Historical

The Magician

The Magician

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  • Create Date：2021-09-18 00:51:21
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Colm Tóibín
  • ISBN：0241004616
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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 Tóibín tells the breathtaking story of the twentieth century。
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'As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to， The Magician is a great imaginative achievement -- immensely readable， erudite， worldly and knowing， and fully realized' - Richard Ford

'No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly， as luminously， as Colm Tóibín 。 。 。 reading him is among the deepest pleasures our literature can offer' - Garth Greenwell

'This is not just a whole life in a novel， it's a whole world' - Katharina Volckmer

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Reviews

Mr Rick Forncett ，

Well written novel / biography of the early 20th Century author Thomas Mann。 The book is a detailed journey through the troubled author's life。 It is clearly well researched but unfortunately I found it rather overlong and heavy-going。 Well written novel / biography of the early 20th Century author Thomas Mann。 The book is a detailed journey through the troubled author's life。 It is clearly well researched but unfortunately I found it rather overlong and heavy-going。 。。。more

John Sinclair ，

BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I really don’t know how to say what I’m feeling about this book。 Since I hadn’t read Thomas Mann’s work （except “Death in Venice”）， I read Tóibín’s essay on him in “Love in a Dark Time” to prepare myself for this book。 I needn’t have。 “The Magician” reads like a novelized biography —heavy on the biography— which I enjoyed。 It doesn’t feel as masterful a novel as “The Master” （did I do that？） but I appreciated it， and he and his family and their story felt real and interesting BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I really don’t know how to say what I’m feeling about this book。 Since I hadn’t read Thomas Mann’s work （except “Death in Venice”）， I read Tóibín’s essay on him in “Love in a Dark Time” to prepare myself for this book。 I needn’t have。 “The Magician” reads like a novelized biography —heavy on the biography— which I enjoyed。 It doesn’t feel as masterful a novel as “The Master” （did I do that？） but I appreciated it， and he and his family and their story felt real and interesting to me。 （Mann and I would not have appreciated one another， I suspect。） I’m not gushing however。 Tóibín is nonetheless a very skillful writer and remains a favorite of mine。 I have Mann teed up for future reading。 #bibliophile #book #bookish #booklover #books #books2021 #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #bookworm #goodreads #homelibrary #instabook #instabooks #reader #readers #reading #readingroom #readersofinstagram #bookreview2021📚 62/84 。。。more

Marks54 ，

This is a novelized treatment of the life of Thomas Mann， written by Colm Toibin， a prolific novelist himself and the author of Brooklyn。 The Magician is an extraordinary book that is engaging to read， filled with wonderful characters， especially Mann’s family， and intellectually challenging。I remember my first encounter reading Mann， when I worked through The Magic Mountain， a long time ago。 This was a huge book， in which not much seemed to happen， but which was filled with reflections about li This is a novelized treatment of the life of Thomas Mann， written by Colm Toibin， a prolific novelist himself and the author of Brooklyn。 The Magician is an extraordinary book that is engaging to read， filled with wonderful characters， especially Mann’s family， and intellectually challenging。I remember my first encounter reading Mann， when I worked through The Magic Mountain， a long time ago。 This was a huge book， in which not much seemed to happen， but which was filled with reflections about life， love， mortality， and time。 At the time I fancied that I had understood it well， but have since come to doubt that initial reaction。 This is why Toibin’s book is so extraordinary。 The idea of a critical biography of a complex individual like Mann， who lived in complex times （interwar Europe） and wrote complex and subtitle works， struck me a daunting。 How does one get a workable story arc moving for such a life and then do justice to the intellectual products that were behind the significance of that life with making an unwieldy and perhaps boring oversized book？ Mann’s life is especially involved because of his family life， his sexual proclivities （however closeted）， his place with German intellectual life during the Weimar period and the rise of the Nazis， and his place as a public person during the broader global political dynamics of WW2 and the Cold War。 All of these perspectives could be developed on their own， but all did develop at the same time and for a highly private person with his own life baggage。I do not know how he did it， but Taobin’s book appears to handle all of these tensions in stride and with some balance so that the result is believable。 Perhaps， it works because Mann’s life is presented in a series of chronological chapters， with each chapter being concerned with a particular set of conditions and developments， while the full linkages between chapters are left in part to the reader。 （I do not mean to imply a lot of loose threads - the continuity is fine。）。 My only regrets about the book are that it had to end and that I now must go back and read （or reread） more of Mann’s work。 。。。more

