Robert Seethaler was born in Vienna in 1966 and is the author of eight novels. In 2017 he was a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize with A Whole Life (FSG, 2016). He also works as an actor, most recently in Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth. He lives in Berlin.
Austria
Robert Seethaler
All Robert Seethaler's books
Latest reviews
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“Mr. Seethaler’s quietly beguiling eighth novel, The Café With No Name, is his most uplifting to date... Sensitive, compassionate.”
— Wall Street Journal, Mar 8 2025![]()
“The Café with No Name deals with the small dramas of everyday life... The prose has the stillness of a Vermeer... In a world of action movies and social media there’s little time for quiet contemplation. Seethaler reminds us we’re part of a whole.”— The Spectator, Mar 1 2025![]()
★ “A beautifully crafted portrait of a sorrowful dreamer, a café, and the city that surrounds them... Seethaler’s novel lingers like the scent of coffee in the air—warm, fleeting, and profoundly human.”— Independent Book Review, Feb 25 2025![]()
“Robert Seethaler’s latest charmer is a small book that offers an intimate portrait of a time and place... A reminder of the strength and importance of human connections.”— New York Journal of Books, Feb 25 2025![]()
“Seethaler’s subtly understated voice remains warmly welcome in a literary culture that often displays its intentions too obviously. Many will love this calming, gentle and unsentimental story.”— The Guardian, Feb 20 2025![]()
★ “A gem of a novel, whimsical and bittersweet but never sentimental, with indelible characters and a powerful sense of place.”— Kirkus Reviews, Feb 1 2025![]()
“Seethaler’s books are coloured by mood... his latest fable-like miniature invites quiet wonder into the ordinary.”— Financial Times, Jan 29 2025![]()
“A humble café in post-World War II Vienna serves as backdrop for all the large and small dramas of everyday life in this subtly scintillating novel.”— Shelf Awareness, Jan 14 2025![]()
“A neighborhood café sees everyday Viennese through personal tribulations and societal change... Around them, postwar Vienna is being remade. Booker nominee Seethaler remains fascinated with the bigness of everyday lives and the constancy of change.”— Booklist, Jan 9 2025![]()
“Robert Seethaler’s tender novel is about a Viennese restaurateur’s interactions with his acquaintances and customers... a valedictory novel that meditates on the passage of time and bonds that last.”— Foreword Reviews, Jan 1 2025![]()
★ “Beautiful... Seethaler’s story bursts with empathy in its portrayal of a found family. This is a winner.”— Publishers Weekly, Nov 12 2024
Austria
