CONFUSION: THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF PRIVY COUNCILLOR R. VON D PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Stefan Zweig,Anthea Bell,Petra Borner | 160 pages | 02 Mar 2015 | PUSHKIN PRESS | 9781901285222 | English | London, United Kingdom Confusion: The Private Papers of Privy Councillor R. von D. by Stefan Zweig | LibraryThing

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. This is largely thanks to the impassioned advocacy of a handful of independent publishing houses. Foremost amongst these is Pushkin Press, which has published most of Zweig's work in new translations, the majority of them by award-winning translator Anthea Bell. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as facile and superficial. His novella Confusion should put such criticism to rest. The premise of the work is admittedly simple - a Privy Councillor who has dedicated his life to academia recalls the aging professor who, in his student days, kindled in him a love for learning. If there is a harkening back to the 19th Century, it is in its rather overblown, melodramatic language — this, however, lends authenticity to the voice of the narrator who is, after all, an academic who has devoted his life to the study of past literature. JosephCamilleri Sep 12, This novella explores the relationship between a young university student and his professor. The student is completely enamored of this professor's ideas and life and the professor quickly adopts him in return. He finds a flat in the same boarding house and starts spending every day with the Professor and his young wife. This novella captures a brief time period, probably only one semester, and is intense and dramatic. I enjoyed this, but sometimes when I read a novel of this length I leave unsatisfied. I feel like there was more that could have been explored here. There's no denying, though, that Zweig's writing is excellent. Assez impressionnant,! Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 19 25, 4. A reluctant and indolent student, he recalls the chance meeting with a professor and his wife, which leads to his sharing their lodgings. In a flash of revelation, the professor un- locks his thirst for knowledge and an ambiguous and close friendship is formed. But the professor harbours a dark secret which changes and scars both men forever. Books Read in German Literature Books Read in 3, No current Talk conversations about this book. In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. JosephCamilleri Sep 12, This novella explores the relationship between a young university student and his professor. JosephCamilleri Sep 25, Jhon Apr 25, Pushkin ltd. Works by Stefan Zweig. Categories : German-language novels Austrian novels Novels by Stefan Zweig Novels with gay themes s novel stubs. Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All stub articles. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Argentine first edition Eden Paul Cedar Paul. This article about a s novel is a stub. Ulukau: The Hawaiian kingdom, vol. 1, , foundation and transformation

Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 19 25, 4. A reluctant and indolent student, he recalls the chance meeting with a professor and his wife, which leads to his sharing their lodgings. In a flash of revelation, the professor un- locks his thirst for knowledge and an ambiguous and close friendship is formed. But the professor harbours a dark secret which changes and scars both men forever. Books Read in German Literature Books Read in 3, No current Talk conversations about this book. In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. JosephCamilleri Sep 12, This novella explores the relationship between a young university student and his professor. JosephCamilleri Sep 25, Jhon Apr 25, Gerardlionel Apr 1, Status Zweig, Stefan — primary author all editions confirmed Bell, Anthea Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Einar Ness Translator secondary author some editions confirmed. Is contained in Meisternovellen by Stefan Zweig. I capolavori Lettera di una sconosciuta — Il mondo di ieri — Sovvertimento dei sensi — Tramonto di un cuore — Ventiquattr'ore nella vita di una donna by Stefan Zweig. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. La confusion des sentiments. Notes intimes du professeur R de D. Le Monde's Books of the Century References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English None. In the autumn of his days, a distinguished privy councillor contemplates his past, looking back at the key moments of his life. No library descriptions found. Haiku summary. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. I had sensed the secrets quite close, its hot breath already on my face, and now it had retreated again, but its shadow, its silent, opaque shadow still murmured in the air, I felt it as a dangerous presence in the house.. While his wife manages the game of secrets with a deft hand, Roland's mentor lives in constant fear of his secret being revealed, especially in a society that keeps the 'perpetrator's' name on a 'certain list'. It isn't right, not a young student and his teacher, do you understand? One must keep one's distance Such restrained passions do not fit comfortably in the conventional form of the period, and must be kept hushed up, closeted, hidden behind closed doors. The relationships between the three feverishly entangle into a discombobulated love triangle. It will soon be cleared up because I'm not letting him play with you and confuse you like that anymore. There must be an end to all this. He must finally learn to control himself. You're too good for his dangerous games. Zweig takes the reader into a turbulence of high-strung emotions, as crossed messages become haphazardly layered one on top the other. He portrays Roland's fiery confusion as a pathogen, taking over the thoughts of one person who spreads its virulent toxins to the other. Nothing however is more arousing and intriguing to a young man than a teasing set of vague suspicions; the imagination usually wandering idly finds its quarry suddenly revealed to it, and is immediately agog with the newly discovered pleasure of the chase. Confusion's plot isn't a contemporary one - outlooks have changed since the period this story was set; and by today's standards, it is basically nothing to be shocked by. For that reason, it wouldn't completely excite the reader. However, it is another wonderful gem from Zweig's observations into human affects and relationships. It may be a bit disorienting and frenzied, but that was the whole purpose. What goes on behind closed doors? View all 4 comments. Said something like oh man that's awesome when I finished owing more to the final half-page chapter than the entire novella but still I'll rate it 4. I can't think of another novella from in which the narrator admits that he's essentially in love with the mind of a male teacher -- and that toward the end so explicitly treats of early s gay life in Berlin, particularly derision, oppression, blackmail, unsavory clandestine spasms in alleys etc. The love triangle among wife of professor, charismatic professor, and hot young passionate student narrator isn't fleshed out enough? Swimming scenes seemed muted, even when a slip of tit made its PG appearance. But the prose soars when it's totally platonic and the professor dictates his long repressed work on Shakespeare to the narrator. Zweig, becoming a great favorite, excels when describing ecstatic intellectual paroxysms. But he's becoming a favorite more so for perfectly phrased insight. View all 9 comments. Dec 19, Jan-Maat added it Shelves: fiction , 20th-century , life-is-too-short. No confusion for me. I think if you live somewhere where legally and socially sexual activity outside of a heterosexual marriage is a thoughtcrime, and particularly if you are unacquainted with cultures with different attitudes, then this story may retain some shock value, otherwise it is a very striking thing, a melodrama lacking in drama, or as I read elsewhere 'suitable for teenagers of all ages'. I fear I can hardly say anything for fear of revealing the entire story. I was not convinced, but reading it as a cri du coeur from Zweig about Zweig it is mildly interesting, the narrator's horror of adultery because of the inevitable revelation of the intimate secrets of the other man sounds so singular to me that I wonder if it is Zweig's own feeling and that this is like the narrator and his inspirational professor a case of hiding in plain sight. View all 6 comments. The two become close as the student helps the teacher write a book on Elizabethan theatre and then… things happen. Confusion is it for me and Stefan Zweig. There are pages and pages of useless blither about the wonders of academia and the life of the mind, none of which convinces as to their merits or entertains in the least. He can write pretty prose that is as transparent as his subjects and their stories but nothing substantial or memorable. Confusion is a contrivance, quasi-artfully constructed, with zero emotional heft to it. A typical product of its era when the unconscious was only just discovered and writers started introducing characters that were tormented by hidden desires, nervous breakdowns, mental diseases. In that sense this novel is a bit outdated. The writing is superb, even in translation, with its long flowing sentences. The story itself is rather predictable, more now than when it was published probably and the subject doesn't shock the reader any more I hope! Fortunately Zweig really tries to portr A typical product of its era when the unconscious was only just discovered and writers started introducing characters that were tormented by hidden desires, nervous breakdowns, mental diseases. Fortunately Zweig really tries to portray the main character as honestly as was possible then. A peculiarity is that in the first chapter the old narrator realizes how limited biographies are as they can never reach into the hidden depths of the subject's soul. Is this Zweig speaking, the author of many biographies? Zweig in this novel touches the taboo of his time and today: Homosexuality. A literature student, Roland, falls in a platonic love with his elderly philology professor at the university. This literary conquest is what will change the life of the Roland once and for all. He is baptized with religious faith and worship to the elderly man and reads night after day in order to be able to touch the spiritual world and the Zweig in this novel touches the taboo of his time and today: Homosexuality. He is baptized with religious faith and worship to the elderly man and reads night after day in order to be able to touch the spiritual world and the knowledge of the man who he has become obsessed with. The narration of emotional explosions, events and mental states is masterful. It's hard to describe how capturing it feels to read about the emotions that almost tear the characters in Zweig's book into pieces. View all 3 comments. A good novella - surprisingly generous in its sentiment and with some propulsive, anxious scenes. A paragraph toward the end, in particular, is worth clipping. But it is impossible to write about Confusion because the whole thing hinges on a secret that dominates most of the action. There are two main problems: 1: For such a lean thing, exposition overly dominates. The hints are too broad, the implications too known. This isn't Zweig's fault I A good novella - surprisingly generous in its sentiment and with some propulsive, anxious scenes. This isn't Zweig's fault I actually think the treatment of the secret is sort of remarkable , but it has a reduced impact on the modern reader. The frame narrative is great albeit abandoned and I was hugely excited until the action settles where it settles. I also appreciated the look into s academia. But what sets this well behind something like Chess Story is that there is no narrative turn. The introduction sells it like something out of a horror movie where the impact is known and anticipated and therefore all the more poignant. To which I respond: "yeah, but. A slightly annoying narrator serving as a kind of amanuensis to a creative genius. He becomes obsessed, sublimated to the great, enigmatic man. Foreboding shadows creep in. And then a night in a rented room. Cinematic darkness, like music, falls. A Confession. Roland, the narrator, is a full participant in the plot, unlike Serenus, mostly an observer. It's easy to dismiss Zweig as a pre-chewed Proust or half-stewed Stendhal and those criticisms are probably more than fair. But I think it's wrong to say that despite the relatively saccharine moments that Zweig doesn't write interesting books. I like Zweig's books the way I like music like the Carpenters. Sure it's all pretty obvious and pointed at a very general audience but there's something so polished and easy to digest that it's hard to ignore the skill on display. Zweig seems to have, at It's easy to dismiss Zweig as a pre- chewed Proust or half-stewed Stendhal and those criticisms are probably more than fair. Zweig seems to have, at this point in his writing, found his stride - his formula. If you are reading Zweig for his psychological insight and you've already read Proust or Stendhal - you're going to leave this meal hungry - but if you're willing to go along for the ride - I think you'll enjoy the simple and insightful writing on display in Confusion. Zweig was a pop Stendhal the way I see it. I think I spent about three hours at most pouring through this - very little effort required - but I enjoyed the experience despite the fact that I was anything but intellectually challenged. View 2 comments. In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. This is largely thanks to the impassioned advocacy of a handful of independent publishing houses. Foremost amongst these is Pushkin Press, which has published most of Zweig's work in new translations, the majority of them by award-winning translator Anthea Bell. