The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil

In his 'novel of ideas' Musil dissects modern European society, with his main character serving as a metaphor for the lack of clarity of vision that allowed the rise of nationalism and ultimately national socialism in Central Europe.Īs a writer, Musil proclaimed that, in his fiction, he was always searching for genauenheit, which roughly translates as 'exactitude.' Musil is often compared to that other author of a mammoth, modern novel, Marcel Proust, and like Proust, Musil was nearly obsessed with finding 'the perfect word' and an almost mathematical level of precision in his use of language. Musil's fiction, most notably his enormous, unfinished novel The Man Without Qualities is infused with the sharp, philosophical acuity and insight one would expect from an author who had rigorously studied science. Although Musil had been fascinated by literature most of his life, it was not until well into his academic career as a philosopher that he published his first novel and subsequently dedicated himself to writing fiction.Īs a result of Musil's background, he is an instrumental figure in an emerging field in the scholarly study of literature known as 'science studies,' or the study of the relation between the sciences and the arts. When he ultimately became dissatisfied with science and engineering, Musil switched his focus towards philosophy, earning a doctorate in philosophy and psychology from the University of Berlin.

Musil led a unique life for a literary author as a young man he studied engineering, and for several years after graduating from college he worked as an engineer and mathematician. Robert Musil (Klagenfurt, Austria, NovemApin Geneva, Switzerland) was an Austrian writer, author of the unfinished long novel The Man Without Qualities (Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften), one of the most important Modernist novels ever written.

The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil