«Ich kann Nietzsche nicht böse sein, weil er mir meine Deutschen verdorben hat…». Thomas Mann lettore della Geburt der Tragödie

Abstract

The paper proposes an analysis of the reception of Nietzsche’s Die Geburt der Tragödie in Thomas Mann, with particular attention to the essay (1947) dedicated to the philosopher and to Doktor Faustus. The novel is read as an example of productive reception: Nietzsche’s categories of Apollonian and Dionysian, and even more so the idea of a rebirth of the great tragic art, become narrative cues that animate the entire story. The Doktor Faustus does not limit itself to parodying particular concepts of the Birth of Tragedy, but ends up presenting itself as a captivating ‘instruction manual’ for a correct reading of Nietzsche’s work.