Mann's short stories explore his abiding interest in the split nature of humanity and the discordance of the world it inhabits. And in 'Mario and the Magician' a young family on holiday in Italy encounters a creepy entertainer: Cipolla, a hypnotist with a fascist-like will to control his audience.

Mann's short stories explore his abiding interest in the split nature of humanity and the discordance of the world it inhabits. And in 'Mario and the Magician' a young family on holiday in Italy encounters a creepy entertainer: Cipolla, a hypnotist with a fascist-like will to control his audience.