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A review by justbill82
Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann
4.0
FINALLY. Really mixed feelings here. This book is insanely bloated, and if you don't love the idea of 600 pages of third person exposition on early 20th century views on Egyptian and Biblical history and Mann's own concepts of theology, this would be exhausting. I sort-of like that stuff, but it certainly can be trying at times.
That said, the actual events of the story are really well handled, and Mann hooks you and teases you with events you know are coming in a masterful style. If anything he assumes you know the story inside and out and uses that as the lure to get to the next step of the tale. The book shines at moments of importance in the biblical story, and the translator really gives us some beautiful prose. It is a colossal book, and the fact that I kept reading shows he "had me", but this was not as good as Buddenbrooks.
That said, the actual events of the story are really well handled, and Mann hooks you and teases you with events you know are coming in a masterful style. If anything he assumes you know the story inside and out and uses that as the lure to get to the next step of the tale. The book shines at moments of importance in the biblical story, and the translator really gives us some beautiful prose. It is a colossal book, and the fact that I kept reading shows he "had me", but this was not as good as Buddenbrooks.