Summer Before the Dark

A dazzling portrait of a community of intellectual exiles in the extraordinary summer of 1936. The narrative follows a group of artists, intellectuals and madmen gathered in Ostend, a Belgian seaside town, as Europe confronts fascism and war. Central to the tale are Stefan Zweig, whose world is unraveling as his publisher shuns him and his marriage falters, and his lover Lotte, who seek refuge with old friends and new companions. Reunited with his estranged friend Joseph Roth, Zweig and Roth cling to a fragile haven on a holiday that grows uncanny as the continent stars to burn. The book blends intimate character study with a broader historical frame, painting a vivid portrait of exile, friendship, and the erosion of a peaceful façade.

Its reception highlights the vividness of the portraits and the historical depth. The work has been described as evocative and sharply drawn, with storytelling that captures the tension between personal crisis and looming catastrophe. The author grounds the narrative in well-researched detail, offering a riveting look at a pivotal moment when artists and thinkers faced exile and moral peril.

• Author: Volker Weidermann
• Language: nl-BE
• Pages: 176, Paperback
• Publisher: Pushkin Press
• Setting: Ostend, 1936, a loom of exile and cultural hub
• Central figures: Stefan Zweig, Lotte, Joseph Roth
• Theme: exile, friendship, fall of Europe into fascism
• Describes critical reception and fits BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week status