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as facile and superficial. His novella Confusion should put such criticism to rest. The premise of the work is admittedly simple - a Privy Councillor who has dedicated his life to academia recalls the aging professor who, in his student days, kindled in him a love for learning. This novella is, however, very much of its time — not only in its psychological concerns, but also in its head-on approach to what must then have been a taboo subject. If there is a harkening back to the 19th Century, it is in its rather overblown, melodramatic language — this, however, lends authenticity to the voice of the narrator who is, after all, an academic who has devoted his life to the study of past literature. Dec 27, Jimmy rated it really liked it Shelves: novel , austria , nyrb , years , male. For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? I am very happy to have discovered Zweig thanks to a few of my GR friends M. Sarki and Lee. He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the who For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the whole time, even though it's a simple one, and if told by a less skilled writer, I would most likely have been unimpressed or even bored. I love that title 'Confusion' also, because it echoes back through the entire book, and you realize how it is really meant. It's a short book, and anything else I say may give away too much It's wonderful. View 1 comment. I cannot help but leave the worlds created by Stefan Zweig with a mingled sense of despair, heartache, ambiguity, and hope. This gut-wrenching tale is no different. It is one of the cruelest realizations of life that unless your heart has traversed through those unbearably painful paths of suffering and shame, your love By the time this realization dawns upon us, tragedy has already struck, for we have also come face to face with another realization: passion and sensitivity are inextricably woven in the same cloth of Either you resign to it, reveling in the absurdity, or else, you live as a shadow. An absolute beaut of a book, written with a passion that can originate only in the most disturbing and anguished parts of one's heart. I shall recommend this book to every person of letters I meet. A sincere thank you to Anthea Bell for such profound translation. A wonderful story of love and admiration. Zweig beautifully portrays the two different kinds of love,divine and lustful. Intensity of emotions is what marks every work of Zweig,in my opinion. And that intensity is visible throughout the story. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never jus A wonderful story of love and admiration. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never just an emotion. He makes it so sophisticated and intense as if that one emotion justify one's existence at that point. And that's why every work by Zweig leaves one in a tumult of emotions. You can't read it like any other book. You need to make sure that you won't be disturbed till you finish it and that you will be free for few hours after you finish it. Amazing book, beautifully written, completely disconnected me from The real world surrounding me and that's what a book should do to it's reader. Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. As previously noted, Zweig has become one of my top ten favorite authors in just a short while read 4 of his books now and it is unusual since I had not ever heard of him and the story of his life. Let me first deal with what is to some an argumentative topic. Confusion falls within a genre that I would call literary fiction. There are some who will take exception to this distinction but I did borrow it from The Storied Life of A. J Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. Zweig's writing is exceptionally beautifully and an excellent example of literary fiction as the following example passages show. Usually it was an image, a bold metaphor, a situation visualized in three-dimension which he extended into a dramatic scene, involuntarily working himself up as he went rapidly along. Something of all that is grandly natural in creativity would often flash from the swift radiance of these improvisations; I remember lines that seemed to be from a poem in iambic metre, others that poured out like cataracts in magnificently compressed enumerations. Then I recognize the voice of the beloved dead, who now has breath only on my lips: when enthusiasms comes over me, he and I are one. And I know that those hours formed me. You should begin by hearing the language in the mouths of the poets who create and perfect it, you must feel warm and alive in your hearts before we start anatomizing it. And he did so in a less than progressive and highly conservative country Germany. Such subjects include abortion Amok , homosexuality Confusion and unrequited love Letters from an Unknown Woman. Confusion strongly touches upon the subject of homosexuality in terms of discrimination, conflicts with heterosexuality, marriage, and personal stress hence the well- worded title. Our protagonist's teachers' wife says "It will soon be cleared up, because I am not letting him play with you and confuse [emphasis! There must be an end to all this; he must finally learn to control himself. Don't torment yourself; believe me, he doesn't deserve it. And that almost inaudibly whispered remark struck pain into my almost pacified heart once more. A kind of fear came over me, a fear of myself and the vague turmoil of hatred within me, and I wanted to refuse [go downstairs to dinner with his teacher's wife]. But cravenly, I did not venture to say no. If anything, you can be the 4th person to have read and entered a review on Goodreads. I was the third and Confusion currently carries a 5 star rating, obviously the highest possible. One last aside. I am not sure what relevance it has but we do not learn the name of our protagonist Roland until page ! And we never learn the names of his professor or the professor's wife. The absence of the professor's name seems obviously intentional as Roland seeks to hide the identity of his teacher. Notwithstanding that, it seems like everyone and Roland is the last to learn knows of the professor's predilections. I have always held some affection for Zweig, because I think "World of Yesterday" is pretty great, but reading this makes me think that maybe his thing isn't fiction. It didn't really move me, I found it, just okey, which is worse than really bad, because no matter how much he seems to put into it, it didn't move me that much. I will read his book on Brasil, though, and I hope that book is a better example of what he's like in his true territory, at least for me. I am confused After reading most of the book, I thought that the hero has an affection for his teacher and vice versa. Nevertheless, there seems to have been more than I detected. Yet, in a note posted on YouTube after finishing the first part I have speculated on the undercurrents of this account. He might belong to both teams as it were and the Confusion in the title may refer to his belonging to one or both of these groups. I am trying to talk sexual orientation here. And I think that the hero is not really sure where he is, or at least he gave me- or rather the author - the impression that his state is one of Confusion To begin with, the young man has a normal life. In fact his father stumbles upon him as he has sex with a girl. And he had been at it with various maids, shop assistants and farm hands. Since the father wanted the son to study, he is upset and sends him to a different town. It is here that he meets the professor and he is mesmerized by the eloquence, presence of the older man. On the first day that is. Because seeing him again on the next day, the teacher appears tired, exhausted even. Notwithstanding that disappointment, a strong bond is established. Repeating myself here I thought it is all platonic. Especially since there is a wife and the student encounters her while swimming and is attracted to her. The reader learns that the professor has a bad reputation, but I attributed it to the envy and hatred of inferior people. Which in the end it was to a great extent. This love triangle or threesome as they call it in comedies today has a convoluted trajectory. First, the young man is enchanted by his older teacher. His affection is indubitable, if pure Then there is a camaraderie established between the student and the wife that turns into a love affair. The hero is overwhelmed and shaken to the point of destitution by this infidelity and betrayal. Even if the wife tells him to relax and think that the professor would not mind He is different - How different? It would be more than worthwhile to read and find about this and much more from this excellent novel Aug 04, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: summer Can I give it 6 stars? It's one of those rare books that leave your heart exhausted, gasping for air, like after a long strenuous but satisfying race. Very Mannish, reminds me of Death of Venice. And why are German authors so good?! Mann, Hesse and now Zweig. A dense, moving but sometimes obsessive and grim, novella. This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. Roland, a handsome, vivacious university student who loathes anything related to arts, much to the consternation of his refined father who venerates literature. Due to his persistent nagging finally Roland yields and joins a course in English in the bustling city of Berlin. As in the case of any provincial youth, Rolan This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. As in the case of any provincial youth, Roland finds himself in the company of women and all the pleasure such a city has to offer. Caught red handed, that too with a girl inside his room, Roland, with tears in his eyes understands that he has to go back and obey his father. His act of repentance takes him to a remote town, away from the cozy Berlin, and there he happens to meet a man, the man who, will, change his life forever. This novella is all about Roland and his boyish admiration of this genius, a man who has devoted his entire life for the studying of classics and Roland starts reading a lot and strangely falls in love with this father figure. Professor, with many shades is an interesting character. He loves the boy and at the same time torments him and the boy finds his personality marvelous and brutal at the same time. He tries to understand him but often gets pushed away in the most brutal manner. Roland helps him in one of his dream projects and soon realizes he will not be able to understand his personality in its completeness. Tortured and tormented he complains to the wife of his master and soon that becomes a shameful affair, plunging Roland in to the murky waters of guilt and shame. Chris Saliba's Book Reviews: Confusion, by Stefan Zweig

