Our Own Set: A Novel

"Our Own Set: A Novel" by Ossip Schubin is a piece of late 19th-century historical fiction that transports readers to Rome in the 1870s, where members of the Austrian aristocracy grapple with shifting social tides and the complex web of their own relationships. The story's central figures, Count Otto Ilsenbergh and his engaging wife, are at the heart of the narrative, hosting gatherings at their palazzo that serve as a microcosm of the era's political tensions and personal dramas. As the count worries over Austria's future, and his wife observes the intricate social dance around them, characters like General von Klinger and Count Sempaly contribute to an atmosphere of both friendship and underlying strain. Through lively dialogue and carefully drawn characters, the novel explores themes of class, identity, and the changing face of society, setting the scene for interpersonal conflicts and societal shifts.