Hermann Broch Books
Hermann Broch (1886–1951) was an Austrian novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost figures of literary modernism. His works, including The Sleepwalkers and The Death of Virgil, combine philosophical reflection with narrative form and examine the spiritual condition of Western civilization in the 20th century.
Known for: The Sleepwalkers: A Trilogy
Books by Hermann Broch
The Sleepwalkers: A Trilogy
The Sleepwalkers is a trilogy of novels by Austrian writer Hermann Broch, originally published between 1931 and 1932. It consists of three parts: Pasenow or The Romantic (1888), Esch or The Anarchist (1903), and Huguenau or The Realist (1918). The work explores the moral and spiritual disintegration of European society from the late 19th century to the end of World War I and is considered one of the most significant achievements of literary modernism.
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Part I – Pasenow or The Romantic (1888)
Joachim von Pasenow stands at the center of the first novel, an officer and gentleman of that Prussian world that held honor as its supreme virtue. When I imagined him, I saw a man bound by form — a man for whom the uniform, the gesture, even the manner of addressing a superior, constituted not habi...
From The Sleepwalkers: A Trilogy
Pasenow’s Conflict Between Romantic Idealism and Emerging Modernity
In writing Pasenow’s inner conflicts, I sought to express what it feels like to live on the edge of historical transition. He perceives modernity as a threat, but in that fear lies fascination. The Romantic lives by symbols; when the symbol loses power, his world collapses. For Joachim, family honor...
From The Sleepwalkers: A Trilogy
About Hermann Broch
Hermann Broch (1886–1951) was an Austrian novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost figures of literary modernism. His works, including The Sleepwalkers and The Death of Virgil, combine philosophical reflection with narrative form and examine the spiritual condition of Western civilizati...
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Hermann Broch (1886–1951) was an Austrian novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost figures of literary modernism. His works, including The Sleepwalkers and The Death of Virgil, combine philosophical reflection with narrative form and examine the spiritual condition of Western civilizati...
Hermann Broch (1886–1951) was an Austrian novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost figures of literary modernism. His works, including The Sleepwalkers and The Death of Virgil, combine philosophical reflection with narrative form and examine the spiritual condition of Western civilization in the 20th century.
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Hermann Broch (1886–1951) was an Austrian novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost figures of literary modernism. His works, including The Sleepwalkers and The Death of Virgil, combine philosophical reflection with narrative form and examine the spiritual condition of Western civilization in the 20th century.
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