Beware of Pity (German: Ungeduld des Herzens, literally Impatience of the Heart) is a 1939 novel by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig. It was Zweig's longest work of fiction. It was adapted into a 1946 film of the same title, directed by Maurice Elvey.[1]
Plot summary
The young lieutenant Anton "Toni" Hofmiller is invited to the castle of the wealthy Hungarian Lajos Kekesfalva. After dinner he asks Kekesfalva's daughter, Edith, to dance not knowing that she is paralyzed from the waist down. She begins to weep inconsolably at the perceived slight, and Toni filled with embarrassment rushes to leave the castle. Soon afterwards he sends her flowers hoping that the Kekesfalvas will forgive him and that his indiscretion will not become the subject of gossip. To his surprise, he is immediately invited back for tea where he is endeared to the young Edith out of pity for her condition. He soon begins to visit Kekesfalvas everyday where he is lavished with the finest foods, cigars, and liquors and at the same time develops a subtle affection and compassion for the crippled girl. Edith falls madly in love with him, but such a possibility never even occurs to Toni. Herr von Kekesfalva compulsively praises Toni's magnanimity at every opportunity despite Toni's protests. One day he asks Toni for a favor. Herr von Kekesfalva worries that Dr. Condor, Edith's doctor, is not being entirely truthful when he insists that she is improving and that her condition may one day be completely cured out of consideration for Herr von Kekesfalva's feelings. He asks Toni to casually inquire when the good doctor visits about the possibility of a full recovery. When Condor visits, Toni nonchalantly offers to walk with him back into town. Condor makes several ambiguous remarks about Herr von Kekesfalva's ignoble origins which he sees upset Toni. Condor offers to tell him the whole story rather than for Toni to hear a mangled version through gossip. Condor describes Herr von Kekesfalva's origins as a young Jewish businessman who swindled the German companion to the late heiress of the Kekesfalva castle and land out of her fortune before being moved out of compassion to marry the poor woman. He then became a devoted husband and father of Edith caring nothing for money except to provide for his late wife and daughter. Toni is shocked by the story but still manages to inquire after Edith's condition. Condor explains his belief that no one is incurable given the continually progressive nature of medical science but that there is little guarantee that Edith will ever walk again. He off-handedly mentions a possible treatment described by a French doctor in a recent medical journal, but he insists that he is unsure whether it will work in Edith's particular case. After parting from Condor Toni is stopped on his way home by Herr von Kekesfalva who appears almost on the edge of death. Toni tries to calm him down, but out of pity he is moved to lie to the old man that there is a new treatment that Condor is sure will completely cure Edith. Herr von Kekesfalva is overjoyed at the news and rushes home to wake Edith up. She too is overjoyed, and the castle is immediately filled with an air of happiness. Hoping that her high spirits will lead to improvement of her condition and worrying that disappointment could kill her Condor agrees to let the lie go on as long as Toni takes full responsibility for confessing when the time comes. However, soon after Edith begins to suspect that the treatment is just a ruse for Toni to send her away despite his insistence to the contrary. When she kisses him on the mouth, he realizes to his own horror that she's fallen in love with him without his knowledge or consent. At first he arranges a plan to flee, but Condor tells him that he will be a murderer and a criminal, if he leaves the poor girl now and that he must comfort and entertain her at least until she leaves for the treatment in Switzerland. Out of pity for Herr von Kekesfalva and Edith who seems ready to kill herself no matter what Toni says to her, he promises to marry her when she is recovered after the treatment. However, for fear of ridicule and contempt, he denies the engagement in public. Realizing the mess he's made and the disgrace he's brought his regiment by lying to his fellow soldiers, he plans to kill himself and requests a transfer. He leaves town early that morning without thinking only from the momentum of his decision, but his guilt catches up to him as he waits for his train in Vienna, but he is unable to notify Condor in time. At one of the stops he sends a hasty telegram explaining that he's been transferred but still intends to keep his promise. Unbeknownst to him Franz Ferdinand had been killed that very day and his telegram never made it to the Kekesfalva's. When Edith learns of his public denial of their engagement, she takes her own life. Toni enters the Great War blinded by guilt but mechanically following orders.
我要評價
愛與同情
作者： 褚威格 新功能介紹
譯者： 張玉書
出版社：志文 新功能介紹
出版日期：2001/08/29
語言：繁體中文
誠品線上https://www.eslite.com › product
我要評價
愛與同情
作者： 褚威格 新功能介紹
譯者： 張玉書
出版社：志文 新功能介紹
出版日期：2001/08/29
語言：繁體中文
愛與同情| 誠品線上
褚威格 · 志文出版社有限公司 · 愛與同情：奧匈帝國輕騎兵少尉霍夫米勒偶然認識了貴族地主的女兒艾迪特。艾迪特下肢癱瘓，不能行走，霍夫米勒對她的不幸深表同情，常常去看望 ...
