--- product_id: 52140762 title: "The Tobacconist: Robert Seethaler" price: "₹ 3140" currency: INR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/52140762-the-tobacconist-robert-seethaler store_origin: IN region: India --- # The Tobacconist: Robert Seethaler **Price:** ₹ 3140 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Tobacconist: Robert Seethaler - **How much does it cost?** ₹ 3140 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/52140762-the-tobacconist-robert-seethaler) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Buy The Tobacconist: Robert Seethaler by Seethaler, Robert, Collins, Charlotte from desertcart's Fiction Books Store. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Review: Very readable book - Very readable and amusing in places. Historically accurate and informative also. The characters are strong and the plot is compelling Review: The Tobacconist, good for your health. - Robert Seethaler came to the attention of the English speaking world when ''A Whole Life' was published in 2015, the novel was shortlisted for the Man-Booker International Prize, 2016. Described by Jim Crace as; "...heart rending and heart warming...for all its gentleness, a very powerful novel". This novel is every bit as good. The Tobacconist is an elegantly written coming of age novel set in Vienna just before WWII. The story is overshadowed by the coming storm but at the beginning of the novel Austria has not yet fallen completely to the Nazis. The young life of country boy Franz is beautifully portrayed in a novel that becomes progressively darker - a rights of passage from simple country existence to the bright lights of the city to the depths of Nazi depravity. There are scenes of touching naivity, of a boy growing up and of being lost in a world that is beyond his comprehension. At times humourous and at times sad, the contrast highlights the tragedy of the times all the more vividly. The rise of Nazism is initially a backdrop to the story but becomes the overarching menace within which every character must act and react. Actions become not just choices but a matter of acquiescence or defiance in the face of tyranny. Defiance has a high price but Franz has integrity, an honest nature and a firm understanding of what he believes to be right from wrong. There is a stark contrast between the mollycoddled life in his mother's house and the challenge of coping alone in the city, of work in the tobacconist shop, of girls, of clashing cultures - the city, itself, is changing with the Anschluss fast approaching. The growing clamour for a greater Germany, the free rein granted to anti-Semitic hatred, the repression of free speech and the general climate of fear all colour the novel. Franzl Huchel is 17 in 1937 Austria, he is wholly unprepared when his mother sends him into the wide world following the death of thier benefactor, Herr Preininger, one of the richest men in the region, (the man who has provided for them and prevented her son working on a farm or in a salt mine). From Salzkammergut's rural life Franz is sent to Vienna to be apprentice Tobacconist to Otto Trsnyek, an old friend of his mother. Here he meets Freud and forms an attachment to the old man, Freud tells him he needs a girlfriend. Unfortunately his experience leads to love sickness and pangs of the heart. The novel revolves around the three crucial relationships in Franz's life, (after his mother). Otto Trsnyek, the Tobacconist - and a sort of father figure, Anezka the Bohemian peasant girl (his lover) and Dr. Freud his mentor. Trsnyek is passionate about his little shop and the news but Franz realises that there is more to life. He becomes obsessed with ideas, with falling in love, with taking a stand. The meeting with Dr. Freud are witty and playful, not exactly analysis but an exploration of the young mind and it's obsessions. The change for Franz to the city leaves him homesick but the discovery of an emotional world he never imagined intrigues him, truly eye opening. Gradually he realises the city is changing, the Nazis begin to take over. The emboldened butcher throws offal at the Tobacco shop for serving Jews and degenerates, (both political and sexual). The setting of the Tobacconist shop, the dismal streets of the poorer districts of Vienna, the living condition of the working class and the rich are all vividly realised. The first encounter with an underground club is straight out of Spencer or Isherwood, just like Cabaret. The experience is both a delight and a torment for the young man - a heartbreaking read. The casual nature of every day anti-Semitism gives way to systematic violence and cruelty. The tragic incident of Red Egon sets the tone for worse to come. Franz' feelings are intuit, his understanding more emotional than intellectual but everyone must decide where they stand. The novel questions where will Franz stand, what kind of a man will be become? The fate of everyone in the city depends upon the whim of the Nazis; Franz, Otto, Anezka and Dr. Freud. The​ Tobacconist is a beguiling tale beautiful told and warmly translated, full of tragedy and pathos. Franz imagined life has the feel of the experience of a real teenager faced with extraordinary times. Ultimately everyone has to make choices in life. Robert Seethaler is an Austrian writer and actor. Over the past twelve years he has received numerous prizes and accolades for his work. I hope we get more soon, this novel is a terrific read. ## Features - New Store Stock ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 39,107 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 994 in War Story Fiction 2,933 in Literary Fiction (Books) 4,162 in