Elsewhere in the collection, a young man mistakes the girl he loves for her sister, two erstwhile. Letter from an unknown woman by stefan zweig books. It is the story of a young woman on the brink of sensual awakening and of a country on the edge of mayhem. Set in vienna in 1900, the story is told in a complex flashback structure as the pianist, stefan brand louis jourdan, comes upon a letter written to him by lisa berndl, a girl who has been in love with him for years. Woman of letters definition of woman of letters by. A letter to the other woman narcissist, sociopath, and. Letter from an unknown woman was not a typical film of its time either. But by speaking to us in the language of 60 years ago, it invites us to take a fresh look at film. We cannot reach you directly, for it would only send us back into a world of insanity that none of us desire to revisit. Finally, letter from an unknown woman has assumed a central place in the current canon of feminist film criticism. Letter from an unknown woman and other stories by stefan.
In vienna, about 1900, a dashing man arrives at his flat, instructing his manservant that he will leave before morning. Stefan zweig letter from an unknown woman so much more than a love letter. Virginia wrightwexman and karen hollinger, rutgers university press, new brunswick, 1986, pp. Letter from an unknown woman is one of the few films that can be said to be truly beautiful. Letter from an unknown woman news newspapers books scholar jstor september 2019 learn. Studies in cinematic point of view baltimore, johns hopkins university press, 1986, pp. Letter from an unknown woman 73 rachel arraigns god 127 virata, or the eyes of the undying brother 5 the royal game was translated from the german by b. Zweigs short stories are good, but letter from an unknown woman blows all the ones ive read until now out of the water. Letter from an unknown woman was one of the many films i first became aware of by watching a personal journey with martin scorsese through american movies, and i remembered it especially because i liked the title. Woman of letters definition is a woman who is a scholar. Dying of flu, a woman sends a letter to the man she has loved all her lifea man. Repetition and framing in letter from an unknown woman in cineaction no. Letter from an unknown woman is one of the greatest films of the 40s, and therefore of all time.
Quotes from letter from an unknown woman and other stories by stefan zweig ekaterina oguryaeva has quoted 2 years ago nothing makes one as healthy as happiness, and there is no greater happiness than making someone else happy. Published in 1922, it tells the story of an author who, while reading a letter written by a woman he. The most famous is letter from an unknown woman, which leads off the collection, but i. Letter from an unknown woman and other stories zweig, stefan, bell, anthea. These four stefan zweig stories, newly translated by the awardwinning anthea bell, are among his most celebrated and compelling work. A man receives a letter from a mysterious woman who has known him throughout his life. So writes the apparently unknown woman of the title in stefan zweigs moving short tale of an unrequited love that is brought to a tragic. But in 1948 ophuls was given an opportunity to display his legendary technique in a movie no one would have trouble understanding, the indulgently romantic letter from an unknown woman. In this letter, joan fontaine tells him first that she may be dead when hell read it. For a very melodramatic film, theres a strange absence of conflict that i found. The concept is simple, the characters are few and the story is short but this somehow made the ladys tale still sadder.
He studied in berlin and vienna and was first known as a poet and translator, then as a biographer. As a teenager she had lived with her poor widowed mother in the same building and had fallen totally in love with both the opulent cultured lifestyle of her neighbour and the handsome charming man himself. The classic letter from an unknown woman makes one. Between the wars, zweig was an international bestseller with a string of hugely popular novellas including letter from an unknown woman, amok and fear. Louis jourdan, a famous pianist, receives a letter from an unknown woman. She wrote an unknown woman years ago, but both books can still actually teach people to have the courage to live a real, sincere life and make their own choices, simply by. Letter from an unknown woman and other stories by stefan zweig.
With joan fontaine, louis jourdan, mady christians, marcel journet. Allow me, beloved, to tell you the whole story from the beginning. The beginning and end of the film letter from an unknown woman 1949 were significantly changed due to censorship. Brief einer unbekannten is a novella by stefan zweig. With a striking sense of period detail portrait of an unknown woman is an unforgettable story of sin and religion, desire and deception. Stefan zweig was born in 1881 in vienna, into a wealthy austrianjewish family. To read stefan zweigs letter from an unknown woman 1922 is to know. His prose his just gorgeous and so evocative of the past. In the film on the other hand both lisa and stefan take responsibility for their illicit affair.
