description Dream Story Overview
'Dream Story' is a novella by the Austrian author Arthur Schnitzler, originally published in 1926 under the title 'Traumnovelle'. The narrative follows Fridolin, a successful doctor, and his wife Albertine as they navigate the psychological fallout of confessing their secret desires to one another. Fridolin's subsequent nocturnal wanderings through Vienna force him to confront the boundaries between reality, dreams, and the unconscious mind. The novella is best known today for serving as the direct inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's film 'Eyes Wide Shut'.
insights Ranking position
Dream Story ranks #63 of 107 in the Philosophical Fiction ranking, behind Dirty Hands, ahead of Foucault's Pendulum.
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What movie is based on Arthur Schnitzler's Dream Story?
The novella was famously adapted into the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut, directed by Stanley Kubrick. The movie stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, closely following the novella's plot of a doctor navigating the fallout of his wife's sexual confessions.
What secret does Albertine confess in Dream Story?
Albertine confesses to her husband, Doctor Fridolin, that she once harbored a passionate, secret desire for a young Danish officer she saw on vacation. This confession triggers a psychological crisis in Fridolin, sending him on a nocturnal journey of his own.
When was Dream Story originally published?
Arthur Schnitzler originally published the novella in 1926 under the German title Traumnovelle. It was one of the last major works completed by the Austrian author before his death.
What themes does Arthur Schnitzler explore in Dream Story?
The book delves deeply into the themes of jealousy, infidelity, and the subconscious mind. Schnitzler explores the tension between the conscious, rational life of a doctor and the dark, repressed desires that emerge in dreams and nocturnal wandering.
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