Martin Walser Summary

Martin Walser is an innovative and consistently challenging writer who has portrayed the social and cultural development of West Germany precisely and with extraordinary versatility. He is a novelist... Read more

In the following essay, Nelson analyzes the dominant themes and corresponding linguistic features of Die Ehen in Philippsburg and Halbzeit, exploring how Walser's experience and perception of c... Read more

In the following excerpt, Enright describes the plot, themes, and characters of Letter to Lord Liszt, assessing the novel's value within the context of Walser's previous efforts. “... Read more

In the following review, Espey compares and contrasts the academic setting of Breakers with Coral Lansbury's Felicity. The academic novel has evolved into a number of subspecies. In its America... Read more

In the following essay, Hoffmeister examines the clash between occupational functionality and the service-oriented worker's personal investment as represented by the realties of Xaver Zü... Read more

In the following review, Eder evaluates the German nationalist theme of No Man's Land, relating the political and corresponding personal implications in terms of its protagonist. Wolf is a Germ... Read more

In the following review, Brunskill assesses the merits of Die Verteidigung der Kindheit within the context of Walser's oeuvre. Martin Walser's new novel follows the unremarkable life of ... Read more

In the following essay, Pilipp provides a thematic and stylistic overview of Walser's literary career since the early 1970s in terms of its relevance to German society and literary culture. Wal... Read more

In the following essay, Mathäs investigates the influence of Franz Kafka on Walser's Die Verteidigung der Kindheit, comparing the themes and protagonists of the novel with Kafka's... Read more

In the following essay, Koepke examines the elements of German class relations that inform the thematic focus of both Ehen in Philippsburg and Halbzeit. There is no need to belabor two essential point... Read more

In the following essay, Dowden compares the themes and techniques of Walser and John Updike's novels and literary criticism, classifying them both as pragmatists. Martin Walser's nearest... Read more

In the following review, Skwara discusses the themes of Finks Krieg, noting that the novel lacks erotic tension but labelling certain section as “vintage” Walser. Few German authors have... Read more

In the following review, Zimmermann highlights the political significance of Selbstbewußstein und Ironie: Frankfurter Vorlesungen, affirming Walser's contention that the prevailing moder... Read more

In the following review, Zimmermann comments on the plotting of Ein springender Brunnen, drawing autobiographical parallels to the protagonist's literary experiences. In his “Nachtlied&#... Read more

In the following review, Butler chronicles the controversial Jewish reception of Tod eines Kritikers, outlining the plot and themes in the context of Walser's literary practices. For a people w... Read more

In the following review, Ziolkowski compliments the variety of the prose pieces collected in Aus dem Wortschatz unserer Kämpfe: Prosa, Aufsätze, Gedichte. In a career spanning almost fif... Read more

In the following review, Mahlendorf outlines scenes from In Goethes Hand, pronouncing the play's portrayal of the psychological and social dynamics of oppression successful. Martin Walser... Read more

In the following review, Eder summarizes the plot and themes of The Inner Man, noting the parallels between the protagonist and contemporary Germany. Chauffeur Xaver Zurn, driving his wealthy employer... Read more

In the following review, Spycher focuses on the identity of the narrator-protagonist of Meßmers Gedanken, noting the individual's relationship to the narrative. As the title [Meßm... Read more

Critical Essay by G. B. Pickar The dramas and radio plays of Martin Walser range in nature from the epic Eiche und Angora to the conversational Zimmerschlacht…. Though they differ in the degree... Read more

Critical Essay by Ulf Zimmermann The case of Franz Horn and the chronically clenched teeth that are its symptom result, as Walser demonstrates in this bestselling novel [Jenseits der Liebe], from a co... Read more

Critical Essay by K. S. Parkes Martin Walser has often been accused by his detractors of writing novels without form and plays without plot. It is therefore surprising that he should now for the first... Read more

Critical Essay by Noel L. Thomas Perhaps all writers of German fiction should be compelled to write Novellen. Or perhaps only after a period of apprenticeship in the Novelle should German authors be a... Read more

Critical Essay by Ulf Zimmermann "Seelenarbeit" is the self-help the doctor prescribes for Xaver Zürn's stomach pains, which for lack of physical causes he must diagnose as... Read more

Critical Essay by Clifford Hanley In The Rabbit Race Martin Walser has constructed a pageant of German hypocrisy during and after the Nazi era. (p. 231) Mr. Walser … has something strong and ge... Read more

Critical Essay by Inge Judd For several decades, German novelist Walser has formed his dark notions of contemporary German society into novels of quiet sarcasm…. [The Swan Villa] satirizes a gr... Read more

Critical Essay by Marion Glastonbury Martin Walser's protagonist [in The Swan Villa] is an estate agent, and the eponymous Swan Villa an exquisite property on the shores of Lake Constance, admi... Read more

Critical Essay by Rudolf Walter Leonhardt After the tightly constructed Ehen in Philippsburg and the amorphous, arbitrary Halbzeit, Das Einhorn comes as a happy combination of freedom and self-control... Read more

Critical Essay by Gertrud Bauer Pickar Walser's first novel, Ehen in Philippsburg, is often dismissed as the work of a novice and generally passed over in discussions of his other novels, Halbz... Read more

Critical Essay by The Times Literary Supplement Josef Georg Gallistl [the protagonist of Die Gallistl'sche Krankheit] will doubtless attain a certain fame as the literary representation of the ... Read more