SOURCE: "Eloquently Attending," in The Times Literary Supplement, No. 4155, November 19, 1982, p. 1268.

In the following review of Selected Stories, Parry praises Christopher Middleton's translations from the original German into English, realizing that "these translations are not and cannot be Walser, but they do provide a remarkable echo. "

The short pieces which form the bulk of Robert Walser's work first appeared in journals (if he was lucky). They were disliked by a considerable number of indignant readers and admired by a few, including Franz Kafka. People who "knew about literature" objected not only to the apparent triviality of his writing but also to the absurdity of his themes. As for narrative continuity, he had obviously never heard of it. His work seemed too childish for serious consideration. Only the clear-sighted realized that here was that rare phenomenon, a man who looks at life for himself. It never occurred to Walser...