Historical

The Magician

The Magician

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  • Create Date：2021-09-09 08:51:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Colm Tóibín
  • ISBN：0241004624
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Summary

From one of our greatest living writers comes a sweeping novel of unrequited love and exile， war and family。

The Magician tells the story of Thomas Mann， whose life was filled with great acclaim and contradiction。 He would find himself on the wrong side of history in the First World War， cheerleading the German army， but have a clear vision of the future in the second， anticipating the horrors of Nazism。 He would have six children and keep his homosexuality hidden; he was a man forever connected to his family and yet bore witness to the ravages of suicide。 He would write some of the greatest works of European literature， and win the Nobel Prize， but would never return to the country that inspired his creativity。 Through one life， Colm Toibin tells the breathtaking story of the twentieth century。
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***Praise for Colm Tóibín***

'A celebration of what novels can do' Observer

'Devastatingly human 。 。 。 savage， sordid and hauntingly believable' Guardian

'Tremendous， richly beautiful， wonderful 。 。 。 it does everything we ought to ask of a great novel' Tessa Hadley

'Subtle and enthralling' Sunday Times

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Reviews

Kristine ，

The Magician by Colm Toibin is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early September。Intricate storytelling of Thomas' whole life， which consists of the studied etiquette and biting competition of being a child from a very rich family， trying not to stick out too much， turning away from the road oft-traveled and remains in the literary arts at the eve of WWI; writing semi-biographical novels about his family and， later， his wife and her family; the war pulling people in different directions， fun The Magician by Colm Toibin is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early September。Intricate storytelling of Thomas' whole life， which consists of the studied etiquette and biting competition of being a child from a very rich family， trying not to stick out too much， turning away from the road oft-traveled and remains in the literary arts at the eve of WWI; writing semi-biographical novels about his family and， later， his wife and her family; the war pulling people in different directions， fundamentally; in the times of relative peace before WWII， Thomas’ older children find their own Bright Young Things sort of fame that sours and revolts as the Nazi Party rises and drives Thomas into seclusion， careful not to speak out of turn; an unsteady move to the US， where nearly everyone follows before being pulled in different directions， while shuffling and snarling; and people falling away to reveal the old guard survivors。 。。。more

Lenore ，

Colm Tobin is one of my favorite authors and his latest did not disappoint。

Mocha Girl ，

This is a great comprehensive （albeit imagined） look at Thomas Mann’s life during some of modern history’s most trying and tumultuous times。 A patient reader will gain insight into the man and his motives and possibly even motivations for his works （I can only surmise here because I haven’t read any of his work）。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review。

Joanna ，

This book takes you on a journey asking critical questions about home & identity along the way。 I loved it & found it thoroughly captivating。 At times， however， it felt more like a biography detailing a series of events instead of a novel telling a story。 Thankfully the subject matter was interesting enough that it was easy to barrel through in spite of that。 I think this book would have benefitted greatly if it were narrower in scope。 It spans such a great amount of time that it could never dig This book takes you on a journey asking critical questions about home & identity along the way。 I loved it & found it thoroughly captivating。 At times， however， it felt more like a biography detailing a series of events instead of a novel telling a story。 Thankfully the subject matter was interesting enough that it was easy to barrel through in spite of that。 I think this book would have benefitted greatly if it were narrower in scope。 It spans such a great amount of time that it could never dig too deeply into any one event。 I wish it had just focused one on part of Mann’s life instead。I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley。 。。。more

Mason ，

A compelling tome about a stateless writer struggling to juggle the demands of work， family， and politics。

