Synopses & Reviews
Here is a groundbreaking biography of one of the century's most important writers. Anthony Heilbut has plumbed the posthumously-published Mann diaries to give us a fresh and engaging examination of Thomas Mann's life and to reinvigorate the themes of his great body of work.
Review
"Brilliantly perceptive about Mann's books....Heilbut loves Mann's compulsions, his masks and self-absorption....He relishes the clues Mann leaves, and he unearths a good number of new clues that escape the notice of the other biographers." The London Review of Books
Review
"Astonishing....Anthony Heilbut argues that everywhere in Mann's writing homoerotic incidents are hidden in plain sight...In Mr. Heilbut's portrayal, Mann remains one of the century's literary giants, embodying the best of his culture as few recent figures have done." The New York Times
Review
"Easily the most readable and informative guide to the intertwined life and literature of Thomas Mann....Even the one-liners are filled with insight and wit." The Boston Globe
Synopsis
"An extraordinary way to look at the work of a writer who influenced so many of us. . . . The portrait of Mann after fifty is electric."and#151;Harold Brodkey
About the Author
Anthony Heilbut received his Ph.D. in English from Harvard University. He has taught at New York University and Hunter College and is the author of Exiled in Paradise (California) and The Gospel Sound. He is also a record producer, specializing in gospel music, and has won both a Grammy Award and a Grand Prix du Disque.