RaveOn the Seawall... a triumph: an accessible, engaging, brilliant exploration of the intertwining of life and work ... Bernofsky could not be more lucid about Walser’s life. But she is equally illuminating about the characteristics of his writing. Her close readings fizz with energy and intellect ... Too bad Bernofsky’s language gets labored in such moments, for she is otherwise so clear. To be fair, Walser’s writing is as difficult as what she wants to say about it ... Bernofsky side-steps the relation of his national origin to his writing. Is there something like a Swiss ethos? If so, how does Walser reflect it? Does he perhaps shape it to his purposes? These questions go unanswered, which is a shame because her liberal use of questions is one of the most distinctive features of her book ... For me, Bernofsky’s repeated hanging questions are a way to get close to Walser while still remaining distant. In so doing, she speaks for her subject but honors the reserve he needed to survive ... Bernofsky doesn’t just write about them; in her questioning style, she manifests them ... The writer of The Secretary could not have imagined a better secretary.
