The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg) is a 1924 novel by Thomas Mann and one of the most influential works of 20th century German literature.

Summary

The protagonist is Hans Castorp, who visits his cousin Joachim Ziemßen in a sanatorium in Davos in the Swiss Alps before World War I. Castorp's departure is repeatedly delayed by his failing health, what at first looks like a cold, develop into the symptoms of tuberculosis. In the end, Castorp remains in the morbid atmosphere of the sanatorium for seven years. At the end of the novel, the war begins, Castorp is drafted into the military, and his imminent death on the battlefield is suggested.

Durin his stay, Castorp he meets and learns from a variety of characters, who are together a microcosm of pre-war Europe. These include the humanist and encyclopedist Lodovico Settembrini, the jesuit Leo Naphta, and his romantic interest Madame Chauchat.

Significance

The Magic Mountain is a classic example of the German bildungsroman, but also as a parody of the genre. Many elements are present: like the protagonist of a typical bildungsroman, Castorp leaves home and learns about art, politics, and love. Especially, the discussion with and between Settembrini and Naphta introduce Castor to a wide spectrum of ideologies. However, where the classical bildungsroman would end by having "formed" Castorp into a mature member of society, the Magic Mountain ends cynically, leaving him bereft of any individuality, to die as an anonymous conscript on some battlefield of World War I.

A translation into English by John E. Woods was published in 1996, ISBN 0679772871 .