Of Mice and Maltesers two - AgentProvocateur's book

[AgentProvocateur]

I bought this book on the back of a review in the paper. I'd never heard of it or the author.

I chose it for my RL bookgroup, and once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. It was a thought-provoking story, and leaves you wondering...

After you've read the book, you might be interested to find out more about the author and the hostory of the book. It may expain some things... Desperately trying to spoil the plot here!

Hope you enjoy this one.

AP

Hi AP - as expected, I really liked it. A very powerful and angry book. The only thing I was a bit about was the translation - the dialogue seemed a bit stilted from time to time, and of course I wasn't sure if that was down to Zweig or the translator.

Made me think of Jude the Obscure, and also Drei Maenner im Schnee by Erich Kaestner (sorry can't do umlauts on this computer!), which Zwieg undoubtedly would have read. Have you read it? It's about a very rich man, Tobler, who decides people only treat him as "rich" and he can't get to know people properly, so he goes to a hotel (luxurious, alpine) in disguise as a poor person. Meanwhile, a genuinely poor man wins a competition to have a holiday in the hotel. Tobler's daughter can't believe that Tobler will cope without all his usual luxuries so phones the hotel to say he will be arriving in disguise, but they should treat him as per usual. Of course, the (very snobby) hotel manager mixes it up and things poor Hagedorn is the rich man in disguise, and treats Tobler very badly. But it was written after Kaestner had been put under a virtual publishing ban by the Nazis, so it was meant to be frivolous (though I think it's not as frivolous as it seems on first sight) and is very uplifting and happy ever afterish. Zweig seems to have written the polar opposite of Drei Maenner. I was very struck by it anyway! (Obviously since I'm wittering away about it!!)

Anyway - a very good start to round two!! Thanks AP, brilliant book :)

My first post should have said "desperately trying not to spoil the plot"!

Glad you liked it, SLF. I've not read Drei Maenner, but I've written it in my diary and will keep an eye out for it. Thanks.

bump

i have this book ATM and will post here asap

AP firstly i must tell you that this was a charming book i loved it!

i liked the first part of the book the most - the change in Christine and how she tried to fit in with the 'society set'. the differences between rich and poor made a fascinating read (especially as this was written so long ago)
the authors writing was super and translated very well.

also the 'Afterword' by William Doresiewicz which explained about the book and author made a riveting read and completed the book.

without giving too much away to the others in our group i believe that Zweig hadn't completed the book to his satisfaction given the circumstances of its publication ..... (however that's another story in itself!)

again, thanks AgentP a super choice and my favourite so far

I did like this book, thank you AP although I found it hard to like the characters much, I have to say! Like aristo I enjoyed the first half best although wasn't entirely convinced that Christine would have just forgotten entirely about her sick mother - or indeed that she would seemingly not have given a monkey's when she died.

I found the ending abrupt - but that could just be because we're so used to everything being neatly wrapped up these days (I am a traditional narrative kinda gal ). Perhaps he hadn't finished, as they suggest, or perhaps he had - the analogy with Jude the Obscure is a good one, another book where you go 'WTF?! Nooo, it can't just end like that!"

But I did enjoy it - and quite fancy a week in that hotel wearing nice clothes and getting off with hunky Germans myself...