Hermann Broch's epoch novel "Esch or Anarchy" is part of his grand "Sleepwalkers" trilogy, created between 1928 and 1931. It reveals the economic, intellectual, social, and mental conditions that led to the catastrophes of the 20th century through three historical snapshots - 1888, 1903, and 1918. The central part of the trilogy takes place in 1903: The accountant August Esch is a dreamer with murderous fantasies, a rhetoric of salvation without certainty of faith, and a violent lover with sentimental inclinations. His attempt to bring order to his own life fails in a world that no longer offers him any support. This makes Esch a tragicomic Don Quixote figure. His revolt originates from very earthly circumstances but increasingly takes on eschatological and martyr-like dimensions. It contains satire and insightful analysis of the times.