The Post Office Girl
by Stefan Zweig
This is without doubt a fairly bleak and depressing book and as such is evidently a reasonable reflection of its historical context.
Some of us were slightly annoyed by Americanisms and misplaced colloquialisms of the translation but while the book is by its nature depressing it is undoubtedly well written with some beautiful descriptions and uplifting passages.
The characters, apart from a couple of minor ones, we found largely unsympathetic and to some of us Christine’s rapid transformation into the life and soul of the party stretched credibility.
Zweig’s writing is compassionate and perceptive and the book’s political context provides some alarming parallels with today.
Despite various revisions the book was unpublished during the author’s lifetime and the lack of a resolution or definite ending was frustrating to some of us.
Nonetheless, although the author was obviously not satisfied with the work, most of us were happy to have had the opportunity to enjoy the writing.
NS. June 2012
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