L2L Thomas Mann

“Mario and the Magician”

Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann was one of the premier authors of the twentieth century — from novels such as Buddenbrooks and The Magic Mountain to shorter pieces like “A Death in Venice” and “Tonio Kröger.” He was also one of the most affected by the politics of the time, starting in Germany and moving to Switzerland and then to the United States, which became a beacon for exiled German authors. This week, Leigh, P. T., and Dr. C look at the life and work of Thomas Mann, particularly after he lost his taste for authoritarianism after the end of World War I. He was quite supportive of the Weimar Republic and was interested in individual ethics and whether creativity changes the equation.