Death in Venice
Controversial
Enigmatic
Gross

Death in Venice

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Reviews

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𓆨@viridiantre
1 star
Mar 14, 2024

meh

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jack@statebirds
5 stars
Jan 27, 2024

super awesome. my third mann and it’s probably the most distilled exploration of the same themes of obligation/indulgence, love/sickness, etc. nothing super new here besides an intense compactness that isn’t in the longer stuff. i think it works just as well as the longer works, so this would probably be a good starting point but i don’t think it’s better than magic mountain or buddenbrooks. pretty shocked that this lived up to those though tbh. awesome mid-finals on-the-train-to-oberlin read

Photo of Ivy X
Ivy X@poisonivayy
4 stars
Jan 10, 2023

Read for Complit-obsessions, passions, and desires class Probably would give it a 3.5. There's a lot of description in this story revolving around a writer who is obsessed with the beauty of this boy. Enjoy the analysis I get in class from this book. Interesting.

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Trever@kewlpinguino
2 stars
Jul 2, 2022

2.5/5. Although it grabbed me with its style, Death in Venice lacked something. It felt detached from the characters, despite being able to dig into Gustav von Aschenbach's mind. The prose was more focused on physical description and philosophical musings than the psychological depth of the characters. But maybe it's just me, I don't know.

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Emmett@rookbones
5 stars
May 30, 2022

Not a difficult read from cover to cover, but the story's beautifully textured narrative, rich in allusions and symbolism, only begin to sink in when thoroughly considered and reread, of which it is deserving of. Mann's effusive but deliberate prose is breathtakingly beautiful, and warrants revisitations on that merit alone. Effusive but deliberate is an admirable middle-point, an exquisite undertaking. Mann translated by Heim obtains this feeling of never being too excessive, that Mann is generous at times but also sparing, fully knowing the power of each word. As Cunningham observes in his engaging introduction (which is a good read for anyone), Heim's translation deftly attempts to dignify our aging, obsessed artist; while I'm not entirely sure in the end how successfully that could be done (after all, near the ending our artist ironically becomes that "superannuated dandy" which so inspired horror in him at the beginning of the novel), one feels a quiet sense of respect at Heim's work, and towards Aschenbach himself - as writer, as person. That Mann too was concerned about "the artist's dignity" in this novella is a further reason for approval.

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Barbara Williford@barbarawilliford
1 star
May 7, 2022

DNF!!! No one else has a problem that this “literary classic” is just a book about pedophilia? It’s not even a well written book. It’s as if the author is trying to show off how many words he can use as his main character stalks an adolescent boy around Europe lusting after him. NO! JUST NO!

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Christopher McCaffery@cmccafe
2 stars
Feb 8, 2022

It was OK.

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Allison Raines@sacredspheres
4 stars
Jan 27, 2022

4.5

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Tina@lucreziaborgia
2.5 stars
Mar 31, 2024
+3
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amasi@neipasomoh
5 stars
Jan 8, 2024
Photo of Brett Lister
Brett Lister@blister13
3 stars
Sep 16, 2022
Photo of Alex Noble
Alex Noble@alexnoble
4 stars
Aug 3, 2024
Photo of Rocío de la Hera
Rocío de la Hera@rdlhbooks
4 stars
Jul 25, 2024
Photo of Jackson Weaver
Jackson Weaver@jacksonweaver
4 stars
Jul 4, 2024
Photo of Jackson Weaver
Jackson Weaver@jacksonweaver
5 stars
Jul 4, 2024
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nen@petitfleurdumal
4 stars
May 5, 2024
Photo of Sarah Sammis
Sarah Sammis@pussreboots
5 stars
Apr 4, 2024
Photo of Sonia Grgas
Sonia Grgas@sg911911
2 stars
Feb 23, 2024
Photo of Tom Gregson
Tom Gregson@gregsonog
4 stars
Feb 18, 2024
Photo of Maurice FitzGerald
Maurice FitzGerald@soraxtm
5 stars
Dec 10, 2023
Photo of Ana Salas
Ana Salas@anitaluvs2read
3 stars
Oct 21, 2023
Photo of Martin Heuer
Martin Heuer@maddin
4 stars
Sep 21, 2023
Photo of Martin Heuer
Martin Heuer@maddin
4 stars
Sep 21, 2023
Photo of Vladimir
Vladimir@vkosmosa
4 stars
May 7, 2023

Highlights

Photo of Brett Lister
Brett Lister@blister13

But in empty, unarticulated space our mind loses its sense of time as well, and we enter the twilight of the immeasurable.