Roth, one of the emblematic writers of Central European literature in the first half of the 20th century, had an extensive correspondence, estimated at around five thousand letters, although only the five hundred presented in this book have been found. His biography was shaped by the turbulent times he lived through, between Nazi and Communist domination. A Jewish man with Catholic sympathies and a monarchist, determined to restore the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Roth also cared for his wife, who suffered from a severe mental illness. Many of the letters are filled with suffering, revisiting the same topics: his editorial troubles and, above all, his financial struggles. He was constantly in need of money, buried in debt, and lived in poverty for much of his life. However, humor, gratitude, and friendship are also present. The letters include exchanges with figures such as Gabriel Marcel, Klaus Mann, his French translator, and editors of his newspapers.
The correspondence with Stefan Zweig, his friend and fellow exile, is especially intense and profound. Despite Zweig's success, Roth had no hesitation in correcting him on points he disagreed with or even advising him on his publications. Roth comments on the times, but also opens his soul. As a journalist and columnist, he left behind some of the most iconic novels in German literature, written under extremely difficult, sometimes dreadful, circumstances. Through these letters, we come to understand both the man and the era he lived in—an era that, despite external hardships, inspired him to write and continue his craft.