Rituals - Softcover

Nooteboom, Cees

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782067175 ISBN 13: 9781782067177

Publisher: MacLehose Press, 2013

Synopsis

In Rituals, Amsterdam of the fifties, sixties and seventies is viewed from the perspective of the capricious Inni Wintrop. An unintentional suicide survivor, the unexpected gift of life returned lends him the curiousity, and impartiality, to survey others' lives and rountines. Inni's opposite, the one-eyed downhill skier Arnold Taads measures his life by the clock, while his disowned son Philip follows Japanese rituals which themselves seem to render his existence meaningless. A novel for those who seek to unravel our mysterious, apparently directionless lives...

About this title

Review:

'Sharp, elegant prose ... It recalls, in tone, Vladimir Nabokov. The language is, by turns, delicately allusive and rich, even ripely comic' D.J. Enright, T.L.S. (TLS)

'Should appeal to anyone who likes Italo Calvino or Paul Auster' Michael Dirda, Washington Times. (Washington Times)

From the Back Cover:

Rituals plays out in Amsterdam across three decades, seen from the perspective of Inni Wintrop, a man leading a capricious life, floating comfortably on possibilities. After a failed suicide attempt, the unexpected gift of life returned lends hi m the curiosity, and the impartiality, to observe the lives and routines of others. Among those others are Inni's opposite, one-eyed former champion skier Arnold Taads, who obsessively measures his life by the clock, and Taads' disowned son Philip, who relentlessly follows Japanese rituals which themselves seem to rend his existence meaningless. Wry, witty and incisive, Rituals is a novel for those who relish philosophical musings and seek to unravel our mysterious, apparently directionless lives.

About this edition

• Publisher: MacLehose Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1782067175
• ISBN 13: 9781782067177
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160