Summary of Auto da Fé
Peter Kien isolates himself from humanity and lives a reclusive life surrounded by books in his apartment in Vienna. His ill-fated marriage to his housekeeper proves disastrous: she encroaches upon his space, makes unwelcome changes to the apartment, claims control over his finances, and shows little regard for his way of life. He descends into the Viennese underworld, where he befriends a chess-playing dwarf and other dubious characters.
Reasons to read Auto da Fé
This novel by Nobel Prize laureate Elias Canetti (renowned for “Crowds and Power” – “Masse und Macht”) is often regarded as one of the great novels of the twentieth century. Each character has an insane mentality, pursuing all-consuming ambitions. “Auto da Fé” is a dense and compelling book, albeit a challenging one.
Setting: Vienna (Austria)
Original title: Die Blendung
Year of publication: 1935
Nr of pages: 464
