Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. Short summary

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The writer Aschenbach goes on a trip. He goes on vacation to the Adriatic Sea, after which he visits Venice. He is persuaded to leave because a cholera epidemic is raging in the city.

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The writer Aschenbach lived in Munich. He was the son of a famous judicial official. At the age of 50, the emperor granted Aschenbach the title of nobility, and his works were included in the school curriculum. The writer’s wife had died, and his only daughter was an adult.

One day, returning from a long walk, he decided to take the streetcar at the North Cemetery. There was not a single person at the stop. Nearby he saw a chapel, near which a man of unusual appearance appeared.

The stranger’s appearance awakened in the hero a thirst for adventure. Aschenbach had never felt the need to leave Europe before. He lived in Munich for most of the year and spent his summers in a mountain cabin.

Since he needed a change, Aschenbach decided to spend a few weeks in the south. After a couple of weeks, the hero left for Trieste by train. He chose the Adriatic Sea as the place of his vacation. Aschenbach did not like it there and decided to go to Venice. The writer was advised to leave because an epidemic of Asian cholera was raging in the city.