Fame (novel)
Encyclopedia
Fame is a 2009 novel by the Austrian-German writer Daniel Kehlmann
. The narrative consists of nine loosely connected stories about technology, celebrity and alienation. The book has the subtitle "A novel in nine episodes" ("Ein Roman in neun Geschichten").
called the book "a darkly comic masterpiece, a rare and thrilling example of a philosophical novel as pleasurable as it is thought-provoking." Miller wrote that "Kehlmann insightfully explores fame's spell", and "The novel's more somber existential propositions are leavened by Kehlmann's penchant for offhand absurdity. ... Other books have gained more attention this season. None are more deserving." Edmund Gordon of The Observer
wrote that "if there is a criticism to be made of Fame, it is that the impression it gives – of this wildly successful young author shaking his head at the Kafkaesque lifestyle his reputation has foisted upon him – can seem rather irritating". Gordon also argued that the book is not a novel but a short story collection, and assumed it was marketed as a novel only because "short story collections do not sell". Gordon wrote: "This mild deception clearly doesn't affect the simple elegance of Kehlmann's writing or the brilliance of his wit. But his willingness to package his work in a way that makes it more marketable (and a writer with so many sales behind him must have had some say in the matter) suggests a level of collusion with that bitch villain of his new book."
The book was longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
.
Daniel Kehlmann
Daniel Kehlmann is a German language author of both Austrian and German nationality. His work Die Vermessung der Welt is the best selling novel in the German language since Patrick Süskind's Perfume was released in 1985...
. The narrative consists of nine loosely connected stories about technology, celebrity and alienation. The book has the subtitle "A novel in nine episodes" ("Ein Roman in neun Geschichten").
Reception
Gregory Leon Miller of the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
called the book "a darkly comic masterpiece, a rare and thrilling example of a philosophical novel as pleasurable as it is thought-provoking." Miller wrote that "Kehlmann insightfully explores fame's spell", and "The novel's more somber existential propositions are leavened by Kehlmann's penchant for offhand absurdity. ... Other books have gained more attention this season. None are more deserving." Edmund Gordon of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
wrote that "if there is a criticism to be made of Fame, it is that the impression it gives – of this wildly successful young author shaking his head at the Kafkaesque lifestyle his reputation has foisted upon him – can seem rather irritating". Gordon also argued that the book is not a novel but a short story collection, and assumed it was marketed as a novel only because "short story collections do not sell". Gordon wrote: "This mild deception clearly doesn't affect the simple elegance of Kehlmann's writing or the brilliance of his wit. But his willingness to package his work in a way that makes it more marketable (and a writer with so many sales behind him must have had some say in the matter) suggests a level of collusion with that bitch villain of his new book."
The book was longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
Independent Foreign Fiction Prize
The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize was inaugurated by British newspaper The Independent to honour contemporary fiction in translation in the United Kingdom. The award was first launched in 1990 and ran for five years before falling into abeyance. It was revived in 2001 with the financial support...
.
External links
- Fame at the publisher's website