Fiercely observed, often hilarious, and βreminiscent of Ibsen and Strindbergβ (The New York Times Book Review), this exquisitely controversial novel was initially banned in its authorβs homeland.
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A searing portrayal of Viennaβs bourgeoisie, it begins with the arrival of an unnamed writer at an βartistic dinnerβ hosted by a composer and his society wifeβa couple he once admired and has come to loathe. The guest of honor, a distinguished actor from the Burgtheater, is late. As the other guests wait impatiently, they are seen through the critical eye of the writer, who narrates a silent but frenzied tirade against these former friends, most of whom have been brought together by Joana, a woman they buried earlier that day. Reflections on Joanaβs life and suicide are mixed with these denunciations until the famous actor arrives, bringing an explosive end to the evening that even the writer could not have seen coming.