The Story of Xiangqi (World Literature Library)

Author: (Austria) Stefan Zweig
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-02-01
Features: The Story of the is the last novella published by Zweig before his death. On the surface, the novel tells the story of an amateur international chess player defeating the world chess champion on a steamship traveling from New York to South America. In reality, it depicts the torment and destruction of the human spirit by the Nazi fascist regime. As a humanist, Zweig used this novel to express his hatred for Nazi fascism. Through this literary form of resistance, he joined the ranks of the global anti-fascist alliance. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the final collapse of fascism. Due to his despair over the situation, he and his wife took their own lives with poison in Brazil in 1942 after learning of Singapore's fall. However, The Story of the remains an important anti-fascist work and continues to be celebrated by later generations. This is perhaps the best solace for Zweig's soul.