* Billed a modern-day Madame Bovary, this novel reminded me rather of Houellebecq (cold, matter-of-fact, emotionless, verbose descriptions of what should have been meaningful human activities), John Williams' "Stoner" (vast desolate panorama of a lonely life fast-forwarded slowly), and Karl Ove Knausgaard (minute description of the functioning of a Nespresso machine, for example).