Counting the shorter works of Schiller and Goethe among its precursors, German short fiction1 attained its characteristically modern form and became widely read around the turn of the nineteenth century. Since that time, the form’s inherent possibilities have attracted most of the prominent writers in the language. This collection of eight narratives includes a contribution by one of the earliest adepts of modern German short fiction, Heinrich von Kleist, and contains many of the best examples of the genre from the next hundred years, including the work of Franz Kafka and Thomas Mann in the early twentieth century. The featured authors share the ability to communicate resonant social, political, and artistic matters, but differ radically in their thematic and aesthetic approaches, thus providing a sampling of the myriad literary achievements that the genre has inspired since its inception.
“Death in Venice” (1912) is Mann’s well-known literary investigation of the social and physical conditions necessary for artistic production, a contemplation of the relationship between art and experience. It is far from purely philosophical, however, as Mann exquisitely draws Venice as experienced by his main character, who suffers from an obsession.
Gerhart Hauptmann received the 1912 Nobel Prize for Literature, and his “Flagman Thiel” (1887) is one of the most widely read German short stories of all time. An exploration of the deadening (and deadly) effects of routine and denial, its naturalistic narrative is captivating.
“In the Penal Colony” (1919) is possibly the most significant story of Kafka’s oeuvre. The narrative centers on a cryptic “machine,” one of the most brilliant symbols in modern literature. The rules for the operation of this apparatus, and the enigmatic effects it has on its victim as well as bystanders, are highly inventive.
Hoffmann’s “The Golden Pot” (1814) is distinguished from the other stories in this volume by its comical atmosphere and enormously fantastic elements. It features the student Anselmus, who is infatuated with two women—the mysterious Serpentina and the attractive Veronica—the first offering artistic inspiration and the second material comfort.
“How Old Timofei Died with a Song” (1900) is excerpted from a larger cycle, Stories from the Good Lord, which Rilke first published in 1900 and was the most successful of his story volumes, going through twelve editions in his lifetime. A framed story that depicts the transmission of artistic capital from one generation to the next, it is Rilke’s celebration of the Russian fairy tales and legends that he encountered on a trip there.
Kleist’s “The Earthquake in Chile” (1807) propels the reader at a rapid pace through a brief and spectacular narrative. Taking place in seventeenth-century Chile, where both nature and public opinion (fueled by religious dogma) are capable of causing random and incredibly violent acts, it demonstrates Kleist’s ability to condense an elaborate experience and social texture into a short, highly charged form. Kleist’s powerful brevity influenced many later writers, including Kafka.
Schnitzler’s “Lieutenant Gustl” (1900) takes place almost entirely in the mind of a military officer as he visits an opera and contemplates the appropriate reaction to an insult received there. Considered to be the first purely interior monologue in European literature, its claustrophobic effect on the reader is well suited to the short-story form. As a result of its publication, Schnitzler was deprived of his medical officer’s rank in the army, having offended the Austrian military administration with this portrayal of the intellectual and emotional narrowness of one of its elite.
“The Story of the Just Casper and Fair Annie” (1817) is Brentano’s best short story. A study of guilt and honor, and their effects on human behavior, it incorporates myriad literary forms, including the folk song and the hymn.