Zeno Cosini

Zeno Cosini (ZEH-noh koh-SEE-nee) is an Italian businessman living in Trieste, a region once part of Austria. His life story unfolds as a narrative written for Dr. S., his psychoanalyst. Zeno epitomizes indecision, often indulging in what he calls a "health-giving bath of good resolutions," which he rarely fulfills. This characteristic indecisiveness is prominently visible in his romantic pursuits and business dealings. Initially, he courts two of the Malfenti sisters but is rejected by Ada and considered mad by Anna. Ultimately, he marries Augusta Malfenti, the least conventionally attractive but most affectionate of the sisters.

Despite his genuine affection for Augusta, Zeno maintains an affair with Carla, a music student whom he mentors and later loves. In business, Zeno adopts a passive approach, delegating the family's affairs to his capable manager, Olivi. He partners with his brother-in-law Guido Speier in a separate venture but remains relatively inactive until Guido's death prompts him to act decisively. Through luck and strategic speculation, Zeno recuperates some of the business losses. The wartime between Italy and Austria forces Zeno to assert himself further, successfully navigating the challenges of shortages and disruptions.

His character is ripe for Freudian analysis, marked by hypochondria and complex memories of his father. Zeno frequently theorizes about life in terms of health and illness, showing a particular fascination with Basedow’s disease. His name evokes the legacy of two Greek philosophers named Zeno, renowned for skepticism and stoicism. Despite his neuroses and self-deceptions, Zeno's humor and irony captivate the reader, as he prefers the drama of imaginary ailments over real ones affecting his father and Ada. Hypochondria gives structure to his otherwise aimless life, and he even finds joy in the idea of having diabetes.

His professional life is marked by resentment towards Olivi, who manages tasks Zeno feels he could handle, juxtaposed with Guido's disorderly office, which Zeno eventually organizes. His motivations are layered and contradictory. Initially, his attachment to Guido masks his indifference toward losing Ada, but genuine affection grows over time, rendering Ada's coldness after Guido's death particularly painful.

During a wartime holiday in Lucinico, Zeno offers false reassurances to a peasant, believing his lies to be harmless, highlighting his self-deceptive tendencies. His reflections, often infused with humor and self-irony, include musings like, “Everything I have put down in my notebooks proves quite clearly that I have, and have always had, a strong impulse to become better; this is perhaps my greatest misfortune.” His life is a tapestry of contradictions, swinging from melodramatic despair to what he describes as "my usual incurable optimism."

Giovanni Malfenti

Giovanni Malfenti (jee-oh-VAHN-nee mahl-FEHN-tee) is a prosperous businessman with four daughters. Zeno idolizes Giovanni as a benchmark of success and decides to marry one of his daughters even before meeting them. Giovanni's influence extends into both Zeno’s personal ideals and business aspirations, serving as a crucial role model.

Guido Speier

Guido Speier (GWEE-doh speh-EE-ehr) is a young man established in business by his father in Trieste. Initially, Guido impresses with his charm, good looks, and musical talent, winning over Ada where Zeno fails. However, his apparent competence is a façade, as his business practices reveal a lack of depth. Partnering with Zeno, Guido's incompetence becomes apparent in ventures unfamiliar to Zeno. Zeno intervenes to protect Guido's father's financial interests, recovering some estate for Ada. Guido's ultimate mistake is feigning suicide twice to procure money from Ada; the second attempt goes tragically wrong, resulting in his death.

Ada Malfenti Speier

Ada Malfenti Speier, the eldest and most striking of the Malfenti sisters, rejects Zeno and chooses Guido Speier, a decision that ends...