Mephisto

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Klaus Mann, son of Thomas Mann, wrote MEPHISTO while in exile during World War II, capturing the atmosphere of Nazi Germany through a satirical narrative about the rise of Hendrik Hofgen, a character actor and a thinly veiled caricature of Mann's brother-in-law. Publicly a revolutionary, Hofgen is secretly obsessed with power and fame. His marriage to the daughter of a prominent politician initially boosts his status, but his involvement with a ‘black Venus’ jeopardizes his ascent in Nazi society. Achieving brilliance as Mephisto in FAUST, he gains the support of the Führer’s prime minister, who appoints him head of the State Theater. Although Hofgen’s dreams come true, the story concludes with a sense of despair as he confronts the emptiness of his life. Mann skillfully weaves a tale of decadence and evil. Born in Munich in 1906, Klaus began writing in 1924 and became a theatrical critic shortly after. He published his first novel, THE PIOUS DANCE, in 1925. After leaving Germany in 1933, he lived in Amsterdam and then moved to the U.S. in 1936, becoming a citizen in 1943. He died at forty-two in Cannes, France. Robin Smyth was a European correspondent for the London Observer.