Fama by Daniel Kehlmann

Fama

Daniel Kehlmann

As the old adage goes 'never judge a book by its cover' or even its title! This is a novel written in a contemporary 'experimental' style. The nine subtly interlocking stories, with themes which focus on human identity and our reliance on communication technology, can be read as a whole or as self-contained satire . In saying that, you certainly don't have to be a computer geek to enjoy this modern book.

Extract
The conversation died. The three men stood around her in silence: rigid, knotted up inside, prisoners of themselves, cast up by fate on the shores of a hideous place far distant from their equally hideous homeland. Elisabeth opened her mouth and shut it again, unable to think of anything to say. She felt as if she was being made to talk to washing machines, or fire hydrants, or robots with whom she had no common language. The phone rang. For the first time in days it was a relief. Excusing herself with an apologetic gesture, she ran out.
Parallels
  • Hotel World by Ali Smith
  • The Persistence of Memory - a painting by Salvador Dali by -