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The Magician
The Magician | Colm Toibin
From one of our greatest living writers comes a sweeping novel of unrequited love and exile, war and family. The Magician tells the story of Thomas Mann, whose life was filled with great acclaim and contradiction. He would find himself on the wrong side of history in the First World War, cheerleading the German army, but have a clear vision of the future in the second, anticipating the horrors of Nazism. He would have six children and keep his homosexuality hidden; he was a man forever connected to his family and yet bore witness to the ravages of suicide. He would write some of the greatest works of European literature, and win the Nobel Prize, but would never return to the country that inspired his creativity. Through one life, Colm Toibin tells the breathtaking story of the twentieth century. ___________________________________ ***Praise for Colm Tibn*** 'A celebration of what novels can do' Observer 'Devastatingly human . . . savage, sordid and hauntingly believable' Guardian 'Tremendous, richly beautiful, wonderful . . . it does everything we ought to ask of a great novel' Tessa Hadley 'Subtle and enthralling' Sunday Times
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

A bit meta. This is a novel about a real person (Nobel prize winner Thomas Mann) who writes novels based off real people of his time.
These fictions always fascinate me and send me down Google rabbit holes. How much is true? I wonder if the real.human would have been mad about the book.
Overall the book is a bit slow, but covers a large time period, Mann's life before WWI through the Cold war. Lots of family and gov.politics. I liked it.

35 likes1 stack add
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Cuilin
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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An imagined portrayal on the life of Thomas Mann whom I had heard of but never read. And now not sure I want to, hmm 🤔

MicheleinPhilly Wherever you are, it is gorgeous! 2y
Graywacke Fun review. I had imagined Mann weirdly likable and repressed. … and gorgeous picture! 2y
Cuilin @Graywacke Thanks, now that I‘ve finished the novel I think I will read Mann one day. Toibin‘s version does make him likable but Goodreads‘s reviews would put anyone off. 2y
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Cuilin @MicheleinPhilly Thanks. It‘s Rhodes and that is the Aegean Sea. Unfortunately I‘m no longer there. 2y
Graywacke @Cuilin I‘m sorry you had to leave. 😕 (i‘ve on read Magic Mountain…and only took in a little. I need to read a lot more Mann.) 2y
DivineDiana My husband recently read Magic Mountain. It had been among his books for many, many years. He was so enthralled with the brilliance of Mann, that he started 2y
DivineDiana I on the other hand will read The Magician first! 2y
54 likes7 comments
blurb
Cuilin
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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It‘s been awhile posting on Litsy but finally on vacation and reading. ❤️

Bookwomble Welcome back 👋☺️ 2y
Bookwormjillk Good to see you! Enjoy! 2y
Librarybelle Welcome back! 2y
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BarbaraBB Good to have you back! 2y
Ruthiella Welcome back! 😊 2y
71 likes6 comments
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Penny_LiteraryHoarders
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

What a remarkable piece of art. Gorgeous book. Seriously what a beautiful literary accomplishment. Loved it and it‘s so deserving of all the awards!

BookwormM Loved this I really need to read more Mann 2y
23 likes2 comments
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JackieGreco
The Magician | Colm Toibin
Mehso-so

I thought this story about the writer Thomas Mann was interesting but slightly dry. It was set during the first and second world wars in Germany but focused primarily on Mann. It was a good read but not incredible. 4/5

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charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin
Pickpick

With the caveat that I know nothing about Mann IRL, so can't comment on how "historical" it really is. For me much more gripping as the Mann family were forced into exile.

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charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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While Thomas thought that most of the Germans in Sanary, including Brecht and Walter Benjamin and Stefan Zweig, met merely to grumble in congenial company, Heinrich said that he discussed art and politics with them. ....
"You should spend more time with them,' Heinrich said. "They see beyond the war, and even beyond the peace. They meet to discuss ideas. Important books will come from this.'

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charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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It occurred to Thomas that since 1933 he had not often felt free to be very rude to anyone. Part of the daily grind of exile was that it was necessary to do a great deal of smiling and to say very little. He saw no reason, however, not to be rude now. He was in his own house and there was something so insolent about this little English man that he thought required a response.
'I'm afraid I cannot hear you at all,' he said in German.

Suet624 I can‘t wait to read this. 3y
charl08 @Suet624 I found the first half slow going, but his struggles over where to align himself from the 30s much more engaging. 3y
64 likes1 stack add2 comments
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charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin

At first, when books that offended the Nazis were burned in Berlin, Thomas was relieved that his own were not among them. But when Erika returned, she pointed out that all the important Ger man writers, including Heinrich and Klaus, and Brecht and Hermann Hesse, had their books tossed into the fire. It was hardly a badge of honour, she insisted, to be excluded from this.

