Marriage in Philippsburg


Marriage in Philippsburg, also published in English as The Gadarene Club, is the debut novel of the German writer Martin Walser, published in 1957.

Plot

The young man Hans Beumann leaves the countryside to try his luck in the city of Philippsburg.

Reception

Der Spiegel said Walser describes the phrases and power struggles of contemporary careerists "with sincere astonishment, but without reformatory zeal", exhibiting a "fair, albeit resigned disaffection".
The novel was awarded the Hermann-Hesse-Literaturpreis.

Adaptation

Stephan Kimmig wrote a play based on the novel that premiered at the Schauspiel Stuttgart in 2017.