Martin Walser's Tod eines Kritikers and the Issue of Anti‐Semitism

Martin Walser's latest novel Tod eines Kritikers has been the subject of intense debate in Germany, particularly prior to its publication in June 2002. For some, the novel is anti‐Semitic and signals Walser's arrival in the far right‐wing camp; for others, it is merely a largely harmless satire. The following article briefly examines the patterns of this debate, the course of which was influenced by a degree of scandalmongering. The main focus is on an analysis of Tod eines Kritikers . I explore the arguments for and against an anti‐Semitic reading, arguing that any interpretation of the text as anti‐Semitic overlooks its use of irony and distance

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