Joseph and His Brothers

Thomas Mann described Joseph and His Brothers as his ‘pyramid’: his greatest literary achievement, although the Nazi regime in his homeland did their best to tear it down on its first publication. A vivid and dazzlingly ambitious epic, it retells the biblical story of Joseph, whose dreams and visions set him apart from his siblings and lead him first to slavery and ultimately to power and prestige in Egypt. With rich detail and unexpected humour, Mann paints the lost landscapes of Egypt, Canaan and Palestine and brings to life the great characters of Genesis – patriarchs, pharaohs, avenged sisters and jealous brothers – in a story of epic grandeur with a family drama at its heart.

John E. Woods' translation is considered the definitive English version: a rich and immersive reading experience and a towering achievement of its own.