Selected Writings: Robert Musil: Young Torless, Three Women, The Perfecting of a Love, and other writings

by Robert Musil, Burton Pike (Editor)

Writings: Young Torless, Three Women, The Perfecting of a Love and other Writings

Genres: Fiction, Literature, Short Stories

346 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1986

About the author

Austrian writer.

He graduated military boarding school at Eisenstadt (1892-1894) and then Hranice, in that time also known as Mährisch Weißkirchen, (1894-1897). These school experiences are reflected in his first novel, The Confusions of Young Törless.

He served in the army during The First World War. When Austria became a part of the Third Reich in 1938, Musil left for exile in Switzerland, where he died of a stroke on April 15, 1942. Musil collapsed in the middle of his gymnastic exercises and is rumoured to have died with an expression of ironic amusement on his face. He was 61 years old.

Reviews

[Elie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection most memorable short works includes 'Young Torless,' 'The Perfecting of a Love,' and 'Tonka,' all notable for their intense characterization and compelling prose. I can't explicitly put my finger on why I want to read more of Musil, bu his descriptions push the limits of observation and never seem cloying. Some of the plot lines -- the homoeroticism of 'Young Torless' and the predictable ending of 'Tonka,' in particular -- are predictable from the first handful of pages, but even that didn't get in the way of my simple enjoyment of Musil's writing.

[Tasshin Fogleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read "The Perfecting of a Love".