Just finished Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks.
In prospect, it wasn't for me at all: a 731 page family saga that describes the excruciatingly slow decline of a prosperous merchant family in 19th century Germany. Yet after I'd got past the first 60 pages, I didn't want it ever to finish. It's just fantastic, certainly one of the best books I've ever read.
There are many books that we encounter at the wrong stage in our lives - we're either too young or too old for them. Sadly, most of the books we read in high school fit into that category. But just occasionally, a book really closely matches where we are and the way we see the world.
Buddenbrooks certainly isn't for eveyone, but I loved it. I'm looking forward to reading more Thomas Mann.
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500/363/573 @ 220 belt only
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