The Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
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Description
Description
An over-educated, under-employed man struggles to complete his novel and get his life together over the course of one scorching hot Swedish summer in this clever, provocative, and hilarious novel that is already an acclaimed sensation abroad. Convinced of his own moral and intellectual superiority, the nameless protagonist of this debut novel is also paralyzed by self-consciousness. Yet, inspired by Stephen King's On Writing, he decides to dedicate four hours a day to work on his own novel over the course of one summer. Only, he must also balance his creative goals with a part-time government job and looking after his girlfriend's possibly brain-damaged Pomeranian dog. Too bad he's uninspired by his job, almost kills the dog, and realizes his novel is slowly morphing into misguided fan fiction about French writer and enfant terrible Michel Houellebecq. Even when he's alone, he can't help but pontificate before an imagined audience, making over-the-top cases for and against all manner of culture war battles, referencing everyone from Spike Lee to Grumpy Cat. He obsesses over identity politics, and veers into dangerous territory as he and his androgynous girlfriend engage in sexual role-play. He's an emblem of all the follies of our age--happily unaware that in his refusal to be ordinary, he's become a walking cliché of misguided manhood. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a portrait of a person belatedly coming of age, a blistering takedown of a privileged man who believes he's a revolutionary, and "a crackling firework display of comic brilliance" (Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden).
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"Darkly, deeply funny and acclaimed abroad, this biting satire portrays a meandering class of millennial men living a seemingly consequence- and purpose-free existence." --Booklist
"[A] crackling firework of comic brilliance. The narrator's self-preoccupation spins so far and uninhibitedly that it inevitably turns into something completely different." --Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden)
"An intelligent and ironic humor that you rarely find in contemporary literature. . . Original and very entertaining." --Kapprakt (Sweden)
"The Dunning-Kruger Effect is vigorous and sparkling proof that questions regarding gender, class and identity politics can be depicted in literary form without delivering empty slogans...I laughed my way through The Dunning-Kruger Effect. There are funny scenes from relationships, couples' dinners, and plenty of philosophizing, and a gorgeous abundance of literary ambition." --Information (Denmark)
"As a millennial of the depicted demographic group...I feel pinpointed by [Stoopendaal's] clear-eyed satire of a generation of 'pretend adults' with a pathological need to justify work that is neither obviously meaningful nor reflective of their desired identity...We have on our hands one of the sharpest portraits of this generation. Stoopendaal has a devilish eye for the laughable and cringe-inducing." --Kristeligt Dagblad (Denmark)
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Atria Books
Pub date:
2024-06-11
Length:
256 pages
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