The Magic MountainThe Magic Mountain
Score Classic
What it's about
Before the First World War, Hans Castorp, a young German engineer, goes to visit his cousin at a tuberculosis sanatorium high in the Swiss Alps, planning to stay three weeks. He stays seven years. Up on the mountain, time warps, and Hans drifts through a strange, enclosed world of patients, doctors, philosophical debates and a fascinating Russian woman, Clavdia Chauchat.
Why it's worth reading
It's on both the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It's a novel of ideas about time, illness and Europe before its collapse, and it's surprisingly funny.
You'll love it if you liked
Buddenbrooks
War and Peace
The Alexandria QuartetGood to know
It's very long and slow by design. The long debates between Settembrini and Naphta lose some readers. John E. Woods's translation is the most readable.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller39 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving
More by Thomas Mann
If you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
A Room of One's Own
Angle of ReposeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Magic Mountain worth reading?
Yes. It's on both the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and Le Monde's list of the books of the century. It ranks #642 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Magic Mountain about?
Before the First World War, Hans Castorp, a young German engineer, goes to visit his cousin at a tuberculosis sanatorium high in the Swiss Alps, planning to stay three weeks. He stays seven years. Up on the mountain, time warps, and Hans drifts through a strange, enclosed world of patients, doctors, philosophical debates and a fascinating Russian woman, Clavdia Chauchat.
How long does it take to read The Magic Mountain?
About 23 hours (920 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Magic Mountain?
If you liked it, try Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy or The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell.