A richly strange and funny novel follows one man grappling with love, life and creativity
On an ordinary day in a strangely unfamiliar London, Kleinzeit is fired from his advertising job and told he must go to hospital with a skewed hypotenuse. There on Ward A4, he falls in love with the divine, rosy-cheeked Sister and is sent spinning into a quest involving, among other things, a glockenspiel, sheets of yellow paper, Orpheus, the Underground and that dirty chimpanzee, Death.
About the Author
Born in Pennsylvania in 1925 to Ukrainian immigrant parents, Russell Hoban's interest in writing started early, with his stories and poetry winning him prizes while still at school. During the war he served in the US Infantry. Following his discharge from the army he held a variety of jobs, including work as a freelance illustrator and a copy-writer. It was during this time that he started writing, taking it up as a full-time occupation in 1967.
His first full-length novel, The Mouse and His Child was published in 1968, and is widely regarded as a children's classic. In addition to his acclaimed children's books, Hoban writes for adults. He has lived in London since 1969.
Industry Reviews
"Russell Hoban is one of our greatest, timeless novelists."
The Times
"Masterly ... a mosaic in which each tiny fragment of wit or dirt or profundity has its appointed place."
Times Literary Supplement
"A second tour-de-force... entirely delightful."
Auberon Waugh, Evening Standard
"Brimming with humanity and humour... brilliant handling of language."
Glasgow Herald
"Russell Hoban is our Ur-novelist, a maverick voice that is like no other."
Sunday Telegraph
