What a strange book. Written by the guy that wrote "The Remains of the Day", I expected something very different than what I found. Mr. Ryder, the main character, arrives in a European town that reamins unknown throughout the book. He is a celebrated musician, and is clearly there to give a performance in a few days. From the first page, which begins at his arrival, to the last page, which just ends, this book read like a dream. Not like a dream as in, "oh, that was so amazing, it was like a dream!" but more like Mr. Ryder's whole time in the town seemed like it was taking place in a dream. People, places, and things shift around him in a very unlinear way, and he moves within it, semi-conscious of its being strange, but taking it all in stride anyway---kind of. That's all you need to know about the plot. Each of the 38 chapters has the feel of a run-on sentence, and the 535 pages seem to get yourself and Mr. Ryder nowhere, but I found that I still wanted to read on. If you like to spend very little money on entertainment, and if you are a slowish reader, this book could keep you company for up to a year. Not bad, not bad.
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