Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain)

*Der Zauberberg* (The Magic Mountain) is a novel by Thomas Mann that explores themes of time, illness, and philosophical thought. Set in a Swiss sanatorium, it follows Hans Castorp, a young man who visits his ill cousin and ends up staying for seven years. Through his experience, the book examines different viewpoints on life, death, and society, using the sanatorium as a microcosm of European cultural tensions before World War I. Mann's work blends realism with intellectual reflection, inviting readers to consider how individuals confront mortality and the meaning of life amidst changing societal values.