/lit/ - Literature

I'm 120 pages in and I wanted to share some observations and glean whether I'm retarded or if something else is going on.
I might have been spoiled by Dosto but the philosophizing Mann does in this novel is not up to the quality I was expecting for no particular reason other than that I had heard many people talk about the extensive philosophical conversations going on (then again, maybe I haven't gotten to the good ones yet).
But the other thing that made an impression is - and I don't think this one is contingent on the translation or on me having read the whole book - the dry, overly-detailed prose that I want to describe as 'too intellectual'. It's not so much that it creates a distance between the reader and the world of the novel - in fact, I feel right there among the colorful characters - but there's something annoying and off-putting about the way his prose reads when he tries to talk about more abstract things. Every time he starts off well and instead of swerving into even more interesting musings like Dostoevky's Kirillov when he ends up talking about self-will (Demons), Mann dissolves the interesting notion he started with until there's nothing interesting or thought-provoking left (except maybe arguing internally with some of the conclusions the narrators makes).
Am I being filtered somehow or is this just how Mann does his thing?

What kind of beer does Hans Castorp drink at the beginning of the book after breakfast?

He‘s more known for the Bremer cigars and Port wine, but I remember reading something about very thick, dark and malty or sweet beer to the equally hearty breakfast. As far as I remember the beer variety is never outright named. I‘m guessing a very traditionally brewed Dunkel, but I‘m probably wrong.
Anyone here have an idea?

Alternates between "Since I Left You" and "We Will Always Love You" by The Avalanches

>a couple hundred of pages of dull nothingness
>4-5 pages of ecstatic genius
>repeat for 750 pages

What was Mann's problem?

The snowy alpine setting makes this quite comfy

Why does Thomas Mann so thoroughly filter /lit/?

Is this really that great or is it just boring?

Is the Lowe Porter translation really that bad? It's the one I've bought and I've heard that the John Wood one is much better.

>The Magic Mountain is a novel by Thomas Mann

the Magic Mountain by Vintage Mann