Fickle Fortune

by E. Werner, Christina Tyrrell (Translation)

'This is what they are pleased to call spring in these parts! The snow drifts thicker and thicker every minute, and the delightful north-east wind comes in vigorous blasts which threaten to carry us away into space, post-chaise and all. It is perfectly maddening.' The carriage, one of the occupants of which thus gave vent to his ill-humour, was in truth working its way slowly and with difficulty through the accumulated snow on the high-road. Notwithstanding all their efforts, the horses could only advance at a foot-pace, so that the patience of the two travellers seated in the interior of the vehicle was put to a severe test. Of these, the younger, who was attired in an elegant travelling-suit, far too light of texture, however, for the occasion, could certainly not be more than four-and-twenty years of age. All the hopefulness and confidence, or rather the bright audacity of youth beamed in his frank handsome face, in the dark eyes, which were bold and clear as though no trace of a shadow had ever clouded them. There was something peculiarly winning and agreeable about the young man's whole appearance, but he seemed highly impatient of the delay which now occurred in his journey, and gave expression to his annoyance in every possible way.

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1874

About the author

pseudonym of German novelist Elisabeth Bürstenbinder.

Reviews

[Kerstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise!
Elisabeth Bürstenbinder (1838-1910) was a regular contributor to the German magazine Die Gartenlaube. It was a magazine similar to the Ladies' Home Journal. This novel was first published in serial form in the Gartenlaube in 1873. The title Glück auf! (=luck up - better translated as 'good luck') is the German miners' greeting.
It is the story of a marriage of convenience between the daughter of an impoverished nobleman and the son of a very successful industrialist and mine owner. This is set against the backdrop of workers' unrest due to bad working conditions in the mines. There is the clash of old money vs. new as well as ruthless the exploitation of workers and its consequences. At times the reading became quite gripping, which I hadn't expected at all. Since the Gartenlaube was mostly read by women I had expected a fluffy 19th century version of a feel-good story. It was much more than that. Bürstenbinder was a talented story teller, and I look forward reading more of her.