An audio book
Begins slowly, though that impression may be because it's an audio book. When Thomas Mann's father dies in Lubeck, the will shows that the father had no faith in his sons continuing the business. His mother (Brazilian, arty, exotic) goes to Munich with Thomas's older brother Heinrich who's been allowed to become a writer. Thomas has to continue school (where he writes poems to/for boys - his love isn't always unrequited) then has to get a job. He writes, goes to Munich, gets his first novel published (it's about an old family in Lubeck). It's a success.
He marries Katia, whose maths prof father inherited a lot of money. She's clever, small breasted and strong legged, like a boy. She's a twin, and he writes a story about twins and Jews. Some of their friends like/know Wagner, some prefer/know Mahler. His sister, a poor actress kills herself. He writes "Death in Venice", asks Katia whether he should publish it. They have several children but he doesn't know whether she knows he's gay. Katia goes into a sanitorium. He visits. She asks how the children are getting on. He tells her. She says that's how they were when she left, but he's only noticed now. He's examined. He has to stay too. He gathers material for "The Magic Mountain". They both recover. Views on world war I split the family. His children have degenerate views about sex - openly bisexual - and into drugs. One of his daughters marries Auden. He doesn't want to win the Nobel prize because news of the money will attract poor people to him. He does want to be too anti-Nazi in case they confiscate his property and is nasty to his family. He escapes to Switzerland but his dairies (in which he wrote that he once found his son's body exciting) are still in Germany. He gets them back. He sleeps alone. His children see him at meals.. nicknaming him The Magician.
People re-interpret his novels. "Death in Venice" was once thought symbolic (the death of civilisation) then a book dealing (before its time) with gay love.
He's invited to live at Princeton. He does a lot of public speaking. Einstein propositions Katia. His sense of nationhood is confused. Family gatherings become political games. In public too he's careful about roles. He's invited to the Whitehouse. A family photo opportunity (with Auden, his son-in-law) is carefully managed. Katia blames German citizens, not just Hitler.
He lives in California. Schoenberg is there. Mann writes a novel, "Faustus", about a composer who invents 12-tone and gets syphilis. He needs real life in his novels like a ship needs ballast, but it's always got him into trouble. He wishes he could produce pure art.
A son overdoses. He and Katia don't go to the funeral. Another son sends him a letter saying neither he or Katia have been good parents. If he visits East Germany, the States will disown him. Some West Germans think him a deserter. He decides to settle in Switzerland.