Historical Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 3.8 out of 5 stars 1,574 Reviews | ## Images ![The Tobacconist: Robert Seethaler - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/A1tgBbewcZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very readable book *by S***P on 9 May 2017* Very readable and amusing in places. Historically accurate and informative also. The characters are strong and the plot is compelling ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Tobacconist, good for your health. *by P***K on 12 June 2017* Robert Seethaler came to the attention of the English speaking world when ''A Whole Life' was published in 2015, the novel was shortlisted for the Man-Booker International Prize, 2016. Described by Jim Crace as; "...heart rending and heart warming...for all its gentleness, a very powerful novel". This novel is every bit as good. The Tobacconist is an elegantly written coming of age novel set in Vienna just before WWII. The story is overshadowed by the coming storm but at the beginning of the novel Austria has not yet fallen completely to the Nazis. The young life of country boy Franz is beautifully portrayed in a novel that becomes progressively darker - a rights of passage from simple country existence to the bright lights of the city to the depths of Nazi depravity. There are scenes of touching naivity, of a boy growing up and of being lost in a world that is beyond his comprehension. At times humourous and at times sad, the contrast highlights the tragedy of the times all the more vividly. The rise of Nazism is initially a backdrop to the story but becomes the overarching menace within which every character must act and react. Actions become not just choices but a matter of acquiescence or defiance in the face of tyranny. Defiance has a high price but Franz has integrity, an honest nature and a firm understanding of what he believes to be right from wrong. There is a stark contrast between the mollycoddled life in his mother's house and the challenge of coping alone in the city, of work in the tobacconist shop, of girls, of clashing cultures - the city, itself, is changing with the Anschluss fast approaching. The growing clamour for a greater Germany, the free rein granted to anti-Semitic hatred, the repression of free speech and the general climate of fear all colour the novel. Franzl Huchel is 17 in 1937 Austria, he is wholly unprepared when his mother sends him into the wide world following the death of thier benefactor, Herr Preininger, one of the richest men in the region, (the man who has provided for them and prevented her son working on a farm or in a salt mine). From Salzkammergut's rural life Franz is sent to Vienna to be apprentice Tobacconist to Otto Trsnyek, an old friend of his mother. Here he meets Freud and forms an attachment to the old man, Freud tells him he needs a girlfriend. Unfortunately his experience leads to love sickness and pangs of the heart. The novel revolves around the three crucial relationships in Franz's life, (after his mother). Otto Trsnyek, the Tobacconist - and a sort of father figure, Anezka the Bohemian peasant girl (his lover) and Dr. Freud his mentor. Trsnyek is passionate about his little shop and the news but Franz realises that there is more to life. He becomes obsessed with ideas, with falling in love, with taking a stand. The meeting with Dr. Freud are witty and playful, not exactly analysis but an exploration of the young mind and it's obsessions. The change for Franz to the city leaves him homesick but the discovery of an emotional world he never imagined intrigues him, truly eye opening. Gradually he realises the city is changing, the Nazis begin to take over. The emboldened butcher throws offal at the Tobacco shop for serving Jews and degenerates, (both political and sexual). The setting of the Tobacconist shop, the dismal streets of the poorer districts of Vienna, the living condition of the working class and the rich are all vividly realised. The first encounter with an underground club is straight out of Spencer or Isherwood, just like Cabaret. The experience is both a delight and a torment for the young man - a heartbreaking read. The casual nature of every day anti-Semitism gives way to systematic violence and cruelty. The tragic incident of Red Egon sets the tone for worse to come. Franz' feelings are intuit, his understanding more emotional than intellectual but everyone must decide where they stand. The novel questions where will Franz stand, what kind of a man will be become? The fate of everyone in the city depends upon the whim of the Nazis; Franz, Otto, Anezka and Dr. Freud. The​ Tobacconist is a beguiling tale beautiful told and warmly translated, full of tragedy and pathos. Franz imagined life has the feel of the experience of a real teenager faced with extraordinary times. Ultimately everyone has to make choices in life. Robert Seethaler is an Austrian writer and actor. Over the past twelve years he has received numerous prizes and accolades for his work. I hope we get more soon, this novel is a terrific read. ### ⭐⭐⭐ Enjoyable *by W***D on 1 October 2017* I enjoyed this book as an easy read with likeable characters and situations that were engaging. It felt a little tragically realistic in the lack of contrived outcomes, which I'm not sure I liked or not yet... I think I feel a little cheated of some characters' development. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.in/products/52140762-the-tobacconist-robert-seethaler](https://www.desertcart.in/products/52140762-the-tobacconist-robert-seethaler) --- *Product available on Desertcart India* *Store origin: IN* *Last updated: 2026-05-03*