Geschwister Tanner
1907
Geschwister Tanner, published in 1907 by Robert Walser, is a novel that follows the lives of the Tanner siblings—Simon, Kaspar, Klaus, and Hedwig—over a span of a couple of years. The narrative focuses on Simon, a young man with ambitious dreams of becoming a bookseller, as he navigates familial relationships, personal aspirations, and societal expectations. This work is notable for its introspective style and exploration of identity, ambition, and the quest for personal freedom, showcasing Walser's unique literary voice that has influenced many notable writers.
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“I don't want a future, I want a present. To me this appears of greater value. You have a future only when you have no present, and when you have a present, you forget to even think about the future.””
— Robert Walser
“How reprehensible it is when those blessed with commodities insist on ignoring the poor. Better to torment them, force them into indentured servitude, inflict compulsion and blows”
— Robert Walser
“He was one of those people who feel so compelled to fulfill duties that they go plunging into great collapsing edifices constructed entirely of disagreeable duties simply out of the fear that some secret, inconspicuous duty might somehow elude them.””
— Robert Walser
“I cannot live and at the same time despise my life. I must find myself a life, a new life, even if all of life consists only of an endless search for life.””
— Robert Walser
“I don’t want to go running down some career path”
— Robert Walser
“I must find myself a life, a new life, even if all of life consists only of an endless search for life. What is respect compared to this other thing: being happy and having satisfied the heart’s pride. Even being unhappy is better than being respected. I am unhappy despite the respect I enjoy; and so in my own eyes I don’t deserve this respect; for I consider only happiness worthy of respect. Therefore I must try whether it is possible to be happy without insisting on respect.””
— Robert Walser
“My love of humankind will be agreeably balanced with mercantile rationality on the scales of salesmanship.””
— Robert Walser
