Buddenbrooks, volume 2 of 2

"Buddenbrooks, Volume 2 of 2" by Thomas Mann is a story set in the late 1800s that watches the Buddenbrooks, a rich family of traders in Lübeck, deal with problems in their lives and in the world around them over many years. The story looks closely at family ties, how things fall apart, and how new ways of the world affect old beliefs. It starts with a happy christening for Thomas Buddenbrook's new baby boy, Johann. The family comes together for a party with good food and relatives. At the party, we can see how the family works together, including the proud mother, Gerda, and the younger family members, while hints of problems among the family start to show. What happens next shows the family's ongoing fight with what they have always known, who they are, and tough times in their lives as the story keeps going.