Beware of Pity cover art

Beware of Pity

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free + £10 Audible voucher

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

Beware of Pity

By: Stefan Zweig
Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £14.73

Buy Now for £14.73

In the twilight of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a young cavalry officer is invited to a dance at the home of a rich landowner.

There - with a small act of attempted charity - he commits a simple faux pas. But from this seemingly insignificant blunder comes a tale of catastrophe arising from kindness and of honour poisoned by self-regard.

Beware of Pity has all the intensity and the formidable sense of torment and of character of the very best of Zweig's work. Definitive translation by the award-winning Anthea Bell.

©1976 Atrium Press, 2011 Anthea Bell (P)2017 Ukemi Productions Ltd Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

"Zweig’s fictional masterpiece." ( Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
I should probably have expected how bleak this book is given the title, but I think it is exceeded even my pessimistic expectations. None of the characters are likeable, but the story is compelling. Anton just keeps making terrible decisions!
Performed well by the narrator.

Fairly bleak!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am glad I read it! I was a little underwhelmed. I I enjoyed the appendices! There were two short stories worth reading on their own within the whole

The ending

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Is pity really the target of this fascinating story? This perspective may spring from the hero's narrative. Published in 1938, conformism and shame might also be fitting themes.

Beware of shame?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed listening to this thought provoking book. It's superbly written and highlights both the highs and lows of human nature. The narration throughout was absolutely spot on. The pace, change of character and emphasis was exactly what was required for myself to fully appreciate this unusual and at times, unsettling story.

Superbly writen and narrated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beautifully and skilfully read. What a discovery this book has been; and the author! A captivating story of many layers. Thought provoking.

Enjoyable and memorable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews