Zweig~ Journey into the Past

Zweig's Journey into the Past is a period romance (WWI) that was written in about 1933, but not published until 1976. It was translated from its original German, into English, by Anthea Bell. Anthea Bell, by the way lived to the age of 82 (dying in 2018) and translated several books from German to English, including Kafka’s The Castle.

This is the first book that I have reviewed on Zebra Reads and so it is very special in that respect. One of the things that I want to do with Zebra Reads is to really expand the books that I read beyond just what I might typically find interesting. I also want to talk about the authors of these books so try to situate their writing into the bigger picture.

Stefan Zweig is really an important and interesting voice. He was born in the late 1800’s (1881) to a wealthy Jewish family in Austria. He lived, it seems, an incredibly easy life, absolutely successful in most anything he attempted, earning a doctoral degree in philosophy even at the age of 23. His work is described as effortless by Andre’ Aciman, who wrote the forward to the book, and I would agree. The story simply tells itself, starting in its natural place and ending just when it should end.

Despite his overt success in all endeavors, Zweig and his wife (Lotte Altmann) committed suicide together in Brazil in 1942, having been married only three years. He was 60. The world had moved on and there was no place for an Austrian Jew in Hitler’s Germany. The end seemed an easier thing to face, than starting over.

That feeling of loss of place resonates itself in Journey into the Past. He wrote it, probably (it isn’t exactly clear), in the decade before his death, as he was moving from Austria, to England, to the United States, and finally to Brazil in order to escape a dangerous socio-political climate that seemed to follow him. The constant need to start over again someplace new for reasons beyond his own control is felt in spades by Ludwig, our protagonist in this story.

While suicide seems an extreme reaction, we can begin to see, in Ludwig, the despair that comes with losing a sense of belonging. Being between two worlds, neither one of which fit any longer. And the question becomes… what can we do in such a case? How do we stay where we are? How do we go back to where we were?

This is a very short book, a novella, a love story. My reviews for Zebra Reads are divided into the four parts: An overview of the book, a description of my take on the book, a bit on who I think might really enjoy it, and finally a bit on who might want to avoid it.

What it’s about: This is a short story about the endurance of love across time and circumstance. It is an unlikely love affair that feels both inappropriate and ill-fated from the start. One turn after another draws the lovers apart, and yet in the background it persists. When they find each other again, is it so impossible for them to return to where they had once been?

My take: This was the first book I read for Zebra Reads, before I had even really conceptualized the reality of Zebra Reads. It was years ago that I read it, and I thought I had lost the book long ago somehow, so I never was able to write it up, once I had settled on this book review format. But, I recently found it on a bookshelf in a home I bought 10 years after first reading it. It is my boomerang book, I guess. So, this one is a special read for me. This is a quintessential love story, and I am not always fond of love stories. This one, though, does have enough of a twist to make it compelling. It is a December-May romance, and a married woman on top of. It takes place in Europe in the early 1900s and is prim and proper as the time would suggest. The writing is dense and formal, it is abstract, dreamy, and philosophical. The end provides no closure and the happiness that should be is doubtful and troubling. In all, this book made me sad, perhaps because it echoed in some ways my own personal struggles at the time I had read it. I read it quickly, done in a day, and felt unsatisfied by the ending, but would read it again, just to feel the intenseness of the relationship between the main characters. Zweig has a natural beauty in his writing.

Who should read it: This Novella would be well liked by anyone who enjoys either short stories or love stories. Zweig manages to develop his characters in really nice detail, and in such short time. The story is intense because it is so short, and it is very deep, despite its length. The time period is also compelling, taking place right around WWI. In particular, it was of interest to me to see the way wealthy families were able to move around the politics of the war. In general, it is a compelling story that is worth a read.

Who should not read it: The time period and story genre does not lend itself to much controversy. It is, in fact, a rather proper story. However, it is very romantic, and focuses heavily on the idea of fated love, which may come across as annoyingly hopeful to some. In addition, the love affair does involve a married woman who is much older than her love interest. This dynamic was frustrating to me, as it seemed to be borne of boredom as much as anything else. In addition, the ending does not provide any clarity, so if such ambiguousness frustrates you, it might be good to avoid.

Bottom Line: Love will find a way, but also…you can never go home again.

I Prefer the Vlog!

Want to read Journey into the Past? Find it at these links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Better World Books

Thrift Books