However these are only surmises, which time may show to be groundless. A memorandum by Dr. Judd, dated Sept. Of this number 6 were British, 6 American, 1 French, and 1 Danish. By , the number had increased to 48, of whom 25 were American, 21 British, 1 French, and 1 German. Wyllie to Perrin No. As Armstrong stated, inducements were held out to foreigners to become Hawaiian subjects. Partly, this was done by the negative process of imposing disabilities upon aliens. The marriage law, as we have seen, required foreigners to take the oath of allegiance before they were permitted to marry Hawaiian women. In the matter of land holding, aliens were placed at a disadvantage. A law enacted in August, , contains the statement: "And it is hereby unanimously declared that we will neither give away or sell any lands in future to foreigners, nor shall such gift or sale by any native be valid. From about the beginning of , all foreigners entering the service of the king were required to take the oath of allegiance, 57 although there was no formal law on the subject until the enactment of the new laws in In the fall of , Dr. Judd wrote a letter to the secretaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, expressing the desire of the king that the American missionaries become "naturalized subjects of the country to which they have devoted their lives" and stating the reasons which made this action desirable. Damon in , on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the restoration of the Hawaiian flag: "The most important feature of these changes during the 's was the union of natives and foreigners in the executive, legislative and judicial offices of this kingdom. The privileges of citizenship was extended to foreigners. I am not aware that this same principle has been adopted in any other part of the world where copper-colored and white races have been brought in contact. Not only have the rights and privileges of the aborigines been better secured. In so far as this refers to grants of land in fee simple, it was simply a reiteration of the principle which had been uniformly adhered to by the Hawaiian rulers. John Ricord, as previously mentioned, signed the oath of allegiance to Kamehameha III on the day he was appointed attorney general, March 9, Judd signed the oath on the same day. Each of them specifically renounced his allegiance to the United States. Richards signed a similar oath on May 8, , after his return from Europe, but he had previously, in July, , promised full allegiance to Kamehameha III. Wyllie's oath of allegiance, dated March 26, , was in a peculiar form; he did not specifically renounce his British allegiance he held the British view that a person could not renounce his native allegiance , but declared that he would "support the constitution and laws of the Hawaiian Islands, faithfully serve and bear true allegiance to His Majesty Kamehameha III the King thereof, the same as if he had been born in His Majesty's Dominions, with a reserve only to his rights of inheritance in his native land. Ricord was released from his allegiance when he resigned from government service in and his oath of allegiance was returned to him. Polynesian, June 12, See also Greene to S. Mission, Feb. In the following year, however, Dr. Rufus Anderson, corresponding secretary of the ABCFM, wrote to the mission expressing decidedly his opinion that the missionaries ought not to become Hawaiian citizens. Anderson to S. Mission, April 10, , in General Letters. But a considerable number of other foreigners became naturalized, believing it to be for their best interests to do so. Many, however, found the idea of taking an oath of allegiance to a Polynesian king very distasteful. For several years the subject was a sore point in the community. In their efforts to lend dignity to the native monarchy the king's advisers began to withdraw the king a little from the familiar and somewhat promiscuous social relations which he had formerly maintained with foreigners, and to surround the throne with a measure of pomp and circumstance. The latter detail is best illustrated by the social functions at the palace and the ceremonial connected with the opening of the legislature in , which are described farther along in this chapter. In a letter written in April, , R. Wyllie mentions one particular reason for this attention to social forms and ceremonies:. From the numerical predominance of Americans in this Community, Mr. Judd fears a growing tendency to Republicanism, which he believes to be incompatible with the welfare of the Islands, and which he considers it his duty to the King to resist. Hence arises his wish to establish some sort of Royal Etiquette, and that the King's administration should be made respectable in the eyes both of Foreigners and Natives. An order in council was promulgated, setting forth the rules of precedence and etiquette to be observed in the court of His Hawaiian Majesty, the rules prescribed being those adopted by the great powers at the Congress of Vienna in One requirement of this code of etiquette was that any diplomatic agent desiring an audience of the king must make application in writing twenty-four hours in advance and must appear for. In the same paper for , , and are numerous editorials and letters which discuss the question; those signed "Ligamen" were written by John Ricord. See also Brown to Calhoun Nos. I; Miller to Addington, Aug. Bishop to Judd, Jan. Hooper, Notice dated Aug. Davis to W. Larkin, Sept. I Honolulu, , It may be noted that foreign residents and foreign officials, both American and British, charged that the Hawaiian authorities, especially Dr. Judd, made threats to induce foreigners to take the oath of allegiance. But an examination of the particular cases cited to illustrate these alleged threats seems to show, not that threats were made, but merely that the advantages of naturalization in the particular circumstances were pointed out to the foreigners concerned. It may also be noted that the oath of allegiance prescribed during the earlier period at least from September, required a specific renunciation of one's native allegiance. This was a legal obstacle in the case of British subjects, since the British doctrine at that time was that a person could not renounce his native allegiance. In the law of , this clause was omitted from the oath. Statistics published in the Polynesian, Jan. With the ideas here attributed to Dr. Judd, Wyllie was in the fullest accord. To the latter, the combatting of American republicanism became a ruling passion. The Polynesian newspaper, reestablished in May, , after being suspended for two years and a half, was purchased by the government in July, , and became an official journal, its editor, James Jackson Jarves, being given the title of "Director of Government Printing. Damon, was inclined to be critical of the government and served to a limited extent as a medium for the publication of "opposition" articles. For two years this newspaper kept up a vituperative attack on governmental policies and official personages, the latter being defended with equal warmth by the Polynesian. One needs only to glance through the columns of these newspapers to get an adequate idea of the "sound and fury" which characterized this period of Hawaiian history. In another direction—development of the judiciary—the government pursued a forward course under the vigorous leadership of Attorney General Ricord. From time to time cases arose which in more advanced countries would have fallen within the jurisdiction of courts of chancery equity , admiralty, or probate. In Hawaii there was no specific constitutional or legal provision for such special courts and the existing courts of the country had not hitherto been called upon to exercise jurisdiction in cases of the character referred to. Now, as such cases arose during the middle 's, the attorney general seized upon them as affording opportunity to round out the judicial system. Unfortunately there was published with the Code of Etiquette a letter of Attorney General Ricord stating reasons which in his opinion made it incumbent to grant precedence to the American commissioner. Consul General Miller took umbrage at this and it was brought to the attention of the British government. The Earl of Aberdeen wrote to Miller instructing him to insist on the withdrawal of Ricord's letter and to insist also that no precedence be allowed to the American commissioner except on the basis of the priority of his commission. Miller presented the demand and the Hawaiian government complied. Aberdeen to Miller No. Judd, ; Hines, op. Judd, dated in Boston, Sept. I trust that old Honolulu will yet shine a bright light in the Pacific and when we are all together we must work heart and hand in the cause. Acting upon his advice and with his assistance, Governor Kekuanaoa, as judge of Oahu, assumed jurisdiction of these cases and decided them, as Judge Frear remarks, "in accordance with the principles of American and English jurisprudence. The attorney general's reasoning, in support of this action, was substantially as follows. Hawaii having been, through the recognition of her independence by the great powers, admitted into the family of nations, was thereby endowed with the attributes of sovereignty if she did not already possess them , among which the exercise of all manner of judicial power was one of the most fundamental. Furthermore, by the comity of nations, Hawaii was bound to provide courts into which foreigners domiciled or temporarily sojourning in the country could bring their disputes and legal questions with a reasonable expectation of having them decided justly and in accordance with legal principles and practices with which they were familiar. On the island of Oahu, where these cases commonly came up, the superior judicial power, including the powers of a judge in chancery, probate, and admiralty, resided in the governor, in his capacity as judge of Oahu. The governor, therefore, was rightly the chancellor and judge of admiralty and probate. Having thus brought these courts into existence, Ricord found it necessary to provide them with a body of law by which their adjudications ought to be governed. This need was supplied by adopting the common law and civil law as administered particularly in Great Britain and the United States, the two countries which had had the greatest influence in shaping the modern civilization of Hawaii. As to the way in which this was done, Judge Frear gives an excellent brief statement:. In chamber cases between foreigners the Governor generally called in the assistance of the Attorney General, who usually wrote out an elaborate opinion with marginal references to authorities and applied the principles to the case in question. The Governor would then adopt the opinion as his own and add that future adjudications would be governed by the same principles and marginal references. Likewise in law cases between foreigners he would adopt the instructions of the Attorney General delivered to the jury. Thus large branches of common law and equity, admiralty and probate law were adopted by the Governors. The Supreme Court also felt at liberty to do the same. The institution of the new courts was not greeted with universal approbation. On the contrary, their legality was called in question and. Foreclosure of the Hypothecation on the British Brig Euphemia. Richard Charlton. Settlement of the accounts of Robert W. Wood, adm'r of the Estate of William C. Little, deceased, Before His Excellency M. Kekuanaoa, Admiralty Judge Honolulu, , 3. For a statement by Ricord as to the derivation of the legal principles adopted in Hawaii and the reason for their adoption, see his charge to the jury, June 19, , in Report of the Case of George Pelly vs Richard Charlton, In the heated atmosphere of Honolulu it was not easy to satisfy the contending factions. Together with new causes for disputes, many of the old factors underlying the Paulet intervention still existed in the community, keeping alive the ill feeling between different groups and bringing forth a plentiful harvest of law suits. But the governor had no legal training and very little knowledge of the English language. After the appointment of Dr. Judd, the latter assisted Kekuanaoa in the conduct of cases; and after Ricord became attorney general, the governor frequently sat on the bench with Dr. Judd on one side and Ricord, sometimes called a co-ordinate judge, 72 on the other. At such times, Ricord was the dominating figure, and on these and other occasions he made little effort to conciliate public feeling but seemed rather to get a certain pleasure out of the exhibition of his learning and a brusque exercise of his authority. There being, at first, no other lawyer in the kingdom, it was not possible to check up on Ricord's legal opinions. The result was great uneasiness and distrust of the courts among many of the foreigners. In an effort to cure the obvious defects of the existing system, Governor Kekuanaoa on September 19, , appointed Lorrin Andrews to act as his substitute in all cases between or affecting the interests of foreigners, whether alien or naturalized. In several cases his court became a storm center. The fact is also shown very clearly in the records, published by the government, of various cases tried during this period and correspondence related thereto. See also an editorial in the Polynesian, April 5, , which discusses this question and points out the difficulties under which the courts labored; and editorials in ibid. Honolulu, , 52; Frear, op. The appointment was ratified and approved by the legislature and countersigned by the king and kuhina-nui. It may be noted that special judges for foreign causes on Hawaii and Kauai had been appointed in Frear, op. See a note on Judge Andrews' court in the Polynesian, Oct. Lawrence, Oct. In a letter written in , J. Marshall spoke of "the very general want of confidence in the Government and the Courts, which was felt by many of. But we need to remember that Honolulu's foreign community was so crisscrossed with cliques and factions that it would have been impossible to make any changes extending the power of the judiciary without arousing serious opposition in one quarter or another. As the editor of the Polynesian remarked,. For years the judiciary has been slowly working its way against an energetic opposition. While one has sought the action of the courts to receive its dues, another has endeavored to disprove its jurisdiction. The contest has been clamorous and persevering between the judicial 'bulls and bears'. Piles of innocuous protests have been written, exceptions taken, appeals made, and yet justice has calmly held on her way, gaining in strength and respectability yearly. By the act to organize the executive departments, enacted in April, , it was provided that until the passage of an act to organize the judiciary, which