Adrián Astur Álvarez reviewed A schoolboy's diary and other stories by Robert Walser (New York Review Books classics)
Review of "A schoolboy's diary and other stories" on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
These feel entirely flat for me. Often with great brevity, Walser's stories seemed to rely on the reader admiring a static picture or fleeting idea. Rarely did the stories in this collection include a well defined character with a clearly trackable desire and that made them very difficult for me to focus on, or discern value for.
I fully understand Robert Walser is a celebrated writer and that my inability to engage with his work is my own shortcoming, either because I lack proper context or because this translation from Searls has problems (as Walser fans here on GR have complained).
These feel entirely flat for me. Often with great brevity, Walser's stories seemed to rely on the reader admiring a static picture or fleeting idea. Rarely did the stories in this collection include a well defined character with a clearly trackable desire and that made them very difficult for me to focus on, or discern value for.
I fully understand Robert Walser is a celebrated writer and that my inability to engage with his work is my own shortcoming, either because I lack proper context or because this translation from Searls has problems (as Walser fans here on GR have complained).