The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig is a Cinderella story of sorts except she isn’t rescued from her poverty after the clock strikes midnight and all the beautiful things are lost.
Christine, the post-office girl, is whisked away to a posh resort in the Swiss Alps on the invitation of her aunt who is feeling guilty for not helping her sister’s family during World War I. Christine gets a glamor makeover, new clothes, and a borrowed aristocratic reputation. For eight days she gets to experience the freedom and pleasure that money brings. Her exuberance and gratitude combined with her artlessness make her a popular breath of fresh air among the young and the old. But the petty jealousy of a “friend” who reveals to all that Christine is really a penniless girl from a village near Vienna, prompts Christine’s aunt to hastily send Christine back home.
The aunt, you see, is an imposter herself. She used to be as poor as Christine but through planning and scheming and the patronage of wealthy men, she was able to remake herself and land a wealthy Dutch husband who has no idea about her true past. Terrified that Christine will inadvertently lead the unforgiving spotlight of money and class to focus on her, she uncompassionately sends Christine home offering her nothing but a bald-faced lie.
Christine is devastated. She sinks into a deep depression until she is revived by Ferdinand, a bitter war veteran she meets through her brother-in-law. Ferdinand understands her loss and longing. Together they find a certain comfort in their mutual unhappiness and hopelessness which leads to a surprise ending.
Reading Christine’s story is like watching the Wizard of Oz where everything is black and gray at the beginning and end, but in Oz, everything is in glorious technicolor. But technicolor turns out to be like crack and it is surprising how fast Christine becomes addicted. Her aunt’s intended kindness in the invitation to the Alps turns out to unintentionally be even more cruel than neglecting her family during the war when she could easily have helped. The really sad thing is that Christine could probably have found some modicum of happiness had her aunt never sent the invitation. In Christine’s village there was a man, equally as poor as her, who shyly but truly loved her.
The Post-Office Girl was a good book. It was not an uplifting read though. But are books about class, money and morals ever uplifting especially when they are about a person who learns what she is missing? Be sure to check out what the other Slaves of Golconda have to say about the book. And feel free to follow along the discussion in our forum.
I really liked this book — I liked the sense of rage that ran through it. Yes, it’s hard to take sometimes, but it strikes me as a perfectly sane response to the devastation of war. It’s amazing how Christine changes from the beginning of the book until the end — and Zweig makes it all believable, which is impressive.
This book has changed the way I choose my books. It is superb. After I finished it I was so winded and sad and amazed at how a writer can describe emotions to make the reader physically feel them…
After reading this, no book appealed to me. It’s been hard to choose something that can top this, I spent hours at the library yesterday and I just couldn’t pick.. I came home with Beware of the pity..
I like the analogy to “The Wizard of Oz”. I haven’t read the book, but that image of color fading to black and white again gives more insight than most of the summary. “Not an uplifting read” Well, I’ll be sure to read it in an appropriate mood.
You always have such a wonderful take on the book, Stefanie! I think the Cinderella analogy is very apt. I will certainly get around to reading this one day as I’ve really enjoyed reading all the Slaves’ reviews.
I really want to read this book… I might have to buy it because the library does not have it!
Dorothy, there was a lot of rage, wasn’t there? So much so that sometimes I found it difficult–in a good way–to read. I found the characters very believable as well. I will definitely read Zweig again.
automedusa, I like how you describe yourself as being winded after finishing the book. I know exactly what you mean. I hope Beware the Pity is just as good. From what others have been saying about Zweig you probably won’t be disappointed!
Biblibio, thank you. There really is the color difference in the novel, at least that’s how it felt to me which made me think of Oz.
Litlove, you’re so kind. I hope you do read this one. I would love to know your thoughts.
Kailana, it is worth buying as you will probably want to have it on hand to page bad through or read again.
I’ll be reading it (well, when I get back to a point in which I can read books that aren’t uplifting. I’m getting there…).
Emily, yes, you may want to wait on this one for a little bit.
This sounds interesting. I didn’t like really like ‘Beware of Pity’ (and I really wanted to like it), and that’s made me wary of Zweig, but maybe I will try this one.