Abstract
This article deals with the novel Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften, by Robert Musil, as a work that accurately adopts a basal principle in literature, namely, the enhancement of possibilities stemming from the representation of real life experiences. Certain aspects of the book are emphasizes - e.g., essayism; the representation of reality as fiction; the entanglement between the narrative format and reflections on its possibilities - as we attempt to show how Musil tried to make the novel format receptive to new contents. His purpose was to write a novel according to the historical conditions of his time and that also alluded to a new kind of life in which the realms of intellect and sentiment, or science and art, are complementary and not antagonistic.
Keywords:
Robert Musil; Modern novel; Essayism; Literary form; Austrian literature