Klaus MannMephisto (Penguin Modern Classics)

"Mephisto" is a masterpiece. I saw the film years ago while at university but have only read the book recently and I'm kicking myself for not having read it before.It's the story of how the actor Heinz-turned-Hendrick Höfgen "insinuates his way into the lion's den" of the top Nazis in 1930s Germany, based on the real-life story of Klaus Mann's actor brother-in-law, Hermann Göring and his second (actress) wife. It's brilliantly written, with a superbly grotesque cast of characters, in turns bitingly funny and devastatingly poignant.As well as throwing light on how people from all walks of life were attracted to the Nazi ideology, the tale explores the broader theme of artists "selling out" - if not their souls, then certainly their integrity.I'm almost tempted to try reading the novel in the original German, too.

This excellent book, first written in 1936 whilst Klaus Mann was living in exile, was only published in English as late as 1977. It tells the story of a repertory actor working in a theatre in Hamburg, the Hamburg Arts Theatre, in the 1920s and 30s. The career of the central character, Hendrik Hofgen, is based on the actor Gustaf Grundgens, the former brother in law who was married to the Klaus Mann’s favourite sister, Erika. The Hamburg repertory company whose most important actor and director is Hofgen includes characters who encapsulate the opposing factions in Germany in the 1920s and 30s. Otto Ulrichs, the communist who is always trying to establish a revolutionary theatre, and Hans Miklas, the continuously outraged Nazi figure. Other figures who will be buffeted by the political situation are also nicely drawn.The book plots the career of Hofgen (Grundgens) who seeks great fame and prestige and who makes and breaks friendships and allegiances to suit the changing political scene. Despite being compromised by having espoused communist or at least social democratic views, Hofgen manages to rise to the very highest position in the Prussian State Theatre under the thinly disguised person of Prussian State Prime Minister, General Goering. Klaus Mann’s Hofgen is a complex character who has secret passions which threaten his position, and who also suffers from continuous self-doubt.The style of writing, and this translation by Robin Smyth, formerly European correspondent of the ‘Observer’, is very engaging and flows very well. The scene setting is excellent, and I found no difficulty in visualising the locations. A first rate, entertaining book which I earnestly recommend to all interested in European fiction of this fascinating period. I was disappointed to find that other Klaus Mann novels appear to be unavailable in English.

I first read Mephisto in the 1980s as part of my history degree; it's a book where the historical context is more significant than its literary value (hence the three star rating). As a published author, Klaus Mann is a relatively minor figure and Mephisto is his best known work by far.The plot centres on an actor, Hendrik Höfgen and his progress from provincial German theatre in the mid-20s to fame and popularity under the Nazi regime. In the course of this journey, he abandons his original ideals (eg his membership of the German Communist Party) and ultimately his friends.Superficially, this is a simple retelling of the well-known legend of Dr Faustus (adapted by Goethe and Marlowe among others). As we know, the Devil never plays fair; Hendrik is consumed by his ambition to be the foremost actor of his time but he achieves that goal only to be acclaimed by the critics for what he himself knows is a poor performance. In return for his betrayals, he gains fame but it is the result of his relationship with power, not his art.I say 'superficial' because it's more subtle than that; when we first meet Hendrik in the 1920s, he is a selfish and self-absorbed tyrant eg changing rehearsal times so he can attend dance classes. He later makes what are best described as 'gestures' eg attempting to intervene on behalf of friends held in Nazi work camps but not at the risk of losing his patrons.The book ends with Hendrik's mother comforting him as he mourns the price he's paid; but that moment of clarity is short-lived. In the final paragraph, he adopts a theatrical stance and cries dramatically 'What do men want from me? Why are they so hard?' He has already rationalised his situation and we're left to wonder; is Hendrik a good man corrupted by ambition or was he that person all along? When we constantly wear masks (as Mephistopheles does in Faust), how do we know which one is real?Höfgen is accepted to be a thinly disguised version of the actor Gustaf Gründgens, Mann's brother-in-law and friend whose real-life career under the Nazi regime mirrors that of the book. Both Mann and Gründgens were openly homosexual and Mann originally intended to portray Hendrik as gay; ultimately, he instead used the then equally shocking 'perversion' of Hendrik's girlfriend Juliette being black. The novel thus reflects Mann's real-life sense of being betrayed on a variety of levels; it's also worth remembering he wrote it in 1935/36 before the true horrors of the Nazi regime and the impact of these compromises were revealed.In a final (real-life) irony, Gründgens' 1956/57 portrayal of Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust is still considered to be the definitive interpretation of that role.The book also reflects Klaus' troubled relationship with his father and the idea of the sacrifice art requires; Thomas Mann admitted he avoided 'normal' emotions in order to focus on his writing. In some ways, Mephisto is a companion piece to his uncle Heinrich's 1914 novel Der Untertan, which takes the same critical look at Wilhelmine Germany.The book's publication history itself is inextricably linked with politics; first printed in Holland in 1936, it appeared in East Germany in 1956 but wasn't officially available in West Germany until 1981. This was because Gründgens' adopted son objected to it; on a wider scale, the whole issue of what constituted 'collaboration' was a running sore in West Germany and affected many artists, including the conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (responsible for Triumph of the Will amongst others).On the other hand, the foundation myth of the East German state was that all the Nazis conveniently lived in West Germany (a basic assumption still prevalent today), so books like this were selected for their political views rather then artistic merits. Mann would have appreciated the irony.

