A Letter from a Strange Woman

Author: (Austrian) Stefan Zweig, translated by Zhang Yushu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: This collection of novels eliminates many external details to focus on the inner world, character traits, and hidden inner passions. The author removes everything he deems unnecessary, whether it's the Malay madman or the strange woman—none are given names. Only details that reflect the characters' inner passions and scenes that enhance the novel's atmosphere are vividly depicted: the tropical jungle under scorching sun that drives one mad, the eerie corner of the deck in the dark, the parched and cracked earth, the dimly lit alley, the eyes of a dog begging like a masochist, the lips of a maiden yearning for rain. These descriptions in the novels are more vivid and striking than reality. What remains in the reader's mind is not complex plots or magnificent scenes, but,, the tremors of their souls, and their heartfelt groans. The book tells the story of a strange woman, in the final moments of her life, who, filled with a lifetime of devotion, writes a poignant and moving long letter to a famous writer, revealing her desperate love.