The Robber
Written in 1925 but not published in its original German until 1972, and translated now for the first time, this short novel by Swiss writer Walser (1878^-1956) fits squarely in the European modernist tradition. There is very little in the way of plot. An ingenuous-seeming young man, the "Robber," arrives in Berne, boards in a series of lodgings, and falls in love or is loved by a series of women, most notably a waitress named Edith. What distinguishes the novel is its narrative tricks. The Robber and the narrator and Walser himself may or may not be the same person. Time shifts back and forth. Sometimes the focus is infinitesimal, and sometimes it is panoramic, as if the narrator were flying over the city and taking in every aspect at once. It's the sharp observation of the mundane details of daily existence in a smallish European city after World War I that helps keep the reader grounded. The narrative twists and leaps, along with asides about the writing process, give the book a hectic energy.Mary Ellen Quinn--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.