The Sleepwalker (novel)

The Sleepwalkers is a novel written by Hermann Broch and published in three parts between 1931 and 1932. It is considered one of the major works of German-language literature of the 20th century and a significant example of modernist fiction. The novel is experimental in form and deeply philosophical in content, exploring the disintegration of values and the rise of nihilism in Germany in the decades leading up to World War I.

The three parts, each set in a different year (1888, 1903, and 1918), follow distinct characters and narrative styles, connected by recurring themes and motifs.

• Part 1: Pasenow or Romanticism (1888): This section focuses on Joachim von Pasenow, a Prussian landowner torn between duty and his romantic desires. It portrays the rigid social structures and traditional values of the old German Empire.

• Part 2: Esch or Anarchy (1903): This section features August Esch, a drifter and printer who embodies a more chaotic and modern sensibility. It explores themes of social unrest, economic exploitation, and the search for meaning in a rapidly changing world.

• Part 3: Huguenau or Objectivity (1918): This section centers on Wilhelm Huguenau, a deserter who represents the brutal realities and moral decay of wartime Germany. It is the most formally experimental of the three parts, incorporating philosophical essays and stream-of-consciousness techniques to dissect the disintegration of values.

Throughout the novel, Broch uses the concept of "sleepwalking" as a metaphor for the moral and intellectual disorientation that he believed led to the catastrophe of the First World War and the rise of totalitarian ideologies. Characters are portrayed as acting without conscious awareness, driven by instinct and social conditioning rather than rational thought and ethical principles. The novel's complex structure and dense prose reflect Broch's belief that traditional narrative forms were inadequate to capture the complexities of the modern world. The Sleepwalkers remains a challenging but rewarding read, offering a profound critique of modernity and a searching exploration of the human condition.