Gloomy Souls

 

Arthur Schnitzler (1862-1931) was an Austrian writer and playwright, the largest representative of Viennese Impressionism in literature. The ideas of Sigmund Freud had a strong influence on the writer's work. Therefore, the reader observes the inner monologues, dreams, secret desires,... and fantasies of the characters. In the kaleidoscope of the stories in "Gloomy Souls," everything is set against the backgrounds of bourgeois cities with their beautiful facades. However, the characters lack an understanding of their lives and the lives of their loved ones. The heroes seem to be alienated from society, their personalities disintegrate and vanish. Neither refined manners, nor wealth, nor education help them find happiness.