"Packed with facts and engagingly written . . . exactly the introduction the Anglophone lover of Mann's novel needs. . . . The Master of Contradictions offers us a new way to think about Mann as a writer and pedagogue whose first object of education was himself. It is a worthy tribute to this fascinating writer."--Susan Bernofsky, The Nation

"A lavish work of historical analysis that doubles as a kind of psychological thriller. Mann's magnum opus is not just a novel, Jensen suggests, but a thinly veiled spiritual autobiography."--Anna Ballan, New Criterion

"A nuanced portrait . . . thoughtful [and] perceptive."--Kirkus Reviews

"It is a mark of a talented writer that, in the span of a single page, Jensen shifts from lucid, informative prose to vivid, novelistic storytelling. . . . The Master of Contradictions is a biography, a history book and a work of literary criticism, but it is also a provocation to the present. . . . Jensen shows us that we have much to learn from Mann."--Charlotte Stroud, Engelsberg Ideas

"Brilliant. . . . Jensen provides the best possible introduction to Mann's great book, along with a lucid portrait of Mann's character as an author."--David Mikics, Tablet

"My favorite scholarly title of the year. . . . [Jensen has] an admirably deft and confident touch."--Scott Spillman, Chronicle of Higher Education

"The Master of Contradictions is many things: a biography of Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain, a history of the Weimar Republic, and a story about one reader's relationship to the most beguiling novel of the twentieth century. Morten Høi Jensen writes from a place of profound feeling and deep erudition. He is the perfect guide to the novel's intricate, enchanted world; I did not want to stop exploring it with him."--Merve Emre, contributing writer, New Yorker

"The Master of Contradictions could not be a more perfect book for our times. Jensen charts Mann's progress from an enthusiastic militarist who scorned democracy to a stalwart defender of the Weimar Republic with sensitivity, intelligence, and a sharp eye for poetic detail."--Phil Klay, author of Missionaries

"Meticulously detailed, with delicious bites of gossip, Jensen gives the reader a portrait of Mann at his finest and most human. Tender and personal, brash and piercing, finely researched and a pleasure to read."-- Samantha Rose Hill, author of Hannah Arendt

"An absolutely gripping read!"--Tobias Boes, author of A Reader's Guide to Thomas Mann's "Doctor Faustus"

"Morten Høi Jensen's study of The Magic Mountain reads like a mystery story, inspiring fascination and head-shaking admiration, as it distills beautifully an immense range of books and information."--Stanley Corngold, author of The Mind in Exile: Thomas Mann in Princeton