Review of the book “Amok” by Stefan Zweig.
In this article I am going to talk about one of Stefan Zweig’s most fascinating and disturbing works: Amok. It is a short novel published in 1922, which is part of the collection Amok: Novels of a Passion, along with other stories such as The Woman and the Landscape, The Duel or The Star Over the Forest.
Amok is a word of Malay origin meaning “to rush furiously into battle,” which designates a state of homicidal madness in which an individual indiscriminately attacks everything that crosses his path, without fearing for his life or the consequences. This term is used to describe the behavior of the novel’s protagonist, a European doctor living in a remote village in Indonesia, who becomes obsessed with an English woman who asks him for help to have an abortion.
The novel is narrated in the first person by a traveler who meets the doctor on a ship bound from Asia to Europe. The doctor tells him his story, how he fell madly in love with the woman from the first moment, how she rejected and humiliated him, and how he pursued her home like an amok. The doctor does not want money or favors in exchange for performing the abortion, he only wants to possess her once before he dies. But she refuses and turns to a native healer, which triggers a tragedy.
The novel is an example of Zweig’s narrative and psychological talent, which manages to create an oppressive and distressing atmosphere, in which eroticism, violence, colonialism and destiny are mixed. Zweig was influenced by Freud’s psychoanalysis, and explored the depths of the human soul with extraordinary sensitivity. Amok is a masterpiece of the psychological genre, which shows us how excessive passion can lead a human being to self-destruction.
«Amok» is a short novel written by Stefan Zweig that tells the story of a doctor working in a leper colony in Southeast Asia and his relationship with a woman who asks for his help.
The plot is exciting and well-structured, and Zweig’s style is fluid and elegant. The main character is presented as a rational and controlled man, but as the story develops, his dark side and his internal struggle to maintain control over his emotions are revealed. The tension increases as the reader dives into the doctor’s mind and faces his inner demons.
The novel also explores deep themes such as loneliness, madness, love and death. Zweig uses the exotic setting of the leper colony to create a mysterious and suspenseful atmosphere, which contributes to the emotional tension of the plot.
In short, “Amok” is a masterpiece of short fiction, full of twists and turns that keep the reader hooked from beginning to end. Zweig once again demonstrates his ability to create complex and realistic characters, and his ability to explore deep and universal themes. If you are a lover of classic literature, “Amok” is definitely a work you should not miss.
Source: https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/amok
