The Mezzanine

by Nicholson Baker.

Quickie recap: An office worker takes a trip up an escalator, and thinks about stuff.

Quickie review: There is no plot, there is only thought. There is detail. Meticulous detail. And it makes you think about familiar objects in new ways, and sometimes, in old ways. At any rate, it does make you stop. It feels like for a moment, the whole world has stopped. Straws are surprisingly funny; shoelaces are surprisingly complicated. Nothing escapes our protagonist's notice - no idea is too small or unimportant to be shared. The cover of this novel has a quote from the Washington Post Book World stating that it has "bursts of recognition" and that word - recognition - boils it all down for me. That's exactly what it is. You become wonderful by extension reading and sharing in these thoughts, reminding yourself of your own obscure opinions and memories, admitting to yourself that you too have some strange habits, have made some absurd observations. This book is truly original, and there are precious few times in life that anyone can say that.

Quickie Recommendations: Thought-provoking.