European Literature Society

The next book being read by the ‘European Literature Society’ will be ‘Death in Venice’ by Thomas Mann. Published in 1911, when the world was ‘silently spinning into an abyss of death and destruction’ of The Great War. We read the opening this week, and were struck by how very odd this book is. The group discussed Mann’s theme of mortality, in a story where an aging writer walks past a graveyard and sees a strange man walking out of a church, two seemingly inconsequential events that have a profound impact on the protagonist. Drinking tea and coffee, eating cake, and discussing literature, a great time was had by all. We are meeting the first week back after half term to discuss the first part of this novella.

Mr Ahern