Susan Bernofsky Book order (chronological)

Robert Walsers Leben und Werk spiegeln einen urban-nomadischen Lebensstil wider, der ihn von der Gesellschaft abgrenzte und seine Zeitgenossen schockierte. Er besuchte eine Dienerschule und verbrachte seine letzten Jahre in einer Heil- und Pflegeanstalt. Als Antiheld und romantischer Einzelgänger wurde er von vielen bedeutenden Schriftstellern, darunter Kafka und Benjamin, bewundert und beeinflusste selbst zahlreiche Autoren wie Thomas Bernhard und Elfriede Jelinek. Walsers einzigartige Perspektive auf Freiheit und Individualität prägt bis heute die literarische Landschaft.

"Tawada's slender accounts of alienation achieve a remarkable potency."--Michael Porter, The New York Times

The first English-language biography of one of the great literary talents of the twentieth century, written by his award-winning translator

A New York Review Books Original In 1905 the young Swiss writer Robert Walser arrived in Berlin to join his older brother Karl, already an important stage-set designer, and immediately threw himself into the vibrant social and cultural life of the city. Berlin Stories collects his alternately celebratory, droll, and satirical observations on every aspect of the bustling German capital, from its theaters, cabarets, painters’ galleries, and literary salons, to the metropolitan street, markets, the Tiergarten, rapid-service restaurants, and the electric tram. Originally appearing in literary magazines as well as the feuilleton sections of newspapers, the early stories are characterized by a joyous urgency and the generosity of an unconventional guide. Later pieces take the form of more personal reflections on the writing process, memories, and character studies. All are full of counter-intuitive images and vignettes of startling clarity, showcasing a unique talent for whom no detail was trivial, at grips with a city diving headlong into modernity.