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Product Description
From Kirkus Reviews
Book Description
"Doctor Faustus is Mann's deepest artistic gesture. . . . Finely translated by John E. Woods." --The New Republic
Thomas Mann's last great novel, first published in 1947 and now newly rendered into English by acclaimed translator John E. Woods, is a modern reworking of the Faust legend, in which Germany sells its soul to the Devil. Mann's protagonist, the composer Adrian Leverkühn, is the flower of German culture, a brilliant, isolated, overreaching figure, his radical new music a breakneck game played by art at the very edge of impossibility. In return for twenty-four years of unparalleled musical accomplishment, he bargains away his soul--and the ability to love his fellow man.
Leverkühn's life story is a brilliant allegory of the rise of the Third Reich, of Germany's renunciation of its own humanity and its embrace of ambition and nihilism. It is also Mann's most profound meditation on the German genius--both national and individual--and the terrible responsibilities of the truly great artist.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Major mistakes in the translation,
By Music Lover (Williamstown) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend (Paperback)
The work itself has been well-reviewed here. But Woods's translation, at least in the hardcover edition, makes some huge mistakes with musical terminology. The worst is the translation of the German pitch "B" as B in English: it should be B-flat, as the German pitch "H" is our B. This makes a world of difference in the discussion of musical passages, and in general one finds that Woods is not the most felicitous translater of musical concepts. It's a shame, because musical concepts are absolutely central to the concerns of the novel.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hardly bearable,
By
This review is from: Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend (Paperback)
Mann's gorgeous, rich prose cannot save this dull, plodding tale from being an ordeal to read. The same density of language which charms the reader in the beginning becomes an irritant as hundreds of pages pass and almost literally nothing happens. Characters are well drawn, but in gloomy colors which evoke no sympathy. Not a single character stands as a hero; few are even likable. The narrator is a long-winded bore. In many respects, Adrian, the subject of this fictitious biography, remains inscrutable to the very end. Having loved THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN, I persevered to the end in the hope of finding something to make the time invested seem worthwhile. I was disappointed.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Major Achievement,
By
This review is from: Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend (Paperback)
An appropriate axiom drawn from this book - "If you seek to do hard things you'll have it hard."This book is not an easy read - you'll have it hard - but it's worth the effort. The prose style is complex, perhaps partly due to the long windedness of the German language but also due to Mann's prose style. However, it is enjoyable and pleasantly challenging in its complexity, convoluted in a charming way. My own knowledge of music theory is really too limited to have gotten much out of the occasional passage regarding the development of music. If you are not "au fait" with counterpoint, polyphony, chords and harmony you will have to drudge through these sections but they are few. Despite not being an aficionado of classical music, I enjoyed the discussion of Beethoven and how not being able to hear was in some way liberating to him as a composer. I can see parallels between the idea that Leverkuhn is trying to somehow move music forward in an age where it is difficult to avoid being accused of rehashing the old or find something new which is actually worth listening to and Mann's experience as a writer, trying to move the novel forward in a fresh new way. In the same way that Lvekuhn adheres to a rigid system and tries to develop something free and beatiful within the constricts of that system, I wonder if Mann is not also attempting something similar in literature. I found it interesting to read what is essentially an apology from a German humanist for the terrible deeds of his nation during its Nazi love affair. I think I will read something lighter to rest my weary brain but I am now a fan of Herr Mann.
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