| Author/Contributor(s): | Zweig, Stefan; Bell, Anthea |
| Publisher: | Pushkin Press Classics |
| Date: | 7/28/2026 |
| Binding: | Paperback |
| Condition: | NEW |
A DEVASTATING PORTRAIT OF SILENT OBSESSION: Yearning, heartbreak, and tragedy unfold in this haunting autopsy of a broken heart.
“In … Zweig's most famous story, an obsessive passion lays bare the truth about a hypocritical society civilized to the point of inhumanity.” —Salman Rushdie, The New York Times
Translated by the award-winning Anthea Bell, these 4 pieces of Stefan Zweig’s short fiction are among his most celebrated and compelling work.
The titular tale offers a devastating depiction of unrequited love. Returning home to Vienna, an author in midlife opens a letter from a woman he has no memory of, but who has loved him her whole life. From a youthful crush to a night of shared passion, she has shaped her entire existence around the quiet pursuit of his attention. Yet, despite their intimacy and a child born of their union, she remains a ghost in his biography.
Elsewhere in the collection, Zweig explores the fragile architecture of the heart:
- A young man mistakes his beloved for her sister.
- Two former lovers reunite after a lifetime of silence.
- A married woman repays a haunting debt of gratitude to a childhood sweetheart.