Antkind: A Novel
A journey through art, memory, and the chaos of existence
Format:Paperback
Publisher:HarperCollins Publishers
Published:8th Jul '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This novel follows B. Rosenberger Rosenberg as he attempts to reconstruct a lost masterpiece, embodying the chaos of contemporary life and art's significance.
In Antkind: A Novel, the debut work from an Oscar-winning screenwriter, we meet B. Rosenberger Rosenberg, a neurotic film critic whose life is a series of comedic misfortunes. He stumbles upon an unseen film by a mysterious outsider, a stop-motion masterpiece that took its creator ninety years to complete. Believing this film could redefine cinema and his own career, he is devastated to discover that it has been destroyed, leaving him as the sole witness to its ephemeral brilliance.
As B. grapples with the loss of this cinematic treasure, he is left with only a single frame to guide him. This sets off a surreal journey through his mind, filled with absurdities and a Kafkaesque landscape that reflects the chaos of modern life. B.'s struggle to reconstruct the lost film mirrors his attempts to navigate a culture dominated by social media, where the pursuit of 'likes' and the fear of condemnation create a self-imposed prison of victimhood.
Ultimately, Antkind: A Novel serves as a profound commentary on the nature of art, memory, and existence. It explores the thin line between comedy and tragedy, challenging readers to consider the truths embedded in humor while reflecting on the complexities of identity in a rapidly evolving world.
‘Magnificent … crammed with insanely creative gags’ Guardian
‘Outstanding. Combining his films’ most urgent themes and recurring concerns in a format that supports the digressions and logic-loops he’s so famous for, Charlie Kaufman may have out-Kaufmaned himself’ The i
‘A very strong debut novel, a long, anguished spill of a book, full of buried furies and nervy philosophical expeditions, constantly tossing off sparks of humour and imagination … at once surreal and highly readable’ LA Times
‘Marked by a feverish genius. Antkind is Kaufman pushing himself to every formal and social limit, no holds barred, bleak and devastating, yet marvellous’ LA Times Review of Books
‘Magnificent, genius, enraging, mysterious, joyous, terrifying and, above all, hilarious! Antkind might contain the universe’ Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less
‘A full-throttled absurdist revolt against the constraints of the audience-tested mass entertainment, Antkind is unbridled Kaufman energy and wit coming up against the limits of the imagination itself: discursive, subversive, and genuinely funny’ Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End
‘To paraphrase Charlie Kaufman, it’s like a brain factory in there! This is a whopper of a book, bursting with the driest of humour, the strangest of scenarios, and the most brilliant of observations. It is wholly original, maddening, and marvellous’ Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book
‘Each page is so stuffed with invention, audacity and hilarity, it feels like an act of defiance. Antkind is a fever dream you don’t want to be shaken awake from, a thrill ride that veers down stranger and stranger alleys until you find yourself in a reality so kaleidoscopic you will question your own sanity. Or: the novel only Charlie Kaufman could pull off’ Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette
ISBN: 9780008319502
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 46mm
Weight: 500g
720 pages