A clandestine romance between Emperor Rudolf II and the wife of a wealthy financier threatens the spiritual stability of sixteenth-century Prague. The narrative follows the Emperor as he navigates the rigid constraints of his court and the mystical influence of the city's Jewish quarter. Opposing him are the moral imperatives of the Great Rabbi, who perceives the affair as a cosmic transgression requiring immediate intervention. The story unfolds through a series of interconnected vignettes that blend historical reality with elements of the supernatural, creating a portrait of a city caught between earthly power and divine judgment.

This work is widely regarded as a significant contribution to twentieth-century European literature, noted for its seamless blending of historical detail and fantastical elements. Readers often highlight the author's ability to evoke the claustrophobic yet magical atmosphere of old Prague. The narrative's structure, which links disparate lives through the central conflict of the Emperor's affair, is frequently praised for its thematic depth and structural elegance. Critics and readers alike appreciate the subtle, often melancholic tone that permeates the text, marking it as a distinct example of the genre.