5 h 6 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the greatest danger in Venice is not a ghost, but someone shaping what you believe?
In Friedrich Schiller’s The Ghost-Seer, a German Protestant prince stays in Venice, far from the security of his own court. Strange encounters unsettle his understanding of the world. Surrounded by pleasures, unfamiliar people, and competing claims on his attention, he faces a growing threat to his judgment and independence.
Accounts and reports bring you the prince’s experiences, leaving evidence open to doubt. His changing beliefs matter as much as the strange events themselves. This unfinished Gothic fiction sits alongside Sport of Destiny, a shorter tale about a man whose fortunes depend on princely favour. Both explore how another person’s power can narrow a life.
What you’ll discover
- Venice beyond the court Follow a prince into unfamiliar company, where strange encounters challenge the beliefs he brings with him.
- Evidence under suspicion Weigh accounts and reports without an all-knowing guide to settle what you should believe.
- A mind under pressure Watch persuasion threaten the prince’s independence as his understanding of the world begins to shift.
- An unfinished mystery Feel the growing pressure of intrigue without the promise of a completed solution.
- The cost of favour Sport of Destiny explores the danger of binding one man’s position to princely power.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy Venice at Carnival, masked strangers, staged ghosts and clever plots will love this book, as will anyone curious about how belief, doubt and trust can be steered by a skilled hand.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A masked stranger predicts a death
- A conjurer stages ghosts at supper
- The prince explains away the marvels
- A freethinker is shaped by flattery
- Love, debt and a vanishing fortune
- Themes, voice and a fallen favorite
Who’s who
- The PrinceA melancholy German prince living in secret in Venice, curious about the marvelous, who is slowly shaped by the people around him.
- Count OA nobleman from Courland who tells the story, loyal to the prince, and who writes to clear his friend's name.
- The ArmenianA masked stranger who seems to know the future and appears at crucial moments, whose identity remains mysterious.
- The SicilianA conjurer who calls himself a captain, stages ghosts for the prince's party, and later explains his tricks from prison.
- Baron von FThe prince's young attendant, who has served him for sixteen years and reports the household's troubles in his letters.
- BiondelloA gifted new servant, musician and secretary, who wins the prince's trust by his loyalty and talent.
- Marquis CivitellaA charming young nobleman, nephew of a cardinal, who owes the prince his life and eagerly offers him money.
- Lord SeymourAn English lord with cool judgment who distrusts the Sicilian and helps the count and the prince.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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Der Geisterseher oder Die Erscheinung und das Spiel des Schicksals
A masked Armenian foretells a death in St. Mark’s Square, and a German prince in Venice searches for an explanation.
Medium level5–10 hours to readDeutsch
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In short
A stranger in a mask tells a prince that someone has died at nine, and the news proves true. So begins The Ghost-Seer, the Gothic mystery by Friedrich Schiller, set in Venice at Carnival time.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A masked stranger predicts a death
On a Thursday evening in Venice, Count O and his friend, a German prince living quietly in secret, walk masked through St. Mark's Square.
The count writes down the hour. On the sixth evening the masked stranger, an Armenian, appears again, and a letter sealed in black arrives. A cousin, the heir to a throne, died the previous Thursday night at nine.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 4 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- Deutsch
- Reading time
- 3 h 20 min
- Level
- Medium level
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What is The Ghost-Seer about?
It tells of a German prince in Venice who is drawn into a web of prophecies, staged ghosts and flattering friends. Count O, who saw much of it, writes the story to show how a thoughtful man can be misled.
Who is the Armenian in The Ghost-Seer?
He is a masked stranger who predicts a death and appears at crucial moments. The characters call him the Incomprehensible, and rumor gives him strange powers. The book keeps his true nature and purpose in doubt.
What is The Sport of Destiny?
It is a short tale printed with the novel. It follows Aloysius von G, a young favorite who rises to rule a country and then falls in a single morning, thanks to a rival he himself promoted.
The author
Friedrich Schiller
1759–1805 · German playwright and poet
Friedrich Schiller was a German playwright, poet, philosopher and historian. He was born in Marbach in 1759 and died in Weimar in 1805. He also lived in Jena, where he taught history at the university. His plays include The Robbers, published in 1781, and William Tell, first performed in 1804.
More by Friedrich Schiller
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