was then in contemplation, the governor of Oahu should appoint one or more judges to reside in Honolulu and to have original jurisdiction in all cases "Civil, criminal, mixed, maritime, probate, equitable and legal" arising in the island of Oahu involving more than one hundred dollars in value, and appellate jurisdiction in all other cases tried in all parts of the kingdom. By this law the governors of Oahu and Maui were required to appoint police justices for Honolulu and Lahaina, to have jurisdiction in minor cases to be tried without juries. The appointment of Lee marks the beginning of a new era in the history of the Hawaiian judiciary. His character and attainments were such that under his leadership the courts won and retained public confidence. But in giving this credit to Judge Lee, we must not lose sight of the pioneering work done by Ricord under most difficult conditions. The innovations introduced by the latter were an evidence of national progress and the friction created by them may be looked upon as in. Ten Eyck to Buchanan No. See ibid. For a sketch of Lee's career see an article by T. Furthermore, while we cannot escape the fact that Ricord's general attitude was not conciliatory and he must therefore bear some part of the responsibility for the rancorous turmoil and ill feeling that existed in Honolulu during these years, it will not do to leave the subject in that shape. Along with his disputatious temperament, Ricord had some fine qualities, such as absolute loyalty to his trust, unwearying industry in the conduct of his office, and a sort of grim delight in wrestling with hard problems. One such problem to which much of Ricord's time was devoted was the settlement of the tangled business of F. Greenway and William French, mentioned in the preceding chapter. That business dragged along for two years, becoming all the time more involved. In May, , Greenway was adjudged insane by a jury and he became a ward of the British consulate. It is probable that he was insane at the time he made his first assignment in An examination of his resources and liabilities and those of his partner French revealed that their business had never been bankrupt, although it was temporarily embarrassed. In the summer of , French, in despair of any other mode of adjusting their affairs, appealed to Governor Kekuanaoa as judge of Oahu to take charge of the business under an assignment. Consul General Miller sanctioned the arrangement and Governor Kekuanaoa accepted the trust. It was the necessity of handling this business that led to the establishment of the court of chancery. Attorney General Ricord was appointed agent of the court and curator of the combined estate of French and Greenway and it was he who untangled the business, adjusted the many accounts, and in short settled the estate. It was an exceedingly laborious process, in the course of which Ricord had many sharp conflicts with various firms and individuals in the community. One of these contests cost the government the support of the American firm of C. Brewer and Company. On the whole, however, Ricord's handling of this vexatious matter reflected much credit upon him; and it removed a fertile source of discord. The policy pursued during these years brought the government into conflict with the representatives of the great powers. With Consul General Miller a dispute arose over Charlton's claim to land in the village of Honolulu, this being one of the questions referred to Lord Aberdeen and decided by him in his letter of September 12, , to Richards and Haalilio. By that decision, the only point left for determination in Honolulu was. The printed reports connected with it fill two large volumes, and there is much unpublished material AH, as well as some in the archives of the British consulate in Honolulu and in the British Public Record Office in London. A large number of original account books of Wm. French are deposited in AH. In regard to the windup of this protracted affair, see the documents and editorial printed in Polynesian, March 20, , and Chancery orders Nos. The Hawaiian authorities, firmly believing that, even apart from the signatures, Charlton's written lease was invalid, gave a broad interpretation to the decision in an effort to bring into review the whole question of the validity of the grant. The difference of view was irreconcilable and the long and acrimonious correspondence that ensued only served to convince Miller that the Hawaiian authorities were trying to evade the effect of the decision which they had formally accepted, and to convince the latter that Miller had prejudged the case and was determined that Charlton should have the land whether he was justly entitled to it or not. Miller wrote to his government and in reply received instructions "to insist upon the land in question being immediately delivered up to Mr. But after this, a fresh attempt was made to get the case on its merits before the British government. The latter consented to review the subject, but the final answer, presented at Honolulu in August, , simply confirmed the decision previously made. On a number of other matters, controversies arose between Miller and the Hawaiian government and were carried on in a manner that was far from conciliatory and cool-headed. Some of these disputes originated in the vexed question of land titles. On the acts of the local authorities the consul general founded charges of a denial of justice to British subjects and against these charges the Hawaiian government presented a vigorous and voluminous defense. It would be wearisome and unprofitable to go into the details of all these cases. The difficulties between the two governments were complicated by a most unseemly personal quarrel. Honolulu, ; Correspondence between H. Honolulu, ; Supplement to the Investigation at the Palace. Honolulu, ; Second Supplement to the Investigation at the Palace. Honolulu, ; Appendix to the Second Supplement to the investigation at the Palace in , on the subject of Mr. Charlton's Land Claim. Honolulu, These six pamphlets, totaling more than pages, do not by any means contain all the material on this subject. For the final wind-up, see the documents printed in Polynesian, Sept. For Miller's correspondence with his government it is necessary to refer to various volumes of the F. It may be well to note that the Hawaiian authorities freely admitted Charlton's right to the land actually occupied by him; but his disputed written lease embraced an additional piece of land Pulaholaho which he had never occupied but which was occupied by native Hawaiians. Miller's original instructions required that Charlton be put "in possession of those parts only of the land, which he claims under the alleged grant, as have not been appropriated by other persons, without protest, or proper obstruction on the part of Mr. In the final settlement, Miller seems to have disregarded this part of his instructions. It is clear that Miller was perfectly sincere in his belief that the lease was valid in every respect, and this undoubtedly had much weight with the authorities in London. Wyllie, who became Hawaiian minister of foreign relations in March, The two dignitaries snarled at each other like two ill-mannered dogs and nearly came to blows on more than one occasion. With the American commissioner likewise, a long drawn out battle was fought. Although Brown from the beginning was dissatisfied with various acts of the Hawaiian government, it was the case of John Wiley, charged with rape, in the fall of , that stirred him into a state of open hostility to the officials directing the affairs of the government. The point at issue was the claim, pressed by Brown, that Wiley should be tried by a jury selected by the American commercial agent. The Hawaiian government, as part of the general struggle for complete independence, was trying to limit as much as possible the right of consuls to nominate juries and this case afforded a technical opportunity to gain a point in the struggle. Brown's demand was rejected, and he wrathfully declared that discrimination was being practiced against American citizens. It may be conceded that he had some grounds for feeling sore; his opponents were none too conciliatory and gave blow for blow in the great battle of words. Consul General Miller, a not altogether disinterested spectator, remarked in one of his letters to Addington, "Mr. Brown is by no means scrupulous as to hard words, but I think the Officers of this Govt. Much of the correspondence was published in the Polynesian and in government reports and other publications. The controversies were profitable at least to copyists and printers. Secretary of State and the U. See a review of this pamphlet in Polynesian, Nov. I; Same to same Private , Sept. The draft of this letter is in Ricord's handwriting. In his letter the king said: "Your Excellency will enable me to fulfil the expectations of the United States and of other friendly Powers by accrediting some Agent here, who while he conducts his intercourse with my Government by the Courtesy of Nations is instructed to negotiate such a Treaty as may prove beneficial alike to the commerce of the United States and to the internal interests of my Kingdom. In the early part of , Brown found an opportunity to strike back at his opponents. Certain statements of Dr. Judd to members of the firm of C. Brewer and Company were construed into a threat against that house, and on this basis Brown presented to the king formal charges against Dr. Judd in the hope of having the latter dismissed from office. The facts were that C. Brewer and Company had become disaffected toward the government due to some developments in the French and Greenway business and manifested their displeasure in various ways including the withdrawal of their patronage from the government newspaper, the Polynesian. Judd then told the members of the firm that if they did not support the government, the government would not patronize them—if they wished war, the government would meet them on that basis. In due time the commissioners presented a report exonerating Dr. Judd from any wrong doing and expressing the opinion that his "candid remonstrance with Mr. Charles Brewer" evinced a zealous devotion to the interests of the king. Brown declined to accept such an ex parte proceeding as a real vindication of Dr. Judd; on the contrary, he professed to see in it a mere white-washing operation. It was just at this time that Robert Crichton Wyllie became a member of the government. He was induced to accept the office of minister of foreign relations in order to relieve Dr. Judd of part of the burden resting upon him. For three years the latter had been performing the duties of minister of foreign affairs and head of the treasury department, and in addition had been obliged to exercise many of the functions properly belonging to a minister of the interior. He was in fact, though not in name, a prime minister holding three portfolios. A "By Authority" announcement in the Polynesian gave notice of the appointment and further stated that the King had been pleased. Pearce [ sic ]Jan. Brewer and J. Marshall, Feb. United States Commissioner against H. Judd, Declaration respecting his conversations with Mr. Brewer, filed as of Sept. Honolulu, ; Brown to Calhoun Nos. I; Miller to Aberdeen No. Affairs, , p. Letter Book 4, p. Wyllie was a Scotchman, born in and educated for the medical profession, who had resided for many years in Spanish America as physician and merchant. In , after having lived for some time in London, he was visiting in Mexico when Consul General Miller crossed that country on his way to Hawaii. Wyllie accompanied Miller to Honolulu, expecting to go on to England by way of China. He served as honorary secretary to the consul general at the signing of the convention of February 12, , and later in the year, when Miller sailed from Honolulu July 21 92 in order to visit the islands in the south Pacific included in his consular jurisdiction, Wyllie was appointed pro-consul and as such represented the British government during Miller's absence. While thus detained in Honolulu, Wyllie diligently collected a mass of information in regard to conditions in the Hawaiian islands and wrote an extended series of "Notes" on the subject which were published in the Friend during the last half of Miller returned to Honolulu on March 15, ; 93 eleven days later Wyllie was appointed Hawaiian minister of foreign relations. At that time, Wyllie did not expect to remain permanently in Hawaii, but in reality he never left the islands; for twenty years, until his death in , he continued at the head of the Hawaiian foreign office. Wyllie himself said that one of his reasons for accepting the office was a hope entertained by him that he might be able to effect a reconciliation between the American commissioner and the king's government. Wyllie not only failed as a peace maker, but almost immediately found himself drawn into the battle, dealing heavy verbal blows in defence of his adopted sovereign and his colleagues in the government. Commissioner Brown grew more bitter with each rebuff to which he was subjected. In his dispatches to the secretary of state in Washington, he poured out a torrent of invective against