The poet and the countess : Hugo von Hofmannsthal's correspondence with Countess Ottonie Degenfeld /

The collected correspondence between Hofmannsthal and the countess provides a window into the psyches of both characters. Introduced by Hofmannsthal's grandson, Andrew Zimmer, and edited by the countess's granddaughter, this translation is a more complete version of the correspondence than that published in German (1986) because it adds letters with more specific family information. The letters chronicle Hofmannsthal and Degenfeld-Schonburg's friendship and reveals how they helped each other through difficult times in their lives. These historical letters will enable Hofmannsthal scholars to see how Hofmannsthal expressed his most inner thoughts outside of his public works--a valuable insight, since he kept no diary. Upper-division undergraduate and general readers will be intrigued to see how the tone and content of the letters changed through time, as the correspondents grow older. C. M. DiFranco; SUNY at Binghamton