Critical evaluations of Alexander Lernet-Holenia teem with recurring clichés: he has been called the cavalier of the pen, the knightly poet, and the grandseigneur and the Lord Privy Seal of Austrian literature. These epithets imply conservatism, rejection of literary innovation, adherence to an antiquated system of values, and a rather gentlemanly attitude to the arts. While some of these characterizations contain some truth, they are superficial and do not capture the significance of Lernet-Holenia's literary achievement. It has also been said that his writings are uneven in quality, and it is true that his oeuvre ranges from light entertainment to works of classical perfection and beauty; but the existence of such a spectrum does not mean that its lighter end is inferior. His lighter plays and novels offer sophisticated entertainment on a high level; in his more subtle works he creates his own poetical world. Without...