the naturalized officers who were managing the Hawaiian government. Richard Armstrong, in one of his letters to his brother-in-law in Massachusetts in September, , gives an impartial view of the government officials and of Commissioner Brown and Consul General Miller. The letter is too long to reproduce in its entirety, but a couple of sentences may be quoted: "Mr. Judd's commission as minister of the interior was dated March 28, The original is an AH, F. And on the other side also there has been a want of prudence, a want of caution, simplicity, and experience in diplomacy. On July 29, , the king, with the advice of his privy council, interdicted Brown from all correspondence with any department of the Hawaiian government. Wyllie, as minister of foreign relations, was ordered to complain to the United States government about the conduct of Brown and to inform the latter that his presence in Hawaii was "considered prejudicial to the peace of the Kingdom, and to the subsistence of harmony and friendship with the United States. Calhoun instructions, dated January 20, , approving the course pursued by him in the first case of John Wiley. The American consul demanded a new trial for Wiley, and the demand was reiterated by Brown through the medium of a United States naval officer who was in Honolulu at the time. A new trial was not granted, but Minister Wyllie explained to the American secretary of state that no discrimination had been practiced against John Wiley and that, if any similar case had arisen involving a British subject, the same ground would have been taken by the Hawaiian government. The circumstances leading to the interdict of Brown can be traced in the following: Wyllie to the Minister of State, Washington No. Brown's side of the case is given in his dispatches previously referred to Note 95 ; see especially No. The instruction was received by Brown on Aug. Brown's letter of Aug. III; Same to same No. After the incoming of the administration of President Polk, Brown was recalled and Anthony Ten Eyck appointed as commissioner to the Hawaiian islands. The two matters with which Ten Eyck chiefly busied himself during his stay in Hawaii were his attempts to negotiate a treaty and the controversy which arose between the Hawaiian government and the American firm of Ladd and Company. The treaty negotiations will be discussed in a later chapter, but the Ladd affair—the one American case that did more than any other to inflame public opinion in Hawaii during the 's —belongs with the other difficulties described in the present chapter. Polk, edited by M. Quaife Chicago, , I, It was made to appear that the removal of Brown was in response to the king's letter of Sept. Ten Eyck's appointment was decided upon soon after the inauguration of Pres. I acknowledges receipt of Ten Eyck's acceptance of appointment. Soon after the middle of August, , news was received in Honolulu that Ten Eyck had been named to succeed Brown. Polynesian, Aug. Brown's resignation was received in Washington on Sept. Brown to Sec. I; the date of receipt is endorsed on the original dispatch. Neilson Polynesian, Aug. Damon, visiting the Micronesian Islands in , heard a story which pointed to the possibility that the Wm. Neilson was wrecked by a typhoon among those islands and that Brown, Dominis, and some others landed in a small boat on the island of Ebon, where they were killed by the natives. Pacific Commercial Advertiser, Honolulu, Aug. Armstrong to R. Chapman, March 8, , Armstrong Letters. The reader will recall that P. Brinsmade had gone to the United States and Europe for the purpose of interesting capitalists in the formation of a joint stock company to take over and exploit the properties and rights of Ladd and Company in the Hawaiian islands, including the important contract of November 24, Brinsmade met with no encouragement in the United States or England or France, which he visited in succession, but in London and Paris he was advised to go to Belgium, a country where there was said to be a large surplus of capital awaiting profitable investment. Thither he betook himself and there he found men who heard with evident interest the fascinating description given by him of the possibilities of profit in the things he had for sale. He was attentively listened to by business men and government officials and even by the king of Belgium, to whom he was presented. He finally settled down to a definite negotiation with the Belgian Company of Colonization, to whose objects and mode of operation Brinsmade's scheme was well adapted; and he was in the midst of the negotiation when news reached him of the mission of Richards and Haalilio. He succeeded not merely in enlisting the aid of Richards, but, taking advantage of a power of attorney held by the latter, persuaded him to make King Kamehameha III a party to what is commonly called the "Belgian Contract. Ladd and Company transferred all of their properties and rights in the Hawaiian islands to the Belgian Company of Colonization, and the latter company agreed to organize a subsidiary corporation, called the "Royal Community of the Sandwich Islands," to exploit those properties and rights, this corporation to start with a capital stock of four thousand shares each having a par value of one thousand francs. Richards said: "He always did seem anxious, and used arguments to persuade me that the Belgian Contract was a good thing, and dwelt upon the reasons in the very pleasant manner for which he is so remarkable. Richards' power of attorney from Kamehameha III is in ibid. The partners in Honolulu, under date April 7, , wrote to Brinsmade about the plans for Richards' mission and they remarked, "Mr. By the ninth article of the "Belgian Contract," the principal object of the Royal Community of the Sandwich Islands was stated to be "to develope as promptly as possible, the civilization and resources of the Sandwich Islands, by creating agricultural, manufacturing and commercial establishments, and by instituting commercial relations between these Islands and Belgium. In return, the king was to receive a certain number of "titles of property," entitling him to a proportionate share of the profits above five per cent earned by the Royal Community and a similar share of the surplus in case of the dissolution of the community. By a concurrent agreement the Belgian Company of Colonization agreed to pay to Ladd and Company cash in lieu of of their shares of stock. It was further agreed that the contract should not be put into execution until the independence of the Hawaiian islands had been recognized by the French government. The "Belgian Contract" by its terms required the ratification of the council general of the Belgian Company of Colonization; it is uncertain whether it was ever so ratified. The contract was not ratified by Kamehameha III; it was a disputed question whether such ratification was necessary. The effect of that affair in postponing the French recognition, and the assistance given by Brinsmade to Richards and Haalilio in their mission have been described in an earlier chapter. It was not until the latter part of January, , that the French recognition of Hawaiian independence was publicly announced. Brinsmade waited month after month, anxiously doing what he could, to get operations started and to obtain funds from the sale of his properties. During his long stay in Europe he exhausted his own resources and was reduced to borrowing from Richards in order to meet his necessary. Arbitration, , The agreement to pay cash is in ibid. Richards, Journal, Jan. But every prospect faded out like a mirage, and at length, destitute and disillusioned, he returned, in the fall of , to the United States and from there took passage, on credit, to the islands. In the meanwhile, in Hawaii, Ladd and Company became involved in difficulties from which they were unable to extricate themselves. It is not improbable that the company was financially embarrassed at the time Brinsmade left Honolulu. It is certain that during the next two or three years they borrowed large sums of money from the government and from private parties, giving mortgages on their various holdings as partial security. They lost heavily on their shipments of sugar. Until the latter part of , the Hawaiian government, although it believed the "Belgian Contract" to be ill advised and although it feared the effect of such a vast monopoly, yet cooperated with the members of the firm to the end that the latter might be in a position to carry out their part of the enterprise for which Brinsmade was negotiating. In furtherance of this object, the company confessed judgment in favor of the government for a large amount, to forestall other creditors, and closed its doors on November 1, From that moment, nothing could save the firm except a successful issue of Brinsmade's negotiations. Richards returned to the islands in March, Through reports brought by him and through letters received from Sir George Simpson, the government became satisfied that Brinsmade had definitely failed in his efforts to secure the aid of European capitalists in carrying out his plans, and that Ladd and Company were consequently thrown back upon their own resources. The company having failed, the government proceeded to sell off its properties in pursuance of court decisions and judgments. Ladd and Company protested against these sales on the ground that the properties in question had already been sold to the Belgian Company of Colonization. They followed up their protests by asserting their right to select lands and mill sites under the terms of the contract of November 24, The government refused to allow this, on the ground that the. Report of the Case of. Jarves Honolulu, , Simpson to Richards, London, Nov. Thus, with many complicating factors, the relations between the company and the government became greatly embittered. The interests of other creditors were necessarily involved in the controversy, factions formed, and the community was drawn into an angry debate. On November 24, , the right of selection under the contract of November 24, , expired by limitation; without that right, the contract of and the "Belgian Contract" were valueless except as the basis of a suit for damages. After Brinsmade's return to Honolulu in March, , the affair came rapidly to a climax. After the testimony of witnesses called by Ladd and Company had filled several hundred printed pages and a mass of documents had been read into the record, and before the government had begun the presentation of its evidence, the company withdrew from the arbitration. The government protested against this action, declaring it to be equivalent to withdrawal of all claims of Ladd and Company. Various efforts were made, both before and after the termination of the arbitration, to effect some compromise or arrangement by which the creditors of the firm might be able to recover part at least of what was owed to them, but all to no avail. An attempt was made to induce the United States government to intervene in behalf of Ladd and Company, but that government refused to have anything to do with the case. Before returning to Hawaii, Brinsmade tried to induce the U. Brinsmade to Sec. II; Same to same No. Brinsmade carried these dispatches to Washington, having been appointed bearer of dispatches by Ten Eyck and thereby gotten his way paid to the United States. The facts stated in the last two paragraphs are brought out in the two publications cited in note ; Privy Council Record, II, , ; and a mass of documents in AH. A few of the documents are printed in Jarves, op. See also Brown's dispatches Nos. The newspapers, particularly the Sandwich Islands News, which began publication Sept. From what has been said in the preceding pages—and possibly too much has been said—it will be clear that the 's were as troubled as the 's. Many foreign residents believed their interests to be endangered by the vigorous policy of the government. Hence there was much ill feeling between them and the governmental authorities. The opposition, however, attempted to make a distinction between the native chiefs and the naturalized foreigners in the service of the government. The disaffected foreigners, both official and unofficial, professed great respect and regard for the king and native chiefs, while their words and actions indicated contempt and hatred for the king's naturalized officers. The most violent criticism was directed against Judd and Ricord, although Jarves and Wyllie and lesser functionaries were not free from attack. Judd was looked upon as the real power behind the throne, while Ricord was represented as having a malevolent influence over his colleagues in the ministry. Criticism of the policy being pursued by the government was not confined to the "wordly minded" foreign residents of Hawaii. Several of the American missionaries questioned the wisdom and expediency of some of the acts of the government. One of them wrote to Richards a few weeks after the latter returned from abroad:. I was glad to hear your opinion, that many things wd. But this is not enough for me. I have many dismal forebodings as to the future course of things. A similar attitude seems to have been held, for a time at least, by the missionary board in