The Magician by Colm Tóibín
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
He liked the idea of traveling with someone whom he could not trust completely. It would encourage him, even more than usual, to share no secrets.
Although I’ve wanted to, I’ve never read a book by Colm Tóibín before and nor have I read any books by Thoman Mann, so I am not exactly sure why I requested this ARC when I saw it but I am so glad I did.
This is the story of Thomas Mann from when he was a young child to his death. It covers decades of history contextualized within Mann’s life. It covers his family dynamics for his family of origin and then his relationship with his wife, his children and more.
It has a lot of backstory about his books and how they came to be. How they were received, what they meant to him and his life.
More than anything, he wished to live intensely in the voracious moments before this, in the sure knowledge that it would happen.
It also has a lot of the politics of the time. As a German who was in Germany all throughout the beginning of World War II, there is a lot of politics and the impact its had on his life (and books, and family, etc.)
There is so much interesting content here and it’s so incredibly well-told that I could not stop reading it. The family issues, suicide, politics, sibling rivalry, fatherhood, being gay at a time when it was not acceptable, fleeing war, citizenship and belonging, being an artist, writing novels, marriage, and so so much more is covered in this beautiful book.
He wanted to tell Golo, who was now thirty-two, that Elisabeth had declared that after the age of thirty no one had the right to blame their parents for anything.
I am so very glad that I requested this novel and I cannot recommend it enough.
with gratitude to edelweiss and Scribner for an advanced copy in return for an honest review
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