TC ，

Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Elisabeth ，

Review to come。

Alina Figueroa ，

Beautiful prose and stellar history of the author’s life and family。 Lacking interior life in a lot of Mann’s relationships， which only heightens the uncomfortable teetering between biography and novel。 However， it doesn’t quite making Mann accessible in areas where *I* looked for it the most。

Christine Corrigan ，

I love Colm Toibin's writing and his other novels。 But I didn't love The Magician， which shares the life and work of Thomas Mann， one of Germany's greatest literary masters。 Honestly， this should have been a work of nonfiction， not a biography disguised as a novel。 The work was ponderously slow going。 I almost gave up multiple times because it just wasn't interesting to me， and there were so many characters named Klaus。 If you love Thomas Mann and character driven novels， then have at this one， I love Colm Toibin's writing and his other novels。 But I didn't love The Magician， which shares the life and work of Thomas Mann， one of Germany's greatest literary masters。 Honestly， this should have been a work of nonfiction， not a biography disguised as a novel。 The work was ponderously slow going。 I almost gave up multiple times because it just wasn't interesting to me， and there were so many characters named Klaus。 If you love Thomas Mann and character driven novels， then have at this one， but make a strong pot of coffee to go with it。 。。。more

Anne ，

The Magician by Colm Toibin is a novelized version of the life of Thomas Mann， who was a famous German novelist。 Thomas' family believed he had no talent and should become a clerk。 His father had died， and his mother was a little odd。 He had guardians， whom his father had selected， and they determined that the life of a clerk was for him。 He disagreed and convinced them all to let him go live with his older brother， a poet， both supported by family money。 He took much of his life and put it in h The Magician by Colm Toibin is a novelized version of the life of Thomas Mann， who was a famous German novelist。 Thomas' family believed he had no talent and should become a clerk。 His father had died， and his mother was a little odd。 He had guardians， whom his father had selected， and they determined that the life of a clerk was for him。 He disagreed and convinced them all to let him go live with his older brother， a poet， both supported by family money。 He took much of his life and put it in his novels， which upset the people involved but her continued on。 He was fascinated with Jewish life and eventually married a young Jewish woman who came from a very artsy family。 She had a twin brother， and seemed to have an odd relationship with him。 Mann struggled with homosexuality his entire life， but he and his wife had four children。 Since he was secular Jewish and married to a Jew， it became expedient for him to flee once the Nazis came into power。 He settled in the United States。 This was a compelling novel， but then again， it had a compelling topic。 It seemed to point out what an odd life was to be had if you were no middle class， but you were not wealthy。 Mann was a brilliant writer， if not entirely mainstream。 Toibin did a brilliant jog with this piece of historical fiction。 It was readable， accurate， well-researched， and intriguing。 Mann is not necessarily a popular author in modern times， but maybe he should be。 Based on this book he definitely should be。 A brilliant job by Colm Toibin。I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Magician by Simon and Schuster， through Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 #netgalley #simonandschuster #themagician 。。。more

Rebecca ，

I had to pause this around 120 pages。 It seems like it would be an interesting book， but I cannot connect with the characters。 So far it's almost like the readers have a view looking down on these characters instead of being in the room with them or in their head。 We see their actions， but not their emotions and very little of their thoughts。 And there is hardly any dialogue。 The writing is great and so easy to read。 The book jumps forward in time in a blink。 Sometimes you are in a paragraph and I had to pause this around 120 pages。 It seems like it would be an interesting book， but I cannot connect with the characters。 So far it's almost like the readers have a view looking down on these characters instead of being in the room with them or in their head。 We see their actions， but not their emotions and very little of their thoughts。 And there is hardly any dialogue。 The writing is great and so easy to read。 The book jumps forward in time in a blink。 Sometimes you are in a paragraph and the next paragraph is years and years later。 That does take some time getting used to。Thanks to the publishers for this review copy。 。。。more

