Summary of The Tobacconist
17-year-old Franz moves from the Austrian countryside (Salzkammergut) to Vienna in 1937, where he begins working in a tobacco shop, selling newspapers and cigars. He has a love affair with a Czech cabaret girl and seeks the advice of the famous Sigmund Freud, a regular customer of the tobacco shop, who offers him guidance in love in exchange for cigars. When the Nazis seize power in Austria in the spring of 1938, Franz’s life is turned upside down.
Reasons to read The Tobacconist
“The Tobacconist” is an accessible read that, despite some clichéd scenes, offers a vivid portrayal of life in Vienna before and after the Anschluss. It describes the varied reactions of the Austrians, and the consequences faced by opponents of the Nazis and by Jewish people such as Sigmund Freud. The novel was adapted into a German-language film (“Der Trafikant”) in 2018, starring Bruno Ganz. Robert Seethaler is an acclaimed Austrian author, renowned for his bestselling novels “The Tobacconist” and “A Whole Life”.
Setting: Vienna (Austria)
Original title: Der Trafikant
Year of publication: 2012
Nr of pages: 234
