The Pious Dance
A Classic Coming-of-Age LGBTQ+ Romance Novel (Translated & Annotated) (English Edition) (aka Der fromme Tanz)
Klaus Mann(Author)
Arthur C. Rauscher(Editor)
Ovid Publishing Group
Published on 26. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-1-972807-04-0 (ISBN)
Description
A Groundbreaking Literary Classic of LGBTQ Literature by Klaus Mann, First Published in Germany in 1926. Set in the Gay Underground of Berlin and Paris's Nightclub Scenes, the Novel Features the First Unapologetic Transgender Character in 20th-Century Literature.
The Pious Dance (Der fromme Tanz), Klaus Mann's first novel, published when he was just twenty years old, stands as a groundbreaking work of early modernist German literature and a significant milestone in LGBT+ literary history. Written with the raw authenticity of youth, this semi-autobiographical work captures the spirited and tumultuous atmosphere of Weimar-era Berlin through the eyes of its protagonist, Andreas Magnus, a thinly veiled version of Mann himself.
This new edition features:A New English Translation from the Original German Text
An Introduction by the Editor
Endnotes to each Act of the Novel
Chapter By Chapter Critical Analysis
Author Biography
Three Scholarly Essays
The three scholarly essays:Klaus Mann's "The Pious Dance": A Work Beyond Definition
Beyond Binary: Early Trans Representation in Klaus Mann's Der fromme Tanz and the Evolution of LGBTQ+ Literature
Dancing Toward Tomorrow: Queer Utopian Longing in Klaus Mann's "The Pious Dance"
The novel's autobiographical elements are unmistakable, as Mann draws heavily from his own experiences as a young gay artist navigating Berlin's vibrant and permissive cultural scene of the 1920s. Through Andreas, Mann explores his own struggles with artistic identity, sexual awakening, and the search for meaningful connection in a world of fleeting encounters. The protagonist's journey through Berlin's cabarets, artistic circles, and underground gay venues mirrors Mann's own explorations of the city's liberal atmosphere during the Weimar Republic.
More details
Language
English
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
399 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-972807-04-0 (9781972807040)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Klaus Mann was one of the most active European writers with an antifascist mission. In 1937 he moved to the United States, began writing in English, and became an American citizen in 1943. He died in Cannes in 1949. Mann's works have been translated into more than 20 languages. The best known are Mephisto, The Turning Point, André Gide and the Crisis of Modern Thought, and Escape to Life.