The Magician
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- Create Date：2021-09-05 11:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Colm Tóibín
- ISBN：1797122290
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Summary
From one of today’s most brilliant and beloved novelists， a dazzling， epic family saga set across a half-century spanning World War I， the rise of Hitler， World War II， and the Cold War。
Colm Tóibín’s magnificent new novel opens in a provincial German city at the turn of the twentieth century， where the boy， Thomas Mann， grows up with a conservative father， bound by propriety， and a Brazilian mother， alluring and unpredictable。 Young Mann hides his artistic aspirations from his father and his homosexual desires from everyone。 He is infatuated with one of the richest， most cultured Jewish families in Munich， and marries the daughter Katia。 They have six children。 On a holiday in Italy， he longs for a boy he sees on a beach and writes the story Death in Venice。 He is the most successful novelist of his time， winner of the Nobel Prize in literature， a public man whose private life remains secret。 He is expected to lead the condemnation of Hitler， whom he underestimates。 His oldest daughter and son， leaders of Bohemianism and of the anti-Nazi movement， share lovers。 He flees Germany for Switzerland， France and， ultimately， America， living first in Princeton and then in Los Angeles。
In a stunning marriage of research and imagination， Tóibín explores the heart and mind of a writer whose gift is unparalleled and whose life is driven by a need to belong and the anguish of illicit desire。 The Magician is an intimate， astonishingly complex portrait of Mann， his magnificent and complex wife Katia， and the times in which they lived—the first world war， the rise of Hitler， World War II， the Cold War， and exile。 This is a man and a family fiercely engaged by the world， profoundly flawed， and unforgettable。 As People magazine said about The Master， “It’s a delicate， mysterious process， this act of creation， fraught with psychological tension， and Tóibín captures it beautifully。”
Colm Tóibín’s magnificent new novel opens in a provincial German city at the turn of the twentieth century， where the boy， Thomas Mann， grows up with a conservative father， bound by propriety， and a Brazilian mother， alluring and unpredictable。 Young Mann hides his artistic aspirations from his father and his homosexual desires from everyone。 He is infatuated with one of the richest， most cultured Jewish families in Munich， and marries the daughter Katia。 They have six children。 On a holiday in Italy， he longs for a boy he sees on a beach and writes the story Death in Venice。 He is the most successful novelist of his time， winner of the Nobel Prize in literature， a public man whose private life remains secret。 He is expected to lead the condemnation of Hitler， whom he underestimates。 His oldest daughter and son， leaders of Bohemianism and of the anti-Nazi movement， share lovers。 He flees Germany for Switzerland， France and， ultimately， America， living first in Princeton and then in Los Angeles。
In a stunning marriage of research and imagination， Tóibín explores the heart and mind of a writer whose gift is unparalleled and whose life is driven by a need to belong and the anguish of illicit desire。 The Magician is an intimate， astonishingly complex portrait of Mann， his magnificent and complex wife Katia， and the times in which they lived—the first world war， the rise of Hitler， World War II， the Cold War， and exile。 This is a man and a family fiercely engaged by the world， profoundly flawed， and unforgettable。 As People magazine said about The Master， “It’s a delicate， mysterious process， this act of creation， fraught with psychological tension， and Tóibín captures it beautifully。”
Reviews
Marilyn
，
Colm Toibin brilliantly wrote The Magician which blended fact with fiction。 It was an intimate exploration of the life of the intriguing and talented German author， Thomas Mann， best know for his literary contributions of Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain。 Mann was the recipient of The Nobel Prize。 Toibin traced Thomas Mann’s life beginning in 1891 and followed it through both World Wars， the rise of Hitler and the Nazis， as he escaped to America and finally came full circle when he made hi Colm Toibin brilliantly wrote The Magician which blended fact with fiction。 It was an intimate exploration of the life of the intriguing and talented German author， Thomas Mann， best know for his literary contributions of Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain。 Mann was the recipient of The Nobel Prize。 Toibin traced Thomas Mann’s life beginning in 1891 and followed it through both World Wars， the rise of Hitler and the Nazis， as he escaped to America and finally came full circle when he made his way back to Europe。near the end of his life in the 1950’s。 Thomas Mann grew up in Lubeck， Germany with two brothers and two sisters。 He was the second oldest son of a Brazilian born mother and domineering and strict German father。 Thomas’s family was well liked， respected and lived a comfortable life。 His father died at a young age of natural causes。 Thomas’s homosexuality was quite apparent from the early years when he was in his teens。 His mother wanted Thomas to learn a business after his father died。 Thomas had no interest in doing this。 He was determined to become a writer。 Thomas had been infatuated with Katia and her twin brother for years。 He was able to get an introduction to Katia and an invitation to a party at her family’s home。 Thomas was determined to marry Katia and she finally relented。 They had six children together during their marriage。 Katia and Thomas had an understanding from the very beginning。 His novels earned Thomas recognition and eventually fame。 He became a Noble Prize recipient。 Thomas and Katia lived a quiet but comfortable life at their home in Munich。 When Hitler came to power， Thomas and Katia knew that they had to escape Germany。 Their lives were in jeopardy。 Fortunately， Thomas， Katia and their children were able to escape from Germany。 Thomas and Katia immigrated to America and settled in Princeton， New Jersey。 Thomas was a man of routine and his routine rarely differed。 His reputation and recognition became greater with each novel he wrote and each lecture he delivered。 Eventually， Thomas and Katia moved to California and then to Switzerland when the repercussions of the Cold War became too taxing for the family。 Thomas did visit Germany near the end of his life。 This was Colm Toibin’s tenth novel but the first that I have read。 I was impressed with his execution， writing and research。 He offered a window into Thomas Mann’s life and circumstances。 I learned a lot about Thomas Mann as a person and the conflicts he struggled with throughout his life。 His children and siblings were described in great detail。 I enjoyed reading The Magician and recommend it very highly。 Publication is September 7， 2021。Thank you to Scribner Publishers for allowing me to read this digital version of The Magician through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Claire Hennighan
