Selected Stories, By Stefan Zweig
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fans of old movies may be familiar with Letter from an Unknown Woman, starring Joan Fontaine, which was adapted from Stefan Zweig's 1922 novella telling the story of a playboy and his amours from the point of view of one of the discarded women. Abortive relationships between men and women dominate this splendid collection, where a touch or a fleeting memory illuminates the cruelty or the ignorance of an individual.
In "Fantastic Night", an Austrian lieutenant remembers the night that changed him from a self-indulgent young man into a caring individual – and during which he stole money, consorted with a prostitute and was almost robbed. As in many of these stories, the more sordid aspects – not necessarily of life, but of character – are revealed.
In "The Fowler Snared", a man's manipulations of a young girl expose his moral vacuity; in "Buchmendel", a whole society's mistreatment of a Jewish book-pedlar shocks one of his former customers, who had forgotten the old man and, in doing so, behaved just as badly.
Human frailties and human cruelties are Zweig's eternal themes.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments