Colm Toibin: The Magician, Viking (Penguin Random House UK) 9780241004616,

 C format Trade paperback, publication date: September 23, 2021

 

To read a new novel by Colm Toibin is always a pleasure, (thank you PRH for the galley) I love his exquisite writing and story-telling. Add the subject of Thomas Mann to his upcoming novel, to publish in September, and you know you are in for a real treat.  

I have to confess I have a hard time reading Thomas Mann's novels although he is one of Germany’s literary greats and a Nobel laureate to top it off. "Buddenbrooks" is still one of the most well-known German classics.  However his very dysfunctional family history and his biography provide fascinating material for several novels.  “The Magician”, as Mann was called by his family members, was an absolute delight to read, loved it.

Colm Toibin’s biographical novel follows Thomas Mann’s actual life very closely; his homosexual tendencies and fantasies which he most probably never acted out provided him with material for his novels causing quite a stir when published.  His sexual preference did not keep him from marrying the much younger Katia Pringsheim who came from a very wealthy, cultured Jewish family in Munich, they had six children over the years and became one of Germany’s most fascinating literary families with Erika, Klaus and Golo Mann their most prominent, outspoken children. All six siblings lived lives which were overshadowed by their emotionally absent, famous father.  As a couple Katia and Thomas remained devoted to each other until his death. The rise of the Nazis forced them into exile several times, first Switzerland, later France and eventually the US where they settled and were given citizenship and then back again to Switzerland.

The novel is not only an extensive, captivating story of their family with Katia the absolute ruling matriarch but also an excellent synopsis of world and German politics during their life time which greatly affected their lives.   The novel centers around Thomas Mann and Colm Toibin’s imaginative dialogues and thoughts are probably very close to what actually happend.. I was often shocked how emotionally inept Mann reacted to all the pain and misery surrounding him, his life focused and devoted to writing predominently.  

“The magician” is definitely one of my favorite literary reads of the year.