First impressions on reading this book:
At the beginning ( the free Gutenberg version, which is 792 pages btw) it seemed to me that Mann takes a long time to set the stage.... But, there's a kind of fine tuning here of the social classes, the use of (French)words and (German)dialect, that would be difficult to comprehend these days. I can understand the German dialect though.
I take it that this detailed picture serves the understanding of the rest of the book. Anyway; it gets me in the correct rythm, the gentle flow of that period, for reading about life with the Buddenbrooks.
Despite of the lightness of the French words that are used, the (for me) somewhat sterile period of Biedermeier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biedermeier
and Bürgerlichkeit is what comes to my mind. No wild adventure here; all has to have its order, its fixed place under the more or less benevelont eye of God and society.
I am halfway in the book now(p.310) and the story flows slowly from one family member to the other, and back. I don't see much depth or development in the characters.
Money and social class are important. The women know their place, are rather realistic, and Thomas Mann treads very lightly over the difficulties of the lower classes.
About the translation: What is the English expression for the loving description (p.30)of Buddenbrook sr., "du gutes Schnuckeltier"?