Published in 1922, it tells the story of an author who, while reading a letter written by a woman he does not remember, gets glimpses into her life story. Letter from an unknown woman is a melodrama which has gotten under the skin of many whove treasured it for decades, not just for its evocative direction and enveloping mood, but the poignancy found in chasing rainbows. Not just an unrequited love, but the love felt by the lesser for the more. Letter from an unknown woman and other stories book. When i finished the first short story, after which the book is titled, i hesitated. Letter from an unknown woman is a 1948 american blackandwhite drama romance film released by universalinternational and directed by max ophuls listed as max opuls in the opening credits sequence. Zweigs book is a firstperson account of a womans heart. From the first day on jourdan has moved in the building, joan fontaine, a 12 years old child then, has fallen in love with him. Letter from an unknown woman ebook by stefan zweig. A pianist about to flee from a duel receives a letter from a woman he cannot remember, who may hold the key to his downfall. Stefans zweigs letter from an unknown woman and other stories contains a new translation by the awardwinning anthea bell of one of his most celebrated novellas, letter from an unknown woman, the inspiration for a classic 1948 hollywood film by max ophuls, as well as three new stories, appearing in english for the first time. The film stars joan fontaine, louis jourdan, mady christians, and marcel journet in 1992, letter from an unknown woman was selected. Letter from an unknown woman 1 hr 30 min one of my alltime favorites 1948, a breathtaking, bitter, exquisitely orchestrated exploration of love and selfishness by max ophuls. In zweigs novella, the novelist r felt little remorse towards this unknown woman who wrote him a letter.
Letter from an unknown woman 1948 official trailer joan fontaine, louis jourdan movie hd duration. Just would like to share one of my favourite quotes from it. It was based on the novella of the same name by stefan zweig. His servant gives him a letter from an unknown woman, which he reads. The unknown woman is an ultimate enbodiment of unrequited love. Stefans zweigs letter from an unknown woman and other stories contains a new translation by the awardwinning anthea bell of one of his most celebrated novellas, letter from an unknown woman, the inspiration for a classic 1948 hollywood film by max ophuls, as well as three new stories, appearing in english for the first time a famous author receives a letter on his fortyfirst birthday. Its recognized as such now, having been drafted into the national film registry quite early 1992. In the title story, which kicks off this collection, a woman sends a letter to. A rich and wellknown writer, returning home to vienna from one of many holidays, finds a long letter from an unknown woman.
Letter from an unknown woman, which i have in two stefan zweig short story collections, is a beautifully written, bittersweet novella. Having watched the film, i became entranced by its style but less so with its actual story. It was a critical and boxoffice flop, and only later became recognised as one of ophuls greatest works. The kind of love which, if it doesnt bloom, it kills and gets killed, ending up in a waterloo that only big ideas can cause. One day when the writer comes home from walk, he finds a letter with no name and senders address on it. Second dose of dvr action this weekend, thanks again to tcm.
Letter from an unknown woman the current the criterion. Letter from an unknown woman and other storiesnook book. The louis jourdan website letter from an unknown woman. It was just past 2100 when i started on letter from an unknown woman, a collection of four translated novellas by stefan zweig that was recently published by the excellent pushkin press. Golden age hollywood romance doesnt get much better than letter from an unknown woman. This was the first zweig book i read, and i thought it was wonderful. Read letter from an unknown woman and other stories, by stefan zweig online on bookmate a famous author receives a letter on his fortyfirst birthday. But we can hope that you might come across this letter and learn that there are always. Both memoirs are of a single womans excruciatingly sane, solitary life, beautifully described in minute, banal detail. We read a certain book or watch a certain film because doing so. Letter from an unknown woman stefan zweig savidge reads. In flashbacks we see the lifelong passion of lisa berndle for him. Letter from an unknown woman and other stories bformat. On the subject of stefans conversion by the end of the film and its representation of a mans journey into symbolic order, and thus into history, see tania modleski, time and desire in the womans film, letter from an unknown woman, ed.
52 591 1057 915 282 1560 1653 123 182 1341 1462 1126 1529 173 92 214 485 1577 607 177 1176 1519 1101 590 192 887 157 375 1481 488 1117 1188 1242 1109 1625 1432 561 1313 1491 859 810 438 1256 1188 859 1496 152 651 1395 815