The Little Book

Meer over het boek

An irresistible triumph of the imagination over thirty years in the making, this breathtaking love story spans generations, from fin de siècle Vienna to pivotal moments of the twentieth century. It follows Wheeler Burden, a California-exiled heir of the famous Boston banking family, who is a philosopher, historian, rock idol, writer, and recluse. In 1988, at forty-seven, he finds himself mysteriously wandering in fin de siècle Vienna, specifically in 1897, ninety-one years before his last memory and half a century before his birth. Wheeler quickly adapts, acquiring clothes, money, and lodging, while befriending a group of young Viennese intellectuals and gaining a mentor in Sigmund Freud. He faces a bitter rival and develops a powerful crush on a luminous young American woman, while also encountering local celebrity Mark Twain. Throughout his journey, he uncovers surprising insights about his dashing war-hero father, whom he never knew. However, the truth behind Wheeler's dislocation in time remains a mystery that will take months of exploration and a lifetime of memories to unravel, ultimately revealing the eccentric Burden family's profound impact on the course of the coming century. This masterpiece showcases the author's dazzling storytelling, establishing him as one of the most original and inventive novelists of our time.