Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man, The Early Years [Hardcover] Mann, Thomas) Lindley, Denver (trans)

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MODERN LIBRARY HARDBACK EDITION (Number 360). TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY DENVER LINDLEY. 378 pages. From the “Those who know Thomas Mann for his weightier books will be surprised to see how light this short novel is. Felix Krull is a “Con Man.” This book recounts his early years, from early childhood, through his ingenious method of avoiding being drafted into the army, to his initial jobs. He avoids the army by appearing too eager to join, thus inducing suspicion regarding his mental stability. He works his way up by recognizing that having a good appearance and a willing attitude more than compensates for lack of experience or ability. Being a confidence man requires supreme self-confidence and Felix has that in abundance. For me the pivotal scene is when Felix is taken to the theater by his father to see a play in which one of the father’s old school chums is starring. Felix is captivated by the magnetic attraction between audience and star. This is made even greater by the back stage visit he and his father make after the show. The star turns out to be much shorter than he appeared to be, with reddish hair instead of black, and rough skin instead of the smooth skin he appeared to have. His manner is coarse, not like the refined character he portrayed. Topping it off, he is in need of continuous reassurance that he did a good job, whereas the character he played was supremely confident and poised. This is the key to Felix’s realization that for most of the world illusion is reality, and that the illusionist needs the audience just as the audience needs the illusionist. Whether Mann had a sequel planned is uncertain. We do leave Felix as a young man, wondering what his further adventures and potential growth might have been. As it is, this is a delightful story with a profound subtext. Are there any people like Felix around today?”