Fear

In this short, addictive novella, Zweig stays in the head of a woman who learns that her adultery has been discovered. It’s a rather claustrophobic place. Irene Wagner has a comfortable life with a considerate husband and adored children. She falls into an affair with a pianist, but one day as she is leaving his place, she is confronted by a woman who starts to blackmail her. The rest of the book is mostly concerned with Irene's inner torment, as she tries to act normal but ends up refusing to go out, alienating her husband and contemplating suicide. She starts to wonder if she knows her husband, a celebrated prosecutor, at all – she has no idea how he’d react to the news. There are some plot twists but the most powerful part is show more Zweig's depiction of a woman's fear and desperation. It’s a quick story but very intense and Zweig is skilled at portrayed Irene’s psychological state. show less

La pluma de Stefen Zweig es tan sublime que cada vez que termino uno de sus libros necesito tomar una gran bocanada de aire, porque mientras leo me tiene siempre aguantando el aliento.

Este libro, de manera majestuosa nos refleja el miedo, ese que se siente de saberse culpable de algo, pero va más allá, me llama mucho la atención como Zweig refleja el terror de esta mujer de perder lo que tiene, pero nunca, en ningún momento siente remordimientos, su miedo es cerval, visceral, terrible, espantoso, Zweig logra que uno pueda sentir empáticamente cada estremecimiento, ese nudo en el estómago que se sabe siente Irene cada vez que suena la puerta o el teléfono, uno puede sentir la mirada del marido, esa que tal vez no diga nada, pero show more que cuando hay una culpa presente, se ve en la miradas de otros la recriminación, dice Zweig en una frase “el miedo es peor que el castigo” y vaya que lo es.

Es increíble como he llegado a sentir todo eso que Irene siente, sin embargo, no sentí por ella ninguna lástima, se merecía sentir ese miedo, se merecía esa angustia y no estoy tan segura de que mereciera ningún perdón, no tanto por su pecado si no por su falta de remordimiento.

No puedo decir que me haya sorprendido el final, pero aun así esta tan bien construido, tan bien manejado, sin duda puedo leer a este autor y volverlo a leer y siempre conseguirá atraparme, siempre conseguirá que termine un libro sintiendo una enorme fascinación por su estilo, por su escritura, por su talento.

Sin duda un libro que no deja indiferente, como casi siempre sucede cuando leo libros donde Zweig decide hablar de naturaleza humana, de pecados, de sentimientos.

Todo mundo debería leer a Zweig, es toda una experiencia hacerlo. show less

Irene is a young and attractive woman of the cultured class in early 20th century Vienna, whose husband is a successful and respected trial lawyer. Irene is materially content but bored, as servants care for her children and govern the house, and she spends her days in the company of her all too similar friends. She is lured into an affair with a promising young pianist, which gives her life spark and an alternative sense of purpose.

As she leaves her lover's apartment one day, Irene is accosted by a raffish woman, who accuses her of stealing her man. The woman threatens and bullies her, and Irene gives her all the money she has, to avoid a public scene. She attempts to hide indoors for several days to escape the mysterious woman, but show more the shock and concern of her husband, children and servants cause her to become more claustrophobic and distraught. Irene experiences a brief sense of relief, believing that the woman does not know who she is or where she lives, until she turns up outside of Irene's building, demanding even more money.

At that point Irene's world begins to simultaneously crumble and shrink, as she knows that disclosure of her affair would lead to ruin for her husband's career and end her life of comfort. As the woman's demands become more frequent and as her family becomes more suspicious of her unusual behavior, Irene devises a plan to escape her tormentor, for good.

Fear is a gripping psychological thriller, which left me short of breath and on the edge of my chair, as Zweig masterfully portrays Irene's increasing despair and irrationality. Highly recommended! show less

The wife of a prominent Viennese lawyer who has been having an affair with a young musician is accosted by a woman in the street one day. The young woman, visibly in dire straits, claims to have also been one the the musician's mistresses, and begins to allude to blackmail, to which the married woman responds by giving her all her money. Before long the blackmailer is demanding increasing sums every day and our heroine is terrified of being found out by her husband, even as he repeatedly encourages her to share the fears that have her screaming out at night. A psychological drama which is a product of it's time (1910s-1920s) with the roles of men and women narrowly defined, but in which human nature and the nature of fear itself are show more played out to great effect. My second short story by Zweig, it had me weeping (from sadness? from relief?) in the end. show less

Irene Wagner è una affascinante donna dell’alta borghesia viennese, moglie di un avvocato e madre di due figli.
Nonostante la sua vita sembri felice e invidiabile Irene si infatua di un musicista conosciuto ad una serata mondana e inizia a frequentarlo di nascosto. Un giorno, uscendo dalla casa dell’amante, viene minacciata da una sconosciuta che inizia a ricattarla e a seguirla di nascosto.
Irene viene così trascinata in un vortice di ansia, panico e terrore che le toglieranno il sonno e la serenità familiare.
Zweig riesce perfettamente a rendere in poche righe le sensazioni di panico e smarrimento che travolgono la protagonista, sono palpabili e ci si immerge profondamente nella lettura.
Questo autore mi piace sempre di più per la show more sua capacità di sondare la psicologia umana, di creare suspense e di raccontare emozioni che magari tendiamo a tenere nascoste nel nostro intimo. show less

Esta es la historia de Irene Wagner, una joven de vida acomodada, casada y con dos hijos, que vive sumida en el miedo. Este miedo irracional se debe a la incapacidad para confesar a su marido la infidelidad cometida con un joven pianista. Y es que está siendo chantajeada por una mujer, que si no accede a sus demandas económicas, desvelará esta relación a su esposo. La novela transcurre entre los sentimientos de culpabilidad y temor de Irene.

‘Miedo’ (Angst, 1913), de Stefan Zweig, es una gran nouvelle, donde, como es habitual en el autor, logramos empatizar con la protagonista. Una historia profunda y excelentemente narrada.

На тоненького)))
Как всегда душевно и глубого, хотя существует определенный недосказ, ну так это ведь не научный труд.
Измена, душевные муки, самоистязание и наказание, хитрость и коварство, хэппи энд)