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This is a largely fictional， yet meticulously researched， account of the life of Thomas Mann， the Nobel Prize-winning German author of ‘Death in Venice’ and ‘The Magic Mountain’。 The story begins with 16 year-old Mann in his small village of Lubeck， where he lives a comfortable life with his vibrant Brazilian mother and much more sedate German father。 The family are well-respected and influential， and it is this life of privilege and wealth that allow him to explore life as a writer rather than This is a largely fictional， yet meticulously researched， account of the life of Thomas Mann， the Nobel Prize-winning German author of ‘Death in Venice’ and ‘The Magic Mountain’。 The story begins with 16 year-old Mann in his small village of Lubeck， where he lives a comfortable life with his vibrant Brazilian mother and much more sedate German father。 The family are well-respected and influential， and it is this life of privilege and wealth that allow him to explore life as a writer rather than take up a role in the family’s business。 When he marries Katia， an indulged yet cultured woman from a rich， cultured yet chaotic household， he secures a future near to her twin brother with her twin brother， with whom he is fascinated。Germany in the first half of the 20th century is perhaps not the most fortunate place for a repressed homosexual such as Mann to reside， and he fathers six children with Katia in order to maintain his place in society。 Revered for his novels， critical essays and speeches， ‘The Magian’ paints a picture of a stable life of comfort and luxury for Mann and his family， which is then disrupted by First World War and the particular horrors of the Second World War， during which he is exiled to Switzerland， France and finally America。If you are interested in the life of Thomas Mann， or want to see how life in Europe changed during the first half of the twentieth century， then you will find this book to be fascinating in both its detail and description。 Tóibín’s characterisation is an absolute delight， and even with all the Klauses， each character was clearly defined and engaging。 I particularly enjoyed the author’s depictions of the strong women in Mann’s life， and found that the deeply complex character of Mann himself was more than a suitable subject for this fictional work – indeed， few people have lived such an interesting life as Thomas Mann。 I did， however， find the author’s style to be somewhat dry and ‘heavy’ in places， and the tone often slips into reading more like a non-fiction biography than a novel， with some sections missing the ‘colour’ of the early chapters。 。。。more
Lady Fancifull
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Of absorbing interest even if not quite reaching the vibrant depths usual with Toibin 3。5 raised to 4I requested this with great pleasure from the publisher as a digital ARC， and looked forward to a ‘delayed gratification of pure pleasure’， savouring my journey till I knew I would have time， attention， head and heart， to offer to it。 I’ve never been less than fully surrendered to Toibin’s writing。Perhaps what often seems so typical of his writing， is his ability to write female characters in a d Of absorbing interest even if not quite reaching the vibrant depths usual with Toibin 3。5 raised to 4I requested this with great pleasure from the publisher as a digital ARC， and looked forward to a ‘delayed gratification of pure pleasure’， savouring my journey till I knew I would have time， attention， head and heart， to offer to it。 I’ve never been less than fully surrendered to Toibin’s writing。Perhaps what often seems so typical of his writing， is his ability to write female characters in a deep way。With this long novel， he charts the life， of Thomas Mann， and， indeed the Mann clan。 The book is written as a kind of almost hybrid between biography of Mann， and a fiction derived from a biography， keeping true （as far as I’m aware） to the facts， the writings and the records of Mann， and the events of his life， that of his parents and siblings， and the second generation， almost all of whom made marks on particular territories of their worldAs Thomas Mann certainly created novels from many events of his own life， and in some ways was quite private， with a complex and hidden life， the man himself seems at time hard to feel from inside。This created a little frustration for me as a reader， as Toibin is a writer who absolutely seems able to hook the reader into experiencing the inner life of his character， and engage us with an emotional as well as intellectual sense of themHere， I stayed ‘observing’ for the most part – and this was often what Mann seemed to be doing/Possibly I would have been more admiring if this had been purely biography， without the interiority of a novel， which didn’t quite successfully gel together，Stunning exception must be made though， of passages where Mann’s experience of music were described， and Toibin’s ability to write into the place where often words can’t reach – an experience of the sublime， soared。A certainly fascinating sweep of history， politics， art and culture， through the travails of a particular family of cultural influence， taking in the turbulent sweep of European history in the twentieth century through two world wars， and the conflicts between ideologies of the left and right into the rise of McCarthyism in America， and the post war division of Germany into East and West。 。。。more
Tara Weiss
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Alternate title suggestion for The Magician: The Never-Ending Saga of Thomas Mann。 Oh， baby， this was a long book！ Chronological in its arrangement， The Magician imagines the life of Nobel Prize winning author， Thomas Mann using rich details from biographies and journals to piece together an epic transatlantic story of a writer who seemed to live in his mind and hide his true self。 Historical insight abounds - and showcases a respected and successful author who had tremendous focus on his career Alternate title suggestion for The Magician: The Never-Ending Saga of Thomas Mann。 Oh， baby， this was a long book！ Chronological in its arrangement， The Magician imagines the life of Nobel Prize winning author， Thomas Mann using rich details from biographies and journals to piece together an epic transatlantic story of a writer who seemed to live in his mind and hide his true self。 Historical insight abounds - and showcases a respected and successful author who had tremendous focus on his career， but， maybe， was too selfish or too afraid to be authentic。 The story is compelling and there is constant inquiry into the forces that shaped the decades of writing offered by an author who conjured questions of propriety， offering a narrative for a changing world while uncertain as to how he， himself， fit into it。 Literally and figuratively， Mann was a man without a country。 His colorful family， impossible connections， and exclusive lifestyle make the book worthwhile。 But you have to commit - and that's a really big theme， so be prepared。 。。。more
♥ Sandi ❣t
