Lecturas desde Santa María de los Buenos Ayres.

La montaña mágica (20) Thomas Mann (1875 Imperio Alemán - 1955 Suiza)

·24 min·2 clips

Hans navigates the strict social rules of a tuberculosis sanatorium while becoming secretly obsessed with a mysterious Russian patient.

The episode is a chapter reading from Thomas Mann's novel 'The Magic Mountain'. It follows Hans Castorp during his stay at a tuberculosis sanatorium in the Swiss Alps. Hans struggles with the strict social rules of the institution, where relationships are limited mostly to one's dining table. He becomes fascinated with Madame Chauchat, a Russian patient separated from her husband. Hans notes her poor manners, like hitting doors and eating her nails, yet feels a powerful attraction. He begins to deliberately orchestrate meetings with her by arriving late to meals and using specific staircases. During one encounter, he sees her face up close, describing her elevated cheekbones, slightly oblique eyes, and lips. Her eyes, a grayish-blue, remind him strikingly of his former schoolmate Przyslaw Hippe. This coincidence fills Hans with both enthusiasm and a sense of anguishing happiness. He feels a need for help or advice but finds his cousin Joaquín preoccupied with his own attraction to another patient, Maruja. Hans reflects on how quickly he has adapted to the sanatorium's routines, like expertly wrapping himself in blankets. He considers seeking guidance from Dr. Behrens, the sanatorium director, but finds him somewhat strange and melancholic. He also thinks of Settembrini, the Italian humanist who criticizes the union of illness and stupidity. The episode includes a scene where Settembrini joins Hans's table, making critical comments about German virtues. The reading ends with the host announcing the continuation the next day at ten o'clock Argentina time.

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