Poets, Writers, Madmen. Literary Biographies

Stefan Zweig is a classic of Austrian literature, the author of magnificent psychological novellas and fictionalized biographies translated into all languages of the world. His biographies combine artistic merits and fidelity to documentary sources, while Zweig invariably chose extraordinary individuals for his books, endowed with high talents and leaving an indelible, often tragic mark in history. This edition includes four famous biographical works by Stefan Zweig, included by the author in the so-called cycle "Builders of the World". The names of the heroes of these works are known to all – they are great writers, philosophers, poets. The author closely examines their lives and creativity, comparing and contrasting seemingly such different figures in order to create, in his words, "a depth of perspective, as it were a frame around the portrait" and thereby "explain the creative aspirations of the spirit."