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3。5 stars Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 Publishes September 7， 2021。 Although described as fiction， this book is about as biographical as a nonfiction biography can be。 Tóibín， himself a master writer， took on the life and works of Thomas Mann （1875 to 1955）， prized author and Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1929。 Mann writes his most popular book， in 1924， The Magic Mountain， based on his wife's tenure at a sanatorium。Mann's life from ab 3。5 stars Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 Publishes September 7， 2021。 Although described as fiction， this book is about as biographical as a nonfiction biography can be。 Tóibín， himself a master writer， took on the life and works of Thomas Mann （1875 to 1955）， prized author and Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1929。 Mann writes his most popular book， in 1924， The Magic Mountain， based on his wife's tenure at a sanatorium。Mann's life from about 15 years of age to his death at 80 is reviewed within the 512 pages of this book。 How he becomes a writer， his marriage， his six children and his beliefs - parental， political， and philosophical。 Mann is a homosexual， who never revels that， but goes on to father children who followed in his footsteps and were much more vocal about their disposition。 Three of his six children also became well known German writers later in life。 This book travels throughout Mann's life - often on the antics of his children。 Mann is a staunch German， behind the regime during WWI， and not believing the horrors Hitler will bestow on his homeland， even though his adult children and his brother warn him at every conversation。 He only believes and changes when he is run from his beloved Germany， his wealth and home confiscated， in exile for 16 years。 It is then he changes his political views more toward democracy。 During the Cold War， while living in the United States， "Mann is a 'suspected communist'， and he was required to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee， where he was termed "one of the world's foremost apologists for Stalin and company。" He was listed as being "affiliated with various peace organizations or Communist fronts。" Being in his own words a non-communist rather than an anti-communist， Mann openly opposed the allegations: "As an American citizen of German birth I finally testify that I am painfully familiar with certain political trends。 Spiritual intolerance， political inquisitions， and declining legal security， and all this in the name of an alleged 'state of emergency。' 。。。 That is how it started in Germany。" Mann joined protests against the jailing of the Hollywood Ten and the firing of schoolteachers suspected of being Communists。 Finally he was forced to quit his position as Consultant in Germanic Literature at the Library of Congress and in 1952 he returned to Europe， to live near Zürich， Switzerland。 He died in August 1955 of an aneurysm。 He never again lived in Germany"。 Tóibín's interruption of Mann is quite long， but never tedious or dull。 The story， in cased within one family， as it is， moves right along。 It helps to know going into this book that this will be the life story of Thomas Mann。 The sooner you focus your attention on this one man and his family the smoother the story and more realistic your expectations of this book will be。 Having read a few of Tóibín's books， I find this one to be middle of the road for me。 Not a bad book， by any means， but not my favorite either。 A bit longer than most， but written in exceptional form and excellent command。 。。。more
Sue
，
As he did with Henry James in The Master （2004） Colm Tóibín again tackles the complex life of a literary master， this time German writer Thomas Mann （1875-1955）。 Beginning in 1891 Lubeck， Germany， while Mann is a teenager and ending during a return visit to Lubeck after his eightieth birthday， Tóibín’s latest novel， The Magician （Sept。 2021）， dramatizes Mann’s life， bringing him alive to readers within the context of parents and siblings， wife and children， and a changing world。More an observer As he did with Henry James in The Master （2004） Colm Tóibín again tackles the complex life of a literary master， this time German writer Thomas Mann （1875-1955）。 Beginning in 1891 Lubeck， Germany， while Mann is a teenager and ending during a return visit to Lubeck after his eightieth birthday， Tóibín’s latest novel， The Magician （Sept。 2021）， dramatizes Mann’s life， bringing him alive to readers within the context of parents and siblings， wife and children， and a changing world。More an observer and thinker than an active participant in life， the introspective Mann views himself in comparison to others around him， often finding himself falling short。 Criticized as a child for his lack of studiousness， viewed as less successful than his older writer brother Heinrich， Mann craves and seeks approval throughout life。When his siblings and Brazilian mother are forced to leave a nice home and Lubeck due to terms in his father’s will， they relocate to Munich where Mann eventually marries into a wealthy Jewish family that is not without its own peculiarities。The backdrop to his life spans World War I， Hitler’s rise to power， World War II， and McCarthyism in the U。S。 as Thomas Mann and family relocate several times， leaving Munich for Switzerland and eventually making their way to New Jersey and California， then back to Switzerland。 As Tóibín tells Mann’s story， he fills in the history—world history， family history， literary history， even a bit of music history。He paints a portrait of a brilliant but conflicted man， whose life influences--even inspires--his writing and whose attraction to handsome young men is at odds with his role as a husband and father of six children， some of whom grow up with artistic talents and sexual desires similar to their father’s。Both a master and a magician， Tóibín vividly portrays a conflicted man’s life， bringing Mann’s story to a satisfying end during a brief return trip to Lubeck， gradually being rebuilt after the ravages of war。 At the back of the book， Tóibín provides a wide-ranging list of sources。My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance reader copy of this highly recommended biographical and historical novel。 Tóibín has made me want to reread some of Mann’s novels and to open the others for the first time。 。。。more
Joanne
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The Magician tells the story of German novelist and Nobel Prize winner， Thomas Mann。 The book is an account of his life with Katia， his wife， and his six children and is set over six decades。 A significant part of the family’s story takes place in the time of Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 and the subsequent Nazi defeat in 1945。 Having had time to reflect on this book， I have found myself thinking more and more about the lives of those in the immediate and extended Mann family。 I was fascinated The Magician tells the story of German novelist and Nobel Prize winner， Thomas Mann。 The book is an account of his life with Katia， his wife， and his six children and is set over six decades。 A significant part of the family’s story takes place in the time of Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 and the subsequent Nazi defeat in 1945。 Having had time to reflect on this book， I have found myself thinking more and more about the lives of those in the immediate and extended Mann family。 I was fascinated by their liberalism and the international influence of some of the family members。 The manner in which Mann brought his ‘secret’ desires to play in his novels was intriguing。 His hidden sexuality， although acknowledged by his close family， was a part of him that I felt Colm Tobin left unexplored。 I never felt that I got to fully appreciate the internal wrangling of his mind。 Although classed as fiction， this did have a strong non-fiction feel to it and read almost like a biography。 There were times when it was almost thriller-like and times when it seemed like a factual account of his life。 If you want to learn more about the life of Thomas Mann， this is certainly an excellent place to start。 It is beautifully written and spans a fascinating period in history。 My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General Uk for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Michael Burke
