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The Magic Mountain: Adalbert Stifter's 'Rock Crystal'
By ADAM KIRSCH
August 29, 2008
In "Rock Crystal," plot and description are never "innocent," no matter how lovingly they are elaborated. Rather, as the novella unfolds, succinctly but without hurry, it evolves into a parable of frightening depth. It is no more than 25,000 words, if that, but in this short space Stifter transports the reader to the heart of the world's mystery, before returning him to a comfortable dailiness that henceforth cannot but help feel haunted.
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