Sebastian Zöllner is a cranky, ambitious, but not very successful 31-year-old art journalist. In attempt to make a name for himself, and to beat his bitter rival Hans Bahring, the unpleasant Sebastian begins to work on a biography of Manuel Kaminski, a world-renowned painter who is almost blind. In the ensuing story, Sebastian tries to manipulate Kaminski, his daughter Anna, the housekeeper Anna, and anyone else who can help him into giving him what he wants so he can publish a book that will make him famous. As we progress through the book, however, we soon realize that it is Kaminski who is the true manipulator.
This book is very well written and the story is intriguing. The literary sketches of the characters and the various scenes are also quite impressive. That said, this novel (though quite good) also did not fascinate me. Nevertheless, this short book is a fun read.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
