Rhapsody: A Dream Novel [Hardcover]

Arthur Schnitzler (Author), Otto P. Schinnerer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 167 pages
• Publisher: Ams Pr Inc (January 1, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0404056148
• ISBN-13: 978-0404056148
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,765,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegantly strange and tinged with regret, June 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rhapsody: A Dream Novel (Hardcover)

Rhapsody is a quick read and one that creates an aura of delightful anticipation at a rapidly accelerating rate. I found a copy at a local University library-a tiny volume printed in 1927 by Alfred Knopf. I am a diehard Kubrick fan and was thrilled as I turned each page and recognized many scenes seen in the Eyes Wide Shut promo. Leelee Sobrieski's film character in the carnival shop must be the somewhat deranged adolescent kept by the sinister costumer. (This character is never thoroughly explained- indeed this level of teasing ambiguity is what makes Schnitzler's narrative so compelling.) After all the hullabaloo concerning the "supposed" cross-dressing and drug-use in the film, I was pleased to find that Rhapsody is all dark undercurrent and dancing shadows. There are real moments of danger and sexual angst to be sure, but it's so subtle it hurts. The original title Dream Novel is apt- the protagonist's adventures happen within the space of night and the following day. As he journeys through the town in the afternoon glare he begins to doubt that any of the peculiar and frightening things he's been a part of could actually have happened. He strives to understand his relationship to these experiences in a rational way- to no avail. Get the book! It's scintillating and sharp leaving lots to the imagination and plenty of leeway to interpret the characters motives.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A psychological epic that shows no age., October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rhapsody: A Dream Novel (Hardcover)

"Traumnovelle" is a fine novella which masterfully employs the epic mythological structure to send it's main character Froidlin on a psychosexual odyssey. The character struggles with an attempt to engage in meaningless sexual debauchery in order to cuckold his wife. He finds, however that he can not divorce himself emotionally from sexual activity. Schnitzler is a masterful hand at creating an adult fairy tale the moral of which remains poignant today.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant!, June 11, 2000

By 

Simone Oltolina (Morbio Inferiore, TI Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rhapsody: A Dream Novel (Hardcover)

Die Traumnovelle is a psychological novel (in fact Schnitzel and Freud were often in touch) who deals with the need for transgression. The two main characters, married, get bored with their everyday life and routine and so they start longing for what I'd call "adventure". But eventually, they understand that adventure isn't what we really want, it's just a temptation and once we satisfy it, it seems much less exciting than we thought. In fact what the two characters really want is exactly their everyday life and eventually they get back to it... I'm sorry, I could have explained this a lot better in Italian ;-)