About This Book

"No amount of wisdom could possibly make sense of the mysterious verdict which God intended through this duel."

A new translation of a key work by one of European literature's most important early writers.

One of the few novellas written by the master German playwright, The Duel was considered by Thomas Mann and others to be one of the great works of German literature. The story of a virtuous woman slandered by a nobleman, it is a precise study of a subject that fascinated von Kleist: That people are sometimes seemingly punished for their very innocence.

This Is A Melville House "HybridBook"

HybridBooks are a union of print and electronic media: Purchasers of this print edition also receive Illuminations-additional curated material that expand the world of Kleist's novella through text and illustrations-at no additional charge.

To obtain the Illuminations for The Duel by Heinrich von Kleist, simply scan the QR code (or follow a url) found at the back of the print book, which leads to a page where you can download a file for your preferred electronic reading device.


"Illuminations" contains writings by Paul the Deacon - J.G. Millingen - Sir Walter Scott - Johann Ludwig Uhland - Miguel de Cervantes - Andrew Lang - John Carl Blankenagel - Louis and Regis Senac - Alfred Hutton - Fiore de Liberi and a collection of the twelve laws of chivalry.

Illustrations include: Gerhard von Kugelgen - Johannes Gehrts - Jörg Breu Jüngere and Pauls Hector Mair - Achilles Emperaire - George Muhlberg and others.

Also included is The Duelist's Supplement - "The Art of Dueling: How To Shoot and Slash Your Way To Satisfaction" which includes an entire facsimile scan of Fior de Liberi's Flower of Battle.