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An epic journey。。。"The Magician" by Colm Tóibín is a fictional portrayal of German author Thomas Mann covering a history from pre-war Germany in the 1890's through post-cold war America。 It is a fascinating insight into Mann and his colorful family-- particularly when they were forced to witness the Nazi takeover and had to abandon their home。 Politics would also follow them to America after the war as they were subjected to the wave of anti-Communism。In Germany Mann was initially reluctant to v An epic journey。。。"The Magician" by Colm Tóibín is a fictional portrayal of German author Thomas Mann covering a history from pre-war Germany in the 1890's through post-cold war America。 It is a fascinating insight into Mann and his colorful family-- particularly when they were forced to witness the Nazi takeover and had to abandon their home。 Politics would also follow them to America after the war as they were subjected to the wave of anti-Communism。In Germany Mann was initially reluctant to voice his opposition to Hitler or even get involved in the political mess developing there。 Fearful for his reputation， he hid his homosexuality throughout his life， even as his children were unafraid to flaunt their very open lifestyles。 The Thomas Mann we see is a lover of art and beauty， yet he channels most of his passion into his Pulitzer Prize winning writing， electing to project a detached personae on the outside。 The problem is we do not delve into his actual work at all。 The title "The Magician" refers to the nickname his children gave him for his ability to create magic in his literature-- a magic we are not exposed to from an otherwise guarded and distant man。This saga covers a considerable amount of time， an epic history of a spirited family and how they were sucked into the political and social tidal waves of the age。 Be prepared for a challenging but rewarding read。 4 stars。I am grateful to Colm Tóibín， Scribner Books， and NetGalley for providing the Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review。 #TheMagician #NetGalley"The Magician" is to be published on September 7， 2021 and this review will be posted on Amazon， Barnes & Noble， BookBub， Facebook and Twitter on that day。 。。。more
Vallin
，
This is a novel about THE Thomas Mann who wrote 'Death In Venice'， and he had that experience， but without dying from cholera。 This is a novel about THE Thomas Mann who wrote 'Death In Venice'， and he had that experience， but without dying from cholera。 。。。more
Peggy
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Outstanding！ A novel of the life of Nobel prize winner Thomas Mann。 The novel depicts his life， family and historical events during his lifetime。 Well written and kept your interest from beginning to end！I received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review。
Sarah-Hope
，
Colm Tóibín's The Magician is a good read， the sort of book you can settle into for several hours at a time。 However， what makes The Magician a good read is not so much Tóibín's writing as it is the subject matter he's writing about。 The book is a piece of bio-fiction exploring the thinking and writing of Thomas Mann and life within his family circle。 The Manns were a remarkable bunch。 Thomas and his siblings included two remarkable writers （Thomas' brother Heinrich， in addition to Thomas）， two Colm Tóibín's The Magician is a good read， the sort of book you can settle into for several hours at a time。 However， what makes The Magician a good read is not so much Tóibín's writing as it is the subject matter he's writing about。 The book is a piece of bio-fiction exploring the thinking and writing of Thomas Mann and life within his family circle。 The Manns were a remarkable bunch。 Thomas and his siblings included two remarkable writers （Thomas' brother Heinrich， in addition to Thomas）， two suicides， and one boringly predictable life。 Thomas' children included two （what we would call today） sex radicals， one more ordinary gay man， an entire army's worth of radical anti-fascists （Thomas joins this group slowly and incompletely）， at least two drug addicts， one suicide， a professional violist， two writers/performance artists。 （Thomas and his wife Katia had six children， so a Venn diagram illustrating the previous sentence would show considerable overlap。） Members of the family lived in multiple European nations and the U。S。， had at least half a dozen narrow escapes from the German Nazi government—one daughter even survived the sinking of her liner to the U。S。 by a German u-boat （unfortunately， he husband was not so lucky）。With all the fireworks going on among that cast of characters， it's hard for the writer's work to shine。I'm not saying "don't read this。" The Magician is well worth reading， but read it for the life it relates and not necessarily Tóibín's particular way of narrating that life。I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kathy
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I appreciate the opportunity the author & publisher gave me in reading this book via a giveaway。It was an enlightening and thought-provoking novel。
Karen
，
He liked the idea of traveling with someone whom he could not trust completely。 It would encourage him， even more than usual， to share no secrets。 Although I've wanted to， I've never read a book by Colm Tóibín before and nor have I read any books by Thoman Mann， so I am not exactly sure why I requested this ARC when I saw it but I am so glad I did。 This is the story of Thomas Mann from when he was a young child to his death。 It covers decades of history contextualized within Mann's life。 It cove He liked the idea of traveling with someone whom he could not trust completely。 It would encourage him， even more than usual， to share no secrets。 Although I've wanted to， I've never read a book by Colm Tóibín before and nor have I read any books by Thoman Mann， so I am not exactly sure why I requested this ARC when I saw it but I am so glad I did。 This is the story of Thomas Mann from when he was a young child to his death。 It covers decades of history contextualized within Mann's life。 It covers his family dynamics for his family of origin and then his relationship with his wife， his children and more。 It has a lot of backstory about his books and how they came to be。 How they were received， what they meant to him and his life。 More than anything， he wished to live intensely in the voracious moments before this， in the sure knowledge that it would happen。It also has a lot of the politics of the time。 As a German who was in Germany all throughout the beginning of World War II， there is a lot of politics and the impact its had on his life （and books， and family， etc。） There is so much interesting content here and it's so incredibly well-told that I could not stop reading it。 The family issues， suicide， politics， sibling rivalry， fatherhood， being gay at a time when it was not acceptable， fleeing war， citizenship and belonging， being an artist， writing novels， marriage， and so so much more is covered in this beautiful book。He wanted to tell Golo， who was now thirty-two， that Elisabeth had declared that after the age of thirty no one had the right to blame their parents for anything。I am so very glad that I requested this novel and I cannot recommend it enough。 with gratitude to edelweiss and Scribner for an advanced copy in return for an honest review 。。。more
