The Melancholy of Resistance

In this surreal, dark, humorous novel Lszl Krasznahorkai describes the chaotic events surrounding the arrival of a circus in an insignificant town in Hungary. The circus promises to display the stuffed body of the largest whale in the world and its arrival is greeted with frenzy of speculation. Bizarre rumors begin to spread that the circus has some sinister hidden agenda and as the expectant crowds gather, the town finds itself in the grip of hysteria. Moving from character to character with a sardonic, bleak vision, Krasznahorkai dissects the anxieties of post-communist Europe. Complex and disturbing The Melancholy of Resistance is sure to be regarded as one of the most ambitious novels of 2000.