Beware of Pity

By Stefan Zweig

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Beware of Pity (1939) is Stefan Zweig's only completed novel, set in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the eve of the First World War. A young cavalry lieutenant, Anton Hofmiller, is invited to the castle of a wealthy family and makes a clumsy gesture toward their paralyzed daughter, Edith. Out of guilt and compassion he keeps visiting, and his pity draws him into a relationship he cannot sustain, with tragic consequences.

Recommended by 1 person

• Patrick Collison: “While I don't typically read much fiction, I recently read *Beware of Pity* (Stefan Zweig) and *Transit of Venus* (Shirley Hazzard). Both are really fantastic.”