Vanessa
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This is a fictionalized account of the life of Thomas Mann。 It made me realize how little I knew about Thomas Mann， despite having a couple of his books in my possession。 For example， I thought he lived about a hundred years before he actually did。 Having read this book， I am thoroughly fascinated with the entire family。 One thing that stuck out to me was his perspective， as a German （with a nominally Jewish wife）， of WWI and WWII。 Granted， he was living in exile for the entirety of WWII。 The en This is a fictionalized account of the life of Thomas Mann。 It made me realize how little I knew about Thomas Mann， despite having a couple of his books in my possession。 For example， I thought he lived about a hundred years before he actually did。 Having read this book， I am thoroughly fascinated with the entire family。 One thing that stuck out to me was his perspective， as a German （with a nominally Jewish wife）， of WWI and WWII。 Granted， he was living in exile for the entirety of WWII。 The entire book is interesting and well written。 I definitely recommend it。 I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Judy
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The Magician follows the life of Thomas Mann an author with homosexual desires。 His fantasies are interspersed in his novels through his characters。 The story begins in 1891 and follows the history of living during WW1 and WW2 as Mann travels around Europe and the United States。 The writing gripped me as much as the story。 Thank you @simonandschuster and @BookClubFavorites for the free books。
Maggie
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The Magician by Colm Toibin covers the life of Thomas Mann， from birth to death。 You begin the story with Mann as a child， listening to stories of his mother's childhood， and you end the story with Mann remembering the stories his mother told him of his homeland。 Mann's story ebbs and flows in the way that a full long life does， deftly handled with Toibin's words。 From the unification of Germany， the Great War， the Second World War， the partition of Germany， Mann's story touches on many differen The Magician by Colm Toibin covers the life of Thomas Mann， from birth to death。 You begin the story with Mann as a child， listening to stories of his mother's childhood， and you end the story with Mann remembering the stories his mother told him of his homeland。 Mann's story ebbs and flows in the way that a full long life does， deftly handled with Toibin's words。 From the unification of Germany， the Great War， the Second World War， the partition of Germany， Mann's story touches on many different parts of 20th century history as well as the shifting tides of culture across the Western World。 There isn't much that is left out of The Magician; family dynamics， political identity， responsibility to our country and our values， sexual orientation， all play a role in the story， with various members of the Mann family pushing and pulling Thomas Mann's course。 The book is over 500 pages long， and at times it felt tedious， though so much was covered， it's hard to consider what would best be left out。 If there's a weakness here， it's surprisingly， the portions where Toibin imagines Mann's thought process while developing the ideas for his books。 These sections feel forced and speculative in a way that the rest of the novel manages to escape being。 Altogether an interesting read for anyone interested in 20th century European history or arts。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carolyn
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I received an advance copy of this book。 Thank you。 I am torn about this book。 Although quite long， I never once wanted to put it aside or stop reading it， but it didn't really catch me either。 Prior to reading this book， I wasn't familiar with Thomas Mann， so about 1/2 way through， I googled him and read up。 While the book was really thorough in Mann's life in many aspects， what escaped me while reading the book， was really why were his writings so influential？ Seems he wrote and then boom， he I received an advance copy of this book。 Thank you。 I am torn about this book。 Although quite long， I never once wanted to put it aside or stop reading it， but it didn't really catch me either。 Prior to reading this book， I wasn't familiar with Thomas Mann， so about 1/2 way through， I googled him and read up。 While the book was really thorough in Mann's life in many aspects， what escaped me while reading the book， was really why were his writings so influential？ Seems he wrote and then boom， he was a success。 In the book， Mann came off to me as someone who probably was frustrated sexually， because it alludes to it， but doesn't really delve into much。 At one point Mann is worried about his private diaries being confiscated and exposed， and this is the first time we're aware he has a diary and that he's written about his fantasies。 Also， throughout the novel， he seems to enjoy his comfort and privilege， not going out of his way to take a stand against things like the Nazi regime， even after most people did。 So I didn't find his character very likeable。 I feel I got to know his life， but not him。 。。。more
Lais Atilano
，
In The Magician， Colm Tóibín tells the story of the life and work of Thomas Mann。 A writer writing about a writer， Tóibín enters the psyche of Mann， imagining and reconstructing what the German might have been thinking as he composed his greatest works。 The novel deals with the private life of a public man， his inner desires， his secrets， fears and motivations。 A man who， from an early age， felt like an imposter， a confidence man。 And it was precisely this inner life that fuelled his work， culmi In The Magician， Colm Tóibín tells the story of the life and work of Thomas Mann。 A writer writing about a writer， Tóibín enters the psyche of Mann， imagining and reconstructing what the German might have been thinking as he composed his greatest works。 The novel deals with the private life of a public man， his inner desires， his secrets， fears and motivations。 A man who， from an early age， felt like an imposter， a confidence man。 And it was precisely this inner life that fuelled his work， culminating in Confessions of Felix Krull， Confidence Man， his last， unfinished work。 The Magician is a well-researched work， spanning several decades and dealing with the most troubled period in 20th century history。 Although it deals with real-life events and people， it never reads like a dry biography。 By focusing on Mann’s reaction and interaction with the events around him， Tóibín managed to keep the novel interesting and gripping， portraying his characters multidimensionally， and thus ensuring a satisfying read。 。。。more
Christine
，