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charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin

"They shot an Archduke! They shot an Archduke!'
At first, Thomas thought that it was the opening of a song ....
He was glad that Katia was upstairs as he grabbed Klaus and pointed threateningly at Erika.
'I don't want any more songs! No more songs!'
....
'It isn't a song anyway,' Erika said. 'It's the truth.'
"They shot an Archduke, Klaus said. 'You are the last to know.'
'What Archduke?' he asked.

36 likes1 stack add
review
KimM
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

“The Magician“ is the story of novelist Thomas Mann who won the 1929 Nobel prize in literature. Tóibín focuses on how a wealthy German family and famous author managed to survive despite political differences during the rise and subsequent rule of the Nazis. Excellent read.

#NetGalley #Scribner #TheMagician

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Brimful
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

An engrossing and challenging reimagined life of Thomas Mann that is brilliantly written. I loved the exploration of creative genius alongside the domestic and political challenges of Mann‘s life and times. I loved Toibin‘s The Master but this is possibly better. Highly recommended

BookwormM Loved this really need to read more Mann 3y
23 likes1 comment
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Brimful
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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He could imagine decency, but that was hardly a virtue in a time that had grown sinister. He could imagine humanism, but that made no difference in a time that exalted the will of the crowd. He could imagine a frail intelligence, but that meant little in a time that favoured brute strength. As the slow movement came gravely to an end , he realised that if he could summon the courage he would have to entertain evil in a book …

AmyG This book was so good. 3y
Brimful I agree. So many insights and brilliant writing 3y
18 likes2 comments
blurb
Brimful
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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This is the Christmas present I am most looking forward to reading! And the Litsy reviews make my anticipation even greater

BookwormM Great book 3y
10 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
charl08
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Someone at work asked me: wouldn't I be bored with nearly three weeks off?

SRWCF Oh, yes, so very bored...! 🙄 3y
Karisa 😂😂😂 3y
Susanita IKR! 3y
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Simona I loved, loved The Magician. I hope that you will like it too! 3y
Cathythoughts I‘d like to read The Island 3y
Crazeedi Did you burst out laughing, like who could ever be bored with a tbr overflowing! 3y
charl08 @SRWCF terribly, terribly bored (!) 3y
charl08 @Simona Thanks, I love Toibin so have high hopes 3y
charl08 @Crazeedi Not quite, but close. I was so ready for the books! 3y
80 likes11 comments
review
Kazzie
The Magician | Colm Toibin
Pickpick

I enjoyed the history of the first half of the 20th century. Interesting to see how progressive certain areas were even then (women‘s rights, queer rights)

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Abailliekaras
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

I loved this intimate portrait of Thomas Mann. It‘s a gentle book that lets the reader in, but the prose is masterful, witty & alive. I was transported to Germany & Switzerland between the wars, with Mann‘s Germanness (& later his crisis about this) & the elegant writing. Rich material, but Toibin avoids sentimentality. He finds quiet moments of drama - family tensions, repressed desire - that ring true & lets story & characters shine. A jewel.

Abailliekaras Also, Stefan Zweig vibes. 💕 3y
MrsMalaprop Almost started reading this yesterday. Great review 👍🏼 3y
ChaoticMissAdventures I just had this fall into my radar so your review is totally kismet for me! 3y
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Suet624 I‘m always excited to read any book by Toibin. 3y
Abailliekaras @MrsMalaprop thank you ☺️ 3y
Abailliekaras @ChaoticMissAdventures I hope you enjoy it. 3y
Abailliekaras @Suet624 me too ☺️ 3y
33 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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Lauren.Archer
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

This is the book I never knew I wanted to read. Colm Tóibín tells the sweeping story of author Thomas Mann. This was an author I have never even heard of, but and low and behold he was a Nobel Prize winner in literature. This is a long book, but the story is so rich and flowing and I was sad when it ended.

AmyG I just won this on Instagram and I am now excited to read it! 3y
67 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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vlwelser
The Magician | Colm Toibin
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Pickpick

I'm not totally sure what I was expecting from this but after a slow start it was really compelling. It's a fictionalized version of Thomas Mann's life. It turns out that he was a pretty interesting dude who lived about 100 years later than I thought he did. Seeing Germany during both world wars through his perspective was really interesting. His entire family was interesting.

#BookSpinBingo square 9
@TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 9/7/2021

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
44 likes1 comment