The Magic Mountain

In this masterpiece of intellectual fiction, Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann takes you to a sanatorium in the Swiss Alps-a community devoted to sickness that becomes a microcosm for Europe's prewar society. Young Hans Castorp planned a three-week visit to his tubercular cousin, only to find himself mysteriously drawn to the isolated mountain retreat. As his stay stretches from months to years, Hans falls under the influence of the remarkable residents: the humanist Settembrini, the nihilistic Naphta, and the captivating Clavdia Chauchat. Through their philosophical debates and seductive charisma, Hans's perception of time, identity, and meaning undergoes a profound transformation. Mann's rich symbolism and meditative prose explore the enigmatic nature of time, the seduction of intellectual surrender, and the fragility of Western civilization on the brink of catastrophe. The Magic Mountain stands as one of the most influential works of twentieth-century literature-a novel of ideas that continues to mesmerize and challenge readers nearly a century after its original publication. This edition includes footnoted translations of the French, Italian, and other foreign phrases in the original (including a translation of the rather erotic section "Walpurgis-Night"), improving the reader's understanding of this erudite but powerful and moving novel.