Dream Story

The scandalous erotic novella of infidelity, transgression and decadence in early twentieth-century Vienna

A married couple are first disturbed and then achieve a new depth of understanding by confessing to each other their sexual fantasies, dream-like adventures and might-have-beens in Dream Story. Like his Viennese contemporary Sigmund Freud, the doctor and writer Arthur Schnitzler was a bold pioneer in exploring the dark tangled roots of human sexuality. Taking us on a tour of the city's seedy cafes, red-light district, decadent villas, hospitals and morgue, Schnitzler brilliantly uncovers the violence and depravity lurking beneath the surface of civilized society.

Translated by J. M. Q. Davies
With an introduction by Frederic Raphael