Buddenbrooks. The Decline of a Family

«Buddenbrooks. The Decline of a Family» — the debut novel of the outstanding German writer Thomas Mann (1875–1955), awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (1929). «There is something extraordinary about the caprice of the work», — Mann wrote about the process of creating his first book. Conceived as a small «merchant» novel of two hundred and fifty pages, it transformed into a chronicle of several generations of a business dynasty from the old city of Lübeck. The founder of the dynasty, grain trader Johann Buddenbrook, managed to become wealthy and earn the respect of the townspeople. However, the family business — the joy and pride of Johann — brings not serene tranquility to his children and grandchildren, but serious trials…