The Transatlantic Book Club discussion

I'm still trying to pull my thoughts about this book together; there's a lot to think about for such a short novel. I didn't like it so much as admire it--it's an unusual experience for me to find the writing so good and the characters so off-putting. It wasn't that the characters were unpleasant or hateful, it was that they seemed to be emotionally anesthetized, they kept moving and functioning but they themselves didn't feel anything emotionally, even Benno, who is intensely focused on a goal. It made the whole novel like a protracted dream sequence to me. I'll write more when I've thought a bit longer on it. Any other thoughts? Agree, disagree?

I agree, I definitely get the dream thing. I found it well written and quite readable but just a bit dry. I felt that it was very controlled, that it probably did and said what it set out to, it was interesting to read in a way, but it didn't make me care about any of it, it didn't surprise me or tell me anything new or challenge my preconceptions. I didn't really give a monkey's. Aside from that it was pleasant to read, it felt like there was a rhythm to the sentences. I quite liked the dialogue, though I can't really say why as so much of it verged on nonsense.