Six Stories

by Stefan Zweig

Stefan Zweig was one of the greatest of all European writers of the short story. With extraordinary economy and verve he conjures up the strange and painful fates of individuals buffeted by the First World War and its grim aftermath. Six of his most famous stories are collected here in brilliant new translations by Jonathan 'The Invisible Collection', 'Episode on Lake Geneva', 'Leporella', 'Buchmendel', 'The Buried Candelabrum' and 'Burning Secret'.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, German Literature, Fiction, Modern Classics, Literary Fiction

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

Stefan Zweig was one of the world's most famous writers during the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the U.S., South America, and Europe. He produced novels, plays, biographies, and journalist pieces. Among his most famous works are Beware of Pity, Letter from an Unknown Woman, and Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles. He and his second wife committed suicide in 1942.
Zweig studied in Austria, France, and Germany before settling in Salzburg in 1913. In 1934, driven into exile by the Nazis, he emigrated to England and then, in 1940, to Brazil by way of New York. Finding only growing loneliness and disillusionment in their new surroundings, he and his second wife committed suicide.
Zweig's interest in psychology and the teachings of Sigmund Freud led to his most characteristic work, the subtle portrayal of character. Zweig's essays include studies of Honoré de Balzac, Charles Dickens, and Fyodor Dostoevsky (Drei Meister, 1920; Three Masters) and of Friedrich Hölderlin, Heinrich von Kleist, and Friedrich Nietzsche (Der Kampf mit dem Dämon, 1925; Master Builders). He achieved popularity with Sternstunden der Menschheit (1928; The Tide of Fortune), five historical portraits in miniature. He wrote full-scale, intuitive rather than objective, biographies of the French statesman Joseph Fouché (1929), Mary Stuart (1935), and others. His stories include those in Verwirrung der Gefühle (1925; Conflicts). He also wrote a psychological novel, Ungeduld des Herzens (1938; Beware of Pity), and translated works of Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, and Emile Verhaeren.
Most recently, his works provided the inspiration for 2014 film The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Reviews

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Zweig, i've been meaning to read this author for a long time and i'm very happy with my first experience.
These stories are mostly set in the declining years of Imperial Austria before the First World War. The characters are Austrian aristocrats, Tyrolean peasants, Jewish booksellers and all the society of Vienna in the dying glory of the Hapsburg era.
Zweig has a distinct style, very "intricate" is the word i would use. These short stories are not casual reads, they require your attention and thought but are all the more rewarding for it.
I think i will be reading more from this author.

[farahxreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Stefan Zweig, and I'm haunted in ways I can't quite explain. Six stories, with more than six voices, each swept up by these seemingly random forces, or pivotal moments -- at times deeply personal, at others intensely political, that alter the course of their lives, even leading to their ultimate annihilation.

"...that there must be a meaning in such a deed, some sense in the pain so suffered."

Renowned for his writing about the aftermath of World War I and the ensuing social and political turbulence, this collection too unfolds as dual tragedy of the individual and the collective. A subtle historical undercurrent threads through the stories, with Zweig showing us that by the end, not only have the characters — compounded by their desires or obsessions, become unrecognisable; the world too, has ceased to be the world it once was.

My personal rating for each story:

1. The Invisible Collection 4/5
The devotion (and sometimes delusion) of collectors. They are indeed happy men. It's somewhat sad

2. Episode on Lake Geneva 4.25/5
The exile, pitied and feared, caught between sympathy and alienation, yet ultimately forsaken

3. Leporella 4.5/5
What's with Stefan Zweig making the most unsettling characters deeply human? Unexpectedly touching despite the creepiness

4. Buchmendel 5/5
Mendel, the miraculum mundi, the wonder of the world. A mind that hold the world's literature, yet becomes a casualty of history. I shall never forget you.

5. The Buried Candelabrum 4.25/5
A Jewish legend, historical, rabbinical. The portrayal of the deep-rooted sense of displacement and resilience of the Jews feels both personal and universal.

