Der Zauberberg vs Die Blechtrommel: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: German language materials, German fiction, Fiction
Der Zauberberg
One of the most influential and celebrated German works of the 20th century has been newly rendered in English by Woods, twice winner of the PEN Translation Prize. First published in 1929, Mann's novel tells the story…
vs
Die Blechtrommel
Die Blechtrommel ist ein Roman von Günter Grass. Er erschien 1959 als Auftakt der Danziger Trilogie und gehört zu den meistgelesenen Romanen der deutschen Nachkriegsliteratur. Der Roman lässt sich als historischer…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Die Blechtrommel is the quickest read — about 10 hours vs 13 for Der Zauberberg.
- Der Zauberberg has the widest readership — 65520 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Der Zauberberg | Die Blechtrommel | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (65520) | 4.0 (47597) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.4 (4) |
Reception
| Der Zauberberg | Die Blechtrommel | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 65520 | 47597 |
| Editions | 188 | 111 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 199435 | 70529 |
| Pages | 711 | 591 |