"Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there"-Rumi I find this a difficult work to review. On the one hand, I’m impressed by the complexity of the narrative, its catchy imagery, the richness of the symbolism and the layers of meaning which Thomas Mann was able to give such a short work. On the other hand, a plot involving an older man becoming obsessed with and following a beautiful young boy is designed to make 21st century readers feel uncomfortable. Or at least, it’s designed to make me feel uncomfortable like Lolita by Nabokov. In short, Gustav von Ashenbach takes a trip to Venice. Here, he is attracted to a young boy. Most of this short book consists of his thoughts about this boy. He never speaks to this boy but he follows him whenever he can and lusts for him, seeing him as an innocent thing of beauty. His passion takes over and he becomes quite ridiculous as he tries to make himself look younger. In the meantime, Venice is undergoing some sort of plague which the authorities try to hide from the people although rumors are flying. Gustav has a chance to warn the other guests in the hotel, including the boy's family, but his own inner thoughts seem to prevent him from speaking to them at all. The book's writing is really beautiful and covered with the meaning of this one man's hunt of beauty at the end of his life. Mann sure does know how to use his words. The reader gets to see his dreams, his hesitancy and his complicated thought process and I felt pure pleasure just letting my eyes move across the page and grasp the atmosphere Thomas Mann created. Clearly, this is a work of art and has stood the test of time like Lolita. All in all, the literary richness and the dence beauty of Mann's prose at lest demand you read this.

Venedik'te ÖlümThomas Mann · Can Yayınları · 20073,674 okunma

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