Michael Steinberg ，

I had a somewhat negative reaction to the first part of this novel about Thomas Mann。 I had questions about the ethics of speculating about the author's private life and especially his homoerotic fantasies。 But Mann kept diaries， and these certainly were a key source for Toibin。 And Mann， himself， had written a novel in which Goethe was a major character。 Mann's political evolution from his defense of imperial Germany， to his strong support of Weimar democracy， to his exile from Nazi Germany and I had a somewhat negative reaction to the first part of this novel about Thomas Mann。 I had questions about the ethics of speculating about the author's private life and especially his homoerotic fantasies。 But Mann kept diaries， and these certainly were a key source for Toibin。 And Mann， himself， had written a novel in which Goethe was a major character。 Mann's political evolution from his defense of imperial Germany， to his strong support of Weimar democracy， to his exile from Nazi Germany and refuge in the United States， and his final years in Switzerland is handled well by Toibin as is the odyssey of the Mann children， all six of whom made important cultural contributions， and of Mann's older brother Heinrich， a major novelist himself， whose consistent left-wing politics distinguished him from Thomas。 It's a well written， highly readable novel and it unquestionably bring's Mann's world alive。There is an interesting article by D。T。 Max in the September 13th issue of the New Yorker about the writing of the Magician。 It helps to understand why Toibin dwelled on Mann's sexuality and spent less effort analyzing Mann's writing。 。。。more

Mimi ，

I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat fictional biography of Thomas Mann and his family。 The author seems to be reading Mann’s mind， 4。8

Bob Hughes ，

As someone who is a big fan of Colm Tóibín's writing， I have to say that I was very excited for this book， but also nervous， as I knew nothing about Thomas Mann。However， what Tóibín does here to introduce you to the writer， his character and his history was nothing short of masterful。Across the sweeping 500 pages of this beautiful novel， Tóibín delicately paints a picture of a changing world， and changing Germany， and how that manifests itself in Thomas Mann's writing。Early on in the book， it be As someone who is a big fan of Colm Tóibín's writing， I have to say that I was very excited for this book， but also nervous， as I knew nothing about Thomas Mann。However， what Tóibín does here to introduce you to the writer， his character and his history was nothing short of masterful。Across the sweeping 500 pages of this beautiful novel， Tóibín delicately paints a picture of a changing world， and changing Germany， and how that manifests itself in Thomas Mann's writing。Early on in the book， it becomes apparent that Tóibín deeply admires and respects Thomas Mann， but is still able to occupy a narrative space that is both inside Mann's head and watching him from the outside。 As a result， we as the readers are both given an insight into the inner workings of a complex man， and also never made to feel like we are cold observers。 This book is grand in scale- we watch two world wars sweep by， and watch how Germany， just like its symbol and hero， grows， divides and re-forms。 The scenes where we observe Mann try to fight Nazism with speeches and books would feel trite in the hands of a lesser author。 But Tóibín is somehow able to pull this off in a way that does not feel cliched- instead， Mann is presented as a sympathetic character， lost and powerless as he navigates all he has ever known crumbling in front of him as Hitler rises to power。 The scenes where Mann looks back on his home country from a distance are incredibly moving， and the end passage of the book， as we watch some of the final moments of Mann's life， had me welling up， so profoundly involved with Mann's life we are after 500 pages。There is also something deeply special about Tóibín， a gay writer， writing about another gay writer。 There is a deep understanding between the two men across history， and Tóibín's ability to capture queer yearning， shame and discovery is remarkable- these passages were stunning， and dealt with so deftly and generously。I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I was， but it will linger with me for a long while， and， as I suspect was Tóibín's secondary goal， I now want to read Thomas Mann's novels myself。I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ari Levine ，

