Table of Contents
Introduction Searching for Robert Walser l
1 Behind the Toy Shop (1878-1894) 11
2 From the Bank to the Stage (1885-1896) 27
3 The Young Poet (1896-1899) 39
4 Drama (1899-1900) 63
5 The German Cities (1900-1903) 83
6 The First Published Book (1903-1905) 97
7 A Berliner and a Novelist (1905-1906) 110
8 The Balloon Ride (1907-1908) 126
9 The Fall (1908-1913) 141
10 The Return to Switzerland (1913-1914) 159
11 A Walk in Wartime (1915-1917) 178
12 The Aftermath of War (1917-1920) 194
13 The Secret Novel (1921-1925) 219
14 The Unraveling (1925-1929) 246
15 The Quiet Years (1929-1956) 272
Epilogue 307
Appendix: Robert Walser's Known Addresses 311
Notes 315
Acknowledgments 355
Credits 357
Index 359
Illustrations follow page 184