Very well written and translated but quite depressing

Klaus Mann based the character of Hendrik Höfgen ("Mephisto") on the notable German actor/director Gustaf Gründgens who had been married to Klaus Mann’s sister Erika for three years (in 1925, Gustaf, Klaus and Erika collaborated on Klaus Mann’s play "Anja und Esther"). In his engaging biographical novel on Thomas Mann, "The Magician", author Colm Tóibín asserts that Klaus Mann and Gustaf Gründgens had an intimate affair, and that Erika was a lesbian. The Mann family fled Germany in 1933, while Gustaf Gründgens continued his career under the Nazi regime, reaping artistic acclaim and material rewards. Around 1936, Klaus, who was Jewish through his beautiful mother Katia Pringsheim, wrote the novel "Mephisto", a thinly veiled attack on his former friend for “collaborating” with the Nazis. "Mephisto" was banned in Germany until the 1970s, judged as having slandered Gustaf Gründgens. In 1981, "Mephisto" was brilliantly adapted to the screen by Istvan Szabo and won an Oscar for best foreign language film. Among the outstanding performances are a mesmerizing Klaus Maria Brandauer as Hendrik Höfgen and Rolf Hoppe as the sinister General Göring. Klaus Mann, addicted to morphine, committed suicide by an overdose of sleeping pills in Canne, France, in 1949 (age 43). Gustaf Gründgens died of an internal hemorrhage in Manila in 1963 (age 63), aided by sleeping pills. It was never determined if Gustaf meant to commit suicide. Gustaf Gründgens can be seen in Fritz Lang’s excellent 1931 film "M", starring Peter Lorre as a child killer hunted by both the police and the criminal underworld. Gustaf plays the part of Der Schränker (The Safecracker). There are also short clips of Gustaf Gründgens on the Internet, exhibiting his dexterity as a performer. Altogether, I’m left with sympathy for both Gustaf and Klaus.

The book describes different characters in Hitler's Germany. It was written by a German Jew who emigrated in time. It's not hostile to Germans. It's as credible a source as it gets. I'm German myself. And while I still don't understand what happened in the head of Germans at the time this book is as close an answer as I found.You may also want to consider youth bulges and warfare and Gottfried Feder's economic policies. Even before the Great Depression Hitler's economic expert Gottfried Feder wanted to print money to finance infrastructure. That was outrageous in times of gold standard. But it became policy under Roosevelt. Hitler the traitor got rid of the socialist part of the program in the night of the long knives. Feder was an academic, not member of a fighting group. He was allowed to live, but forgotten. He didn't enter the Nazi hierarchy. But I believe his program is one of the main reasons Hitler came to power. See the timeline of election results. Neither antisemitism nor Versailles can't explain it.Mephisto doesn't concern itself with economy and other factors. It limits itself to show the psychology and thinking of different types of characters and does it fantastic. It's one major part part of a bigger picture.Five stars.

This novel portrays the life of an actor under the Third Reich. In fact, it portrayed it so clearly that the actor on whom Mann's character was based sued for defamation. An inside view of the ghastliness of Germany under the Nazis. Highly recommended.

this book is a great read. i really loved the way the mephisto mythical story was told through the eyes of the protaganist. i also really enjoyed how the ruling party at the time was referred to as the devil. a very progressive story for its time.

shipment arrived promptly and met my expectations