Selected Prose

An engaging collection of Hofmannsthal prose works

This volume presents a selection of prose works by Hugo von Hofmannsthal ranging from fairy tales and novellas to essays and reflections on his travels. It includes a complete translation of his unfinished novel Andreas; influential short works such as “The Letter of Lord Chandos,” “Colours,” and “Fear”; a chapter from The Woman without a Shadow and, in full, the tales “An Episode in the Life of the Marshal de Bassompierre,” “A Tale of the Cavalry,” and “Lucidor” (the basis of the libretto Arabella); essays on Shakespeare, Balzac, and Wilde; and aphorisms from The Book of Friends. Poet, librettist, and guiding spirit of the Salzburg Festival, Hofmannsthal is one of the most important figures of European letters and a prose writer of lasting significance. This beautiful collection introduces a new generation of readers to his work.