Official Review: Burning Secret by Stefan Zweig
Posted: 01 Oct 2014, 21:45
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Burning Secret" by Stefan Zweig.]
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The book Burning Secret by Stephan Zwieg is a story told about a young boy's struggle with growing up, and the world of adult secrets. The date wasn't exactly clear, however the main mode of transportation is the train so one can assume early 1900's. The story centers around a twelve year old boy named Edgar, his Mother, and a Baron. This story has been classified as a romance novel, but it is really a dramatic story between a young boy growing into adulthood and the strained relationship with his Mother. I RATE THIS BOOK A 2 OUT OF 4 STARS.
The book begins at the hotel in Summary with an unnamed Baron. He is on vacation and is looking for his next conquest. He definitely has only one goal in mind, and doesn't let anything stand in his way. At dinner on the night he arrives, he sees Edgar and his Mother whom he is attracted to. In order to get close to the Mother the Baron befriends young Edgar to his delight. Edgar sees this relationship with the Baron as proof that he is becoming a young adult man and no longer a child. The young boy can hardly contain his excitement anytime he sees the Baron, almost in an obsessive way. He is said to have some type of unnamed affliction which requires a lot of sun and fresh air. However, his fits of nervousness and obsessions makes one wonder if it's really not his mental health that everyone is concerned about.
As time goes on, Edgar realizes that he is the third wheel and nobody really wants him around. Once his Mother starts enjoying the advances from the Baron, they basically push Edgar away. Edgar becomes furious and hurt not only because he knows he isn't wanted, but at 12, he knows something big is going on and his young mind can't grasp what that secret is. He becomes obsessively angry, and follows his Mother and the Baron around trying to catch them in some kind of lie. His anger is the driving force in what happen between he and his Mother that forever changes their relationship and his outlook on life.
Edgar struggles to understand why he can't see what is going on between his Mother and the Baron. He becomes so upset that it disrupts his sleep and consumes his thoughts. He becomes focused on hurting his Mother. He starts acting out and misbehaving in a public forum. However, his Mother doesn't seem to understand why her son is so angry all of a sudden and reacts to him with hatred and resentment. The Mother doesn't seem to have much respect for her own child, but considers him a burden. It is very telling at one point she thinks of Edgar as a pet. Both the Mother and Edgar have a lot of resentment towards each other, and towards life itself. The one thing that they really have in common is they feel that life hasn't been fair towards them.
I give this book a 2 out of 4 stars because it is a fair read. It isn't good by any stretch. I had a problem with the direction the story went. At the start, we are with the Baron, and his thoughts and feelings are very sexual in nature. Once we are introduced to Edgar, we hardly get the Baron's thoughts or feelings again, making the beginning of the story almost unnecessary. Even if the story was told only through the limited eyes of Edgar, one can easily conclude what type of person the Baron is and what he wants. Edgar's story was interesting, but the book didn't flow very well. I found myself not really caring for a spoiled young boy and his struggle to grow up. His pure hatred for his Mother seemed like there was a lot of backstory but none of it was really told. I wish the author would have picked one story and stuck with it instead of trying to write in a third person limited voice because it didn't work. I felt let down.
***
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The book begins at the hotel in Summary with an unnamed Baron. He is on vacation and is looking for his next conquest. He definitely has only one goal in mind, and doesn't let anything stand in his way. At dinner on the night he arrives, he sees Edgar and his Mother whom he is attracted to. In order to get close to the Mother the Baron befriends young Edgar to his delight. Edgar sees this relationship with the Baron as proof that he is becoming a young adult man and no longer a child. The young boy can hardly contain his excitement anytime he sees the Baron, almost in an obsessive way. He is said to have some type of unnamed affliction which requires a lot of sun and fresh air. However, his fits of nervousness and obsessions makes one wonder if it's really not his mental health that everyone is concerned about.
As time goes on, Edgar realizes that he is the third wheel and nobody really wants him around. Once his Mother starts enjoying the advances from the Baron, they basically push Edgar away. Edgar becomes furious and hurt not only because he knows he isn't wanted, but at 12, he knows something big is going on and his young mind can't grasp what that secret is. He becomes obsessively angry, and follows his Mother and the Baron around trying to catch them in some kind of lie. His anger is the driving force in what happen between he and his Mother that forever changes their relationship and his outlook on life.
Edgar struggles to understand why he can't see what is going on between his Mother and the Baron. He becomes so upset that it disrupts his sleep and consumes his thoughts. He becomes focused on hurting his Mother. He starts acting out and misbehaving in a public forum. However, his Mother doesn't seem to understand why her son is so angry all of a sudden and reacts to him with hatred and resentment. The Mother doesn't seem to have much respect for her own child, but considers him a burden. It is very telling at one point she thinks of Edgar as a pet. Both the Mother and Edgar have a lot of resentment towards each other, and towards life itself. The one thing that they really have in common is they feel that life hasn't been fair towards them.
I give this book a 2 out of 4 stars because it is a fair read. It isn't good by any stretch. I had a problem with the direction the story went. At the start, we are with the Baron, and his thoughts and feelings are very sexual in nature. Once we are introduced to Edgar, we hardly get the Baron's thoughts or feelings again, making the beginning of the story almost unnecessary. Even if the story was told only through the limited eyes of Edgar, one can easily conclude what type of person the Baron is and what he wants. Edgar's story was interesting, but the book didn't flow very well. I found myself not really caring for a spoiled young boy and his struggle to grow up. His pure hatred for his Mother seemed like there was a lot of backstory but none of it was really told. I wish the author would have picked one story and stuck with it instead of trying to write in a third person limited voice because it didn't work. I felt let down.
***
Buy "Burning Secret" on Amazon
Buy "Burning Secret" on Barnes and Noble