Death in Venice

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mann, Thomas, 1875-1955

Contributor:

Burke, Kenneth, 1897-1993

Standardized Title:

Der Tod in Venedig. English

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Death in Venice" by Thomas Mann is a novella written in the early 20th century. The story follows the life of Gustav von Aschenbach, a once-renowned writer whose journey becomes a profound exploration of beauty, desire, and the intersection of life and art. As he travels to Venice, he becomes infatuated with a beautiful young boy named Tadzio, which ultimately leads him to confront his own mortality and the frailty of human existence. The opening of the novella introduces Gustav von Aschenbach, who is exhausted from his creative struggles and seeks solace in a walk through Munich's English Gardens. Overwhelmed by feelings of longing and restlessness, Aschenbach encounters a peculiar stranger that sparks in him a powerful desire for travel. This indicates a significant turning point in his life, setting the stage for his fateful journey to Venice. The narrative strikes a contemplative tone as it delves into his introspections on life, creativity, and the fatal allure of beauty, foreshadowing the conflicts that will arise as he becomes enamored with Tadzio in the city of canals. This excerpt not only highlights the character's emotional state but also introduces the themes of artistic struggle, desire, and eventual decay that permeate the work. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Laura Natal Rodrigues at Free Literature (Images generously made available by Hathi Trust Digital Library.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 63.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_Venice

Release date is 2021-08-16