The Tanner Siblings

Walser, Robert, 1878-1956Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.5

Word count: 546K words
Chapters: 55

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Geschwister Tanner by Robert WalserAuthor: Walser, Robert, 1878-1956,Language: German, Class: PT: Language and Literatures: Germanic, Scandinavian, and Icelandic literatures, Release Date: May 21, 2011

Editor's review

Geschwister Tanner is the first novel by Swiss writer Robert Walser, published in the original German and in the public domain as an eBook. Its value lies in its light, discursive, sensitive style as it follows the young Simon Tanner drifting between city and workplace: applying for jobs, quitting them, and spending time with his siblings. Plot is deliberately downplayed, with the focus on observation, dialogue, and inner fluctuation. Walser's appeal is the poetry of "small things"—walks, small talk, and office embarrassments are all given a subtle sense of comedy and alienation. For Chinese-language readers, its highlight is that it offers a path in German modernist literature different from heavy social narrative; it suits readers interested in early modernism who enjoy slow-paced, essayistic character fiction. In terms of reading context, it is better suited to close reading in a quiet setting than to entertainment that seeks strong plot; the original German places some demands on language ability, and a dictionary or bilingual materials are recommended. Overall, this is a work that requires patience but can offer a distinctive linguistic experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Advanced readers who enjoy German modernist literature
Readers of fiction who prefer weak plot and emphasize atmosphere and texture of language
Students researching Walser or early modernist fiction
Readers with German basics who want to expand their reading of original texts

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who seek strong plot and dramatic conflict
Those with no German who are unwilling to use reference tools
Readers hoping for clear conclusions of social critique

Reading tips

Read the first few chapters first to get a feel for the narrative rhythm, then decide whether to continue straight through.
Prepare a German dictionary and mark recurring everyday vocabulary and colloquial expressions.
After reading, look up Walser's life and the background of his works to help understand his discursive style.
Read a small section each day and leave room for reflection, avoiding the urge to pursue plot progress.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is there a Chinese translation of this book?

The materials only state that this is a public-domain German eBook and provide no information about a Chinese translation. Readers who need a Chinese version will have to look separately for a formally published Chinese translation; this eBook itself is in the original German.

Why does the plot seem incoherent?

Walser's narrative deliberately weakens traditional plot and focuses on character observation, dialogue, and the flow of emotion. The seemingly loose structure is precisely his style; while reading, there is no need to hurry to find a mainline conflict—one can instead pay attention to details and the interest of the language.

What level of German is required?

The text is literary German; the sentence structures are not complex, but the feel for the language is delicate. Intermediate or higher German reading ability is recommended. Beginners can read paragraph by paragraph with a dictionary and auxiliary translation, but may find it harder to appreciate the subtleties of the language.

Does the eBook include an introduction or annotations?

As a Project Gutenberg public-domain eBook, it generally provides only the original text and basic bibliographic information, usually without scholarly annotations or an introduction. Readers who need background materials should consult literary histories and studies of the author themselves.

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About the author

Walser, Robert, 1878-1956 Author

Robert Walser (1878–1956) was a Swiss German-language writer. Publicly available information about him in Chinese is relatively limited, and some details of his life and dates still need to be completed. Nine of his works are held in the collection, covering novels, essays and short prose pieces. Representative works include Der Spaziergang, Geschwister Tanner, Jakob von Gunten: Ein Tagebuch, Der Gehülfe, Prosastücke and Kleine Dichtungen. His writing often focuses on the everyday situations of ordinary and marginal people. His tone is light yet subtly ironic, and his walk-like narratives unfold delicate observations of the self, society and solitude. His works are short, spare and attentive to detail and rhythm, giving him a distinctive place in modern German-language literature and a lasting influence on later writers. His works are commonly categorized as inspirational and personal-growth reading.