Marija ，

A reader can easily see that Toibin’s fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann was a true labor of love。 The book is comprehensive， covering all aspects of Mann’s life and work from youth through old age。 However， comprehensive might not necessarily reveal an honest portrait of the man。 Toibin’s Mann practices the ultimate sleight of hand in the face of reality。The progression of Mann’s story is somewhat awkward and uneven。 Readers are presented with brief snippets of his life experiences， w A reader can easily see that Toibin’s fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann was a true labor of love。 The book is comprehensive， covering all aspects of Mann’s life and work from youth through old age。 However， comprehensive might not necessarily reveal an honest portrait of the man。 Toibin’s Mann practices the ultimate sleight of hand in the face of reality。The progression of Mann’s story is somewhat awkward and uneven。 Readers are presented with brief snippets of his life experiences， while being suddenly fast-forwarded to a new phase in his life， whether it be a meeting of new acquaintances， a piece of writing， a family situation， or some other significant moment。 Some readers might find the sudden shifts in time initially disorienting， as the reader tries to catch up to speed with the present moment， while one’s thoughts might still be stuck with the seemingly more recent past。 While the story is mainly told from Mann’s point of view， he arguably seems ethereal， living in a constantly imaginative， or other-worldly and detached state， grounded only by the strong personalities of his family and acquaintances around him。 At times， Toibin seems to be trying to model his writing style after Mann’s—subtle satire mixed with an ambivalent and contradictory sense of intimacy。 There are moments， however when Toibin forgets himself， using modern turns of phrase that were not in existence at the point of time being described。 There is also a brief moment when Toibin suddenly switches the point of view from Thomas to his wife， Katia—a turn that might also disconcert some readers。Hopefully， Toibin’s work will interest readers in further exploring the works of Thomas Mann， or potentially revisit his works， to review them from the context of his personal life。 。。。more

Barbara White ，

Beautifully written， The Magician， immerses us in the life of Thomas Mann。 Family influences， in particular。 I recommend this book for others。 Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for my coy of The Magician。

Sue ，

Fictional account of the life of German author Thomas Mann。 Quite an interesting story， besides his sexual proclivities， because of the political times and his fascinating family。 Tobin breathes life into Manns wife， 6 children and his siblings。 Each one has a story worth hearing。 Spanning WWI， WWII and the Cold War and moving from Germany， Switzerland， The United States and back to Switzerland， Mann actually seemed to live quite a charmed life during these turbulent times in comparison to other Fictional account of the life of German author Thomas Mann。 Quite an interesting story， besides his sexual proclivities， because of the political times and his fascinating family。 Tobin breathes life into Manns wife， 6 children and his siblings。 Each one has a story worth hearing。 Spanning WWI， WWII and the Cold War and moving from Germany， Switzerland， The United States and back to Switzerland， Mann actually seemed to live quite a charmed life during these turbulent times in comparison to others。 Namely his outspoken family。 Such are the perks of being a lauded Nobel winning author and the voice of a free Germany。 。。。more

