The Cockroach (Paperback)
Ian McEwan (author)- 10+ in stock
A Kafka-esque allegory from the masterful McEwan which speaks urgently to the current febrile political climate, The Cockroach details an anthropomorphic metamorphosis which threatens the very fabric of democracy. Scabrously funny and bitingly satirical, this superlative novella will endure as long as its eponymous insect.
Kafka meets The Thick Of It in a bitingly funny new political satire from Ian McEwan
That morning, Jim Sams, clever but by no means profound, woke from uneasy dreams to find himself transformed into a gigantic creature.
Jim Sams has undergone a metamorphosis. In his previous life he was ignored or loathed, but in his new incarnation he is the most powerful man in Britain – and it is his mission to carry out the will of the people. Nothing must get in his way: not the opposition, nor the dissenters within his own party. Not even the rules of parliamentary democracy.
With trademark intelligence, insight and scabrous humour, Ian McEwan pays tribute to Franz Kafka’s most famous work to engage with a world turned on its head.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9781529112924
Number of pages: 112
Weight: 103 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 8 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Playful, inventive and clever.' - The Financial Times
'A short, sharp satire designed to be swallowed in one gulp... A new McEwan book is an event, especially one which tackles the elephant in the room.' - i
'Provides some relief from a political farce that has long gone beyond a joke.' - The Observer
Ian McEwan: The Waterstones Interview
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“Horrible fun”
Enjoyable. Fun. Relatable. About cockroaches who take over the government...should this be relatable? No. Is it though? Yes. 3.5 stars.
“Brilliant!”
So we are currently in a 'messy' political situation in the UK and this is a very timely publication.
This is a fabulously brilliant read which had me laughing so much.
Definitely recommended.
“Tendentious”
Echoing Kafka - disappointingly so - I found this book tendentious. The wit gets derailed by what - oftentimes - is little more than heavy-handed polemic. McEwan's politics are so intrusive that the book reads... More
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