Kaleidiscope One by Stefan Zweig

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


AMOK
THE BURNING SECRET
MOONBEAM ALLEY
TRANSFIGURATION
FEAR
THE FOWLER SNARED &
THE GOVERNESS

are the stories comprising this collection. I have read the volumes 1 and 2 back to back,in reverse order, and have really enjoyed both the volumes. True to the name, the collections are a Kaleidoscope of stories with diverse backgrounds, each story reverbrating with a life in its own manner but all of them held closely together by the distinctiveness of style which is uniquely Zweig's. Though these are English translations of the originals and I don't know if they do justice to the writer but even in translation the one thing that really shines forth is Zweig's love and understanding of each of the characters. For even when the characters are not likeable, you kind of feel empathy for them and try to understand them. For it seems that for the writer, it is more important to portray his characters as humans who are troubled by the inevitable or sudden happenings in life rather than be judgemental of their actions or consequences for them. His characters are believable and not larger than life so that their portrayals are never heroic or tragic in extreme but bear a semblence akin to the sometimes common or grave tribulations faced by common people. And perhaps that is why these stories move you so much.

5 stars for both the volumes.





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