Krambambuli. The District Doctor

by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, John Preston Hoskins (Introduction)

Austrian writer Baroness (Freifrau) Marie von Ebner Eschenbach (1830-1916) was one of the foremost novelists in the German tongue, and one of the best short-story writers in the world. The Austrian aristocracy with their Slavo-German dependents in the Moravian villages constitute the world of her fiction. Country and city are her theatres, noble and peasant keep the balance. All forms of the short-story are at her letters, diaries, dialogues, and that most difficult of all forms, the story within a story. --- Where can be found a more concrete and genial characterization of the leading political lords and ladies, more lifelike portraits of officialdom and of the much abused peasantry than in her historic tale "The District Doctor" (1883), which has as its background the bloody peasant uprisings in Galicia in 1846? Where do we find human sympathy ethically and artistically more refined than in her little masterpiece "Krambambuli" (1883), the story of a dog with spotless pedigree who, like Rüdiger in the Nibelungen, perishes in the vain attempt to serve two masters? --- Of the qualities that make up a great writer she has the deep and high truth of substance. She does not view the world in the rosy light of the idyll. She never seeks to avoid the ugly. But more, she puts a high moral interpretation on human life. Her ethics is proof against all egotism and will bear comparison with that of the great moralists, ancient and modern.

Genres: Fiction

120 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2008

About the author

Baroness Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach was an Austrian writer. Noted for her excellent psychological novels, she is regarded—together with Ferdinand von Saar—as one of the most important German-language writers of the latter portion of the 19th century.

She was born at the castle of Dubský (Graf von Třebomyslice) family in Zdislavice near Kroměříž in Moravia, Czech Republic, and died in Vienna, Austria.

She is credited with the famous aphorism "even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

Reviews

[Kevin Dingess · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Krambambuli" by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach is a captivating tale that explores the themes of loyalty, love, and sacrifice. The story revolves around a fierce hunting dog named Krambambuli, who is deeply devoted to his owner, a hunter named Anton. When Anton falls ill, Krambambuli stays by his side, refusing to leave him even when the other hunters try to take him away. As the story unfolds, we see the depth of Krambambuli's love for Anton and the sacrifices he is willing to make to protect him. The novella is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions of the natural landscape and the emotions of the characters.