3.66k reviews for:

Satranç

Stefan Zweig

4.19 AVERAGE

marjaem's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

tamtamgo's review against another edition

4.0

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“Nada se nos hizo, sólo que se nos situó dentro de la nada absoluta, porque, según es notorio, ninguna cosa del mundo ejerce tanta presión sobre el alma humana como la nada.”

Mi tercer Zweig, su última novela. Este hombre fue un genio. Retratar la angustia y el sufrimiento en menos de cien páginas y con una partida de ajedrez por el medio no debe de ser fácil pero él consigue que lo parezca.

kaulhilo's review against another edition

4.5

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

pittah_pottah's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jessica_stoots's review against another edition

4.5

mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

jenna_le's review against another edition

5.0

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A chilling and compelling, elegantly simple and yet reverberatingly profound work that achieves a lyrical quality not via superfluous verbal flourishes but through quietly committed fidelity to the thread of psychological truth, this novella traces the fractal patterns into which the glass pane of a human mind driven to the brink of insanity shivers just before its total irreversible collapse.

senhiino's review against another edition

4.25

dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

brandoneckroth's review against another edition

4.25

reflective fast-paced

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This novella, though incredibly brief, was gripping all the way through. Zweig hooks you immediately with an introduction to our main characters, a chess champion and an unassuming group of passengers on a ship heading to South America in the 40s. To pass the time, they challenge each other to a game that turns into two and three and so on—while a passerby peers in at the game and immediately calls out the move the group of men should make that stops the champion in his tracks. Zweig then takes you into this stranger’s backstory where we learn about his dark past that taught him all he knows about the game. Ultimately ending in a final match up between the stranger and the champion. 

Zweig’s writing is addictive with not a single word wasted. He explores themes of isolation, obsession, and the resiliency of the human mind. Only knock to this novella is that I wanted more. 

allisonwhite167's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

squid771's review against another edition

3.5

mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated