<DIV><P>When they think of the stories of the great German, Nobel prize-winning -author Thomas Mann, most American readers recall <I>Stories of Three Decades</I>, translated in 1936; however, that edition purposely excluded several early tales of Mann's which the translator found "tentative and awkward efforts." However, within the current literary context, these stories prove quite interesting.</p><P>Translating them for the first time into English, Peter Constantine received general acclaim and was awarded the PEN—Book of the Month Club Translation Award for 1997.</P></DIV>