Buddenbrooks

by Thomas Mann
List(s):"Racine Library List"
Category: "Fiction - General"
Pages:648
Year of Publication:1929
Date Added:04/29/2009
Date Read:01/15/2010
Notes:The story of the Buddenbrooks family of Prussian wheat brokers who have always been very proud of their status in the community. It concerns itself mostly with the generation that lived in the mid-1800s. Gerda, the youngest, died young. Christian, a weak man wasted his life and ended up in a sanitorium. Antoine was shallow, but two divorces (neither her fault) and other calamities made her resolute. Thomas inherited the business and worried himself into an early grave. His son, Johann was a weakling, uninterested in business or school who found joy only in music. He died when he was 16, leaving the family with little money, no men and no business.
My Rating: 5

Reviews for Buddenbrooks

Review - Buddenbrooks

I've read several similar books and haven't really cared for any of them. Only those who think there is some merit to inherited aristocracy could care what happens to the Buddenbrooks. I don't, and I don't. It was just barely interesting enough to keep reading. The only character who had a chance to be interesting was Antoine (Tony) who had an early chance to rebel and marry for love, but she passed it up to do what was best for the family and ended up with a self-absorbed scoundrel and a miserable life.

Reviewed by Roger on 2010-01-15 21:29:16

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