Die Frau mit dem Arm is a novel about a life that knows no compromises – at least none that anyone else would have dreamed up.
For some, his life is a work of art that continues to perfect itself; for others, he is a pop star who just won’t let up; and for yet others, he is an intrepid hunter in search of the culture industry’s lost treasure: Andreas Dorau – highly admired, tenacious and brilliant.
For those familiar with Sven Regener’s novels, it isn’t hard to see why he has so much fun diving into Dorau’s dazzling universe and turning his stories into literature. There is a king of hypnosis whom Dorau consults to finally find out what he really thinks, deep down, about his old friend Fred from Jupiter; the panic attack that sends him hurtling headlong into a imbroglio of catastrophes as the voice of Adorno; a musical called King of the Seagulls; a woman with one arm; a guitar album by someone who can’t stand guitars; a bottle-deposit stop-motion animated film that’s a fire hazard; and on and on and on.
“Dorau and Regener, Regener in Dorau’s tone, Dorau with Regener’s voice – that’s funny, of course, but funny can falter; beyond that, it’s extremely interesting and captivating, often serious, sometimes absurd and always truthful.” – Daniel Kehlmann
