Customer Reviews

Ruhm

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This book confirms that Daniel Kehlmann is not a 'one book wonder'. I will not try and describe the content of this slim volume. Let it suffice to say that this book interweaves 9 seperate stories, the actor, the computer nerd, the Doctors without Frontiers volunteer and many others. He does so in a refined style, jumping from one story to the next by using surprises, analoga, small details which one somehow remembers and finds again in yet another story. Which of these stories is 'reality' and which story is only a 'story within a story' is impossible to tell and by this the author shows the absurdity of the concept of a defined story. It is not a new topos but told in a modern, refreshing and thoughtful way. And this thoughtfullness ensures that the whole narrative is not just a gimmick.
Equally impressive is the self assured and masterful way in which the author moves from story to story and style to style.
Therefore overall a book worth reading, for its content but also for its entertainment value and style.

Playful, accessible, and surprisingly familiar. The interlocking vignettes shift from convincingly realistic to Borges-lite meta-commentary on the role of the writer and the reality of the characters' world.