6. Burning Secret 4.5/5
Stefan Zweig juggled three distinct voices here: that of a player, a mother weary of motherhood, and a young boy, and he nailed each of them perfectly

[Maria]

I wasn't able to focus on any of these stories. Zweig's writing is beautiful but I couldn't feel compelled to read them attentively. This will need a reread because it's probably not clicking right now.

[Mart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the short stories. Zweig is able to adopt diverse writing styles and without losing any of its quality. He even attempts to delve into the mind of people he somewhat clearly has no real understanding off (poor people, women) but manages to still paint a sympathetic picture that clearly comes from a good place. Zweig is becoming one of my if not my favourite authors.

[✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

not my favourite of all the Zweigs i’ve read with the exception of burning secret, that was INCREDIBLE

[cailin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah Stefan Zweig is not for me..

[Renato da Milano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is an author that I get to discover every 10 years or so. Absolutely sublime, good narrative, good stories, depth of characters, knotty social interactions, symbolism, philosophical insights, history and more. Stefan Zweig caresses my love for literature.
All these six stories are good but the last two in particular far surpassed what I had expected from this book. The Buried Candelabrum would easily make a great movie and Burning Secret is what I would have guessed to be the work of Hermann Hesse if I did not know the author.

[☆Adri☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite stories (which made me cry and are a must read):

-The Invisible Collection
-Episode on Lake Geneva
-Buchmendel

[Shawna Hynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I, if anyone, should have known that the only true reason for producing books in the first place is to bind us to our fellow human beings beyond our final breath, and thereby defend ourselves against those implacable adversaries of the life of every one of us - transience and oblivion.”

I cannot overstate the pleasure which reading Stefan Zweig invariably brings me. My husband bears the brunt of my Zweig-effused monologues, for I have no friends who have read him.

I first discovered his work in 2017 and made it my mission to read every English translation I could possibly find. Although I had already read 4/6 of these stories previously, it was wonderful to read these new translations. Of these, ‘Buchmendel’ was my favourite. Zweig’s writing is astute, tender, and heartbreaking.

One thing did trouble me however: For someone who was so vocally anti-nationalist and anti-fascist, the blatant classism which sometimes appears in his writing throws me. I didn’t enjoy Leoparella for this reason.

[Ian Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six - slow - Stories. Of very unequal lengths: two reasonably standard length shorts, two mediums and two so lengthy, with a bit of extra work they could’ve gone off and become novels on their own.

You may think that I didn’t enjoy these stories much, but I did. Quite a bit, actually. The lengthier ones did go on where, in another’s pen they might have concluded a lot sooner. Still, what is wrong with a spell of slow reading now and then?

So, six stories, each character driven and not at all allegorical; simply describing an event, a meeting or an experience of a situation which happened briefly within a character’s life; observational tales, like the kind someone might regale friends or an acquaintance with in a pub. I think you could find some moralistic or virtuous message or connection from the six but I didn’t find that, nor needed to.

It’s the first I’ve heard of the author, Stefan Zweig (1881-1942). Born in Vienna; Austrian-Jewish, became a British citizen after fleeing the Nazis, went to Brazil with his wife where they committed suicide. A life which seems at odds with the calmness underlying these works.

Four stars.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved Zweig's memoir, The World of Yesterday, so I was keen to try his fiction. This somewhat haphazard collection of six stories seems more uneven than it is, as five of the stories are quite good. The problem is the sixth one, which at 110 pages is about four times longer than the others. And it feels longer. But the editor saves the best for last - the final story is one of Zweig's earliest. It put him on the map and you can see why. "Burning Secret" is the story of a young boy on holiday with his mom. As in "What Maisie Knew," we see everything from the boy's limited perspective, as he observes adult behavior he cannot understand. It's a magnificent achievement. I just wish this book had been called "Five Stories."

