រ៉ូ | ro’s Reviews > Beware of Pity > Status Update
រ៉ូ | ro
is on page 33 of 353
“I realized that there was no point in denying oneself a pleasure because it was denied another, in refusing to allow oneself to be happy because someone else was unhappy.
— Jun 18, 2026 05:23AM
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រ៉ូ | ro’s Previous Updates
រ៉ូ | ro
is on page 81 of 353
81 pages in, and this feels like a 3 star read for me so far. I do find the psychological exploration of the emotion of pity fascinating and the writing beautiful in certain parts, but the storytelling, overall, is far too descriptive for my liking. Zweig, I feel, has a tendency to over-explain or reiterate the meaning of something repetitively through different similes and allegories, which I find tiring.
— Jun 19, 2026 07:16PM
រ៉ូ | ro
is on page 33 of 353
By purposely dimming his light so as not to upset the crippled Edith, Anton reveals how pity only leads to unnecessary shame and burden. Across cultures, pride is frowned upon and yet the very lack of pride is what breeds shame and, thus, pity. Rather than letting the sense of “undeserved privilege” dictate your life, one may be better off practising gratitude and embracing said privilege.
— Jun 18, 2026 05:11AM
រ៉ូ | ro
is on page 18 of 353
The protagonist’s reaction is understandable. Equating his social blip with a crime, is a common reaction that all social anxiety sufferers (which is to say, all of us) know too well.
However, I can’t help but cringe. Perhaps I would have found it more tolerable in third person narration. First person narration, I’ve come to find more and more recently, to be overbearingly melodramatic.
— Jun 16, 2026 08:39PM
However, I can’t help but cringe. Perhaps I would have found it more tolerable in third person narration. First person narration, I’ve come to find more and more recently, to be overbearingly melodramatic.
As a wary empath, this understanding would have done wonders had it struck me sooner.