Wow, I discovered "The Magic Mountain" by Thomas Mann last year and enjoyed reading this book!
This year, as you may remember, I also started with books by a German author, this time it was Hermann Hesse - with great pleasure I read "Steppenwolf" and "The Game of Beads".
Thank you for the interesting video!
Greetings from Ukraine, which is bleeding but not giving up!

I'm so glad you identified Hans as a ship-builder rather than (as in the translation I used) as an engineer. Oh yes of course a ship-builder or boatwright is a marine engineer - tho perhaps that distinction is lost on our generation - but the former is exotic while the latter pedestrian, at least to the professional sensibility. However in the context of this story to distinguish between them helps explain why he resists joining his uncle: Naval yards were then the center, the hub, of German Militarism. The main character here knows far better than any ordinary person how near the country (and the world) is to war. Thus, his retreat to the mountain is at first tactical not random.

One thing which struck me about the novel is how the rigid rules and time-table at the sanatorium actually make him feel free. From an outsider viewpoint, it could feel like being in jail - on the contrary, he doesn't have to think about how he should fill his days and occupy his time anymore, so he can completely immerse himself into the present moment. I remember that I found this very interesting when I first read the book..

I am reading this book currently, about 100 pages in. I've never read classic stuff before, mostly just scifi, but I am absolutely loving it so far. It's really funny, and the characters are amazing. Hans is a really likeable character. I'm not very clever so struggle with parts, and I'm slow at reading, but I would like to read this again after I'm done, a few years later.

I began reading the book and came across this channel. I wasn’t able to get a clear picture of the architectural details from the text, so the photos you share are indispensable as a visual aid to supplement my reading. Thanks.
I put off reading The Magic Mountain for half a century because it seemed to daunting .

Thanks a lot for this video! I love this book dearly and rereading it for the third time now as part of the preproduction of my short animation film which is heavily inspired by the Magic Mountain. Thank you for your insights and perspective as a German speaker. I know German enough to be able to enjoy some passages and compare it with the translation (I am reading it in Russian but will check out English as well). I saw the film, again with Russian subs or translation, it's in very poor quality on YouTube.  And I must say some characters are very accurate. For example Settembrini is an absolute match, as well as Peeperkorn and Hans. While Charles Aznavour playing Naphta, not sure. I am Armenian, so Charles is very dear to my heart and I somehow don't associate him with Naphta, at least I find him    good looking :) Thank you for sharing the Thomas Mann Project, it's a real treasure!

The older we become, the longer we've lived, the lower a percentage a year is of our lives, and so thus each year seems shorter than the previous ones, exponentially

I just heard a clip by Joseph Campbell comparing The Magic Mountain to Faust and became interested in reading it.  I was pleasantly surprised to find your book club discussing it. 👍

I'm new to your channel, but I've just had a wonderful time watching your video. The warm, cozy atmosphere of the room around you, the soothing quietness of your tone of voice.. You make the world feel like a safe and friendly place again.. Not to mention the memories of reading "The Magic Mountain" years ago brought back by your comments ("a time capsule" as they say), I will certainly revisit the book and send you my impressions. Best regards from France !

One of my top ten books ever. I've read it twice. The rivalry between the humanist Septembrini and the hidebound Naphta is unforgettable. Likewise the mesmerising romance between Hans Castorp and Claudia Chauchat,

I read Der Zauberberg in the 1980s in an excellent Portuguese translation, A Montanha Mágica.

Wonderful introduction to one of my favorite novels. Thanks!

Oh what a lovely video and idea, Maria! I will definitely join the book club and send you an email with my thoughts.

I think I'll get a copy in my native Swedish. It somehow feels closer to the original German than reading it in English haha. There is an early translation by the famous author Karin Boye, who herself also was gay and tried to live in a marriage with a man before divorcing and spending the rest of her life with her partner. (If you want to read something by her, and practice your Norwegian/Swedish, there is a simple but beautiful poem called Morgon from her 1922 collection Moln which can be read online :) ) Her translation seems to be difficult to get a hold of though, so I might have to go with a newer one.

Excited to go on this journey with everybody!

Thank you for these insights and for sharing your passion for this beautiful book. I am rereading this book after a five-year break. When I first read it, I felt bogged down by all the references that were beyond me. This time the book's complexity does not overwhelm me. I am just enjoying all the detail and love. The passing of Joachim is so sad, Mann handles it with solemnity. I wish I could read the original German but this English translation by Woods is precise. Happy reading!

please do more videos on Faust! they are the best on the internet.

Still a masterplace. I need to reread from the days of my teenage years.

Lovely, deservedly to see your Subscriber count perpetually rising. Well done Maria, great original content that is derived from your mind and thoughts, so refreshing thank you you Lovely Woman

Thanks alot amazing video ❤

One moment in the book that remains significant for me is the duel between Settembrini and Naphta. These two, who are arguing a conflict before it begins, have retreated from the world but carry its conflicts with them. The resolution of that fight and the absurd nature of getting to the actual day of restoring their honour combine to illustrate the many complexities of living in the world. Our minds and senses produce ourselves or are ourselves. There are many varities of experience. The pain of those things being unable to exist close together brings still further misery. But for most of the novel, those two teachers keep each other company. To see it from the third person, as a reader, and only see the lack of reason leading to destruction, is to miss the opportunity to be an individual and choose a side. With all the significance set aside for a moment, the fact about the pistols was worthy of a hearty laugh, and I hope that is a piece of humor easily seen by that point in the novel. I do not know German, so your explanations are enlightening to my reading of The Magic Mountain.

Fantastic video, I hv to buy the book asap lol