The Pawn’s Gambit: On adapting Stefan Zweig’s “Chess Story”

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-pawns-gambit-on-adapting-stefan-zweigs-chess-story/

by Caiero • 3 years ago

18 3 3 years ago

Thank you for sharing. I have read Zweig's The World of Yesterday, which I regard very highly, but never one of his creative works. I recommend it to everyone who wants to experience a slice of life/live vicariously with an engaged citizen of pre war Europe.

The la review website doesn't render on my smartphone (Firefox), but just reading the wiki plot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Royal_Game?wprov=sfla1), it sounds absolutely brilliant.

I can "relate" to the isolation and frantic labor on some project, which is unhealthy enough on its own. To do so under Nazi domination as a way to survive interegations with no other intellectual outlets possible, leading to project induced psychosis, is just frightening. And it's all portrayed in such a relatively light hearted, optimistic atmosphere of a transatlantic ship bringing bored passengers together for a nice game of chess. Good job, Zweig.

Anyways, time to check out the adaptions.

acco102• 3 years ago

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siddbudd• 3 years ago

404 for me

The Pawn’s Gambit: On adapting Stefan Zweig’s “Chess Story”

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