For any fellow book lovers out there, I recently read the following books in preparation for an upcoming trip to Austria and recommend!
The Salzburg Connection by Helen MacInnis,
The Ghost Keeper by Natalie Morrill and
The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan.
What other books can you recommend?
Die Ausgesperrten (Published in English as Wonderful, Wonderful Times) by Elfriede Jelinek (Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2004)
Malina by Ingeborg Bachmann.
The Third Man by Graham Greene. Made into a movie by the same name. You can visit the Third Man Museum and take a tour of film sites while in Vienna.
For a work of non-fiction, I enjoyed The Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Vienna by Angus Robertson.
My husband just handed me A Nervous Splendor by Frederic Morton. Haven’t read it yet, but I’m about to.
The Exiles Return - Elisabeth de Waal
The Hare with Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal. More a memoir rather than fiction.
Also, The Exiles Return, by Elizabeth de Waal, grandmother of Edmund de Waal, whom I mentioned above.
My husband just handed me A Nervous Splendor by Frederic Morton. Haven’t read it yet, but I’m about to.
One of my all-time favorite history books. In fact, one that inspired me to enter the history field. It is non-fiction; however, it reads like almost like a novel. Think Devil in the White City. Morton wrote a second book called Thunder at Twilight that wasn't as good, but would still be an interesting read before traveling to Austria.
On the off chance you are a lover of fantasy and historical fiction, there's the second book in the "Athena Club" series: European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman. Absolutely silly, frivolous, fun historical fantasy for those that love the genre. Ignore this paragraph entirely if that doesn't apply to you!!
Finally, I haven't read it yet, but I've heard good things about Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese. It is on my list..
Frank Tallis - Vienna Blood: Psychological .detective series set in Vienna, 1900s. Also a series on PBS/Masterpeice.
History Traveler and Debbie17 – Thank you for recommending A Nervous Splendor. It looks fascinating. I just bought the Kindle ebook (my local library didn’t have it).
Woodcutters by Thomas Bernhard.
The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek.
There's also a 2 book series by Allison Pataki about Sissi (Empress Elizabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary in the 19th c.). She was quite an interesting woman.
Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
Oh, I love Airs Above the Ground, or any other book by Mary Stewart. Reading that book is what taught me about the Lipizzaner horses and the Spanish Riding school in Vienna. Definitely a must read if you’re going to Austria.
Two classic works come to mind pertaining to Austria, one from the original Czech and the other from the original German, "The Good Soldier Schweik," and "The Last days of Mankind."
Thank you for this thread!