Boston, if we may judge from the general letters written by corresponding secretaries of the board to the members of the Sandwich Islands Mission. Judd was aware of this critical attitude of some of his former missionary associates, but he believed it to be a temporary feeling that would change as the practical working of governmental policies came to be better understood. In a letter to Dr. II; Miller to Murray, Sept. Polk, Aug. Honolulu, , ; Brown to Wyllie, July 18, , in ibid. II; Same to same, April 19, , ibid. Emerson to Richards, May 27, Oct. Forbes to Richards, June 10, In the Privy Council, Aug. Lowell Smith as one "known to be no friend of the King's Ministers. Greene to S. Mission, April 23, incorrectly dated in the printed letter , in General Letters; R. Mission, July 19, , ibid. Anderson, written at the end of , he commented on the reaction of the missionaries to various acts of the government. In the same letter, Dr. Judd indicated the general purpose of the policy being followed:. There are many things I might say which could relieve your minds, but those are the very things which ought not to be known, e. Richards and myself in the councils of the nation and over all the other foreign officers, and the plans we have for the future, first to preserve the preponderance of the Hawaiian race; 2d, that of those who owe allegiance to the present Dynasty; and 3d, to keep off all aliens or crush them by wholesome laws impartially administered. During the spring and summer of there developed among the native Hawaiians an extensive movement of protest against the introduction of foreigners into the government and the body politic and against the giving of land to foreigners. To understand the significance of this movement we need to keep clearly in view certain other developments during the period in addition to those which have been already described. The seat of government was changed from Lahaina to Honolulu. In the early part of February, the king arrived from Maui and took up his residence in a new palace recently completed. For months preceding Richards' arrival, rumors had been afloat respecting Brinsmade's doings in Europe and the prospect of a large Belgian colony coming to Hawaii as a result of his activities. As the king entered the. The Polynesian report says the soiree was on Tuesday evening, which was Feb. The latter date is more likely to be correct, as Thursday evening appears to have been the usual time for these court receptions. Reynolds, on Feb. For a description of the palace, see Polynesian, Nov. His Majesty pronounced a speech from the throne, to which a dutiful reply was given by a committee of the nobles and representatives. The significance of the event was pointed out by the editor of the Polynesian:. The ceremonies of the 20th are the more deserving of attention, from the fact that they initiate the rulers and people in the constitutional form of Legislative business common to all liberal and enlightened governments. The example now set will have great weight with the nation, and urge it on its career of improvement. A similar scene probably never before occurred near the waters of the Pacific, and certainly constitutes an important feature in the history of Polynesia. May other indigenous nations arise and follow the example, until all this extensive portion of the globe rejoices under free and constitutional governments. During the opening ceremonies, the king's ministers naturalized foreigners were much in evidence and the foreign relations of the country were frequently alluded to. On the following day the entire session of the legislature was occupied with the reading of the reports of Minister of the Interior Judd, Minister of Foreign Relations Wyllie, and Attorney General Ricord. It must have been some of the happenings described in this chapter, or all of them together, that stirred up the common people to protest against the foreign current that appeared to be setting in. The movement expressed itself in the form of prayer meetings, letters to Ka Elele, and petitions addressed to the king and the legislature. As early as January, , Commissioner Brown reported hearing of dissatisfaction among the native population on account of so many offices being filled by naturalized foreigners. Dwight Baldwin wrote from Lahaina to Richards:. But what strange doings have you had at Oahu? Something seems to have stirred the natives to the bottom. I know not what was done at the meeting—nor what is to be done today—but I am told the object is to bring about "no haole rulers. The petitioners prayed the king to dismiss all the naturalized foreigners whom he had appointed to be officers of the kingdom. See also the description, by "a distinguished traveler," in L. Richard Armstrong and published by the Protestant mission press. See also petitions from Kailua, Hawaii, June 12, , and from Lahaina. Chamberlain, Journal, June 12, What will be the end of these numerous cases of the oath of allegiance being taken by foreigners? This, in our opinion; to give up this kingdom to them, and to give it up quickly, too. We have lived under the rulers, expecting to do according to their wish, and not after our own notions; and for this cause we are not ready to be set adrift to strive with the foreigners. If a good thing, let the coming of foreigners into this country be delayed for ten more years perhaps, and let there be given to us lands with the understanding that they are to be cultivated and have cattle raised upon them, and so perhaps we shall lose our present palsy, and it will be good perhaps to encourage foreigners to enter the country. A movement like this could not be ignored. The king took notice of it by appointing three commissioners to visit Lahaina, which seemed to be the center of the agitation, to find out what influences were back of it. The government believed that disaffected foreigners had incited the natives to draw up the petitions, but the investigation failed to disclose any such foreign influence, if there had been any. In its report, the committee pointed out the impossibility of avoiding intercourse with foreigners and foreign nations; to manage these relations, it was necessary to have the services of foreigners; if such foreigners employed by the king did not become naturalized they would not have the king's interests wholly at heart. It isn't right, not a young student and his teacher, do you understand? One must keep one's distance Such restrained passions do not fit comfortably in the conventional form of the period, and must be kept hushed up, closeted, hidden behind closed doors. The relationships between the three feverishly entangle into a discombobulated love triangle. It will soon be cleared up because I'm not letting him play with you and confuse you like that anymore. There must be an end to all this. He must finally learn to control himself. You're too good for his dangerous games. Zweig takes the reader into a turbulence of high-strung emotions, as crossed messages become haphazardly layered one on top the other. He portrays Roland's fiery confusion as a pathogen, taking over the thoughts of one person who spreads its virulent toxins to the other. Nothing however is more arousing and intriguing to a young man than a teasing set of vague suspicions; the imagination usually wandering idly finds its quarry suddenly revealed to it, and is immediately agog with the newly discovered pleasure of the chase. Confusion's plot isn't a contemporary one - outlooks have changed since the period this story was set; and by today's standards, it is basically nothing to be shocked by. For that reason, it wouldn't completely excite the reader. However, it is another wonderful gem from Zweig's observations into human affects and relationships. It may be a bit disorienting and frenzied, but that was the whole purpose. What goes on behind closed doors? View all 4 comments. Said something like oh man that's awesome when I finished owing more to the final half-page chapter than the entire novella but still I'll rate it 4. I can't think of another novella from in which the narrator admits that he's essentially in love with the mind of a male teacher -- and that toward the end so explicitly treats of early s gay life in Berlin, particularly derision, oppression, blackmail, unsavory clandestine spasms in alleys etc. The love triangle among wife of professor, charismatic professor, and hot young passionate student narrator isn't fleshed out enough? Swimming scenes seemed muted, even when a slip of tit made its PG appearance. But the prose soars when it's totally platonic and the professor dictates his long repressed work on Shakespeare to the narrator. Zweig, becoming a great favorite, excels when describing ecstatic intellectual paroxysms. But he's becoming a favorite more so for perfectly phrased insight. View all 9 comments. Dec 19, Jan-Maat added it Shelves: fiction , 20th- century , life-is-too-short. No confusion for me. I think if you live somewhere where legally and socially sexual activity outside of a heterosexual marriage is a thoughtcrime, and particularly if you are unacquainted with cultures with different attitudes, then this story may retain some shock value, otherwise it is a very striking thing, a melodrama lacking in drama, or as I read elsewhere 'suitable for teenagers of all ages'. I fear I can hardly say anything for fear of revealing the entire story. I was not convinced, but reading it as a cri du coeur from Zweig about Zweig it is mildly interesting, the narrator's horror of adultery because of the inevitable revelation of the intimate secrets of the other man sounds so singular to me that I wonder if it is Zweig's own feeling and that this is like the narrator and his inspirational professor a case of hiding in plain sight. View all 6 comments. The two become close as the student helps the teacher write a book on Elizabethan theatre and then… things happen. Confusion is it for me and Stefan Zweig. There are pages and pages of useless blither about the wonders of academia and the life of the mind, none of which convinces as to their merits or entertains in the least. He can write pretty prose that is as transparent as his subjects and their stories but nothing substantial or memorable. Confusion is a contrivance, quasi-artfully constructed, with zero emotional heft to it. A typical product of its era when the unconscious was only just discovered and writers started introducing characters that were tormented by hidden desires, nervous breakdowns, mental diseases. In that sense this novel is a bit outdated. The writing is superb, even in translation, with its long flowing sentences. The story itself is rather predictable, more now than when it was published probably and the subject doesn't shock the reader any more I hope! Fortunately Zweig really tries to portr A typical product of its era when the unconscious was only just discovered and writers started introducing characters that were tormented by hidden desires, nervous breakdowns, mental diseases. Fortunately Zweig really tries to portray the main character as honestly as was possible then. A peculiarity is that in the first chapter the old narrator realizes how limited biographies are as they can never reach into the hidden depths of the subject's soul. Is this Zweig speaking, the author of many biographies? Zweig in this novel touches the taboo of his time and today: Homosexuality. A literature student, Roland, falls in a platonic love with his elderly philology professor at the university. This literary conquest is what will change the life of the Roland once and for all. He is baptized with religious faith and worship to the elderly man and reads night after day in order to be able to touch the spiritual world and the Zweig in this novel touches the taboo of his time and today: Homosexuality. He is baptized with religious faith and worship to the elderly man and reads night after day in order to be able to touch the spiritual world and the knowledge of the man who he has become obsessed with. The narration of emotional explosions, events and mental states is masterful. It's hard to describe how capturing it feels to read about the emotions that almost tear the characters in Zweig's book into pieces. View all 3 comments. A good novella - surprisingly generous in its sentiment and with some propulsive, anxious scenes. A paragraph toward the end, in particular, is worth clipping. But it is impossible to write about Confusion because the whole thing hinges on a secret that dominates most of the action. There are two main problems: 1: For such a lean thing, exposition overly dominates. The hints are too broad, the implications too known. This isn't Zweig's fault I A good novella - surprisingly generous in its sentiment and with some propulsive, anxious scenes. This isn't Zweig's fault I actually think the treatment of the secret is sort of remarkable , but it has a reduced impact on the modern reader. The frame narrative is great albeit abandoned and I was hugely excited until the action settles where it settles. I also appreciated the look into s academia. But what sets this well behind something like Chess Story is that there is no narrative turn. The introduction sells it like something out of a horror movie where the impact is known and anticipated and therefore all the more poignant. To which I respond: "yeah, but. A slightly annoying narrator serving as a kind of amanuensis to a creative genius. He becomes obsessed, sublimated to the great, enigmatic man. Foreboding shadows creep in. And then a night in a rented room. Cinematic darkness, like music, falls. A Confession. Roland, the narrator, is a full participant in the plot, unlike Serenus, mostly an observer. It's easy to dismiss Zweig as a pre-chewed Proust or half-stewed Stendhal and those criticisms are probably more than fair. But I think it's wrong to say that despite the relatively saccharine moments that Zweig doesn't write interesting books. I like Zweig's books the way I like music like the Carpenters. Sure it's all pretty obvious and pointed at a very general audience but there's something so polished and easy to digest that it's hard to ignore the skill on display. Zweig seems to have, at It's easy to dismiss Zweig as a pre-chewed Proust or half-stewed Stendhal and those criticisms are probably more than fair. Zweig seems to have, at this point in his writing, found his stride - his formula. If you are reading Zweig for his psychological insight and you've already read Proust or Stendhal - you're going to leave this meal hungry - but if you're willing to go along for the ride - I think you'll enjoy the simple and insightful writing on display in Confusion. Zweig was a pop Stendhal the way I see it. I think I spent about three hours at most pouring through this - very little effort required - but I enjoyed the experience despite the fact that I was anything but intellectually challenged. View 2 comments. In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. This is largely thanks to the impassioned advocacy of a handful of independent publishing houses. Foremost amongst these is Pushkin Press, which has published most of Zweig's work in new translations, the majority of them by award-winning translator Anthea Bell. