The correspondence between Herbert Eisenreich and Friedrich Torberg is not only a historical document but also a vivid example of the largely lost art of letter writing. The letters represent an exchange of thoughts with argument and counterargument. They provide ample space to elaborate on ideas while employing a language that never proves to be hurtful. The correspondence is complemented by Eisenreich's writings about Torberg. Time and again, Eisenreich felt challenged to reflect on the colleague who, as he put it, had been "encouragement and support" for him for thirty years. How much Eisenreich valued his eloquent colleague is illustrated by a sentence from the obituary: "He countered the wise foolishness of the speakers with the wisdom of language - he took the world at its word.".