Summary of An Answer from the SilenceÂ
The protagonist in Max Frisch’s novella “An Answer from the Silence” has turned thirty and is about to marry. Afraid of settling into a dull life and convinced that he is destined for greatness – though uncertain in what form – he flees to the Swiss Alps just days before the wedding. His goal is to climb a mountain via the north ridge, a route never taken before. Upon his return, he realises that his pursuit of greatness has been in vain and that every life, no matter how ordinary, is worth living.
Reasons to read An Answer from the SilenceÂ
Max Frisch was a renowned Swiss writer (and architect), whose works often feature protagonists in search of their identity and their place in society. He was awarded the Georg Büchner Prize in 1958, the Grand Prix Schiller in 1973, and the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 1986. Though Frisch later rejected “An Answer from the Silence” as a youthful and immature work, it remains an entertaining read that reflects well the times of the 1930s, marked by a disdain for conformity and a yearning for heroic action. Frisch’s later novels are often considered more accomplished, particularly his novels “I’m Not Stiller” (“Stiller”) (with a frame story set in Zurich), “Homo Faber”, and “Man in the Holocene” (“Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän”), and his plays “Andorra” and “The Fire Raisers” (“Biedermann und die Brandstifter”).
Setting: the Alps (Switzerland)
Novel set in Switzerland: Swiss Alps – the mountain is unnamed, but the story refers to the first ascent of the north face of Mount Eiger.
Original title: Antwort aus der Stille: Eine Erzählung aus den Bergen
Year of publication: 1937
Nr of pages: 136
