Thomas Mann: New Selected Stories

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Sparkling new translations illuminate the humor and poignancy of Mann's best stories, including his masterpiece, newly translated into English for the first time in nearly a century. Often seen as a dry and forbidding writer, Mann's fiction is actually lively, humane, and sometimes hilarious. Award-winning translator Damion Searls sheds light on this underappreciated aspect of Mann's genius through fresh renderings of his short works. The centerpiece, "Chaotic World and Childhood Sorrow," is a subtle masterpiece that reveals the emotional significance of everyday life, portraying the bourgeois Cornelius family as they navigate straitened circumstances in hyperinflationary Weimar Germany. The volume also features an excerpt from Mann's first novel, Buddenbrooks, which was a sensation upon its release. While "Death in Venice" is Mann's most famous story, it was originally intended to be paired with a comedic tale, included here as "Confessions of a Con Artist, by Felix Krull." Additionally, "Louisey," a story of sexual humiliation, offers insight into Mann's lifelong ambivalence about the power of art. This collection is both revelatory and transformative, showcasing the depth and range of Mann's literary brilliance.