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Interesting: the question of whether Mann's Venice ever existed. Scholars have assumed a high level of authenticity in this work --if only because Mann's letters and diaries of his visit to Venice in 1911 reflect so much of the story's aura. Reading his notes writeen on the stationery of the Lido's Hotel des Bains does make one think he at least meant to cpature what he saw there. For those who know the story: Tadzio is based on an actual Polish boy, who identified himself as a quite aged count after reading a Polish translation of DiV in the 80s. He remembered Mann gazing at him and his playmate (in the story Jaschiu), but understood what those gazes meant only so many years later. Anyway, what one means by "Mann's Venice" may refer to the city's physical ambience or to the deeper, mythic symbol of European decadence that has fascinated artists for centuries. Even the casual tourist of 1911 may not have noticed this cultural significance, and those of today are even less likely to do so. But Mann's German readers certainly did know about this resonance. Contemporary reviews tended to admire everything the work showed them about the effect of Venice on the problematic Aschenbach; what not many could accept was the homosexual element. One sensitive reader surely DID think M's Venice existed: Visconti. Or at least he sought to visualize that city as convincingly as he could. I'm interested to know what others on this list think of Visconti's "reality" --always a questionable concept. On Wed, 24 May 2000 [log in to unmask] wrote: > I think that we take here Venice as the sum of its buildings, if we > are going to try visit her (I wouldn't use *it*) when Venetians > themselves are not there but at the cemetery instead . Venice has > always been a city of tourists, from everywhere. I doubt that Mann's > Venice existed in reality. Note that he was not Venetian either. > > Elena Ivanova > > ******************************* Naomi Ritter Publications Editor, ERIC/REC 150 Smith Research Center, Indiana University 2805 East 10th St, Bloomington IN 47408-2698 (812) 855-5847 800-759-4723 FAX (812)-856-5512 [log in to unmask] www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/seniors/intro.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%