Historical

The Magician

The Magician

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  • Create Date：2021-09-19 04:51:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Colm Tóibín
  • ISBN：1760984116
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Summary

When the Great War breaks out in 1914 Thomas Mann， like so many of his fellow countrymen， is fired up with patriotism。 He imagines the Germany of great literature and music， which had drawn him away from the stifling， conservative town of his childhood， might be a source of pride once again。 But his flawed vision will form the beginning of a dark and complex relationship with his homeland， and see the start of great conflict within his own brilliant and troubled family。

Colm Tóibín's epic novel is the story of a man of intense contradictions。 Although Thomas Mann becomes famous and admired， his inner life is hesitant， fearful and secretive。 His blindness to impending disaster in the Great War will force him to rethink his relationship with Germany as Hitler comes to power。 He has six children with his clever and fascinating wife， Katia， while his own secret desires appear threaded through his writing。 He and Katia deal with exile bravely， doing everything possible to keep the family safe， yet they also suffer the terrible ravages of suicide among Thomas's siblings， and their own children。

In The Magician， Colm Tóibín captures the profound personal conflict of a very public life， and through this life creates an intimate portrait of the twentieth century。

Praise for The Magician:
'This graceful novel is a moving and intimate portrait by one master of another 。 。 。 It is a stunning tribute to the great man， and a vital story for now。' - Anna Funder

'The Magician is a remarkable achievement。 Mann himself， one feels certain， would approve。' - John Banville

'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， or conveys so well the entanglement of imagination and desire。' - Garth Greenwell

'The Magician recaptures a literary giant 。 。 。 Toibin's symphonic and moving novel humanizes [Mann]。。。 Maximalist in scope but intimate in feeling' - The New York Times

'What Mr。 Tóibín's exquisitely sensitive novel gets right， in a way that biography rarely does， is its acknowledgment of unknowability。。。 one of the most sublime endings I've come across in a novel in a long time。' - The Wall Street Journal

'Extensively researched and lyrically wrought。。。a complex but empathetic portrayal of a writer in a lifelong battle against his innermost desires， his family and the tumultuous times they endure。' - Time， Best Books of Fall 2021

'It's hard not to talk about Colm Tóibín's latest novel， The Magician， in the loftiest of terms， as something staggering， or dazzling， or an achievement 。 。 。 these accolades feel deserving 。 。 。 [a] vast and stunningly realized world 。 。 。 you'll find yourself savoring every page。' - Vogue

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Reviews

Royce ，

I gave this book four stars for the writing。 Colm Toibin can make the most minor details quite interesting to read。 In the Magician， he tells the story of Thomas Mann’s life， including his family， his writing， his secret homosexual desires （not so secret throughout the novel）， and weaves the story in such a way it is truly captivating to read。 You do not want to miss any detail， nor can you put it down。 But there was something that just didn’t work for me。 Was it because I do not know anything a I gave this book four stars for the writing。 Colm Toibin can make the most minor details quite interesting to read。 In the Magician， he tells the story of Thomas Mann’s life， including his family， his writing， his secret homosexual desires （not so secret throughout the novel）， and weaves the story in such a way it is truly captivating to read。 You do not want to miss any detail， nor can you put it down。 But there was something that just didn’t work for me。 Was it because I do not know anything about Thomas Mann？ He avoided and escaped from Nazi Germany without too much trouble。 It was discussed but it never felt resolved for me。 Agnes Meyer was someone I wanted to learn more about。 She supported Mann and helped his entire family leave Europe and arrive safely， and mostly unscathed from the throes of WWII， to the United States。 She even secured him a position as a lecturer at Princeton University。 She was an extraordinary woman。 She married a very wealthy man， using her wealth to affect much change for those less fortunate。 She was a badass， and I really wanted to learn more about her， but the story was about Thomas Mann， so I suppose her story was irrelevant。 I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction， although I am not sure this can be classified as fiction？！？ 。。。more

