2012-12-18

ljwrites: A black silhouette of a conch shell. (conch)
2012-12-18 10:45 am

"Beware of Pity" and the Claims of Sympathy

Beware of Pity is the only completed novel by Stephen Zweig, an Austrian novelist, playwright, and biographer. I never heard of the guy before a French friend mentioned the book in an e-mail, but evidently he was hugely popular in the 1920s and 1930s. I was glad to have discovered his novel, which is a psychological epic, high drama, and nail-biting suspense all in one. I have read the new Anthea Bell translation, which I highly recommend.

ExpandRuminations on the paradox of liberalism, power, selflessness and more in one spoiler-free package )