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A meticulous writer in his fifties, Aschenbach is accustomed to order and self‑discipline. After a restless day of work in Munich, he takes a solitary walk, his mind buzzing with the “continuous motion of the soul.” The crisp spring air and the quiet of the city’s outskirts invite him to reflect, and a chance encounter with a striking stranger sparks a subtle shift in his thoughts.
Compelled by a yearning he cannot name, Aschenbach boards a train that will carry him to the luminous canals of Venice. There, the city’s languid heat and timeless beauty awaken a dormant longing, drawing him into an obsessive fascination with a young, radiant figure he sees on the beach. As the days slip by, his once‑steady routine loosens, and the line between artistic inspiration and personal desire begins to blur, setting the stage for a haunting exploration of beauty, aging, and the pull of an irresistible ideal.
Language
de
Duration
~2 hours (169K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-04-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1875–1955
A master of modern European fiction, his novels and novellas explore art, illness, family, and moral crisis with unusual psychological depth. Best known for Buddenbrooks, Death in Venice, and The Magic Mountain, he became one of the defining literary voices of the 20th century.
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by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann

by Thomas Mann