Franz Hessel was a Berlin-born writer and translator, deeply attuned to the pulse of urban life and its transformations. His prose captures the distinct atmosphere, moods, and dynamism of his era, particularly within the bustling cityscape. Hessel's distinctive style is both penetrating and lyrical, inviting readers into a nuanced exploration of human existence and societal shifts. Through his keen observations, he offers a unique perspective on the evolving modern world.
Marcel Proust's monumental work, "In Search of Lost Time," consists of seven volumes, with "In the Shadow of Young Girls" and "The Duchess of Guermantes" as the first two parts. The narrative explores the life of a young man in fin-de-siècle France, focusing on memory and societal dynamics within the aristocracy.
Franz Hessel was an observer par excellence of the increasingly hectic metropolis that was Berlin in the late 1920s. In "Walking in Berlin", a collection of 23 essays originally published in German in 1929, he captures the rhythm of Weimar-era Berlin, recording evidence of the seismic shifts shaking German culture at the time. Nearly all of the pieces take the form of a walk or an outing, focusing either on a theme or part of the city, and many end at a theatre, cinema or club. Hessel effortlessly weaves historical information into his observations, displaying his extensive knowledge of the city
These two high-spirited essays present a pedestrian's-eye-view of 1920s Berlin, a city that is simultaneously down-on-its-luck and booming. Francophile writer and translator Franz Hessel brought the role of the flâneur to the streets of Berlin, capturing the rhythm of city life in his perceptive writings, and recording evidence of the seismic shifts shaking German culture. Hessel presents glimpses into the exploits of his bohemian friends, as well as encounters with working people struggling to adjust to the new times. Gently ironic, yet with much affection for his subjects, Hessel's sterling prose is at once classic and fresh. Praised by Walter Benjamin, In Berlin is a dazzlingly complex tapestry of life in the vibrant, turbulent capital of the Weimar Republic.