The Assistant - Paperback

The Assistant - Paperback

$18.95
Skip to product information
The Assistant - Paperback

The Assistant - Paperback

$18.95

by Robert Walser (Author), Susan Bernofsky (Translator)

Robert Walser is an overwhelmingly original author with many ardent fans: J.M. Coetzee ("dazzling"), Guy Davenport ("a very special kind of whimsical-serious-deep writer"), and Hermann Hesse ("If he had a hundred thousand readers, the world would be a better place"). Charged with compassion, and an utterly unique radiance of vision, Walser is as Susan Sontag exclaimed "a truly wonderful, heart-breaking writer."

The Assistant is his breathtaking 1908 novel, translated by award-winning translator Susan Bernofsky. Joseph, hired to become an inventor's new assistant, arrives one rainy Monday morning at Technical Engineer Karl Tobler's splendid hilltop villa: he is at once pleased and terribly worried, a state soon followed by even stickier psychological complexities. He enjoys the beautiful view over Lake Zurich, in the company of the proud wife, Frau Tobler, and the delicious savory meals. But does he deserve any of these pleasures? The Assistant chronicles Joseph's inner life of cascading emotions as he attempts, both frantically and light-heartedly, to help the Tobler household, even as it slides toward financial ruin. Tobler demands of Joseph, "Do you have your wits about you?!" And Joseph's wits are in fact all around him, trembling like leaves in the breeze--he is full of exuberance and despair, all the raptures and panics of a person "drowning in obedience."

Number of Pages: 320
Dimensions: 0.76 x 6.92 x 5.18 IN
Publication Date: July 01, 2007

Made with care

Great value

Elegant design

Quality materials

Details

This product is crafted with quality materials to ensure durability and performance. Designed with your convenience in mind, it seamlessly fits into your everyday life.

Shipping & Returns

We strive to process and ship all orders in a timely manner, working diligently to ensure that your items are on their way to you as soon as possible.

We are committed to ensuring a positive shopping experience for all our customers. If for any reason you wish to return an item, we invite you to reach out to our team for assistance, and we will evaluate every return request with care and consideration.

Play video

Shop The Full Collection

!Ah y Le Lo Lay, Le Lo Ley! Musica Tipica de Puerto Rico - Paperback

!Búscalo! (Look It Up!): A Quick Reference Guide to Spanish Grammar and Usage - Hardcover

!Búscalo! (Look It Up!): A Quick Reference Guide to Spanish Grammar and Usage - Paperback

!LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS! !REPARATIONS NOW! The Many Reasons Why: St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery Church, The Dutch Royal Family, The Kingdom of the Net - Paperback