Doctor Faustus is such an impressive novel. I’ve always wondered why it’s not more prominent in culture. It seems somehow overshadowed by Mann’s earlier work.

I agree. One of my favourites for a long time. It's rather oddly structured and structure is critical in terms of general readership.

I think the basic Faustian story does have a strange structure. It's all buildup and denouement and very little middle.

It is a really great book, unfortunately it just feels like the first chapter of a book.

Clive James has an interesting essay on Mann in Cultural Amnesia.

That essay is available here:

https://readfrom.net/clive-james/page,49,65205-cultural_amne...

In fact, the whole essay collection is there. I am not sure of what funds this site, and doubt that it respects copyright niceties etc. (I am using Brave with js switched off, and ad-blockers.)