![]() ![]() ![]() Stefan Zweig makes use of the game of chess as both a character in the novel and as a metaphor for his life as he perceived it at the time. It’s a clear, riveting novella, which not only reaches very extreme psychological depths, but also offers a poignant new understanding of Nazi Germany-a period in history which already has a multitude of perspectives and analysis. Hands down it’s one of the best stories I’ve ever read. ![]() This new translation of Chess Story brings out the work’s unusual mixture of high suspense and poignant reflection. How he came to possess his extraordinary grasp of the game of chess and at what cost lie at the heart of Zweig’s story. Then a mysterious passenger steps forward to advise them and their fortunes change. They come together to try their skills against him and are soundly defeated. Travelers by ship from New York to Buenos Aires find that on board with them is the world champion of chess, an arrogant and unfriendly man. ![]() It is the only story in which Zweig looks at Nazism, and he does so with characteristic emphasis on the psychological. “ Chess Story, also known as The Royal Game, is the Austrian master Stefan Zweig’s final achievement, completed in Brazilian exile and sent off to his American publisher only days before his suicide in 1942. By Drew Damron, Grand Rapids Public Library, Main ![]()
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