The Magic Mountain - Thomas Mann
Since Philosophy forum is no longer around I guess I'll just put this here. It's more than just a novel, it's a book that speaks to our political time.
I just read one of the most incredible books I've ever experienced. I think this is a time in our history some may benefit from it. It's humanity stripped to it's basic parts, parts that have followed us since civilization began. It's a masterpiece, a Nobel prize winner and thought to be one of the top ten most influential works of the twentieth century.
Beginning around 1900, it's the story of young man who visited his cousin at a sanatorium in the Alps for three weeks but ended up staying seven years. It has a subtle humor that's dark at times but other times outright hilarious. It's philosophy, history, quackery, political, becomes surreal and quite prophetic. Originally written in German, the English grammar and punctuation can be a bit daunting but not a big problem. Just beware of the omnipotent narrator. You can trip on that guy.
Thomas Mann began writing this before WWI, took a break during the war then finished it in 1924, the effect of which makes it a signpost for our time.
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Take a deep breath and dive in. For me, the effort was fun, poignant and beyond insightful.
D7