Stefan Zweig
Fear: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
Stefan ZweigTwenty-Four Hours in the Life of a WomanAt a Riviera guest house, the flight of Madame Henriette with a young Frenchman she met the day before divides the guests. The narrator, alone in defending her, is soon taken into the confidence of Mrs C., an Englishwoman of sixty-seven still held by the memory of a single day.…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Stefan ZweigChess StoryOn a liner sailing from New York to Buenos Aires travels Mirko Czentovic, the world chess champion, a boatman's son who knows almost nothing beyond the board. The narrator persuades a few passengers to buy a game from him, which the champion wins easily. A stranger, Dr B.,…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Norbert JacquesDr MabuseDoctor Mabuse, a manipulative and strategic criminal, orchestrates complex operations to control his environment and the people around him. Using his intelligence and talent for manipulation, he acts from the shadows, eluding the authorities. Opposite him, investigators try to…Same genreSame era
Stefan ZweigAmokAboard a liner home from Asia, a sleepless passenger approaches the narrator at night and asks him to keep a secret. A German doctor posted to a remote station in the Dutch East Indies, he tells of a European woman who came to demand an illegal operation. His refusal, dictated…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Stefan ZweigLetter from an Unknown WomanA well-known novelist comes home on his birthday and finds a long letter from a woman whose name he does not know. In it she tells her whole life, from the day when, still a girl, she watched him move into her building in Vienna. For years she loved him without making herself…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Robert Louis StevensonDr Jekyll and Mr HydeDr Jekyll, a respected scientist, develops an experiment that allows him to separate the two sides of his personality. Under the identity of Mr Hyde, he unleashes his darkest instincts without restraint. But this transformation becomes uncontrollable and threatens to destroy…Same genre
Franz KafkaThe MetamorphosisGregor Samsa, a devoted employee, wakes one morning transformed into a giant insect. Unable to work and rejected by his family, he gradually becomes a burden in his own home. As his isolation deepens, family bonds deteriorate, revealing a harsh social reality. This short,…Same genreSame era
Guy de MaupassantThe HorlaAlone in his Normandy house, a man keeps a journal of the disturbances that began when a Brazilian three-master sailed past. He sleeps badly, drinks from his carafe at night without remembering it, and becomes sure an invisible being lives beside him. His notes, methodical at…Same genre
Oscar WildeThe Picture of Dorian GrayDorian Gray, a young man of exceptional beauty, sees his portrait age in his place while he keeps a flawless appearance. Influenced by Lord Henry, a cynical and provocative figure, he abandons himself to a life of boundless pleasure. But every act leaves a mark on his portrait,…Same genre
Henry JamesThe Turn of the ScrewA governess is put in charge of two children in an isolated manor, but she quickly believes she perceives disturbing presences around them. Convinced that invisible forces threaten the children, she tries to protect them while doubting what she truly sees. The atmosphere…Same genreSame era
Osamu DazaiNo Longer HumanThree notebooks, found with a few photographs, tell the life of Ōba Yōzō from childhood on. Convinced early that he understands nothing of other people, he plays the clown so that no one will guess his fear, and takes no rest from the act. As a student in Tokyo he drifts into…Same genreSame era
Franz KafkaThe TrialOne morning Josef K., a senior clerk at a bank, is arrested in his lodgings by two warders who tell him nothing of the charge and leave him free to go to work. The case proceeds without being explained to him, in the attic of a suburban tenement where a court sits among piles…Same genreSame era