Tracey McHardy ，

This literary epic follows the life of Thomas Mann the famous German writer from childhood to his dying days。he is born into a middle class family in the Hanseatic town of Lubeck。 His comfortable home contrasts with the spartan school which he and his brother， Heinrich， attend。 This town and school don't feed his imagination- the school windows are covered to prevent idle daydreaming。 However both brothers harbour literary ambitions and this intensifies a sibling rivalry。 In Lubeck Thomas also s This literary epic follows the life of Thomas Mann the famous German writer from childhood to his dying days。he is born into a middle class family in the Hanseatic town of Lubeck。 His comfortable home contrasts with the spartan school which he and his brother， Heinrich， attend。 This town and school don't feed his imagination- the school windows are covered to prevent idle daydreaming。 However both brothers harbour literary ambitions and this intensifies a sibling rivalry。 In Lubeck Thomas also starts to explore his sexuality。A family death means a move to Bavaria and Munich with its more Bohemian atmosphere。 Amongst the writers， poets and activists he meets the charismatic siblings Klaus and Katia who come from a rich non practicing Jewish family。 They have an almost twin-like telepathy。 Despite his homosexuality they marry and Katia then ensures that his writing processs not disturbed by anyone including his six children。We then follow the family to various locations as they are swept up by the tides of interwar history and later the post war period。Toibin explores much about identity in this novel。 One identity is that of national identity which became such an issue during these years。 What does being German mean？ What is Germany？ Here Mann's struggles to come to terms with his nationality are contrasted with those of his brother early in the book and then his two oldest children， Erika and Klaus who are political activists and speak out strongly against Nazism。 There is a lot of ambivalence for Mann in what he should do/ not do in this context。。 Later he struggles with how can a post war Germany be built？ Is there a collective responsibility for the Holocaust？ I Mann's sexual identity also shows "ambivalence"。 He is retracted throughout his life to boys/men 。 Is it just the repression and persecution of the time that leads him to marriage ？ His eldest children once again act as a contrast。Then there is his identity as a writer and the whole writing process。 Later in the book he contrasts writing with music and its more direct power。 It's intriguing to see where Toibin thinks his inspiration for his various novels comes from and how he develops these ideas in his books。 His fame as a writer then leads him to further identity issues in his public versus private persona。 Is he really a spokesperson for the whole of Germany？ If so which Germany？ What will he choose to do when he has a choice between a politically momentous reading and a family funeral？There is a lot that seems opaque about Mann。 He doesn't seem to have strong feelings and seems strangely removed 。 Is this because Toibin is indicating that it is what a writer writes that is important not linking his life biographically to a text？ Why doesn't he seem to be deeply affected by the various suicides and sufferings of family members？ Katia is another intriguing character。 After a stay in a Sanatorium she seems to retreat into the background， but what is really going on for her？ Is her "retreat" because we are seeing through Thomas's eyes ？The title seems to encapsulate some of the ambiguities"The Magician comes in many guises，" Elisabeth said。 In the novel the nickname arises when he performs magic trick for the children when Katia is away。 However the Magician is traditionally wise， clever and can take many guises just like the chameleon like Mann。。There are some wonderful set pieces。 Alma Mahler in particular is horrendously fascinating。 Erika has an energy that fizzes on the page。I haven't read any Thomas Mann novels myself but this might inspire me to do just that。 Toibin's novel is a masterpiece。 His prose is simple but lucid and his exploration of themes both nuanced and ambitious in scope。 。。。more

Come_read_with_me_ ，

Okay， let me start off by saying， I am a massive Colm Toibin fan。 His writing is phenomenal and this book is no different。 Colm has a way that his words capture the reader's imagination。 He is creative and his storytelling is on the next level。 That being said， I found myself not being fully engrossed in this book。 （Shocking， I know！）。 Don't get me wrong， I really enjoyed this book and the approach in which Toibin took， it just didn't have the same impact on me as Toibin's previous books。 I woul Okay， let me start off by saying， I am a massive Colm Toibin fan。 His writing is phenomenal and this book is no different。 Colm has a way that his words capture the reader's imagination。 He is creative and his storytelling is on the next level。 That being said， I found myself not being fully engrossed in this book。 （Shocking， I know！）。 Don't get me wrong， I really enjoyed this book and the approach in which Toibin took， it just didn't have the same impact on me as Toibin's previous books。 I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction。Thank you to the author， Netgalley， @Penguinukbooks and @Vikingbooksuk for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Sue ，

