Reading The World of Yesterday had a profound effect on me. I had been studying this era for a number of years, and Zweig brought it to life for me in a most moving, unforgettable way. I've now read this book several times, and each reading has helped me create an increasingly detailed interior vision of this period, and a greater understanding of the events that defined it. It was hard to experience Zweig's elegiac work without sorrow and a sense of loss. A good book to follow this up with is Peter Gay's Weimar Culture: The outsider as insider. I am currently reading George Prochnik's biography of Gershom Scholem and will soon dive into his book on Zweig. I must say that Mr. Prochnik is a beautiful, sensitive writer and I am delighting in his use of language and reflection.
Reading The World of Yesterday had a profound effect on me. I had been studying this era for a number of years, and Zweig brought it to life for me in a most moving, unforgettable way. I've now read this book several times, and each reading has helped me create an increasingly detailed interior vision of this period, and a greater understanding of the events that defined it. It was hard to experience Zweig's elegiac work without sorrow and a sense of loss. A good book to follow this up with is Peter Gay's Weimar Culture: The outsider as insider.
I am currently reading George Prochnik's biography of Gershom Scholem and will soon dive into his book on Zweig. I must say that Mr. Prochnik is a beautiful, sensitive writer and I am delighting in his use of language and reflection.