[char · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the hell! Zweig is amazing! I got really interested in his writing after I found out his work was part of the inspiration for the Grand Budapest, and started with this collection to dip my toes in. Amazing he well exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to read more of his works. I generally have been more and more fascinated with literature focusing on war, especially in the earlier half of the 20th century. I think Zweig goes beyond this quite well and focuses on themes such as family, beauty, loss, art, and politics really well. His prose style is also so beautiful and I think the descriptive narrative is sooo well written and contributes to the atmosphere so well. I can’t wait to read more of his works!

[Richard Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first time reading anything from Stefan Zweig and it didn't disappoint. He writes beautifully (I read the English translation, rather than the original German, so kudos to the translator) and his interwar stories about ordinary people caught up in events far beyond their control (the First World War) have stayed with me since reading them a few months ago. From the blind art collector whose family were forced to sell his collection without telling him, to the Russian deserter in Switzerland who just wants to get home - this series of six short stories is quite moving. I recommend reading this book.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed several Zweig novels, but found this volume of short stories less enjoyable. It didn’t help that nearly half of it is taken up by an incredibly long winded and boring tale about the Jewish religion and the importance (far more than God, it seems) of a gold altar candelabra. I vey nearly gave up, but, thankfully I waded through it to the last, and by far the best, tale of the affect on an eleven year old boy of his mothers’ flirtations with a cunning womaniser staying in the same hotel whilst they were on holiday without the father.

[Mai Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buchmendel was an excellent read, truly spoke to me and moved me unlike others. Vienna is a city most-beloved to me, as my longing for it sits heavily on my heart. Reading this short story is like taking a walk in the city back in time, with all of its charms and quirks and characters.

The other short stories were wonderful and moving as well, while Burning Secret was infuriating, with characters we can relate to such as the boy, while others were maddening to watch.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t really know what to expect because I’m not the biggest fan of short story collections, but this was a mixed bag for sure.
The Invisible Collection: 5/5
Episode on Lake Geneva: 3/5
Leporella: 4/5
Buchmendal: 3/5
The Buried Candelabrum: 1/5 (I’m sorry but this shit was BORINGGGG)
Burning Secret: 5/5

[Paul Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pleased that this collection has been published as it has introduced me to a writer who I have not
previously read. It's ashame that the best stories are so short; Zweig is definitely more powerful when he restricts the length. Buchmendel is an absolute delight.

[Shayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Where rest was sought, unrest was found.”

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slightly mismatched collection of four short stories (each one a gem), and two much longer, and quite different pieces, one of which Zweig called a Jewish 'legend'.

[Daisy Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of these great to read; huge themes. Favourites "Buchmendel" and "Burning Secret".

[Michelle Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful short story collection

Six beautifully written short stories from the great Stefan zweig. His capture of the human experience is truly genius .

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and immersive short stories that have withstood the test of time to remain in print today.

[Bunny Slipper · Rating 3 out of 5]

really liked “The invisible collection”, “Buchmendel”, “Incident on Lake Geneva” and “Leporella”.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the first four stories, but felt let down by the last two.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 5 is the winner.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first 3 stories but didn’t get into the last 3 stories quite so much

[Magnus Nemitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowser. Burning secret might just be one of the best stories let alone short stories I’ve ever read.

[Jeffrey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories with quite a lot of history built in. I especially liked "The Invisible Collection" (a story about inflation), "Buchmendel" (a character sketch), and "Burning Secret".

[WR James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories but the longest one is about aspects of his religion, which didn't really infuse me as it's not my thing. Worth a read though

[Gunnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming and elegant batch of 6 little stories. Each making one feel a nostalgia for a world they never lived and hopes to never live. An excellent translation, given to me as a gift this book was an excellent companion on a busy week in which reading time was limited. The short story format allowed for a feeling of more progress, not to say the book was not engaging as it leads one’s imagination to dance and sway from story to story, feeling the pain, excitement, let down, and guilt of each of these 6 tales. I would definitely recommend this read.