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as In the past couple of decades, Austrian writer Stefan Zweig has gained a new-found readership in the English-speaking world. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as facile and superficial. His novella Confusion should put such criticism to rest. The premise of the work is admittedly simple - a Privy Councillor who has dedicated his life to academia recalls the aging professor who, in his student days, kindled in him a love for learning. This novella is, however, very much of its time — not only in its psychological concerns, but also in its head-on approach to what must then have been a taboo subject. If there is a harkening back to the 19th Century, it is in its rather overblown, melodramatic language — this, however, lends authenticity to the voice of the narrator who is, after all, an academic who has devoted his life to the study of past literature. Dec 27, Jimmy rated it really liked it Shelves: novel , austria , nyrb , years , male. For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? I am very happy to have discovered Zweig thanks to a few of my GR friends M. Sarki and Lee. He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the who For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the whole time, even though it's a simple one, and if told by a less skilled writer, I would most likely have been unimpressed or even bored. I love that title 'Confusion' also, because it echoes back through the entire book, and you realize how it is really meant. It's a short book, and anything else I say may give away too much It's wonderful. View 1 comment. I cannot help but leave the worlds created by Stefan Zweig with a mingled sense of despair, heartache, ambiguity, and hope. This gut-wrenching tale is no different. It is one of the cruelest realizations of life that unless your heart has traversed through those unbearably painful paths of suffering and shame, your love By the time this realization dawns upon us, tragedy has already struck, for we have also come face to face with another realization: passion and sensitivity are inextricably woven in the same cloth of Either you resign to it, reveling in the absurdity, or else, you live as a shadow. An absolute beaut of a book, written with a passion that can originate only in the most disturbing and anguished parts of one's heart. I shall recommend this book to every person of letters I meet. A sincere thank you to Anthea Bell for such profound translation. A wonderful story of love and admiration. Zweig beautifully portrays the two different kinds of love,divine and lustful. Intensity of emotions is what marks every work of Zweig,in my opinion. And that intensity is visible throughout the story. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never jus A wonderful story of love and admiration. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never just an emotion. He makes it so sophisticated and intense as if that one emotion justify one's existence at that point. And that's why every work by Zweig leaves one in a tumult of emotions. You can't read it like any other book. You need to make sure that you won't be disturbed till you finish it and that you will be free for few hours after you finish it. Amazing book, beautifully written, completely disconnected me from The real world surrounding me and that's what a book should do to it's reader. Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. As previously noted, Zweig has become one of my top ten favorite authors in just a short while read 4 of his books now and it is unusual since I had not ever heard of him and the story of his life. Let me first deal with what is to some an argumentative topic. Confusion falls within a genre that I would call literary fiction. There are some who will take exception to this distinction but I did borrow it from The Storied Life of A. J Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. Zweig's writing is exceptionally beautifully and an excellent example of literary fiction as the following example passages show. Usually it was an image, a bold metaphor, a situation visualized in three-dimension which he extended into a dramatic scene, involuntarily working himself up as he went rapidly along. Something of all that is grandly natural in creativity would often flash from the swift radiance of these improvisations; I remember lines that seemed to be from a poem in iambic metre, others that poured out like cataracts in magnificently compressed enumerations. Then I recognize the voice of the beloved dead, who now has breath only on my lips: when enthusiasms comes over me, he and I are one. And I know that those hours formed me. You should begin by hearing the language in the mouths of the poets who create and perfect it, you must feel warm and alive in your hearts before we start anatomizing it. And he did so in a less than progressive and highly conservative country Germany. Such subjects include abortion Amok , homosexuality Confusion and unrequited love Letters from an Unknown Woman. Confusion strongly touches upon the subject of homosexuality in terms of discrimination, conflicts with heterosexuality, marriage, and personal stress hence the well- worded title. Our protagonist's teachers' wife says "It will soon be cleared up, because I am not letting him play with you and confuse [emphasis! There must be an end to all this; he must finally learn to control himself. Don't torment yourself; believe me, he doesn't deserve it. And that almost inaudibly whispered remark struck pain into my almost pacified heart once more. A kind of fear came over me, a fear of myself and the vague turmoil of hatred within me, and I wanted to refuse [go downstairs to dinner with his teacher's wife]. But cravenly, I did not venture to say no. If anything, you can be the 4th person to have read and entered a review on Goodreads. I was the third and Confusion currently carries a 5 star rating, obviously the highest possible. One last aside. I am not sure what relevance it has but we do not learn the name of our protagonist Roland until page ! And we never learn the names of his professor or the professor's wife. The absence of the professor's name seems obviously intentional as Roland seeks to hide the identity of his teacher. Notwithstanding that, it seems like everyone and Roland is the last to learn knows of the professor's predilections. I have always held some affection for Zweig, because I think "World of Yesterday" is pretty great, but reading this makes me think that maybe his thing isn't fiction. It didn't really move me, I found it, just okey, which is worse than really bad, because no matter how much he seems to put into it, it didn't move me that much. I will read his book on Brasil, though, and I hope that book is a better example of what he's like in his true territory, at least for me. I am confused After reading most of the book, I thought that the hero has an affection for his teacher and vice versa. Nevertheless, there seems to have been more than I detected. Yet, in a note posted on YouTube after finishing the first part I have speculated on the undercurrents of this account. He might belong to both teams as it were and the Confusion in the title may refer to his belonging to one or both of these groups. I am trying to talk sexual orientation here. And I think that the hero is not really sure where he is, or at least he gave me- or rather the author - the impression that his state is one of Confusion To begin with, the young man has a normal life. In fact his father stumbles upon him as he has sex with a girl. And he had been at it with various maids, shop assistants and farm hands. Since the father wanted the son to study, he is upset and sends him to a different town. It is here that he meets the professor and he is mesmerized by the eloquence, presence of the older man. On the first day that is. Because seeing him again on the next day, the teacher appears tired, exhausted even. Notwithstanding that disappointment, a strong bond is established. Repeating myself here I thought it is all platonic. Especially since there is a wife and the student encounters her while swimming and is attracted to her. The reader learns that the professor has a bad reputation, but I attributed it to the envy and hatred of inferior people. Which in the end it was to a great extent. This love triangle or threesome as they call it in comedies today has a convoluted trajectory. First, the young man is enchanted by his older teacher. His affection is indubitable, if pure Then there is a camaraderie established between the student and the wife that turns into a love affair. The hero is overwhelmed and shaken to the point of destitution by this infidelity and betrayal. Even if the wife tells him to relax and think that the professor would not mind He is different - How different? It would be more than worthwhile to read and find about this and much more from this excellent novel Aug 04, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: summer Can I give it 6 stars? It's one of those rare books that leave your heart exhausted, gasping for air, like after a long strenuous but satisfying race. Very Mannish, reminds me of Death of Venice. And why are German authors so good?! Mann, Hesse and now Zweig. A dense, moving but sometimes obsessive and grim, novella. This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. Roland, a handsome, vivacious university student who loathes anything related to arts, much to the consternation of his refined father who venerates literature. Due to his persistent nagging finally Roland yields and joins a course in English in the bustling city of Berlin. As in the case of any provincial youth, Rolan This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. As in the case of any provincial youth, Roland finds himself in the company of women and all the pleasure such a city has to offer. Caught red handed, that too with a girl inside his room, Roland, with tears in his eyes understands that he has to go back and obey his father. His act of repentance takes him to a remote town, away from the cozy Berlin, and there he happens to meet a man, the man who, will, change his life forever. This novella is all about Roland and his boyish admiration of this genius, a man who has devoted his entire life for the studying of classics and Roland starts reading a lot and strangely falls in love with this father figure. Professor, with many shades is an interesting character. He loves the boy and at the same time torments him and the boy finds his personality marvelous and brutal at the same time. He tries to understand him but often gets pushed away in the most brutal manner. Roland helps him in one of his dream projects and soon realizes he will not be able to understand his personality in its completeness. Tortured and tormented he complains to the wife of his master and soon that becomes a shameful affair, plunging Roland in to the murky waters of guilt and shame. The novella ends when he realizes that the Professor has an erotic side, that he always pushed his student away in order to hide that. Unable to conform to the norms of the society, this man, a homosexual, gets denigrated and brutalized by almost everyone until he meets the boy.

