Description: Lion Feuchtwanger deals with the complexities of the Großstadt and modern society in his novel Erfolg. He portrays the post-World War I problems in Germany of revolution, civil war, inflation, and unemployment and accurately depicts the attraction of the Munich populace to Hitler, leading to the Hitler putsch of 1923. Hereby he achieves a collective representation of the Großstadt Munich and modern life in all its technical vitality. Feuchtwanger offers no solution to the complex problems of the Großstadt except to counsel reason instead of simplistic accusations against the Jews, socialists, communists and the Judenregierung in Berlin.
Review Quotes: Judith Wessler's treatment of Feuchtwanger's Erfolg is thorough and competent. What distinguishes it most from the many other discussions, evaluations and elucidations in book or article form, however, is her resolute attempt to compare and contrast the post-war realities as seen by historians with those presented in the novel. This enables her to interpret the writer's intentions with greater accuracy. (Egon Schwartz, Washington University in St. Louis)