Episode 3: Eine bessere Wal

Moby-Dick is a novel that tells the story of Captain Ahab's maniacal quest for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg. Narrated by Ishmael, the story follows the crew of the whaling ship Pequod as they embark on a journey that explores themes of obsession, man vs. nature, and the existential questions of good and evil. The novel is rich in detailed descriptions of whale hunting and life aboard a culturally diverse crew, and it has become a cornerstone of American and world literature.

Written by Thomas Mann in 1901, 'Buddenbrooks' is a panoramic novel that explores the decline of the Buddenbrook family, a prominent family of grain merchants in Lübeck. The story spans four generations, highlighting the family's struggles with adapting to modernity, the conflict between practical and artistic orientations to life, and the eventual decay of their financial and moral standing. The novel is characterized by Mann's masterful use of leitmotifs, detailed character descriptions, and a blend of objectivity and subjectivity in its narrative style. It reflects Mann's ambivalence towards the value of artistic versus bourgeois life and is heavily influenced by the philosophical ideas of Schopenhauer.