Thomas Mann's later short stories published between 1925 and 1953 explore his abiding interest in human nature and his surroundings. Disorder and Early Sorrow and Mario and the Magician originate from Mann's own experiences: domestic life at the height of inflation under the early Weimar Republic; and a symbolic encounter with Fascism during an Italian holiday. The Transposed Heads: An Indian Legend is tongue-in-cheek legend set in ancient times and The Law is a subtly ironic narrative about Moses and the Ten Commandments, after which Mann returns to 1920s Germany with The Black Swan, a story of an aging woman's passion for a young American, confronting the taboo subject of cancer.

The stories illustrate Mann's progression from domestic realism to an elaborate 'late style' with mythic overtones. This collection shows the continuing literary development of one of Europe's most important writers.

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