With The Magician， Tóibín was attempting to replicate or revisit his middling-level achievement of 2004's The Master， which was a novelized treatment of several years in the life of Henry James。 The Magician is a disappointing failure as both a novelized biography and a biographical novel of the entire literary life and historical times of Thomas Mann， another great novelist who repressed his homosexuality and never openly revealed his attraction to， and feelings about， men。 The intellectual， ae With The Magician， Tóibín was attempting to replicate or revisit his middling-level achievement of 2004's The Master， which was a novelized treatment of several years in the life of Henry James。 The Magician is a disappointing failure as both a novelized biography and a biographical novel of the entire literary life and historical times of Thomas Mann， another great novelist who repressed his homosexuality and never openly revealed his attraction to， and feelings about， men。 The intellectual， aesthetic， and political concerns of the author of Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain are barely discernible here， and the psychological conflicts are weightless。 Tóibín gives his reader little access into Mann's interior life beneath the bürgerlich facade， and draws only obvious connections between the life and the work。Nearly every page of the narrative is weighed down with undigested chunks of biographical information and historical background that indicate that Tóibín did his research。 But he hasn't succeeded in animating them into a narrative that felt real， or lived-in， or even remotely interesting。 The dialogue is wooden， the descriptions are bland， and the prose is just dull。 None of the historical locations-- Lübeck， Munich， Davos， Vichy-era Provence， Santa Monica-- are more than two-dimensional stage-sets。 Tóibín makes the downward pull of German politics feel completely inevitable and rather than how it might have actually felt to actual historical actors: terrifying， uncertain， confusing， and contingent。Nearly every other character （Mann's wife， siblings， children， friends） is shallowly rendered and barely revealed， so that the excitement and ferment of Mann's life just lies there， dead on the page。 One soap-opera-ish event happens after another， making zero emotional splash， and producing zero dramatic interest。 Major characters commit suicide and are just forgotten about， because Tóibín has a huge amount of biographical ground to cover。 I lost track of how many times I stumbled over the phrase "[Mann's child/sibling/friend] was X [years] old。" After 500 pages， this sort of thing became tedious and repetitive。Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for providing a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest， unbiased review。 。。。more

Annette Jordan ，

The Magician by Colm Toibin is a fictional biography of German writer Thomas Mann， a man whose life was filled with contradictions。 I knew little about the man before picking up this book， but was sure that the quality of Toibin's writing would make for an enjoyable experience。。 I was not wrong about the quality of the writing， the author is a master of characterisation and scene setting ， and from that perspective the book was a treat。 The storytelling is excellent， and Mann's life encompasses The Magician by Colm Toibin is a fictional biography of German writer Thomas Mann， a man whose life was filled with contradictions。 I knew little about the man before picking up this book， but was sure that the quality of Toibin's writing would make for an enjoyable experience。。 I was not wrong about the quality of the writing， the author is a master of characterisation and scene setting ， and from that perspective the book was a treat。 The storytelling is excellent， and Mann's life encompasses an era of vast political and social change in both Europe and later in the USA。 However Mann himself is such an unlikeable character that he diluted my enjoyment of the book as a whole。 I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more

Louise Andrews ，

I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for a review。This book was a mammoth read about an author I knew nothing about。 Toibin has clearly researched Thomas Mann so well he didn’t want to leave out one detail， this could make some sections laborious。 It also meant that although I felt I understood something about Thomas’s six children I didn’t feel like I ‘knew’ him until the end of the book。 The children had fascinating lives in their own rights but he took a back seat。It’s a different take I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for a review。This book was a mammoth read about an author I knew nothing about。 Toibin has clearly researched Thomas Mann so well he didn’t want to leave out one detail， this could make some sections laborious。 It also meant that although I felt I understood something about Thomas’s six children I didn’t feel like I ‘knew’ him until the end of the book。 The children had fascinating lives in their own rights but he took a back seat。It’s a different take on war time Germany and shows what famous authors， bisexuals and those with a bohemian lifestyle needed to do when Hitler came to power a second time。 I’ve never given thought to the dilemma of whether famous Germans should return to a post war Germany so this was thought provoking。In summary I feel like I’ve learned a great about a fascinating family but I’d have liked to understand him better and removing some of the detail may have made this an easier read。 。。。more

