Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family -- Buddy Read

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Who want's to participate in a buddy read of Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann starting in February 2016?

Kathy and Lesserknowngems, are the two of you still on board?

I had to order a copy of the book. Since I wasn't willing to pay kindle price, I'll be reading in dead tree edition. This slows my reading down as opposed to eBook.

I may still be reading into March.

Anybody else want to join?

This title has been nominated a couple of times but doesn't win the poll for BOTM, but it looks like a good book to me. Plus, I'm going to fit it in for bingo.

This book can be used for bingo: 1) Nobel Prize 2) Classic of Europe 3) 1800s published or 4) new to me author.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

If I spoke German it is available free on Kindle. Probably mid-February for me. I'm trying to finish Middlemarch

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Kathy, I saw the free German edition.

Probably there is no English translation out of copyright.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

http://bookzz.org/book/1611180/71a55a

Someone on my flist saw my post here about Buddenbrooks buddy read and sent a link to a download of an English translation!

[Julie]

uh, I'd love to read this too, I'll see if I can fit it into my february (starting classes next week, so will have some reading for that as well...)

[Lagullande]

I have been wanting to read this for a while and have nominated it a couple of times for the Long Read. I'm unlikely to start it before March though (already committed to Middlemarch and a Dickens beforehand), and would probably take more than a month. So I'll join in when I get going.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

So it was you who kept nominating this book!

I had never even heard of it until it was nominated.

[Aycarambitax3]

I had to read this book for my German class at school some years ago. I must say I really hated it and it was not at all my cup.of tea, but I still wish you all the best for the challenge ;)

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Not a great recommendation then for the group. :(

[Lagullande]

Every book is not for everyone, but all books are for someone!

[Nente]

If anyone reads this, I should be glad to discuss. I've read it (in Russian translation) last year, and rather liked it than not. It's not a kind of monumental saga (Forsyte, Rougons-Macquart, etc.) despite covering several generations of one family; for me it read just like any other novel.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I hope to read it.

I've purchased a copy since the library didn't have a paperback copy.

[Julie]

I read it a couple of weeks ago, and to me it was a little 'meh' - nothing special, but not bad either.
I did like the special focus on some of the female characters, but really needed more of that. Fave character for me was Tony (Antonie).

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I wonder if I should skip this altogether?

Aycarambitax3, Nente and Julie have each given this less than "glowing praise" for this lengthy tome.

I'm starting to wonder if I should spend time reading a lackluster book that is as long as this one?

I'll have to decide.

[Kat]

I just rescued a German hardback edition from being donated to a flea market last week (I got first dibs before they were handed over).

The book is a great success in Germany, and when they made it into a TV show people were glued to the screen, at least in the north of the country.

Am undecided whether to read it now or save it for a later date, though. I have a Bernard Cornwell burning a hole in my handbag :)

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Kat wrote: "I just rescued a German hardback edition from being donated to a flea market last week (I got first dibs before they were handed over).

The book is a great success in Germany, and when they made i..."
Kat, I'm glad to hear a better view of the book.

It's quite a time investment.

[Nente]

Well you know, I didn't find it long. Liked the style.
Just don't expect a highly dramatic action-packed plot against the background of sweeping history panorama.