Zeno's conscience : a novel

Long hailed as a seminal work of modernism in the tradition of Joyce and Kafka, and now available in a supple new English translation, Italo Svevo’s charming and splendidly idiosyncratic novel conducts readers deep into one hilariously hyperactive and endlessly self-deluding mind. The mind in question belongs to Zeno Cosini, a neurotic Italian businessman who is writing his confessions at the behest of his psychiatrist. Here are Zeno’s interminable attempts to quit smoking, his courtship of the beautiful yet unresponsive Ada, his unexpected–and unexpectedly happy–marriage to Ada’s homely sister Augusta, and his affair with a shrill-voiced aspiring singer. Relating these misadventures with wry wit and a perspicacity at once unblinking and compassionate, Zeno’s Conscience is a miracle of psychological realism. Long hailed as a seminal work of modernism in the tradition of Joyce and Kafka, and now available in a supple new English translation, Italo Svevos charming and splendidly idiosyncratic novel conducts readers deep into one hilariously hyperactive and endlessly self-deluding mind. The mind in question belongs to one Zeno Cosini, a neurotic Italian businessman who is writing his confessions at the behest of his psychiatrist. Here are Zenos interminable attempts to quit smoking, his courtship of the beautiful yet unresponsive Ada, his unexpectedand unexpectedly happymarriage to Adas homely sister Augusta, and his affair with a shrill-voiced aspiring singer. Relating these misadventures with wry wit and irony, and a perspicacity at once unblinking and compassionate, Zenos Conscience is a miracle of psychological realism. Zeno Corsini, a neurotic Italian businessman is writing his confessions at the behest of his psychiatrist. He relates his interminable attempts to quit smoking, his courtship of the beautiful yet unresponsive Ada, his unexpected, and unexpectedly happy, marriage to Ada's homely sister Augusta, and his affair with a shrill-voiced aspiring singer. Relating these misadventures with wry wit and a perspicacity at once unblinking and compassionate, this book is a miracle of psychological realism Responding to his therapist's suggestion that he use writing as therapy, Zeno chronicles his own long struggle with quitting smoking. Originally published as The Confessions of Zeno in 1923. Reprint. 15,000 first printing. Op verzoek van zijn psychiater houdt een oudere man boek van zijn strijd met slechte gewoontes