Reigen (La Ronde), written in 1897 and published in 1903 by the Viennese author Arthur Schnitzler, is one of the most controversial theatrical works in the German language. Its ten dialogues each feature a sexual encounter between two characters, chaining together partners from across the entire spectrum of Viennese society — from prostitute to count — in a circular dance of desire and self-deception.
Schnitzler’s cool, psychologically acute dialogue strips away social pretension to reveal the universal human appetites beneath. Its Vienna performances caused riots. Download this free public-domain EPUB to read the original German text of a work that remains genuinely provocative and brilliantly crafted.