I dug out my old paperback Lowe-Porter edition, and if anyone's curious, here are two comparisons from the very beginning of the book.
Quote:
"And--And--What comes next?"
"Oh, yes, yes, what the dickens does come next? C'est la question, ma très chère demoiselle!"
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v:
Quote:
"What does this mean--What--does this mean...."
"Well, now, deuce take it, c'est la question, ma très chère demoiselle!"
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and
Quote:
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One could be sure of a good square meal at the Buddenbrooks'.
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v.
Quote:
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one could reckon with a nourishnig snack at the Buddenbrooks'.
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I can't answer to which is more "accurate", of course, although that's as much art as precision, but I know which tends more to keep me in the mood.
I'm just over halfway through. So far, I'm struck that the structure is more a sequence of vignettes, or set pieces, rather than having a strong narrative flow. Two of the most memorable so far came in sequence, the hilarious revolution scene immediately followed by the powerful scene with Tony, her father and her husband.
The sense of vignettes is heightened by the characters of Tony and Christian, both of whom seem to be self-conscious actors in their personal dramas. Mann adds to this effect by his exhaustive descriptions of people and places, as if he's consciously setting a stage and casting roles. I have never read so many varied descriptions of whiskers!
That relates to me with what seems to be the major flaw. It's one thing to give detailed physical descriptions, but I wish Mann didn't verbalize some characters' thoughts to the extent he does. Tom's thoughts at his uncle's deathbed, for example, which I think could have been left to be inferred. We already knew that he dumped his own shopgirl, and surely we knew why. Or Tony's thoughts about accepting Permaneder; given what a buffoon he was we know she wouldn't have accepted him if she wasn't desperate.
Mann telegraphs a little too much, too. It was obvious that the creepy and insistent Grünlich had a not-so-hidden agenda and that the marriage would end badly; emphasizing that he wouldn't let Tony live in town or have a carriage were overkill. A little more subtlety allowing for a modicum of uncertainty would be a good thing.
And, oh, a translation issue! Permaneder talking Texan! Oy!