Beware of Pity (New York Review Classics)

Not only for myself, Stefan Zweig is being discovered all over again by readers worldwide. He was a bestseller and widely read German writer in his own time, but sank into oblivion (rather forced to) due to his self imposed exile to avoid nazi nuisance and later his sudden, shocking demise by suicide. But thanks to Pushkin Press, Zweig is getting re-discovered again, his time of oblivion is over for good. There is another standard translation of Beware of Pity published by Penguin titled "Impatience of the Heart". (Another one is there by Rupa Publication, too. But I don't know much about that.) But in my humble opinion the one translated by Anthea Bell (Pushkin Press edition) is more definitive than the Penguin version. Coming to the novel itself, this is nothing but a masterpiece. An original and powerful exploration of human emotions. A tense, feverish, exciting tale structured with gripping intensity. Sunday Telegraph advices in their review of the book that "you should go out at once and buy his books". I couldn't agree more.

I was introduced to Stefan Zweig six decades ago , and he shares the stage with O. Henry till today.

A proper and neatly packaged product by the seller, kudos to them(Trans Infopreneur Inc)

The main highlight, the main front of the book is not printed–where it is written about two types of pity, except from this book quality is pretty good, one can purchase if you don't get into much details about books

Superb

Some people consider Stefan Zweig’s book, ‘Beware of Pity’, to be his greatest novel. While I consider this novel to be magnificent, I much prefer his other book, ‘Chess.’ The story concerns the tale of Lt (later Captain) Hofmiller, posted to a dreary Austrian town, and how he starts to visit the home of the town’s richest family, the Kekesfalvas. Herr von Kekesfalva has a crippled daughter, Edith. Our hero becomes a fixture at the Kekesfalva household, and Edith falls passionately in love with him. Stefan Zweig based his book on the premise that there are two kinds of pity, one that is feeble, sentimental, and corrosive, while the second type is unsentimental and constructive. Indeed, Edith’s doctor, Dr. Condor, embodies the second type of behavior, as we see in his relationship with his blind wife. Stefan Zweig wrote the book in the first person, so we know what happens inside the hero’s brain and how his emotions get the better of him. I will not write about the book’s conclusion because it would spoil it for many readers. However, while the title speaks of pity and not cowardice, Lt. Hofmiller’s behavior embodies self-pity, cowardice, and weakness. He embodies the personality of a man who cannot, and will not, stand for his principles, if he has any. It is rare that I have felt less sympathy for a hero than I did after reading this novel by Stefan Zweig. He wrote the book in the style of the times, with long passages devoted to the hero’s inner struggles, thoughts, and conflicting emotions. Unlike our past-paced times, where sensations bombard us constantly, leaving us with less time for reflection, a vastly reduced desire to read patiently, Stefan Zweig’s book requires patient reading. Having said that, I felt that a few passages in the book’s center could have been shortened: we know what is going through Hofmiller’s head, and it is only because he is a character in a novel that we cannot shake him by the collar and ask him to develop courage and honor! While yes, the book deals with both kinds of pity, the book also deals with moral turpitude and cowardice, perhaps unintentionally. Will the book attract a modern reader? A few, maybe, just a few

I got this book as a gift from a friend returning from Vienna (Austria), I rather forced him to get me one. Now all my friends know that the moment they ask me what to get from the country they are returning, it will never be something from Duty Free, but from the airport book stall, but the only condition is that it has to be a local author book and in English. I neither offer them a writer's name nor a book, so it always comes as a surprise. This was a totally surprise read with so much human psychology in play that it shocked, surprised and kept me engaged to the very last page with such an intriguing story, yet it took me close to two weeks to finish, but no complaints. The story is very straightforward and told from the perspective of a highly decorated army officer who had personally shot down three fighter aircraft in the Second World War and had kept an enemy army at bay with his histrionics of machine guns and all that. How his little act of pity lands him in a soup is the story all about when he mistakenly asks a crippled girl to dance with him just because he was invited to a high-end party, where, in the first place, he was in awe of one of her close friends. What leads is an amazing story where we, the readers, feel his pain and angst as he goes through and how it all technically gets forced on him with no way out for him. At times, I myself was confused as to who was rooting for? the crippled girl falling for the officer, or her father blackmailing him with his power or our hero’s pure heart making him do something his brain tells him all the way not to do. But what shocked and broke my heart was the ending, hats off to Stefan Zweig for that ending that I simply couldn’t predict, yet he leaves me with a few questions, which are food for my thoughts on the gem of a story. The title is so apt that mid-way ways I just couldn’t think of a better alternate option. Have you read Beware of Pity or any other Stefan Zweig book? I am looking forward to a few more from him as they are much more acclaimed than this one. Also, my next foreign gift book is going to be from Shakespeare, guess where my friend is coming back from?

Such a brilliant book. Very heartbreaking. It really shows the consequences of pity - an unwarranted response to another - a form of condescension. The characters are beautifully developed and they evoke strong emotions. The unique writing style also adds great value to the reading. Definitely a must-read.

Ein wirklich schönes Buch, mit schöner Geschichte und man erfährt noch einiges über die Zeit von damals.

A história, narrada de uma forma elegante, própria do autor, mais que relevam o excesso de detalhes, que tornam o livro mais longo do que o necessário

I came to this book with some trepidation, firstly because it looked rather long and dense (long is fine, but long and dense maybe not) and secondly because the topic of a mistaken love affair is not really up my street. However, it was the January choice of my book group, so I had to read it. Within a few pages I was hooked. The novel, set in the Austro-Hungarian empire in the early part of the 20th century, tells the story of a young second lieutenant who finds himself embroiled in a relationship with a partly paralysed 17 year old girl. Her family encourage the relationship and it is only when it is too late that he discovers the girl's love for him and also the impossibility of breaking her heart at a time she is about to embark on a new course of medical treatment, so she can get better "just for him". The novel is not just about love, it is about obsession, guilt, and the way the expectations of others can so easily dominate our choices so that we act as others expect us rather than as we want to. It is interesting to view this story in the light of modern assertiveness training, because all the way through the reader can see that Toni, the young officer, is subjugating his own needs for the needs of someone to whom he has no obligations whatsoever - he is in fact ruled only by her fantasies and the expectations of her father and sister. The novel is remarkably suspenseful because the plot unfolds gradually and at each stage the reader cringes as the net of this sick love slowly ensnares him. It is full of strong characters: the doctor who treats the young woman and slowly enveigles Toni in her treatment regime; the old brutal colonel who turns out to be more wise than the other characters; the girls father who's whole life is a quest for his daughter's well-being. Different aspects of these characters are revealed as the novel slowly travels towards its inevitable conclusion and each one has a unique role in the ensnarement and ultimate release of the young officer. The novel is beautifully produced by Pushkin press - the clear typeface, fine paper and strong cover makes this a pleasure to read. Alas, this is Zweig's only novel and I was left thirsting for more from this fine writer.

Extraordinaria novela que detalla la batalla interna de un hombre que pretende tener control sobre su vida y su entorno y al ser amado por una mujer a la cual el no puede amar, pierde las riendas sobre el mismo y es invadido por culpas y el sentido del deber. Se sumerge en un mar de angustia y confusión que Paradójicamente encuentra alivio a sus.demonios internos en el surgimiento del caos y los horrores de la Primera Guerra Mundial.

Enjoyed the read never the less