This beautifully written book is a fictionalized biography of Thomas Mann， the German author。 It begins with Thomas as a school boy in Lubeck， son of a prominent family who will become even more well known when he publishes his first novel， Buddenbrooks， at the young age of 23。 Encompassing most of his life， it spans the years from 1891 to the early 1950s。 Mann’s life and work had as its base the major events of those decades: World War I; the defeat of Germany accompanied by political and socia This beautifully written book is a fictionalized biography of Thomas Mann， the German author。 It begins with Thomas as a school boy in Lubeck， son of a prominent family who will become even more well known when he publishes his first novel， Buddenbrooks， at the young age of 23。 Encompassing most of his life， it spans the years from 1891 to the early 1950s。 Mann’s life and work had as its base the major events of those decades: World War I; the defeat of Germany accompanied by political and social instability and revolts; the rise and eventual takeover of the Nazi party in Germany; the Mann family in exile in Europe; Thomas Mann in the United States; the post WWII Cold War and return to Europe。 Against this background are the constants of Thomas’s life: his relationships with his family， his obsessive writing schedule， his wife Katia， and his longing for beautiful young men。 To be continued…A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Becca Smith ，

A very interesting read。 Loved the characters， loved the history。 So many changes over one life time and so many choices that have long term consequences。 Great read！

Bert ，

I recieved an ARC of this book from Goodreads。 It is not a book that i would normally read。 I learned alot about Thomas Mann。 I really wanted to love this book and I can't say that I did。 I thank Goodreads for the opportunity to read this book。 I recieved an ARC of this book from Goodreads。 It is not a book that i would normally read。 I learned alot about Thomas Mann。 I really wanted to love this book and I can't say that I did。 I thank Goodreads for the opportunity to read this book。 。。。more

Susan Dunker ，

A tour-de-force biographical novel about the German author Thomas Mann。

Clmelvin60gmail。Com ，

I picked this book because I read and very much liked Toibin’s “Brooklyn”。 In the way Paula McClain has novelized the lives of Beryl Markham and Hadley Hemingway， Toibin writes the life of the author Thomas Mann。 How he grew up in Germany to a strict German father and Brazilian mother and hides his homosexuality by marrying into one of the most respected Jewish families in Munich。 He wins the Nobel Prize， but as the Nazis rise to power， his books are burned and he flees to Switzerland and then A I picked this book because I read and very much liked Toibin’s “Brooklyn”。 In the way Paula McClain has novelized the lives of Beryl Markham and Hadley Hemingway， Toibin writes the life of the author Thomas Mann。 How he grew up in Germany to a strict German father and Brazilian mother and hides his homosexuality by marrying into one of the most respected Jewish families in Munich。 He wins the Nobel Prize， but as the Nazis rise to power， his books are burned and he flees to Switzerland and then America。 He fails to chastise the Nazis fearing further reprisals from publishers and American readers who want no part of another of Europe’s wars， though his children and his novelist brother have no problem doing so。 While Thomas Mann’s personal story is interesting， I found Toibin’s dialogue to be very stilted – almost like it was being translated from another language。 And I unfortunately have not been motivated to read any of Mann’s writings， nor， probably， any more of Toibin’s。 。。。more

Zoe Radley ，

- [ ] Magical- [ ] Atmospheric- [ ] Eerie- [ ] Poignant- [ ] Sometimes moving- [ ] There were flashes of moments where you felt something for each of the characters。- [ ] I did find myself not liking any of them， and found their relationships a bit odd。 I am not sure if I am a fan of Thomas Mann and after reading this novel I am now convinced that I am better off leaving his works alone。- [ ] But what Colm has done is breathed life and soul into a vanishing world and one that we all need to lear - [ ] Magical- [ ] Atmospheric- [ ] Eerie- [ ] Poignant- [ ] Sometimes moving- [ ] There were flashes of moments where you felt something for each of the characters。- [ ] I did find myself not liking any of them， and found their relationships a bit odd。 I am not sure if I am a fan of Thomas Mann and after reading this novel I am now convinced that I am better off leaving his works alone。- [ ] But what Colm has done is breathed life and soul into a vanishing world and one that we all need to learn from。 。。。more

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

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