The inspiration behind âEyes Wide Shut,â starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, âThe Dead are Silentâ is a tense psychological novella.
Exploring the social parameters of 19th century Vienna, Schnitzler introduces us to Franz and Emma who are having an illicit affair. One evening, they hire a carriage with tragic consequences.
âThe Dead are Silentâ is an evocative exploration of the hypocrisy of middle-class Viennese society and an unflinching dissection of the nature of grief.
This novella is ideal for those new to Schnitzler's body of work.
The son of a physician, Arthur Schnitzler (1862 â 1931) was born in Vienna. At the age of 17, he enrolled at the cityâs university, studying medicine. After graduating, he began work as a doctor at the Vienna General Hospital.
Despite seeing himself primarily as a man of science, Schnitzler began writing when he was 31. His first works, poems, and short stories, focusing on the themes of jealousy and adultery, laid the foundations for his first play, âAnatol.â Due to its psychological nature, âAnatolâ was praised by Sigmund Freud and later adapted for film, starring Gloria Swanson.
Schnitzler eventually retired from the medical profession to pursue his literary career. In addition to numerous plays, he also wrote two full-length novels, a dozen short stories, and two non-fiction books.