WHAT DOES VIENNA READ?

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 28

WHAT DOES VIENNA READ?

Three-years ago the question "What is Vienna reading?" could have been answered: "She reads what Berlin reads," and most of the books of Austrian writers- were printed' and published in Berlin or Leipzig. The National Socialist regime has brought a division not only in the taste, but in the possibilities of publishing the works of certain authors, writes the Vienna; correspondent of the "Observer." Many of the books which today are the favourites •in Vienna cannot be sold in Berlin. Best sellers in Vienna include Stephan Zweig's "Maria Stuart" (Mary Queen of Scots), Count Corti's biography of, the Empress Elisabeth. Ernst Benedikt's biography of the Prince de Ligne, and Gina Kaus's book on the Empress Catherine II of Russia, Among novelists and playwrights, Franz Werfel and Rudolf Lothar are popular, arid the books of the exiled German writers, such as Thomas Mann and Arnold Zweig, are in demand. A book which is having a record sale in Vienna is Conrad Heiden's brilliant biography of Adolf Hitler. Heiden was a Nazi, and is not only an able historian, but also a first-class "interpreter of the character and mentality of the Fuhrer. Rudolf Oldens fine biography of Hitler-was banned in Austria because of its adverse criticism of Lueger, the founder.of,a social movement. A few years ago. John Galsworthy was the most popular author Yin Vienna. At present one finds only a few translations of English, but the books .of-Mr. Sinclair Lewis and of Mrs. Pearl Buck are extremely popular. . .■ .