A disquieting and detached portrait of a disquieting and detached man， "The Magician" is an odd duck。 Technically， "The Magician" is non-fiction in that it recounts the life of Thomas Mann， a German author from the turn of the 20th century who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 and became an exile when Hitler took power， officially stripped of his German citizenship in 1936。 On the other hand， "The Magician" is still a novel， and I expect you will find it in the Fiction aisle of your loca A disquieting and detached portrait of a disquieting and detached man， "The Magician" is an odd duck。 Technically， "The Magician" is non-fiction in that it recounts the life of Thomas Mann， a German author from the turn of the 20th century who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1939 and became an exile when Hitler took power， officially stripped of his German citizenship in 1936。 On the other hand， "The Magician" is still a novel， and I expect you will find it in the Fiction aisle of your local bookstore。 This is not a biography。 It is a portrait， painted in bits and pieces by Colm Tóibín。Unsurprisingly， Tóibín's writing is excellent。 "The Magician" is a slow story that maintains momentum despite very little to suggest a page-turner。 In fact， Tóibín downplays a lot of the more typically "exciting" or nerve-wracking episodes of Mann's life， likely due to the third-person limited point of view adopted。 Mann's detachment is like a blanket that smothers any flame， so if I found this book hard to put down， I can only credit Tóibín's skill。 I admit the last fifth of the book feels more aimless， but overall it's a very gripping read。 If only Mann were a less disquieting person， I might have enjoyed myself。And that is the problem here: not the writing or the storytelling， but the subject （and more importantly， Tóibín's choices in portraying the subject）。Tóibín has been an admirer of Mann's work for years， as have many， many authors。 Mann is considered a major influence of literature， and cinephiles have likely heard of （if not necessarily seen） the famous Luchino Visconti adaptation of Mann's story， "Death in Venice。" I have not read anything by Mann， and I knew next to nothing about him when I requested this book， save for the fact that he had written a novel about a creepy sanatorium called "The Magic Mountain。" Some cursory searching yielded interesting information about the author， which Tóibín's novel covers in evocative detail。 For instance， Mann's wife Katia Pringsheim was among the first women to enroll at a university in Germany。 Her family was particularly interesting in that they were of Jewish origin but did not practice， and they were huge admirers and patrons of Richard Wagner， whose daughter-in-law Winifred personally interceded to protect the Pringsheims from the Gestapo during Hitler's regime。 In a particularly memorable passage， Tóibín depicts Katia's conflicted but mainly disgusted feelings about owing her parents' safety in part to a woman （Winifred Wagner） who openly and vehemently supported Hitler， even after the war。Unfortunately， I cannot decide what to think of Tóibín’s book as a whole， except that it was slightly disturbing and only got more so as I dug deeper into the accounts by Mann's children， especially those of his son Golo Mann。 Throughout the novel， Tóibín depicts Mann at close range， taking us into the author's mind from childhood onward。 And yet Mann is never "I。" He is "Thomas。" He is at arm's length， and not because of the third-person limited point of view。 Stylistically， Mann is detached from us。 We are not privy to what moves his actions， only his reactions and vague thoughts。 We do not know what he desires except when he plans a story or a novel。 Matters develop around him and he acts accordingly。 Part of this detachment seems true to accounts of the real Mann， and I can't imagine that Tóibín created this impression accidentally。 On the other hand， the book left me uneasy in the same way that， say， reading John Fowles's "The Collector" did not so long ago。 "The Magician" has so many characters， so many friends and relatives and children of Mann's， and yet Mann could not care less about them。 When he cries at his mother's death， I had to reread the passage out of disbelief。 It felt like watching a stranger cry， not the person whose life I had followed up to that point。 Similarly， there is no care in the depiction of Mann's children。 They are like passing images， intriguing from a distance， but not enough to come close。 Notably， Tóibín's Mann seems disturbed by his son Golo's distance。 Golo observes from afar， and for some reason Mann in the book does not love this。 Later， when Golo is charged with getting Mann's diaries out of Nazi Germany， we understand a bit more。 And I assume Golo， both in the book and in real life， must have understood more， too， after reading the diary。 The upsetting fact is that Thomas Mann， who was among many gay men who could not live openly without facing enormous danger， has some very disturbing diary entries wherein he describes his attraction to his own son， Klaus， when Klaus was a young boy。 This fact does not come up in Tóibín's novel until the moment Mann worries about his diaries falling into the Nazis' hands。Which is where， I think， Tóibín's portrait seems a little disingenuous。 We are privy to all kinds of thoughts by Mann， especially when Tóibín has to use some of his imagination to fill in Mann's childhood and developing awareness of his attraction to men。 Mann’s childhood struggles with his attraction to other boys made him really sympathetic， because he really had no one in whom he could confide。 But what I don't understand is why there is nothing， nothing at all to suggest Mann would feel attracted to his own son， not until Mann worries about the Nazis using his diary to ruin him forever。 This total silence is not explained by Mann’s own discomfort， because up until this episode about the diaries， there is no suggestion that Mann finds his sexual attraction concerning （in fact， his real-life diary notes that he finds his attraction to his son "natural"）， and we even see the moment in Mann's childhood when he is attracted to his older brother Heinrich despite their relationship as siblings。 We are also privy to a holiday during which Mann became fixated on a ten-year-old boy， who later served as the inspiration for the fourteen-year-old Tadzio character in "Death in Venice。" What I mean is that Tóibín’s version of Mann did not hide his sexual attraction from the reader。So why did Tóibín feel the need to hide Mann’s thoughts about his son Klaus， something equally private to Mann as his fantasies about Heinrich and the boy on holiday， but eminently more disturbing？ It feels like a half-hearted effort to remain historically accurate while also making Mann more palatable as a person。 And I see no reason to make Mann more palatable。 Certainly Tóibín is aware of the man's flaws。 Did he hide the diary entries' revelation until the novel’s midpoint for shock value？ And if so， what for？ Wouldn't we have felt the same tension and stakes had we already known about what those diaries contained？There are also no mentions of Mann having any kind of conflict with his wife， despite the fact that Tóibín referred to numerous writings by Mann's children， and Mann's son Golo has written about his father's terrifying bursts of anger。 