Paul Thomas Mann was a German writer and one of the most important storytellers of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929.
Thomas Mann regarded his monumental retelling of the biblical story of Joseph as his magnum opus. He conceived of the four parts-The Stories of Jacob, Young Joseph, Joseph in Egypt, and Joseph the Provider-as a unified narrative, a mythological novel of Joseph's fall into slavery and his rise to be lord over Egypt.
"Sparkling new translations highlight the humor and poignancy of Mann's best stories--including his masterpiece, in its first English translation in nearly a century. A towering figure in the pantheon of twentieth-century literature, Thomas Mann has often been perceived as a dry and forbidding writer--"the starched collar," as Bertolt Brecht once called him. But in fact, his fiction is lively, humane, sometimes hilarious. In these fresh renderings of his best short work, award-winning translator Damion Searls casts new light on this underappreciated aspect of Mann's genius. The headliner of this volume, "Chaotic World and Childhood Sorrow" (in its first new translation since 1936)--a subtle masterpiece that reveals the profound emotional significance of everyday life--is Mann's tender but sharp-eyed portrait of the "Bigs" and "Littles" of the bourgeois Cornelius family as they adjust to straitened circumstances in hyperinflationary Weimar Germany. Here, too, is a free-standing excerpt from Mann's first novel, Buddenbrooks--a sensation when it was first published. "Death in Venice" (also included in this volume) is Mann's most famous story, but less well known is that he intended it to be a diptych with another, comic story--included here as "Confessions of a Con Artist, by Felix Krull." "Louisey"--a tale of sexual humiliation that gives a first glimpse of Mann's lifelong ambivalence about the power of art--rounds out this revelatory, transformative collection"-- Provided by publisher
Buddenbrooks, first published in Germany in 1901, when Mann was only twenty-six, has become a classic of modern literature. It is the story of four generations of a wealthy bourgeois family in northern Germany facing the advent of modernity; in an uncertain new world, the family’s bonds and traditions begin to disintegrate. As Mann charts the Buddenbrooks’ decline from prosperity to bankruptcy, from moral and psychic soundness to sickly piety, artistic decadence, and madness, he ushers the reader into a world of stunning vitality, pieced together from births and funerals, weddings and divorces, recipes, gossip, and earthy humor. In its immensity of scope, richness of detail, and fullness of humanity, buddenbrooks surpasses all other modern family chronicles. With remarkable fidelity to the original German text, this superb translation emphasizes the magnificent scale of Mann’s achievement in this riveting, tragic novel.
The mid-fifties were a challenging time for all African Americans. Especially in the Jim Crow South where author Thomas Mann, Jr. grew up. Even though slavery had been abolished with the 13th Amendment on December 6th, 1895, blacks were still enslaved in other ways-such as the unspoken rules his grandmother reminded him of before he was allowed to venture out into his segregated community. The author writes, "The tension created by the oppressor and the oppressed was so tight, at times, I felt it would snap. My family and I tried not to disobey these rules, because we knew that you could be beaten up, jailed, spat upon, or hanged with just one wrong move that defied the unspoken code of deference to the white man." In The Call to Serve, the author reveals what it was like to grow up during this oppressive time in our nation's history and how he chose to rise above this oppression by earning a law degree and serving as a state senator and civil rights attorney. In the pages of his book, he shares the struggles and successes of a decorated career that spanned more than four decades.
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Culturally significant, this reproduction preserves the integrity of the original artifact, including copyright references and library stamps. It reflects the knowledge base of civilization, making it an essential resource for scholars and readers interested in historical texts. The work aims to maintain authenticity while providing insight into its historical context.
Exploring the deep bond between a man and his dog, this memoir blends personal narrative with vivid insights into the psychology of both Thomas Mann and his canine companion, Bashan. Mann recounts the story of acquiring Bashan and delves into the dog's unique traits, while also reflecting on their peaceful hunting adventures together. The writing captures the essence of their relationship, revealing profound emotional connections and the joys of companionship in a bucolic setting.