-Five Stories by Thomas Mann*

W 1977 Thomas Mann, Franklin Library Edition

Notes

Five Stories by Thomas Mann is a collection that highlights the depth and diversity of his literary genius, with each story exploring different facets of human experience and societal issues.

• Death in Venice is a haunting novella about an aging writer's obsessive infatuation with a young boy in Venice, exploring themes of beauty, decadence, and the destructive power of desire.
• Tonio Kröger reflects Mann's own struggles as an artist, depicting the inner conflict between bourgeois respectability and the artist's need for creativity and individuality.
• Mario and the Magician is an allegorical tale set in Italy, where a magician's sinister power over the crowd serves as a critique of totalitarianism and the dangers of mass manipulation.
• Disorder and Early Sorrow portrays the disintegration of a professor's family life in post-World War I Germany, capturing the societal and personal upheavals of the time.
• Felix Krull is a humorous and ironic story of a charming con artist, blending satire with a commentary on the fluid nature of identity and the art of deception.

Each of these stories reflects Mann's keen insight into human psychology, social dynamics, and the broader cultural currents of his time.

Description

Black leather hardback edition with gold embossed detailing on front and back cover and spine with gold lettering on spine, gold fore edge, four raised bands, and beige silk bookmark. Pristine Franklin Library edition.