Confusion (novella) - Wikipedia

JosephCamilleri Sep 25, Jhon Apr 25, Gerardlionel Apr 1, Status Zweig, Stefan — primary author all editions confirmed Bell, Anthea Translator secondary author some editions confirmed Einar Ness Translator secondary author some editions confirmed. Is contained in Meisternovellen by Stefan Zweig. I capolavori Lettera di una sconosciuta — Il mondo di ieri — Sovvertimento dei sensi — Tramonto di un cuore — Ventiquattr'ore nella vita di una donna by Stefan Zweig. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. La confusion des sentiments. Notes intimes du professeur R de D. Le Monde's Books of the Century References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English None. In the autumn of his days, a distinguished privy councillor contemplates his past, looking back at the key moments of his life. No library descriptions found. Haiku summary. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions. Audible 0 editions. Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All stub articles. Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Argentine first edition Eden Paul Cedar Paul. Zweig enjoyed great popularity during his lifetime and this led some critics to dismiss his works as facile and superficial. His novella Confusion should put such criticism to rest. The premise of the work is admittedly simple - a Privy Councillor who has dedicated his life to academia recalls the aging professor who, in his student days, kindled in him a love for learning. This novella is, however, very much of its time — not only in its psychological concerns, but also in its head-on approach to what must then have been a taboo subject. If there is a harkening back to the 19th Century, it is in its rather overblown, melodramatic language — this, however, lends authenticity to the voice of the narrator who is, after all, an academic who has devoted his life to the study of past literature. Dec 27, Jimmy rated it really liked it Shelves: novel , austria , nyrb , years , male. For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? I am very happy to have discovered Zweig thanks to a few of my GR friends M. Sarki and Lee. He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the who For if one feels reverent passion even of a pure nature for a woman, it unconsciously strives for physical fulfilment; nature has created an image of ultimate union for it in the possession of the body--but how can a passion of the mind, offered by one man to another and impossible to fulfil, ever find complete satisfaction? He's a very good writer, and I was completely at the mercy of this story the whole time, even though it's a simple one, and if told by a less skilled writer, I would most likely have been unimpressed or even bored. I love that title 'Confusion' also, because it echoes back through the entire book, and you realize how it is really meant. It's a short book, and anything else I say may give away too much It's wonderful. View 1 comment. I cannot help but leave the worlds created by Stefan Zweig with a mingled sense of despair, heartache, ambiguity, and hope. This gut-wrenching tale is no different. It is one of the cruelest realizations of life that unless your heart has traversed through those unbearably painful paths of suffering and shame, your love By the time this realization dawns upon us, tragedy has already struck, for we have also come face to face with another realization: passion and sensitivity are inextricably woven in the same cloth of Either you resign to it, reveling in the absurdity, or else, you live as a shadow. An absolute beaut of a book, written with a passion that can originate only in the most disturbing and anguished parts of one's heart. I shall recommend this book to every person of letters I meet. A sincere thank you to Anthea Bell for such profound translation. A wonderful story of love and admiration. Zweig beautifully portrays the two different kinds of love,divine and lustful. Intensity of emotions is what marks every work of Zweig,in my opinion. And that intensity is visible throughout the story. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never jus A wonderful story of love and admiration. With Zweig,no emotion is simple,it's never just an emotion. He makes it so sophisticated and intense as if that one emotion justify one's existence at that point. And that's why every work by Zweig leaves one in a tumult of emotions. You can't read it like any other book. You need to make sure that you won't be disturbed till you finish it and that you will be free for few hours after you finish it. Amazing book, beautifully written, completely disconnected me from The real world surrounding me and that's what a book should do to it's reader. Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. As previously noted, Zweig has become one of my top ten favorite authors in just a short while read 4 of his books now and it is unusual since I had not ever heard of him and the story of his life. Let me first deal with what is to some an argumentative topic. Confusion falls within a genre that I would call literary fiction. There are some who will take exception to this distinction but I did borrow it from The Storied Life of A. J Confusion is properly titled but I will get to that in a bit. Zweig's writing is exceptionally beautifully and an excellent example of literary fiction as the following example passages show. Usually it was an image, a bold metaphor, a situation visualized in three- dimension which he extended into a dramatic scene, involuntarily working himself up as he went rapidly along. Something of all that is grandly natural in creativity would often flash from the swift radiance of these improvisations; I remember lines that seemed to be from a poem in iambic metre, others that poured out like cataracts in magnificently compressed enumerations. Then I recognize the voice of the beloved dead, who now has breath only on my lips: when enthusiasms comes over me, he and I are one. And I know that those hours formed me. You should begin by hearing the language in the mouths of the poets who create and perfect it, you must feel warm and alive in your hearts before we start anatomizing it. And he did so in a less than progressive and highly conservative country Germany. Such subjects include abortion Amok , homosexuality Confusion and unrequited love Letters from an Unknown Woman. Confusion strongly touches upon the subject of homosexuality in terms of discrimination, conflicts with heterosexuality, marriage, and personal stress hence the well-worded title. Our protagonist's teachers' wife says "It will soon be cleared up, because I am not letting him play with you and confuse [emphasis! There must be an end to all this; he must finally learn to control himself. Don't torment yourself; believe me, he doesn't deserve it. And that almost inaudibly whispered remark struck pain into my almost pacified heart once more. A kind of fear came over me, a fear of myself and the vague turmoil of hatred within me, and I wanted to refuse [go downstairs to dinner with his teacher's wife]. But cravenly, I did not venture to say no. If anything, you can be the 4th person to have read and entered a review on Goodreads. I was the third and Confusion currently carries a 5 star rating, obviously the highest possible. One last aside. I am not sure what relevance it has but we do not learn the name of our protagonist Roland until page ! And we never learn the names of his professor or the professor's wife. The absence of the professor's name seems obviously intentional as Roland seeks to hide the identity of his teacher. Notwithstanding that, it seems like everyone and Roland is the last to learn knows of the professor's predilections. I have always held some affection for Zweig, because I think "World of Yesterday" is pretty great, but reading this makes me think that maybe his thing isn't fiction. It didn't really move me, I found it, just okey, which is worse than really bad, because no matter how much he seems to put into it, it didn't move me that much. I will read his book on Brasil, though, and I hope that book is a better example of what he's like in his true territory, at least for me. I am confused After reading most of the book, I thought that the hero has an affection for his teacher and vice versa. Nevertheless, there seems to have been more than I detected. Yet, in a note posted on YouTube after finishing the first part I have speculated on the undercurrents of this account. He might belong to both teams as it were and the Confusion in the title may refer to his belonging to one or both of these groups. I am trying to talk sexual orientation here. And I think that the hero is not really sure where he is, or at least he gave me- or rather the author - the impression that his state is one of Confusion To begin with, the young man has a normal life. In fact his father stumbles upon him as he has sex with a girl. And he had been at it with various maids, shop assistants and farm hands. Since the father wanted the son to study, he is upset and sends him to a different town. It is here that he meets the professor and he is mesmerized by the eloquence, presence of the older man. On the first day that is. Because seeing him again on the next day, the teacher appears tired, exhausted even. Notwithstanding that disappointment, a strong bond is established. Repeating myself here I thought it is all platonic. Especially since there is a wife and the student encounters her while swimming and is attracted to her. The reader learns that the professor has a bad reputation, but I attributed it to the envy and hatred of inferior people. Which in the end it was to a great extent. This love triangle or threesome as they call it in comedies today has a convoluted trajectory. First, the young man is enchanted by his older teacher. His affection is indubitable, if pure Then there is a camaraderie established between the student and the wife that turns into a love affair. The hero is overwhelmed and shaken to the point of destitution by this infidelity and betrayal. Even if the wife tells him to relax and think that the professor would not mind He is different - How different? It would be more than worthwhile to read and find about this and much more from this excellent novel Aug 04, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: summer Can I give it 6 stars? It's one of those rare books that leave your heart exhausted, gasping for air, like after a long strenuous but satisfying race. Very Mannish, reminds me of Death of Venice. And why are German authors so good?! Mann, Hesse and now Zweig. A dense, moving but sometimes obsessive and grim, novella. This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. Roland, a handsome, vivacious university student who loathes anything related to arts, much to the consternation of his refined father who venerates literature. Due to his persistent nagging finally Roland yields and joins a course in English in the bustling city of Berlin. As in the case of any provincial youth, Rolan This is a small but gripping work from Stefan Zweig, one of the greatest writers to have emerged from Austria, and an underrated one, mostly to those who are familiar to his oeuvre. As in the case of any provincial youth, Roland finds himself in the company of women and all the pleasure such a city has to offer. Caught red handed, that too with a girl inside his room, Roland, with tears in his eyes understands that he has to go back and obey his father. His act of repentance takes him to a remote town, away from the cozy Berlin, and there he happens to meet a man, the man who, will, change his life forever. This novella is all about Roland and his boyish admiration of this genius, a man who has devoted his entire life for the studying of classics and Roland starts reading a lot and strangely falls in love with this father figure. Professor, with many shades is an interesting character. He loves the boy and at the same time torments him and the boy finds his personality marvelous and brutal at the same time. He tries to understand him but often gets pushed away in the most brutal manner. Roland helps him in one of his dream projects and soon realizes he will not be able to understand his personality in its completeness. Tortured and tormented he complains to the wife of his master and soon that becomes a shameful affair, plunging Roland in to the murky waters of guilt and shame. The novella ends when he realizes that the Professor has an erotic side, that he always pushed his student away in order to hide that. Unable to conform to the norms of the society, this man, a homosexual, gets denigrated and brutalized by almost everyone until he meets the boy. Roland feels sympathy for him but his confusion makes him almost numb. Years later, Roland, now a distinguished professor, opens up about this strange love which had once bloomed in his life even unknown to him. He never saw his professor again, and still remains as an enigma to him. This must have been a revolutionary attempt, considering the era when it was first published. Zweig was a genius and this novel again proves his virtuosity. Mar 18, Brad rated it liked it. It is easy to see why Zweig was at one time one of the most popular writers in the world. The style in the hands of translator Anthea Bell is simple, the plot built from episodes of perfectly sustained and released narrative tension, the characters appearing both believable and completely comprehensible. But these qualities are also flaws—the style too transparent; the characters too complete; the plot too perfect a vehicle for the revelation of character. Everything is so cleanly resolved tha It is easy to see why Zweig was at one time one of the most popular writers in the world. Everything is so cleanly resolved that there is nothing left to think about. So I think that there is a very small germ of truth in Michael Hofmann's otherwise apoplectic essay on Zweig in the London Review of Books early last year. But these are simply reasons why Zweig shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Musil and Kafka, and that quibble aside, Confusion is an enjoyable book. And the description of the work and personal impact of the elderly teacher is subtly done, with Zweig painting a picture that explains both why his students are enraptured and why he has not made a large professional impact. The flaw here is rather in the characterisation of the teacher as possessed of two stark elements, combined like particles rather than blended like fluids. There is the public intellectual life and the private sexual life, and they never interact but rather simply compete for visibility—indeed, as if to underscore the problem, these elements are represented in the novella as predominantly existing in physically distinct spaces, with the one occurring in the quiet village and the other in the roaring city. There's no resisting the beauty of Pushkin's editions however, and the perfect size of the Zweig novellas for carrying around in a jacket pocket make them ideal for ripping through on the subway just like the mass market entertainment critics like Hofmann have maintained they are. Not quite sure what to think about Zweig really. https://files8.webydo.com/9590892/UploadedFiles/0B86D266-C00E-4033-0320-C4CB50E44509.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9588955/UploadedFiles/4B2A4471-F9D1-9BF3-922C-46F6220F09DD.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/cce6cf72-07ed-4570-bfcd-89c11a7a6435/die-schwarze-messe-kulturgeschichtlich-okkultistische- untersuchung-und-von-damonen-sukkuben-inku-496.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/2ff620f8-7e6b-4583-8ba5-b20633d4ec35/infektionskrankheiten-480.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/dfd30831-da98-4926-929c-48f1d9b7e9f7/galerie-jos-v-novak-in-prag-classic-reprint-180.pdf