Blessed Friday in the Octave of Easter!
Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) was a Jewish author from Austria who, having emigrated to London, was in his day one of the most popular and translated writers in Europe.
His 1939 novel, “Beware of Pity,” tells the story of a twisted psychological “romance” grounded in a deeply disordered concept of compassion. It’s been called frightening, gripping, intoxicating, and Zweig’s single greatest work.
Anyone who has ever been the victim — from either end — of unrequited love will squirm, it must be said deliciously (if with horror), throughout.
An aristocratic invalid in a wheelchair, a dashing but callow cavalry officer, a doting but judgment-beclouded father, a faux-martyr doctor: there’s an over-the-top 1946 movie starring Lilli Palmer, too.
Read all about it in my Angelus News column this week.
Meanwhile, for those of you who haven’t checked in for a bit (or been asleep), I’ve moved my blog to Substack. A bunch of you have come over–thank you so much! I invite everyone to. You can subscribe for free and get some stuff, or pay five bucks a month, and get a whole lot more. S
ubstack has a nice feature called “Notes,” so in addition to full-length posts, I’ve been putting up a shorter reflection or book recommendation or excerpt from a piece of writing that’s struck me, always with an accompanying carefully–selected image that I hope leads to an exploration of its own.
Come on over!!
DESIRE LINES: BOOKS, CULTURE, ART. Little-known and forgotten gems: eccentric travel, interior pilgrimage, family dysfunction, sinners, saints. Plus takes on culture and art from a diehard reader, memoirist, and Benedictine oblate.
HERE’S MY WELCOME PAGE.
READ MY OPENING POST HERE!
If you love books, you’re going to love this Substack. Many of you have followed me for years–subscribing would be a beautiful way to support my efforts. THANK YOU!!
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