Where to start with Thomas Mann

American novelist, 1875–1955.

Best Thomas Mann book to start with: The Magic Mountain (1924), on 4 of the 11 lists it could have made.

The lists rank The Magic Mountain first, but Buddenbrooks is the better first Mann. It is the more traditional of the two, following four generations of a merchant family in a north German port, and it is easier to follow because things happen. It is also a good guide to how Mann builds a character.

The Magic Mountain is the lists’ favourite. A young man visits a sanatorium in the Alps for three weeks and stays for seven years, and the book is mostly conversation and ideas. It is long and slow on purpose, so keep it for a quiet season.

The Holy Sinner, shortlisted for the National Book Award in 1952, retells a medieval legend and is for readers who already like Mann. He wrote in German, so read a sample page of the translation before you buy.