Plague in Siena (Studies in Austrian Literature, Culture, and Thought Translation Series)

Plague in Siena presents a new and altogether different version of the centuries-old chain of literature about the mythical Don Juan. In this novel the diabolical or desperate seducer is seen as an aging gentleman living in our own time. He has grown tired of adventure and has lost his faith in Europe's mission of both soul and mind. The novel presents the reader with a loose sequence of scenes, showing Don Juan engaged in encounters of his mind. Having escaped the great "plague of Siena" of 1348, he is shown together with the painter Vincent van Gogh, with the poet Oscar Wilde, with Frederic Chopin, but also with nameless yet beautiful youths, all attempts to justify his life and Europe's history.