Vienna Coffeehouse Wits, 1890-1938

Harold Segel begins his introduction to this volume by saying, "The mystique of the Vienna coffeehouse is extraordinary." This is true, and is precisely the reason I picked up this book. Unfortunately (for me), he then adds, "The literature on it is formidable," and immediately qualifies this in a footnote by adding that nearly all of that formidable literature is, not surprisingly, in German. As a result, this book is both rewarding and somewhat unsatisfying: rewarding because it is a revealing look inside the coffeehouse mystique; unsatisfying to me as a historian because its focus ultimately is on the literary work these "coffeehouse wits" produced, and not so much on the coffeehouse culture as such. At the same time, though, much of the nature of that culture comes through in the excellent selections Segel has assembled here. These writers' focus is often parochial ... even inbred ... revolving around the milieu itself and looking inward at the personalities, concerns, cliques, and spats of the Viennese literary circle. But at the same time, the wider world frequently peeks its head inside this circle, often in the form of allegory or subtle shading. While some of the "Vienna coffeehouse wits" are enjoying a resurgence in popular recognition, nearly all are -- I would imagine -- unknown to the general American reader (even the fact that Bambi A Life in the Woods existed as a novel -- and a novel by an Austrian -- before it became a Disney movie comes a surprise to many, though as this book notes, Felix Salten was a quite well known writer in his day). I don't think that casual reader would necessarily get a lot out of this book. The personalities and catty observations are just too obscure now. But for the specialist, the student of German-language literature, or even someone like me with an interest in Habsburg Austria, this title could potentially be very rewarding. That's why I've given it the four stars I have. Given my original interest, Segel's introduction, "The Vienna Coffeehouse in Society and Culture," came closest to being the sort of historical résumé I was looking for. But the rest of the book had its entertaining and educational moments as well. It may not be for everyone, but if you have an interest in the place, the era, or its personalities, this book may well repay your interest.

Get it used, know that you will find yourself skimming over some ramblings, and that some parts will absolutely captivate you! The price of this book is more than it's worth. This book can be fascinating and numbing from one chapter to another. I did not enjoy when one writer attacked another and did so for page upon page. It loses a star for this - and the price; however, the interesting stories of people who weren't attacking each other get four! If you are a writer and have no qualms, this could easily be five. You buy it and rate it for yourself. I was interested in Vienna and coffeehouses. The writers were all new to me and I learned a lot. I came away with four stars.