Even when he learns that it may not be safe to remain in the city any longer, von Aschenbach is unable to tear himself away from Venice and Tadzio…and eventually, as the title suggests, his obsession will lead to a death in Venice. Day by day, his infatuation with Tadzio grows he finds himself watching out for the boy entering the breakfast room each morning and then tries to secretly follow him around Venice. While in Venice, von Aschenbach becomes intrigued by Tadzio, a beautiful young Polish boy who is staying with his family in the same hotel. I have been to Venice myself, so I found the descriptions of Aschenbach’s approach over the lagoon, his ride in the gondola and his trip across to the Lido particularly vivid. Mann’s descriptions of Venice are beautifully written, even though at the time of Gustav von Aschenbach’s arrival the weather is dark, gloomy and oppressive, matching the overall mood of the story. He decides to travel in the hope that it will clear his mind and provide inspiration and the destination he settles on is Venice. I read all of them, but will concentrate here on Death in Venice as it is by far the most famous story in this collection and the one I was most interested in reading.ĭeath in Venice tells the story of Gustav von Aschenbach, an ageing author suffering from writer’s block. I did find a lot to like and appreciate in Mann’s writing, but I’m not convinced yet that he’s really an author for me.Īs well as the title novella, Death in Venice (1912), this edition includes six other stories by Thomas Mann. I chose the Thomas Mann simply because the book was a lot shorter and I could be sure of finishing it before the end of the month, but now that I’ve read it I wish I had gone with my heart and chosen Hans Fallada, whose books I have read before and loved.
When I decided to participate in this year’s German Literature Month (hosted by Caroline and Lizzy) I discovered that I already had two books by German authors unread on my shelves: Death in Venice and Other Stories by Thomas Mann and Wolf Among Wolves by Hans Fallada.
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