Beware of Pity

Stephan Zweig

Beware of Pity surprised me from start to finish. Set during the Austria-Hungry empire just before WWI, Beware of Pity tells the story of Lt. Hofmiller entanglement with the wealthy Kakesfalva family.

Lt. Hofmiller’s trouble begins innocently enough. He’s invited to a dance at Herr von Kakesfalva’s palatial home and is having a grand time. He realizes he hasn’t yet asked Edith, the host’s daughter, to dance. He seeks her out to correct this blunder and in doing so embarrasses this pretty and sensitive young lady, who he didn’t know was lame.

Mortified, Hofmiller flees the party, which turns out to make the matter worse. Perhaps a bouquet with a note will smooth things out. The flowers do yield an invitation to tea, which leads to dinner. Before he knows it, Hofmiller is part of this charming family and gets caught up in Edith’s quest for a cure and her web of romantic, uncontrollable emotions.

The writing is graceful and the plot is full of surprises. I was immediately part of this story.