There is hardly even a mention （really， only the slightest） of Mann's disappointment at the birth of his first child because she was a girl， because he found boys to be "more full of poetry" and （in what seems to match his deeply narcissistic mentality） more of a "continuation" of himself。 This Mann， as depicted by Tóibín， may be entirely self-centered and oblivious to his faults， but that does not explain how he fails to even register basic interactions with his family that we know took place。 His mind is on his books。 His wife is his devoted supporter。 That is it。 The rest does not exist。 And when Mann's son Klaus dies of probable suicide， we hardly feel anything， because Mann himself feels so little in this book。 We cannot understand Klaus。 This version of Mann has made no effort to do so。The most moving part of the novel is， sadly， a letter written to Mann by his son Michael after Klaus's funeral， which Mann did not attend: "You are a great man。 Your humanity is widely appreciated and applauded。 I am sure you are enjoying loud praise in Scandinavia。 It hardly bothers you， most likely， that these feelings of adulation are not shared by any of your children。 As I walked away from my brother's grave， I wished you to know how deeply sad I felt for him。"I have to think Tóibín is the true author of this letter， as Mann （in the book） claims to have destroyed it。 This leads me to believe that Tóibín does--without a doubt--know what kind of person Mann was to his family。 Perhaps his point is that Mann had no clue how callous and cold he seemed to others。 Personally， I don't think Mann was unaware。Overall， this is a good novel and a good piece of historical fiction， but it is not an internally consistent portrait of Mann， and if people must read something after this novel， I hope they will seek out the autobiography of Golo Mann， who brings a very different opinion of his father to the table。Recommended if you are interested in fiction depicting turn-of-the-century Germany with a particular focus on the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler。 I can also recommend this to anyone who has read or plans to read the works of Thomas Mann， who remains a huge influence on literature to this day。I received a free eARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Sarah
，
A lyrical epic tale of one man's life journey from the late nineteenth century through most of the twentieth， I couldn't help but be drawn in by his experiences and family。 A lyrical epic tale of one man's life journey from the late nineteenth century through most of the twentieth， I couldn't help but be drawn in by his experiences and family。 。。。more
Kathryn
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This is a wonderful read on so many levels。 As a family saga， it is gripping， as a wartime chronicle it offers an alternative view and as a biography of Thomas Mann， it is a sympathetic telling of the life of one of the great authors of the twentieth century。The novel is peppered with references to the many famous names Mann crossed paths with。 Literary names such as Brecht & Auden， composers such as Schoenberg and Mahler and leaders such as FDR。 500 pages of such a story may be daunting but in This is a wonderful read on so many levels。 As a family saga， it is gripping， as a wartime chronicle it offers an alternative view and as a biography of Thomas Mann， it is a sympathetic telling of the life of one of the great authors of the twentieth century。The novel is peppered with references to the many famous names Mann crossed paths with。 Literary names such as Brecht & Auden， composers such as Schoenberg and Mahler and leaders such as FDR。 500 pages of such a story may be daunting but in Tobin's hands， it trips along lightly。 This is a very rewarding read as Tobin works his magic on this scene just as he mastered the world of Henry James before。Highly recommended。 。。。more
Róisin （somethingarosie）
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TW: incest， pedophilia， suicide。I remember seeing the blurb of this on Netgalley and thought it was right up my alley。 I （usually） love anything set in Germany and was fascinated by a narrative from the perspective of a closeted gay man， especially during world war II Germaany。 This is what I looked forward to reading in this book。 For the first chapter or so， I was engrossed。 His early years grappling with his sexaulity was so so intriguing to read about。 This was going to be 5 stars， easily。 H TW: incest， pedophilia， suicide。I remember seeing the blurb of this on Netgalley and thought it was right up my alley。 I （usually） love anything set in Germany and was fascinated by a narrative from the perspective of a closeted gay man， especially during world war II Germaany。 This is what I looked forward to reading in this book。 For the first chapter or so， I was engrossed。 His early years grappling with his sexaulity was so so intriguing to read about。 This was going to be 5 stars， easily。 However， it all went downhill very fast。 Very little of the book focused on what the blurb led me to believe it would explore。 I didn’t realise this was autofiction。 On the one hand I am relieved that these are not solely Colm Tóibín’s thoughts but on the other hand， I am sickened that the main character in this book actually lived and furthermore disgusted by the fact Colm Tóibin chose to write about him。 One could argue sure， it’s important to expose such figures but Thomas Mann faced no consequences for his predatory actions， at any point within this book。 Additionally， there was no mention of such scandals in the blurb of this book。 Unless one knows of Thomas Mann and his controversies already， I feel like there will be lots of people similar to myself who innocently pick up this book， seeing that it is written by the renowned author Colm Tóibin， expecting great things。 Instead， all I got was nausea。 The fact Thomas Mann won a Nobel Prize for Literature is irrelevant。 Colm Tóibín should not have written this book。 Not if he didn’t include a plot where Mann faces consequences in some way ie。 his diaries being uncovered。 That obviously happened at some point， for us to know what we know now however Tóibín chooses to romanticise Mann’s life and is not objective in his writing。 A quick read of his Wikipedia page is more than sufficient。 I did not enjoy reading a book where Thomas Mann talks of being ‘sexually aroused’ by seeing his naked thirteen year old son， continues to flirt （and oftentimes more than that） with young men and boys， well into his elder years and write novels based on his various predatory fantasies including one which was inspired by the idea of his wife and her twin brother being in an incestuous relationship。As well as having some scenes that were very uncomfortable to read about， I found the plot rather boring and hard to engage with。 As a German studies student at university， I thought this was a highly romanticised narrative of war， of WWII especially。 It is from the perspective of highly privileged individuals who ran in very well to-do circles & did not endure even half of the struggles caused by the war。 I found it very hard to have empathy。 Did they face hardship？ Sure。 But I find it difficult to have sympathy for someone who ran in the same circles as the American president when I have studied this topic as part of my degree and have read accounts of how devastating it was for those who were not as lucky as Mann。No doubt， Colm Tóibín is a skillful writer。 How he chooses to use this skill is questionable。Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my review copy。 Please don’t publish books romanticising the lives of pedophiles in future。 。。。more