Sylvia-Marah ，

When I read the engrossing description of The Magician， by Colm Tóibín， I knew I wanted to read this historical novel based on the life of the acclaimed novelist， Thomas Mann。 Mann won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1929， so I recognized his name， despite not being familiar with his work。 The folks over at Scribner were nice enough to send me an advanced reader’s copy to review。 I dove into the 498 page novel with gusto， but it was a rough start。I often find it difficult to connect with the n When I read the engrossing description of The Magician， by Colm Tóibín， I knew I wanted to read this historical novel based on the life of the acclaimed novelist， Thomas Mann。 Mann won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1929， so I recognized his name， despite not being familiar with his work。 The folks over at Scribner were nice enough to send me an advanced reader’s copy to review。 I dove into the 498 page novel with gusto， but it was a rough start。I often find it difficult to connect with the narrator of novels written by men。 That was the case with this novel。 Initially， I found Thomas tedious。 He irritated me in the early chapters as a boy， and once he had grown into a young man; I thought he was pretentious。 Despite not connecting with Thomas， I continued reading the novel because Tóibín is an excellent writer。 Tóibín painted a detailed image of Thomas’ internal conflicts and the world he inhabits。I realized， despite the copious historical fiction I have read， much of it about both WWI and WWII， I had never read about the wars and the years leading up to them from the perspective of a German citizen。 I’ve read plenty accounts from the perspective of French or English characters working in the resistance or as spies for allied forces。 I’ve read from the perspective of people held in concentration camps because they were Jewish or political prisoners。 I have read from the perspective of an average French citizen living under occupation， and a Jewish character fleeing France to escape the Nazis。 But I have never seen these conflicts through eyes of a German character。While Thomas Mann and his family are far from typical， reading about this period of history through his perspective was eye-opening。 Watching someone who took great pride in being German， a person who believed Germany was a special， exceptionally cultured country; lose respect for his country， ultimately leaving to live in exile after denouncing Hitler， was heart wrenching。 Although I initially found Thomas tiresome， over the pages of the book， and throughout the years the story encompasses， I found myself endeared to Thomas and his eccentric family。It’s an interesting experience to start a book thinking the main character is a tedious， pretentious， snob， but end the book feeling warmth for the character。 Obviously， Thomas grew on me。 I developed empathy for him。 Despite his affluence and success， Thomas still struggled with his life。 He loved people he lost to death; he suffered from alienation and loneliness; wrestling with his conscience and his public persona。 He wrestled with his sexuality; living in a homophobic culture， while being a famous writer。 In short， Thomas Mann was human。 He was flawed and conflicted。 He was often unsure of himself。 Scared to reveal who he was to people。 He was hesitant to take a political stand that could have dire consequences for himself and his family， but ultimately took a stand against the rise of fascism and Hitler。In The Magician， Colm Tóibín breathes life into the literary figure of Thomas Mann。 The story of his life is both intimate and epic。 He lived on the fringes of some of the darkest days in modern history and was thrust into the spotlight because of his success as a novelist and his prominence in Germany。 While I initially struggled to connect to the characters， it pleasantly surprised me by how invested I had become by the end of the novel。 Colm Tóibín’s The Magician is an impressive feat of research and writing。 It hits shelves today， September 7th， so you can run out to grab a copy from your favorite local bookseller， or grab a copy from Bookshop。org。 Enjoy！ 。。。more

Claire Tumlin ，

The Magician by Colm Toibin is a lush literary account of the German author Thomas Mann as he strives to escape from the passions that bind him and pursue his muse。 Heavily centered around his acclaimed novel Death in Venice， The Magician is fall 2021's newest literary tour-de-force and is perfect for fans of any genre， particularly the classics。 The Magician by Colm Toibin is a lush literary account of the German author Thomas Mann as he strives to escape from the passions that bind him and pursue his muse。 Heavily centered around his acclaimed novel Death in Venice， The Magician is fall 2021's newest literary tour-de-force and is perfect for fans of any genre， particularly the classics。 。。。more

Nancy Mijangos ，

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 Very interesting and informative novel based on the life of Thomas Mann， Katia Mann， and their children。 I learned a great deal about them through this historical novel。

Jill ，

The Magician is a detailed and very well researched fictional biography of Thomas Mann who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929。 Colm Toibin， who’s previously written articles about the Mann family， manages to make this long book interesting， not only for his account of the life of Mann， his eclectic family and other well known individuals， but also for the way he covers the unsettling period of German history over the first half of the 20th century。Similar in style to Toibin’s book about The Magician is a detailed and very well researched fictional biography of Thomas Mann who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929。 Colm Toibin， who’s previously written articles about the Mann family， manages to make this long book interesting， not only for his account of the life of Mann， his eclectic family and other well known individuals， but also for the way he covers the unsettling period of German history over the first half of the 20th century。Similar in style to Toibin’s book about Henry James ‘The Master，’ both books explore the conflicting sexuality of the protagonists。 I didn’t enjoy it as much as other novels he’s written， because although it’s seriously literary and interesting it didn’t draw me in as much as I’d expected it to。However it is a remarkable achievement that deserves to， and I’m sure will， win awards。 Many thanks to Penguin UK and NetGalley for an ARC 。。。more

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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 ，

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

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