Description
AMOK
Book Summary
This work gathers some of the most iconic stories by Stefan Zweig, originally published in 1922 under the title Amok: Novellas of Passion. The reader will find a collection of short narratives where obsession, desire, and fate are interwoven with unparalleled psychological mastery. From the famous title story to the unforgettable Letter from an Unknown Woman, each tale explores the limits of human passion, making this book an essential gateway to the short fiction of one of the 20th century's great authors.
What is it about?
The volume collects five stories that share a common core: passion taken to the extreme. In Amok (originally titled The Amok Runner), a doctor in a colony is consumed by a destructive obsession. Letter from an Unknown Woman recounts the posthumous confession of a woman to a writer who never recognized her. The Woman and the Landscape explores eroticism and the tension between two strangers during a stormy night. The remaining stories complete a mosaic of extreme emotions where Zweig displays his ability to dissect the darkest corners of the human soul, combining elegant prose with a deep understanding of his characters' psychology.
Main Themes
- Romantic obsession and its destructive consequences.
- Unrequited desire and failed communication between human beings.
- Fate as a force that shapes the destiny of the characters.
- Eroticism and sexual tension in contexts of social repression.
- Loneliness and anonymity in modern society.
Who is it recommended for?
It is aimed at readers interested in 20th-century European classic fiction, especially the work of Stefan Zweig. It will also appeal to those seeking short stories of great psychological intensity, with plots that explore human passions from a refined literary perspective. It is an ideal read both for those already familiar with the author and for those who wish to begin exploring his work through his most representative texts.
What this book offers
- Access to five masterworks of short fiction, including two of Zweig's most famous: Amok and Letter from an Unknown Woman.
- An immersion into the psychology of characters trapped by extreme passions, narrated with the precise and elegant prose characteristic of the author.
- The opportunity to understand why Zweig became the most popular German-language writer of his time.
- A volume that combines emotional intensity with psychological analysis, offering a deep and moving reading experience.
Technical Data
- Author: ZWEIG, STEFAN
- Publisher: HERMIDA EDITORES, S.L
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: CLASSIC TEXTS, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION, CLASSIC FICTION
- Collection: EL JARDIN DE EPICURO
- Publication Date: March 2023
- Number of pages: 326
- Weight: 595 g
Editorial Review
This edition recovers a fundamental work by Stefan Zweig that marked a milestone in his literary career. The selection of stories offers a representative sample of his talent for psychological portraiture and the construction of oppressive atmospheres. The volume is especially attractive to readers who value quality classic narrative, as well as to those interested in exploring the complexities of desire and obsession from a mature and sophisticated literary perspective.