"[...] Although their professional obligations and generally the conditions of their lives interrupted their personal communication between siblings for days or even weeks sometimes, something always happened, usually insignificant, that reminded them that they were connected by an undeniable and solid bond. Especially the younger of the two, thought in these cases that all the other past or present relationships he had, at times, even the one with his excellent but long-deceased wife, were inferior and he believed, more and more, that this sibling relationship was not only the best and purest thing he had in his life, but also from a general perspective of things, the only thing that offered him a natural stability. Even greater than that of parents, who eventually disappear from our lives, or from our relationship with children, whom, as Robert knew through others, one loses from their youth. And most importantly: it was a relationship free from the murky turmoil that unexpectedly arises from the dark depths of the soul and tends to overshadow the contacts between men and women. [...]."

"Escape into Darkness" is a solitary and unique novella within the vast work of the Austrian author. Its solitude lies in the fact that it cannot be integrated into any group or compared to his other books. It is solitary because no other text by Schnitzler has undergone so many changes and tormented its creator as much as this one. And also because we rarely encounter in world literature the phenomenon of hiding from publicity of such a valuable literary work for such a long period. It is unique because it is painfully confessional. Nowhere else does the author speak so openly about the panic attacks that tormented him, about the mania of persecution, hypochondria, complexes, and the adoration he felt for his brother - a person he loved but could never conquer.

The novella is published with an introduction, translation, and chronology by Alexandros Isaris.