Margaret ，

A fictional account of the life of the author Thomas Mann that read like a biography giving a very clear picture of Mann and his family。 Mann was called The Magician by his family and this book covers the majority of Mann’s life。

π ，

kayak baca biografi non-fiksi pdhl ini sebenernya hisfic。 tp emg bener kok penulis ngambil kisahnya thomas mann， peraih nobel sastra。

Susan ，

Over the years I have read two or three of Colm Toibin’s books and， I must admit， that I have sometimes admired， but rarely been gripped by them。 I think his style is often fairly dry， but somehow this suited this fictional biography （which is the only way I can describe this book） of Thomas Mann。 I cannot in any way claim to be knowledgeable about Thomas Mann， although “The Magic Mountain，” is definitely in my top ten favourite books and is a novel that I have returned to more than once。 I thin Over the years I have read two or three of Colm Toibin’s books and， I must admit， that I have sometimes admired， but rarely been gripped by them。 I think his style is often fairly dry， but somehow this suited this fictional biography （which is the only way I can describe this book） of Thomas Mann。 I cannot in any way claim to be knowledgeable about Thomas Mann， although “The Magic Mountain，” is definitely in my top ten favourite books and is a novel that I have returned to more than once。 I think my lack of specific knowledge was a positive thing here， though， as I was fascinated to learn about this author， whose work has remained popular when， as it is shown in this novel， his brother – Heinrich – who had early success， started out looking to overshadow his younger sibling。There is much about siblings in， “The Magician。” Heinrich， Thomas， siters Lula and Carla， and younger brother Victor， make a family group in conventional Lubeck， where the Mann’s grew up， with their hard-working father， and lively， Brazilian father。 Then there is Thomas Mann’s wife， Katia， whose twin， Klaus， often mirrors the behaviour of Thomas and Katia’s eldest son， named for his uncle。 The two eldest of their children， Klaus and Erika are flamboyant and self-contained， and， in much the same way that Thomas and his own siblings created alliances， his six children also have unions， affiliations and interrelations。 As well as the central theme of family， there is also much about Thomas Mann’s sexuality， his rather touching entrancement of various young men。 This is very much an open secret， with his wife and daughter， at one point， conspiring to arrange for a young waiter that the author found attractive， to serve him lunch， alone on a terrace。 This is very much a secret life， which Mann hugs tight to himself， remembering often innocuous encounters and recalling them in detail。 He is also not averse to using his life for his work and there is much about what inspired his great works。 I can see this book already has mixed reviews， but I absolutely loved it and am sorry that I have finished it。 Hopefully， it will also lead readers to discover Thomas Mann’s work， if they have not already done so。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher， via NetGalley， for review， but will certainly buy a copy on publication。 。。。more

Davida Chazan ，

4。75/5 stars - If you've never read anything by Thomas Mann， then join the club。 But if you've heard of his work and are intrigued （like me）， then you might want to read this novel about Mann's life first。 You can read my full book review here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2021/09/1。。。 4。75/5 stars - If you've never read anything by Thomas Mann， then join the club。 But if you've heard of his work and are intrigued （like me）， then you might want to read this novel about Mann's life first。 You can read my full book review here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2021/09/1。。。 。。。more

