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This month's book in translation is Beware of Pity by Stefan Zweig.
An alternate title is Impatience of the Heart , which reflects the original German title-Ungeduld des Herzens.

I will be in. It will be my first by Zweig. I had wanted to read either Beware of Pity and The Post-Office Girl after director Wes Anderson had cited them as influences on his movie The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I had wanted to get a taste for Zweig, once a popular writer, whose style as been described both as "humanism, simplicity and effective" and "as poor, lightweight and superficial." I wonder what I'll think.

I read Chess Story a couple of years ago. I would say that the first description is accurate. That book is not lightweight!

i had also thought of Chess Story as my first Zweig since it is by far his most popular on good reads and is short. But at about 100 pages I can fit it in easily if I like this one.
Also, Beware of Pity will serve to supplement the insights into the pre WWI Austro-Hungarian empire I received from reading The Radetzky March and The Transylvanian Trilogy

An intro comment. My edition has an Introduction with roman numeral page numbers and then an untitled passage that continues the roman numeral numbering from the introduction, and then the actual book at page one. DO NOT SKIP THE PASSAGE. It is not an author's Preface, but it is actually a part of the story that masquerades as a Preface.
As I normally do to avoid spoilers, I skipped the Intro and was going to skip the Passage and start the book at page one when I decided I better start glancing at the Passage just in case. The Passage is definitely part of the story even with roman numerals as page numbers.

Thanks for letting us know, Brian.

Rosemarie wrote: "I read Chess Story a couple of years ago. I would say that the first description is accurate. That book is not lightweight!"

You are right about Zweig since, so far, this novel doesn't seem to be "poor, lightweight and superficial." If it was, I certainly would know as it takes one to know one.
Poet/translator Michael Hofmann is one who denigrates Zweig, saying "Zweig just tastes fake. He's the Pepsi of Austrian writing." I had read Hofmann's translation of Hans Fallada's Little Man, What Now?
Seriously, though, I like how the story has progressed in the early going.

Part of what I like about reading older classic novels is the history that I Iearn. In this book, there are references to the country/territory of Galicia. a place that I was not aware of 5 years ago but has now been referenced in several novels I've read over the last few years. I refer to the area wedged between Poland/Ukraine/Slovakia and not the part of Spain.

I have read just over half of the book. Normally I refer to the Chapters I've finished but there are no chapters. just breaks every 8 to 25 pages or so.
My comment has no real plot spoilers but is a more general comment on the story, So far, I think Beware of Pity is a very apt title, and appears to be more descriptive of the story than the more accurately translated title, Impatience of the Heart.

It's interesting that you mention that, Brian. I read The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis this past weekend and he has some interesting things to say about pity.
Pity can be used for emotional blackmail and selfish reasons, in which case it is not a good thing. It can also be an enabler for selfish actions in others.

Brian wrote: "Part of what I like about reading older classic novels is the history that I Iearn.."

Since Zweig uses the term 'pick a back' during an internal story, I have now learned how that term morphed into the term 'piggyback.'

FINISHED THE BOOK

I can see how this book could evoke divided opinions. Some GR reviewers find it overly melodramatic with unlikable characters. One asserted it should be called Beware of Over-Reacting. (I kind of like that - it is accurate) Other readers find it to be a "detailed, psychologically nuanced, and deep" novel.
Personally, while I understand and have some sympathy with the former view, I'm currently more with the latter view. I found its psychological insights into pity to be more illuminating than overly melodramatic. (I do concede it is somewhat melodramatic, just not overly) I found the characters intriguing and the book quite readable and "a bit of a page-turner." It felt different from other books I have been reading. I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars and will wait a few days to see how the book sits with me.

Thank you for your comments, Brian, since you seem to be the only member reading the book this month.
Hopefully other members will have an opportunity to read it when the libraries are open again.

Brian, since you are interested in books set in Austria during that time period, I recommend The Vienna Melody by Ernst Lothar, which I read in German-Der Engel mit der Posaune: Roman eines Hauses.
The Habsburgs play a prominent role in the book.

Rosemarie wrote: "Brian, since you are interested in books set in Austria during that time period, I recommend The Vienna Melody by Ernst Lothar, which I read in German-[book:Der Eng..."

Thanks, Rosemarie. I hadn't heard of it, but will check it out for future reading. (I did, its a mini-hefty w/ an interesting plot).
Soon, I will be trying the first book of Mann's Joseph tetralogy. Yes, I know its not Austria/Hungary, but maybe part could be connected to Palace Walk. another Classic in Translation? :)

Mann's Joseph Tetralogy is one of my favourites by that author.