Buddenbrooks

The Decline of a Family

De: Thomas Mann

Narrado por: David Rintoul

First published in 1900, when Thomas Mann was 25, Buddenbrooks is a minutely imagined chronicle of four generations of a North German mercantile family - a work so true to life that it scandalized the author's former neighbours in his native Lübeck.

As he charts the Buddenbrooks' decline from prosperity to bankruptcy, from moral and psychic soundness to sickly piety, artistic decadence and madness, Mann ushers the reader into a world of rich vitality, pieced together from births and funerals, weddings and divorces, recipes, gossip and earthy humour. It is perhaps the first great family saga of modern literature, and it brought to public notice a writer of world stature who, three decades later, was to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. David Rintoul gives one of his finest performances in this committed and deeply moving reading.©1993 Alfred A Knopf (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd

BUDDENBROOKS

What made the experience of listening to Buddenbrooks the most enjoyable?

I'll begin by saying that the reader, David Rintoul, was excellent, adept at pronunciation of foreign languages and skilful in portraying characters without straining to create female voices that might seem strained or unlikely. His name on the enterprise was a main reason for selecting it.

This is a classic book by a superior author, which was another spur for my choice. I enjoyed the book without being swept away by it; The theories about life that were expounded in the course of the narrative were interesting and sometimes profound, yet the book did not leave me pondering on philosophical offerings or illuminations. It seems a solid story about a German upper-class family in the middle of the 19th century, so historically and sociologically it offered a stimulating picture.

I have small reservations about other things, which is why I gave the story three-stars~~probably I"ll earn penance by not being in utmost admiration of a mighty writer!
However, this is just my personal reaction, for better or worse.

Wonderful listen

A long listen, but I loved it. Sometimes achingly sad. Very poignant how family fortunes can change.

Masterpiece.

The book is full bodied: moving, insightful, funny, surprising, Unsparing yet deeply compassionate, panoramic yet intimate, an artwork of the highest order yet completely accessible. It's just so damn lovely, and I'm so grateful it exists.

And the narrator, David Rintoul, adds so much humor, so much pathos. It's a true gift.

David Rintoul delivers a masterpiece

David Rintoul delivers a masterpiece. Each character is distinct. The deep ironic affection Thomas Mann felt for his family and their foibles is conveyed by Rintoul.

Got immersed in it

I was unsure about it because the general tone is well known & so I felt like I already knew enough, but then stayed with it long enough to realize otherwise. Something about it just clicked for me.