Thomas Mann: The Magic Mountain
$250
This seminar offers an in-depth exploration of Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg, 1924). The novel invites the reader to multiple trajectories of reading: As a modernist epic, The Magic Mountain intimates the tradition of the Bildungsroman, only with an ironic twist. It draws an unforgettable portrayal of a lost world, the cosmopolitan European society before the First World War. The polyglot, international milieu of a sanatorium functions as the catalyst of the sensual as well as the philosophical “Bildung” of the young hero. While The Magic Mountain presents a narrative of desire, entailing hidden sexualities and ambiguous gender construction, it incorporates into its universe diverse reflections on new scientific and pseudo-scientific paradigms, ranging from the discovery of X-rays, Freud, and cell biology to the occult. Mann’s musings on the concept of time, inspired by Einstein’s theory of relativity and Bergson’s philosophy of time, constitute a major tenet of this encyclopedic novel. We will also address Mann’s indebtedness to the German Romantic legacy, and his political views on the cataclysmic transformations, brought about by the First World War. References to Fr. Schlegel, Nietzsche, and Adorno will provide the philosophical background.
First week assignment:
Thomas Mann, Assignment for Week 1 (T, March 18)
The Magic Mountain (MM) (1924), Foreword; Chapters 1-3 (pp 3-90): 87 pages
(Mann, Thomas. The Magic Mountain. Translated from the German by John E. Woods. 1996; NY: Vintage. (Page numbers for the seminar follow the Woods translation)
Available at the Literary Arts Bookstore
Available as audiobook, narrated by David Rintoul
Kindle edition, follows the translation of Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter
Translated from the German by Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter. 1969; NY: Vintage.)
Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most Delves have at least one access spot available.
Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.
Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.
Apply here for the liaison position.
Delve Cancellation Policy
If you register for a Delve and need to cancel your registration, here’s a link to our refund policy for Delves.
