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bukukurasi 's review for:
Beware of Pity
by Stefan Zweig
First book in 2022. Also, another book that I read because of the author’s background. Together with the Post Office Girl inspired Wes Anderson to make The Grand Budapest Hotel.
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The main character in the book/1st narrative is Lt. Anton Hoffmiller, a 25 year old Austrian Army. One day in a party, he made an accidental mistake by asking the host’s daughter to dance and got a hysterical response from the girl. Later, he found out that the girl was crippled. The next day, he tried to fix his mistake by sending her flower, and make friend with the girl (Edith, and the Kekesfalva). From then on, he visits Edith in her residence everyday and as time goes, Edith fell in love with Anton. As the title mentioned, Anton’s affection towards Edith (and her father) was just out of pity, which then traps Anton into sacrificing his true feelings. In the meantime, Edith’s emotional condition was unexpectable.
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I believe translation matters. For a non-german speaker, and english as a second (or 3rd) language, this edition is rather difficult for me, but I always enjoy reading psychological novel. I can feel Anton’s confusion, and his anger towards the Kekesfalva and himself. There is a part where Anton inexplicitly opens himself as homosexual. Not only it is unusual/astounding (?) for a novel which was written in the 30s, but it helps readers to understand Anton’s psychological condition.
.
The main character in the book/1st narrative is Lt. Anton Hoffmiller, a 25 year old Austrian Army. One day in a party, he made an accidental mistake by asking the host’s daughter to dance and got a hysterical response from the girl. Later, he found out that the girl was crippled. The next day, he tried to fix his mistake by sending her flower, and make friend with the girl (Edith, and the Kekesfalva). From then on, he visits Edith in her residence everyday and as time goes, Edith fell in love with Anton. As the title mentioned, Anton’s affection towards Edith (and her father) was just out of pity, which then traps Anton into sacrificing his true feelings. In the meantime, Edith’s emotional condition was unexpectable.
.
I believe translation matters. For a non-german speaker, and english as a second (or 3rd) language, this edition is rather difficult for me, but I always enjoy reading psychological novel. I can feel Anton’s confusion, and his anger towards the Kekesfalva and himself. There is a part where Anton inexplicitly opens himself as homosexual. Not only it is unusual/astounding (?) for a novel which was written in the 30s, but it helps readers to understand Anton’s psychological condition.