Werke. Berner Ausgabe

The masterful, internationally celebrated narrative "The Stroll" is Robert Walser's contribution to the modern novella. Characterized by romantic and modern elements, this story stands on the threshold of the 20th-century modernity. Irony and self-referentiality, the absence of a classical plot, and the digressive structure are classic features of modern storytelling. The unity provided by the stroll, the perfectly dramatic structure, and the formal completeness form a conventional counterpoint. Remarkable, often highly comedic episodes are recounted, experienced by a writer who is enjoying a beautiful day in the city and the countryside, visiting the tailor, the tax officer, and conversing with a dog. The act of strolling, with its spontaneous and unpredictable events, corresponds to a writing movement that seeks the playful and grotesque rather than a straight line.