Lisa ，

I can't help feeling a bit discontented about the latest novel from Colm Tóibín。 I've read and enjoyed all of his novels， starting with The South in 1990， and continuing with each new release， the more recent of them reviewed here on this blog。  I loved The Master， （2004） a 'bionov' about Henry James —  so why I am disappointed by The Magician， a 'bionov' about Thomas Mann？ （I just discovered this new word 'bionov' from Twitter: it means a fictionalised life， a biographical novel。 Will the label I can't help feeling a bit discontented about the latest novel from Colm Tóibín。 I've read and enjoyed all of his novels， starting with The South in 1990， and continuing with each new release， the more recent of them reviewed here on this blog。  I loved The Master， （2004） a 'bionov' about Henry James —  so why I am disappointed by The Magician， a 'bionov' about Thomas Mann？ （I just discovered this new word 'bionov' from Twitter: it means a fictionalised life， a biographical novel。 Will the label catch on？） The Magician is a fictionalised life of Thomas Mann， whose books I like， and Mann had a tumultuous life as did many who had to flee Nazi Germany， so at the surface level the novel makes interesting reading， though not as engaging as I expected it to be。  The focus on Mann's repressed homosexuality is a bit overdone， and the prose is a bit ponderous here and there —channelling Mann himself？ I don't know， I can only read Mann in translation。。。 was he ponderous in German？ OTOH I really liked the segments portraying the mind of the novelist at work， harvesting and hoarding events and people in his life for his next novel。  I especially savoured this when I'd read those novels myself， that is Buddenbrooks， The Magic Mountain and Doctor Faustus （see my reviews here） and found myself wanting to read Mann's other fiction， and the work of Heinrich Mann， Thomas Mann's brother as well。 On that level， for a reader like me， the novel succeeds。  How it travels with readers unfamiliar with Thomas Mann's writing， I can't guess。However。。。Having read Evelyn Juers' House of Exile （and under-appreciated it at the time） I knew something of the Mann family， but not much about Thomas Mann's children who  seem to have been 'difficult'， to say the least of it， more so in adulthood。 （I am assuming biographical accuracy in The Magician， which is not a given in a fictionalised life。*）  They experienced the horror of Nazi Germany displacing civilised life so trauma is to be expected， but they were tiresome， aggressively rude and socially embarrassing even before that。 Their parents were remarkably tolerant both then and in later years in America， and not in ways that you might perhaps expect in a bohemian household because the Manns were not at all bohemian， they were bourgeois in their lifestyle and habits。  This strand of the novel made me realise how little Tóibín attends to Katia， Thomas Mann's wife。  She speaks， sometimes with forbearance that can be deduced， but there's very little about her feelings or her interior life。  Or even about how she spends her days except when she's trying to organise their escape from Europe。I've also read a very fine novel about the existential crisis faced by Thomas Mann when he was weighing up whether or not to denounce Nazism。  That book was The Decision by Britta Böhler， translated by Jeanette K Ringold。  As I said in my review:[Thomas Mann] had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929。  His was a powerful voice， and — having left Germany for Switzerland in 1933 when Hitler came to power， he had to decide how best to use his celebrity。He has written a letter denouncing the regime to the Zurich-German press， that when published would amount to cultural suicide。   It is not just that he cannot ever go back unless things change， it is also that he is tormented by the idea that he shares the same cultural tradition as new regime， and may be tainted by it。  He’s not even sure if he can still enjoy the sublime music of Wagner， now that it’s been appropriated by the Nazis。 Tóibín's Thomas Mann is diffident to the point of seeming indifferent in many situations where a thoughtful man， as we see in Böhler's novel， would be tormented by cascading perils， including his own safety and that of family members remaining in Europe as it was rapidly being overrun。  But no， in Tóibín's novel， nothing disrupts Mann's morning routine so he continues to disappear into his study to write for four hours until lunchtime。 To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers。com/2021/09/12/t。。。 。。。more

Roberta ，

Historical fiction has been my favorite genre for the past fifteen years。 While biographies are good， there is just something special about a person or event that is embellished and fleshed out by a talented writer。 Colm Toibin is certainly has certainly shown how famous people can be fascinating and engaging via fiction。The author has done a masterful job of research in THE MAGICIAN。 While there is a little glimpse of Thomas Mann's early life， the story really jumps into high gear after he marr Historical fiction has been my favorite genre for the past fifteen years。 While biographies are good， there is just something special about a person or event that is embellished and fleshed out by a talented writer。 Colm Toibin is certainly has certainly shown how famous people can be fascinating and engaging via fiction。The author has done a masterful job of research in THE MAGICIAN。 While there is a little glimpse of Thomas Mann's early life， the story really jumps into high gear after he marries Katia。 The book takes the reader through the impact WWI had on his native Germany。 When Hitler comes to power Mann feels compelled to speak out against Nazism。 This leads to fleeing to safety。 His travels lead him on various journeys and sweeping changes。Although several of Mann's novels have become classics still read today and he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1929， much of his private life was kept secret。 Toibin looks at this secret life without judgment。 Although THE MAGICIAN is long at 512 pages， it would make a perfect book club selection。 There are so many issues and themes to discuss。 Perhaps after reading this stellar novel， some of us who have not read Mann's novels and novellas would be prompted to do so and even watch some of the movie adaptations。 。。。more

