Robert Musil

Robert Musil (1880–1942) was an Austrian writer, essayist, and theater critic. Born near Klagenfurt on November 6, 1880, he first underwent military training and studied mechanical engineering. He later studied philosophy, psychology, mathematics, and physics in Berlin, earning a doctorate with a dissertation on the ideas of Ernst Mach. After working, among other positions, as a librarian and editor, he devoted himself to writing. His debut novel, *The Confusions of Young Törless*, was published in 1906. His other works include *The Enthusiasts*, *Three Women*, and *Posthumous Papers of a Living Author*. After the annexation of Austria, Musil emigrated to Switzerland in 1938. He worked on his unfinished major novel, *The Man Without Qualities*, until his death in Geneva in 1942.