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A playful account of one man´s life in early twentieth century Trieste

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´I am sure a cigarette has a more poignant flavour when it is the last´

A neurotic Italian businessman obsessed by his own hypochondria, Zeno Cosini recounts his early years to his psychoanalyst Dr S as a form of therapy. With a cigarette clutched permanently between his fingers, he explores the important themes of his life: his love of smoking, his relationship with his parents, his marriage. Structured as a series of conversations with his psychoanalyst, Zeno was an innovation in its time, and remains a curious and intriguing delight.

Michael Hoffman places Confessions of Zeno in its European context in his sparkling introduction.

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Svevo, Italo

Italo Svevo was the pen name of Ettore Schmitz, who was born in Trieste in 1861. He wrote two books as a young man, but failed to achieve any literary renown. Confessions of Zeno came to the attention of literary circles in Paris through Svevo´s connection with James Joyce and was soon recognized as a comic masterpiece.

Beryl de Zoete (1879 - 1962) was a ballet dancer, dance critic, dance researcher as well as a translator. She traveled extensively in Bali and South Asia and co-wrote the classic Dance and Drama in Bali.

Michael Hofmann is a German-born poet and translator.

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