The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
In this novel, the protagonist, a young, ordinary man, visits his cousin at a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Swiss Alps. Intending to stay for only a few weeks, he ends up remaining there for seven years, becoming a patient himself. The book explores his experiences and relationships with other patients and staff, delving into philosophical discussions on life, time, and the nature of disease. It also provides a vivid portrayal of the European society and intellectual life on the eve of World War I.
The 40th greatest book of all time
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This book is on the following lists:
- 2nd on Best Foreign Work of Fiction Chosen by Francophone Writers (French literary magazine Transfuge)
- 3rd on Best German Novels of the Twentieth Century (Wikipedia)
- 3rd on The 100 Greatest Novels (greatbooksguide.com)
- 6th on El Pais Favorite Books of 100 Spanish Authors (El Pais)
- 7th on The 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century (Folha de São Paulo)
- 7th on 100 Best Novels, in Translation, Since 1900 (CounterPunch)
- 8th on The Greatest Stories Ever Told (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- 9th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 14th on Kanon na koniec wieku (Canon at the end of the century) (Rzeczpospolita (newspaper))
- 22nd on Big Read (German) (Germany)
- 33rd on The 100 Best Books of World Literature (ABC.es)
- 40th on Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century (Le Monde)
- 72nd on The Top 10: The Greatest Books of All Time (The Top 10 (Book))
- 90th on Big Read (Hungarian) (Hungaria)
- 107th on The 500 best books of all time from Culture Café users (Culture Café)
- 155th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 162nd on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 100 Most Influential Books of the Century (Boston Public Library)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- Världsbiblioteket (The World Library) (Tidningen Boken)
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)
- How to Read and Why (Harold Bloom)
- The Bigger Read List (English PEN)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- Der Kanon (The Canon) (Der Kanon)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (BookList)
- William H. F. Lamont’s 100 Best Novels (1947) (archive.org)
- Books of the Century (The Age (Newspaper))
- Top 100 Works in World Literature (Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute)