re:mote voices

Title: Kleinzeit
Author: Russell Hoban
Publisher: Bloomsbury

kleinzeit is the second novel by russel hoban that i have read. ironically going from one of his most recent works with amaryliss day and night to one which is considerably earlier. kleinzeit was originally published in 1974 and to some degree it shows, though mostly with references to money. for the most part when it was written doesn't play a big part in the writing or reading of kleinzeit.

kleinzeit finds a piece of blank paper in the london underground one day. he picks it up and takes it to work with him, using it to write the latest piece for a new ad campaign. unfortunately it isn't his day, and the ad is rejected shortly before he is fired. from which it isn't long before he finds himself in hospital. mystery ailments threaten to get worse as kleinzeit finds himself caught between the world of the hospital and the underground, with the sister who works in the ward providing some semblance of a light at the end of the tunnel for him.

as a novel there is a level of surrealness to kleinzeit, which seems to be one of hoban's trademarks. his work has a light heartedness for the most part, a certain easy going nature, which allows for humour and weirdness to be coupled intriguingly. unfolding into a mystery novel kleinzeit has conversations with the hospital and with death; death following him around, while hospital casts kleinzeit in the role of orpheus.

hoban is in his 70's and has written a number of novels, including a selection for children. a fact i think carries through in the tone and approach to his adult work. hoban remains active, with his new book her name was lola out in hardback next month, and his previous, the bat tattoo, just out in paperback. for the most part his novels seem to be slim volumes, this version of kleinzeit is from 2002 and has a page count of 192 pages. with that hoban's work is a quick read, but he is one of those authors that manages to pack plenty into the page, making them worth reading.