Robert Walser

Robert Walser (born April 15, 1878, Biel, Switz.—died Dec. 25, 1956, Herisau) was a Swiss poet and novelist hailed after his death as a genius. After abandoning his studies at age 14, Walser took accounting lessons and attempted unsuccessfully to become an actor. He took up various humble occupations—butler, clerk, assistant librarian, and bookseller. His life was marked by a sense of alienation and a desire for solitude, also reflected in his literary work, which...