Welcome to Page 23 of I Read That Book! On each Page, I’ll tell you a little about a book I read, often in a fun and informal manner, with the hope that you also may become interested enough to read it – or perhaps read it again if you’ve already enjoyed it once. The books I’ll be featuring come from a variety of genres at differing stages of my life, so whether you prefer history, literature, science fiction, or horror, there’s a good chance you’ll get some interesting ideas for your personal “To Be Read” list. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we flip through the pages of some of my favorite books. But before you start reading below, I invite you to grab a cup of your favorite beverage (coffee for me!) and find a comfortable place to sit, then turn to Page 23.
THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN by Thomas Mann
Publication Date: November 1924 in German; Published in English 1927
I started reading THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN one day in the very early Nineties, and at that time I didn’t realize it would be a year before I’d finished reading all 724 pages of my edition. Today, I’m a much more disciplined and focused reader, but thirty years ago, I wasn’t prepared for a novel that was so filled with philosophy…along with a healthy dose of French.
That’s right, French. My Franklin Library edition, while translated from the German by H. T. Lowe-Porter, still contains plenty of dialogue in a language I’m not skilled enough in (I took some French in both high school and college, which didn’t help as much as one would hope).
Why French? Because when the hero of this Bildungsroman, Hans Castorp, finally gets to speak with the Russian woman he desires, Clawdia Chauchat, the one language they both have in common is French. And I guess no one told H.T. Lowe-Porter that it would be a good idea to translate that conversation to English, also, because I’m probably not the only reader who struggled to get to this point and felt utter disappointment at not being able to interpret much of what was said. I can imagine that some readers gave up on the novel entirely. Regardless, I slowly forged ahead.
He had never seen Frau Chauchat’s face so close, so clear in all its details. He could have counted the tiny hairs that stood up from the braid she wore wreathed round her head—they were reddish-blond, with a metallic sheen. No more than a handsbreadth or so of space had been between his face and hers, whose outline and features, peculiar though they were, had been familiar to him as long as he could remember, and spoke to his very soul as nothing else could in all the world.
How does the hero meet Clawdia Chauchat? It certainly wasn’t in a bar or via a dating app. You see, before Hans is to begin his career as a shipbuilder, he decides to travel to a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps to visit his cousin, who is staying there due to tuberculosis. It’s no surprise to readers that Castorp ends up with symptoms of the disease and is persuaded by a doctor to stay for a while, leading to his meeting with a rich cast of characters representing differing philosophical and political views, including Settembrini (Humanism), Naphta (Radicalism), and Peeperkorn (The Dionysian principle). For a look at what the characters represent, the role of music, mysticism (Walpurgis Night), and more, be sure to visit THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN.
I’m still not sure, 30 years later, why I decided to read THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN at that point in my life, other than the fact that I had a nice copy as part of my Franklin Library and made a choice to climb that…mountain. And after finishing it, I didn’t read another classic for several years. Thankfully, the effect of THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN wore off and classic novels are a big part of my life.
Regardless of the difficulties in translation and the overly long philosophical discussions, I liked the book and may visit it again in the future. But first I’ll need to find a copy that’s completely in English.
I’d never heard that a movie was made based on THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN until I did a little digging around on the Internet for Page 23. It’s in German, so once again I won’t be able to understand it (unless I find a version with English subtitles), but it was fascinating for me to learn of it and to watch the trailer, which I’ve included below.
And don’t forget to join us here again when I flip to the next Page!
Note: The first 32 pages of I Read This Book! originally appeared on Substack.
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