>>You must not pay much attention to European authors, then ;-) That book is considered a classic of world literature. I have not read it, which apparently Alan has, but it's not some unknown book.
>
>I'm sure I've read some European authors. Doesn't mean I know them all. <g> Depends on the genre too you know.

I don't think I read any of Mann... or maybe I did some but I don't remember. I know I didn't read him when I should - we had Zauerberg in the high school curriculum, which was reason enough not to read it :). I'd usually read some less popular, less typical or less short thing by the same author. Which started in the 9th grade, when I skipped Illiad (not IIIiad) and read Odyssey instead.