The Shifting Fortunes of Wilhelm Raabe: A History of Criticism as a Cautionary Tale

Abstract

Wilhem Raabe (1831-1910), the most gifted German novelist between Goethe and Fontane, was a kind of German Victorian writer, a counterpart to Dickens and Thackeray, by whom he was profoundly influenced. The reassessment and upgrading of his literary achievement has been one of the liveliest topics of German literary scholarship - much influenced by British and American contributions - of the last thirty years. This process has involved a rescue from a cult of idolatry that grew up around his death and evolved into a Nazi allegiance that for a time sank his reputation.