Janet ，

This is an extraordinary book about the life of Thomas Mann。 Toibin is a master story teller and he brings to life within the historical context the writer， his family， his books and essays， and his thoughts in such a way that you feel like you were present at the time。 Such a beautifully written book。

Sue ，

This is a fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann。 Given the length of the book and the time period during which Thomas Mann loved， I had high hopes for this book。 I love a good historical fiction saga。 I went back and forth while reading this with the number of stars I was going to give。 I started it thinking this was a definite 5 star， Then toward the early middle I thought it was definitely leaning towards 3 and ultimately I ended up giving it 4。 You can see how well researched this book This is a fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann。 Given the length of the book and the time period during which Thomas Mann loved， I had high hopes for this book。 I love a good historical fiction saga。 I went back and forth while reading this with the number of stars I was going to give。 I started it thinking this was a definite 5 star， Then toward the early middle I thought it was definitely leaning towards 3 and ultimately I ended up giving it 4。 You can see how well researched this book was and you can see what a fan of Thomas Mann Colm Tolbin is。 The characters were well written and developed。 That being said， none of the characters， Thomas included， were particularly interesting or likeable。 Given the length of the book it’s hard to continue reading with great interest when you don’t like or really care about anyone。 I’m also not sure I cared for the writing style， which made the book longer than necessary。 But given the research and the obvious respect for the time period and subject I would still recommend this one to certain readers， particularly fans of Thomas Mann or European history buffs。 。。。more

David C Ward ，

OK but since we have Buddenbrooks， Death in Venice etc etc do we need Toibin’s novelization of Mann’s life and consciousness？ Also， after the stylistic breakthroughs of Proust， Joyce and Woolf - and Mann himself - in examining human consciousness this is a pretty straightforward narrative。 I suppose the explicit treatment of Mann’s sexualities is new…（The Washington Post headline said this highlighted the “lighter side” of Mann which is just bizarre。 It’s only “lighter” in the sense that the sty OK but since we have Buddenbrooks， Death in Venice etc etc do we need Toibin’s novelization of Mann’s life and consciousness？ Also， after the stylistic breakthroughs of Proust， Joyce and Woolf - and Mann himself - in examining human consciousness this is a pretty straightforward narrative。 I suppose the explicit treatment of Mann’s sexualities is new…（The Washington Post headline said this highlighted the “lighter side” of Mann which is just bizarre。 It’s only “lighter” in the sense that the style is not as complicated as Mann’s。） 。。。more

jennet wheatstonelllsl ，

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Emma ，

The Magician begins in Lubeck Germany in 1891 and is a very well paced non fiction novel which spans the childhood of writer Mr。 Thomas Mann， the rise and fall of the Nazis and subsequently Mr。 Manns later years。 My favourite character of the many documented within the book was of course the formidable daughter Erika who was a most entertaining person to read about。 The contrast between the affectionate dialogue between Erica and Thomas contrasted with the sometimes barbed dialogue between that The Magician begins in Lubeck Germany in 1891 and is a very well paced non fiction novel which spans the childhood of writer Mr。 Thomas Mann， the rise and fall of the Nazis and subsequently Mr。 Manns later years。 My favourite character of the many documented within the book was of course the formidable daughter Erika who was a most entertaining person to read about。 The contrast between the affectionate dialogue between Erica and Thomas contrasted with the sometimes barbed dialogue between that of Erica and her mother Katia was very well written as expected from Mr。 Colm Toibin。 In addition the relationship between Erica and her troubled sibling Klaus made for a very interesting read。I must admit I knew very little about the life or indeed work of Thomas Mann before reading this book but I enjoyed it thoroughly and it has inspired me to read both Buddenbrooks and Death in Venice。If I had one complaint it would be that the pace （in my opinion） slowed down during the Mann family's sojourn in America， but I recognise that this is a non fiction novel and this was reflective of what occurred at the time。 Nonetheless， the book was overall very engaging and I particularly enjoyed reading about the era during which time the Nazis rose to power and the impact of this on familys such as the Manns as Germans。 This was all clearly extremely well researched by the author and I am grateful and thankful to NetGalley and Penguin General U。K。 for providing me with an advance copy。 。。。more

