The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Mann

Description

Key dimensions of Thomas Mann's writing and life are explored in this collection of specially commissioned essays. In addition to introductory chapters on all the main works of fiction, the essays and diaries, there are four chapters examining Mann's oeuvre in relation to major themes. These thematic explorations include his position as a realistic writer concerned with the history of his own times and as a commentator on German and American politics; his controversial reputation as an intellectual novelist; the literary techniques that enabled his challenging fictions to appeal to a wide audience; and the homosexual subtext running through his fiction and diaries. A final chapter looks at the pitfalls of translating Mann into English. The essays are well supported by supplementary material including a chronology of the period and detailed guides to further reading. Altogether the volume provides an invaluable resource for scholars and students.

Ritchie Robertson is Professor of German at Oxford University and Fellow and Tutor of St John's College, Oxford. He is the author of Kafka: Judaism, Politics, and Literature (1985) and Heine (1988), which have also been published in German translation, and The 'Jewish Question' in German Literature, 1749-1939 (1999). He has also published numerous translations from German, including works by Heine and Hoffmann. He is an editor of The Modern Language Review.

'Those who look for new insights into Mann's novels and shorter fiction will not be disappointed.' Modern Language Review