Week 8: This week’s pages were my favorite in the book so far. From the examination of Director Behrens’ paintings and in particular his portrait of Madame Chauchat, leading Castorp to expound on the link between science and art, how they “blend together because they have actually always been just one thing,” and into his new interest in studying human anatomy and the question of “what is life”…to that incredible pages-long rumination on life and on human anatomy all the way down to the molecular level. Wow! The writing here is nothing short of transcendent. Too many passages to quote; this last chapter, “Research,” is for me reason alone to read this entire book. Who’s with me??

 
For next week: Read to section “Walpurgis Night” in Chapter 5