After his wife dies, Toni only gets involved in affairs. His latest conquest is the American Emma, who wants to go on vacation with him to Lake Wolfgang. When they arrive, they discover that the apartment is already occupied by two other vacationers. The apartment has been rented out twice by mistake and now they have no choice but to share the house. Friction soon arises between Toni and the cookbook author Julia.
At the battle of Solferino Joseph von Trotta, a lieutenant in the Slovenian infantry, is wounded while saving the life of the young Austrian Emperor Franz-Joseph I. The Emperor rewards him by elevating him in society to a position quite out of keeping with his social rank, and which entirely alienates him from his farming background: Joseph gets promoted to the rank of captain, and is made a member of the nobility. Years later Joseph von Trotta accidentally finds a description of the battle that changed his life in a text-book belonging to his son Franz. Enraged at the over-emotional, patriotic and sentimental way in which the Emperor's rescue at the hands of "the Hero of Solferino" is depicted, he lodges a complaint at the Imperial Court.
Leo Perutz' thriller deals with the persecution of a psychotic murderer in Vienna in 1909 who seems to lead his victims into a brilliantly hidden form of suicide.
After arriving in 1940 New York, Freddy struggles to find work. His world of refugee acquaintances includes the depressed daughter of a poet/delicatessen owner, an aging surgeon who cannot find work, and a lovable charlatan photographer.
By browsing this website, you accept our cookies policy.