Debra ，

Thomas Mann， acclaimed author of Death in Venice and many other books and novellas， is the focus of this book where fiction and nonfiction blend。 This book begins with Thomas as a child growing up in a provincial German city。 His father was conservative， and his mother was an alluring Brazilian woman。 From an early age， he wanted to write。 He was creative and artistic but that did not go over well with his father。 He had to hide his writing and his sexuality。 He eventually married Katia Pringshe Thomas Mann， acclaimed author of Death in Venice and many other books and novellas， is the focus of this book where fiction and nonfiction blend。 This book begins with Thomas as a child growing up in a provincial German city。 His father was conservative， and his mother was an alluring Brazilian woman。 From an early age， he wanted to write。 He was creative and artistic but that did not go over well with his father。 He had to hide his writing and his sexuality。 He eventually married Katia Pringshelm and they have six children。 It is his children who referred to him as "The Magician"Mann repressed his sexuality and crushes。 One thing he did not repress was his writing ability and his success enabled him to move his family various times。 He was a man who saw and experienced many things - political upheaval， world wars I & II， suicide， loss of loved ones， and success in his field。 What a life he must have led。 Hiding his homosexuality， having hidden crushes while being a husband and father in a world in constant upheaval。 There was a tremendous amount of research that went into the writing of this book。 It is very evident， and this is the strength of this novel。 What I would have liked more of Mann's thoughts， feelings， etc。 This would have made this book more interesting to me。I was all over the place with reviewing this book。 The writing is top notch， and the research is impressive， but parts fell flat for me。 I enjoyed this but didn't love it。 I have never read a book by Thomas Mann - I know *gasp* perhaps if I had been a fan or even familiar with his work， I may have enjoyed this book more。 I felt that I was being told about Mann （which I was） but I didn't really feel as if his personality shined through。 I guess one could say that I wanted a little more pizzazz。 I would have loved seeing Mann's inner thoughts and struggles。 This is a long book and it felt long at times。 Again， a little Pizzazz would have made this better for me。 Some are enjoying this more than I did so please read their reviews as well。Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All the thoughts and opinions are my own。Read more of my reviews at www。openbookposts。com 。。。more

Mary-jane Roth ，

I was interested in this book because I knew little about Thomas Mann aside from the titles of some of his books。 Although it is written as fiction， it is obvious that the author was immersed in research about Mann's life including the diaries that were published in the 1970s and which exposed his inner feelings about his homosexual desires。 The fictional treatment gave insight into the family that lived through two world wars， the Cold War， and repeated exile from their homes all while Thomas c I was interested in this book because I knew little about Thomas Mann aside from the titles of some of his books。 Although it is written as fiction， it is obvious that the author was immersed in research about Mann's life including the diaries that were published in the 1970s and which exposed his inner feelings about his homosexual desires。 The fictional treatment gave insight into the family that lived through two world wars， the Cold War， and repeated exile from their homes all while Thomas continued to write works that reflect his life and are considered part of the Western Literary canon。 I thought that the most interesting character was his wife Katia who ran the family， raised six children， and created the space that allowed Thomas to spend a large part of each day in solitude writing。 Since three of the main family members were all named Klaus （nothing the author could do about that） I was often confused about which Klaus had which problem but the author did try to put in the last name where possible to differentiate them。 For me， the mark of a book that has engaged me fully is when I finish the book and want to read something else about the character， the time， or the situation。 I already re-read Death in Venice and borrowed Dr。 Faustus from a friend。 Thank you Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review。 。。。more

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。

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