The two countesses: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The two countesses: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The two countesses is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Ebner-Eschenbach, Marie von (1830–1916). The listed translation credits are Waugh, Ellen.
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The two countesses" by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach is a novel written in the late 19th century. It juxtaposes two aristocratic women—impulsive, witty Muschi and reflective, principled Paula—each facing courtship, convention, and the pull between love and social ambition within the Austro-Hungarian nobility. Expect lively social comedy, sharp character sketches, and probing questions about integrity, vanity, and how marriages are made. The beginning of the novel alternates between Countess Muschi’s breezy letters and Countess Paula’s earnest memoirs. Muschi, bored at Sebenberg, sizes up a visiting Swabian suitor, spars with his pedantry, stages pranks and hunts, then deftly redirects his proposal to her demure friend Clara Aarheim—securing their engagement while revealing her own restless standards. In contrast, Paula recalls a sheltered upbringing, a crisis of conscience that ended her enthusiasm for hunting, and a deepening intellectual life (sparked by Don Quixote) as her family steers her toward the proud Count Taxen. At soirées she encounters the idealistic, unlucky Baron Schwarzburg, whose integrity captivates her, even as gossip swirls and her parents press the advantageous match with Taxen. The opening closes with Paula refusing to feign affection for the approved suitor and bracing for a family confrontation.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The two countesses
- Author credits: Ebner-Eschenbach, Marie von (1830–1916)
- Catalogue language: English
- Translator credits: Waugh, Ellen
Catalogue subjects
- Austrian fiction -- Translations into English
Gutenberg collections
- Category: German Literature
- Category: Novels
- Category: Romance
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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