"I was very influenced by The Magic Mountain. It's a book that had a huge impact on me. I loved that as a shape for a novel: put a bunch of people in a beautiful place, give them all tuberculosis, make them all stay in a fur sleeping bag for several years and see what happens"

Ann Patchett's quote speaks to the power of Thomas Mann's unique, The Magic Mountain. Patchett was plainly moved by the story, which follows a group of individuals who are all afflicted with tuberculosis and confined to an insane asylum in the Swiss Alps. Patchett was influenced by the book's structure, which utilizes the setting of a lovely location to explore the characters' relationships and the effects of their illness. Patchett's quote also speaks to the power of literature to explore complex themes and ideas. By utilizing the setting of a sanatorium, Mann was able to explore the impacts of illness on the human condition, along with the relationships in between the characters. Patchett's quote is a testimony to the power of literature to check out hard subjects and to produce meaningful stories.