Journey into the Past
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings4
Average rating3.5
Separated for nine years by the First World War Ludwig has finally returned home to meet the woman he so passionately loved, and who had promised to wait for him. But circumstances have changed ... Confronted with an uncertain future, and still haunted by the past, together they will discover whether their love has survived hardships, betrayals, and the lapse of time. Zweig's long-lost final novella-recently discovered in manuscript form-is a poignant examination of the angst of nostalgia and the fragility of love.
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The translation from German seems quite effortless. And there are some well-written sentences, but, my goodness, for such a short text, this sure was boring! I found myself not caring a bit for what happens to the main character or his supposed love, who he never names. His love, until a crucial moment, seems Oedipal. Perhaps, his “love” represents the world before World War I and the post-war desolation of German, hence the lack of name. Motherland, not Fatherland.
Perhaps, it is unfair to judge an unfinished work too harshly. Also, the fact that the author and his wife committed suicide as World War II continued grinding at Europe and before the work could be published provides some explanation as to the over-reliance on nostalgia and inability/unwillingness to look forward. With that said, it still wasn't a particularly enthralling book that hasn't been bested many times. I just came off of “A Room With a View,” filled with Continental travel, languid day by frolicking in the Weald, and it was far more successful and compelling. However, I did see sparkles in the writing style, so I plan to read a longer work by Mr. Zweig.
