Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

Mario and the Magician

& other stories

Mann’s short stories explore his abiding interest in the split nature of humanity and the discordance of the world it inhabits. In ‘A Man and his Dog’, domestic tempests are symbols of the muddle of humanity. In ‘The Black Swan’, the demands of intellect clash with physical desires. And in ‘Mario and the Magician’ a young family on holiday in Italy encounters a creepy entertainer: Cipolla, a hypnotist with a fascist-like will to control his audience.

Written between 1918 and 1953, this collection shows the literary development of one of Germany’s most important writers.

The greatest German novelist of the 20th century

Spectator

About Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann (1875-1955) is regarded by many as the greatest German novelist of the 20th century. Mann’s first major novel, Buddenbrooks, sold over a million copies in Germany alone, before Hitler banned and burned it. Mann fled Germany and spent the latter part of his life living in Switzerland and America. He wrote many essays as well as novels, and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929.
Details
  • Imprint: Vintage Classics
  • ISBN: 9780749386627
  • Length: 368 pages
  • Dimensions: 120mm x 24mm x 130mm
  • Weight: 262g
  • Price: £10.99
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