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June 05, 2008

WALSER DISCUSSION

Robert_walser_01The 2008 edition of the Reading the World series has just launched with Robert Walser's The Assistant and, people, you could not be in better hands than Sam Jones's, who is leading the discussion.  (If you doubt his Walser bona fides, check out his Wandering with Robert Walser blog.)  Here is a taste of Sam's intro:

Walser's writing life can be thought of as having four phases, each taking place in a different city. First were his early years as a writer, centering on Zurich (1896-1903), but involving at various times brief stays in Stuttgart, Berlin, Solothun, Munich, and Wurzberg. Next were seven years living in Berlin (1906-1913) with brother Karl, by this time a successful stage designer and illustrator. In Berlin, Walser wrote his major novels and had his first great success. After that, spurred by fallings out with his brother and his publisher, and the death of a benefactor, Walser returned to Biel/Bienne (1913-20), living quietly in a rooming house for foreign workers. Some of his acknowledged masterpieces, such as "The Walk" and "Frau Wilke," were written at this time. In 1920, running low on resources, he moved to Berne (1920-28) at the behest of his sister Lisa, who found him a job at the Cantonal Archives.

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Posted by TEV at 12:21 AM in Worthy Titles |

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