Judy
，
I wanted so much to love this book because the writing is excellent but for me the characters were not well defined as they progressed。 In other words I initially found the family intriguing but there were too many big gaps of time where people grew and changed but there just wasn’t enough to help the reader move forward with them。 Even the main character Thomas Mann jumped from unknown writer to Nobel Prize winner in the blink of an eye。 Maybe in the big picture the years and events that were l I wanted so much to love this book because the writing is excellent but for me the characters were not well defined as they progressed。 In other words I initially found the family intriguing but there were too many big gaps of time where people grew and changed but there just wasn’t enough to help the reader move forward with them。 Even the main character Thomas Mann jumped from unknown writer to Nobel Prize winner in the blink of an eye。 Maybe in the big picture the years and events that were left out were inconsequential but still left me feeling as though I got lost along the way。I skimmed through the last quarter of the book。 While this is well written and certainly will be enjoyed by many readers， it just wasn’t for me。 I appreciate the opportunity to access the ARC of this book。 。。。more
Poptart19 （ren）
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4。5 starsA biographical novel of Thomas Mann’s life， it follows his evolving identity as a person， a writer， & a German。 This book is intensely emotional but in a quiet， contemplative， sort of way。 I thoroughly enjoyed the nuanced character portrayals & historical details that contextualize his major novels & his life story。[What I liked:]•The book is long， & it’s not a particularly fast-paced novel， but neither does it drag or get boring。 It has a nice flow， a good balance between external even 4。5 starsA biographical novel of Thomas Mann’s life， it follows his evolving identity as a person， a writer， & a German。 This book is intensely emotional but in a quiet， contemplative， sort of way。 I thoroughly enjoyed the nuanced character portrayals & historical details that contextualize his major novels & his life story。[What I liked:]•The book is long， & it’s not a particularly fast-paced novel， but neither does it drag or get boring。 It has a nice flow， a good balance between external events happening & the development & evolution of Thomas as a person & a writer。 His lifelong search for identity， his close relationships， & his work are what the story focuses on。 It’s rich & nuanced in content。•The characters are well developed， have unique voices， & all the major characters are likable in some aspect。 I really appreciate how much we get to see of Thomas’s relationships with his siblings， wife， & children—the tragedies & joys & perplexities of family life contribute much to this story。 And I enjoyed reading about Thomas himself， his sensitivity & secret desires， his love of music & poetry， his close companionship with Katia， his feelings of being a fraud， his frustrations with society， his family， & himself。 He’s a very relatable character， one I felt I got to know & appreciate well。•The book is well researched， & covers Thomas’s early life in late 19th C Germany to his last year of life in 1955， across two continents & both world wars。 The details of his life， his family， his politics， his writing， & his sexuality are portrayed without the narrative taking obvious sides or passing judgment on morality。 I appreciate the nuance。[What I didn’t like as much:]•The beginning starts out rather slow， introducing us to Thomas & his siblings in his childhood， focused mainly on establishing the setting & family characters。 Once we hit Thomas’s adolescence it gets more interesting as his inner life gains depth。CW: racism， drug abuse， infidelity， suicide[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you for the book！] 。。。more
Stacy
，
Colm Toibin is clearly a very talented writer。 That said， I couldn't finish this book。 It is more a biography than it is historical fiction and it just doesn't flow。 Large parts of World War I and II are ignored， despite the fact that the characters were deeply affected by both wars。 Just not the book for me。 Colm Toibin is clearly a very talented writer。 That said， I couldn't finish this book。 It is more a biography than it is historical fiction and it just doesn't flow。 Large parts of World War I and II are ignored， despite the fact that the characters were deeply affected by both wars。 Just not the book for me。 。。。more
Nancy Reynolds
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I have to be honest。 I could not make myself finish this book。 I kept trying。 I even tried skipping to different sections。 It just did not appeal to me。 I won an ARC here at Goodreads。 I really wanted to like it。 I finally gave up。
Theresa Smith
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Review to come。。。
Tina
，
The Magician is a very interesting fictional depiction of the life of German author， Thomas Mann and his family。 This a long book that flows so well you won't realize you've read over 500 pages。 A new author to me， Toibin weaves such an intriguing tale that now I want to one-click all of his backlist！I received an advanced copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own。 The Magician is a very interesting fictional depiction of the life of German author， Thomas Mann and his family。 This a long book that flows so well you won't realize you've read over 500 pages。 A new author to me， Toibin weaves such an intriguing tale that now I want to one-click all of his backlist！I received an advanced copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sonya
，
This vibrant and personal novel about the life of Thomas Mann， a renowned writer with immense influence in the first half of the 20th century， is a deep plunge into the details of his unconventional family merged with the terrible history of the world wars and fall of Germany。 Like all good historical fiction， there are enough details to tell stories， but the narrative is not bogged down。 Mann's inner life， which would not be depicted in a biography， his quiet desires and his foibles， are front This vibrant and personal novel about the life of Thomas Mann， a renowned writer with immense influence in the first half of the 20th century， is a deep plunge into the details of his unconventional family merged with the terrible history of the world wars and fall of Germany。 Like all good historical fiction， there are enough details to tell stories， but the narrative is not bogged down。 Mann's inner life， which would not be depicted in a biography， his quiet desires and his foibles， are front and center。 Toibin has mastered the material and given today's reader a look back in time。 Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced review copy of this novel。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Magician
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Magician&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Magician&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0