The Great Unrest is the exact opposite of a sluggish Swiss novel from the pre-war era. A nervous, fast-paced narrative reveals the work's affiliation with the literary avant-garde. However, Zollinger remains true to his distinctive poetic language even in this middle installment of his five novels. When the book, which resonates with the wild twenties, was published in 1939, intellectual defense of the nation was in order. Recognition was lacking - until today. The story revolves around a Bernese architect, Urban von Tscharner, who breaks away from what seems to be a solid marriage and moves to Paris. The people he quickly befriends are also castaways, mostly from Eastern Europe. The narrator now turns his attention to them in turn. The supposed main character recedes into the background, and a novel of the sidelines takes shape.