that too. So yeah—what did everyone think of Buddenbrooks? I can already tell it might end up being one of my favorites.

Thomas Mann recommendations?

By jardistant

I asked about this on the books board first, but they said my question wasn’t specific enough. Then I made a more detailed post there, and they basically told me to come here, so… yeah, fingers crossed this actually gets answered. In the spring I read *The Magic Mountain* and I really liked the slow pace and all the bigger philosophical stuff in the discussions. I used to be a professional philosopher, so I’m not sure if that affects what I’m drawn to, but it probably does. Now I’m partway through *Doctor Faustus*, and what’s really getting my attention is the narration—how it’s done and the whole vibe of it. Once I finish *Doctor Faustus*, I’m stuck on what to pick next. I was thinking *Death in Venice* or *Buddenbrooks*, but I figured I’d ask people who really read a lot and see what else I should consider. Also, I’m loving Thomas Mann, but my favorite author is Günter Grass. So, a few questions: - If I should read another Thomas Mann book next, what would you suggest? - If I should go for something with a Mann-ish feel instead, what should I try? - And can you give a non-spoiler reason for why? Thanks everyone!!!!

Suggest me a book written by Thomas Mann

By martenMarket3689

Today I was just killing time in a couple libraries and I kept running into Thomas Mann books, so I figured I might as well try him. This is my first time with anything he wrote, and a lot of his titles sounded pretty interesting, but I honestly have no idea where to start. If you’ve got a suggestion, I’m down—anything’s fine.

Books set in Venice or Venice-adjacent

By catrain7

I’m heading to Venice next week and I really want to line up a book with the vibe. I’m thinking fantasy or great historical fiction, but honestly a blend would be perfect. If it’s not Venice itself, then I’ll settle for “Italian-feeling” stuff with canals and a bit of sexy intrigue—basically as long as it hits the same spot. Also: standalone is ideal, or at least the first in a series. I can make an exception if the first one is short and really good, and then the second one goes full Venice mode. Books I’ve already read that kinda fit: - Children of Earth & Sky (read it in Dubrovnik, so it felt more there than Venice) - Lies of Locke Lamora - The Stress of Her Regard - Nevernight - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Books set in Italy?

By AcarusBrisk

Hey! I’m hoping to make a trip to Italy once all this calms down (fingers crossed for sometime after winter 2021). When I travel, I like to read something that really gets the vibe of where I’m going. Like I read The Miniaturist before checking out Amsterdam’s canal houses, and The Painted Girls right before I went to see the Degas stuff and the Palais Garnier in Paris. For Italy, I’d love recs for fiction or non-fiction that involve Venice, Rome, Pompeii, and/or Florence. So far I’ve got The City of Falling Angels, Under the Tuscan Sun, and Death in Venice on my list. What else should I add? Thanks!

Thomas Mann -- Death In Venice

By AcarusBrisk

After all that rough, risky work in the lab late morning, I was drained in that “you can’t mess up” kind of way. Even after lunch I couldn’t just stop whatever kept going in my head, and I never really managed to get that sleep I swear I need every day as things wear me down.

Thomas Mann

By oceanlost

I haven’t really read much Thomas Mann at all—just Death in Venice. What should I tackle first from here: Buddenbrooks or The Magic Mountain, or is there something else that’s a better starting point? I’m hoping to get a decent feel for the usual themes and interests, but also something that actually feels satisfying to read.

Finished "Death in Venice," wow

By early_cat

Thomas Mann feels like he actually knows how to tell a story. I really like that uneasy, dreamlike vibe, where you almost can’t tell if it’s illness or falling in love. But it also makes me like the movie adaptation a bit less, since the novella is just way too subtle and kind of strange.

A book to read before going to Venice

By turns_atlas9139

Hey! I’m heading to Venice for the first time this summer and I’d love to read a few books about it beforehand. I’m up for pretty much anything—novels, essays, history stuff, whatever. For instance, I’ve always been curious about how capitalism supposedly started in Italy during the Middle Ages, but I’ve never actually gotten around to reading anything on it. Thanks! (And just so people know: I already had covid19 a couple months ago, so I should be fine about not catching/spreading it there.)