Since reflective thought is of central importance in Canetti's writing, this discussion regards his prose as provocative reflections—provocative in a dual sense—first, to Canetti, who intentionally writes to stimulate his thought; and secondly, to readers reacting to his observations. (p. 130)

The element of reflection is especially visible in the notations, the Aufzeichnungen, where Canetti covers innumerable topics in a variety of concise forms. The provocative quality stems most directly from the dialectical structure of the short commentaries, with Canetti seeking new ideas by means of opposing suppositions. Each notation can stand alone as an independent, excursive observation, but collectively the notations constitute intellectual explorations of diverse regions. The fifty sketches included in Der Ohrenzeuge … and the recollective narrative of Die Stimmen von Marrakesch … are also explorative. Like the Aufzeichnungen they investigate human motives and attain a timelessness which transcends but does not ignore intellectual questions of...