The Magic Mountain
Translated by H. T. Lowe-Porter, The Magic Mountain is Thomas Mann's story of an unassuming, undistinguished young engineer named Hans Castorp who sits on the balcony of a sanatorium, wrapped in his blanket, thermometer in his mouth, naively but earnestly pondering the meaning of life, time, and his love for the beautiful Frau Chauchat. Among the other characters on this Germanic ship of fools are Hofrat Behrens, the head doctor, and his hearty but sick-looking sidekick, Dr. Krokowski and an entourage of interesting patients. Mann began working on The Magic Mountain following a few weeks' visit to a sanatorium in Switzerland. It is a massive meditation on "the inner significance of an epoch, the pre-war period of European history." It was an immense international success from the time of its publication.
Stats for nerds
20recommend
45mentions
37people
2010–2026years
58% recommend36% neutral7% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- In case you know german and like audiobooks, I highly recommend the following version of Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg)
https://hoerspiele.dra.de/detailansicht/1426911
(No download link there, but it was a public broadcast production, so should be easy to find for free)
It is a great book, certainly made an impression on me.
- The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann The Man Without Qualities - Robert Musil The Gospel to According Jesus Christ - Jose Saramagu
etc.
- - The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann
- The Man Without Qualities - Robert Musil
- The Gospel According to Jesus Christ - Jose Saramago
- Moby Dick - Herman Melville
- The War of the End of the World - Mario Vargas Llosa
- The War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
etc.
I can't do "The" xD
- The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann is basically a fantastic account of this phenomenon.
- The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. This book somehow stayed with me for a long time after having finished it. For me it encapsulates how we sometimes get stuck in systems which are unhealthy, but safe and feels better than an uncertain alternative. Also how pain and suffering binds people together in interesting, and in other circumstances, unlikely relationships. I enjoyed the humour as well.
- * Philosophy
Arthur Schopenhauer - The World as Will and Representation.
Surprisingly readable and insightful, even if you don't buy his metaphysics. Einstein had Schopenhauer's portrait on his wall and considered him a genius.
* Poetry
John Milton - Paradise Lost
Powerful and beautiful writing.
* Fiction
Rabelais - Gargantua and Pantagruel. Funny and a real feast of words (the translation is a work of art in itself)
Thomas Mann - The Magic Mountain. Haunting and moving
Pierre Choderlos de Laclos - Dangerous Liaisons. Scandalous, gripping.
Ivan Turgenev - First Love. A masterclass in writing. Short, sensitive and exquisitely told.
Marcel Proust - In Search of Lost Time. Exceptionally rich and a beautiful study of love. Reading it is like living another life.
PG Wodehouse - the Jeeves series. Hilarious, perfectly frivolous, light and sunny
* Non-fiction
Stuart Russell - Human Compatible: AI and the Problem of Control. Potential bad outcomes from AI and what we might be able to do about them
Noam Chomsky - Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies. How public discourse is shaped and controlled
Karl Popper - The Open Society and its Enemies. How to work against totalitarianism
