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Das Jahr der Wunder
German edition
Paperback
Published August 1, 2003
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December 6, 2020
Maybe this novel, first published in 2002, is just dated, or I'm simply not old enough to relate to the perception that the New Economy is/was particularly revolutionary when it comes to working conditions - which unfortunately is the main topic of the book. Our protagonist is Christian Schlier, a young man who drops out of med school and, thanks to his old friend Titus, gets a job at a marketing agency: There are creative people who help to sell mundane products but perceive themselves as artists, there's pay per project (and project management galore), there is the illusion of flat hierarchies, the necessity to curate one's own image, enthusiasm is weaponized to distract from insecure working conditions, long hours and the fact that all this "communication agency" does is advertise stuff (there is nothing wrong with that, but it also doesn't justify any feelings of superiority).
So Christian stumbles through this new world while trying to put together a multimedia campaign for a savings and loan association - within 12 months (which today seems like a ridiculously long time span for such a task). The text makes a point to remain attentive, slow and held back when portraying this fast, unsteady world - a conservative narrative approach that intentionally contrasts with the topic. Merkel also doesn't aggressively judge, which could of course be counted as a plus.
But then again, there are comparable books that far better capture the spirit of the New Economy in the 90's/early 2000's, novels that are faster and more provocative: Beigbeder's 99 francs, Houellebecq's Extension du domaine de la lutte, and of course American Psycho (Merkel even includes a nod to the infamous business card scene).
Then again, maybe all the issues addressed here have become so normalized for my generation, we are so well-aware of the world of projects and freelancing and so disillusioned by the self-declared creative economy that we just don't feel like there's anything to see here. And with social media and the rise of influencers, many content creators have gained more agency, threatening what used to be called New Economy and now looks pretty old.
So Christian stumbles through this new world while trying to put together a multimedia campaign for a savings and loan association - within 12 months (which today seems like a ridiculously long time span for such a task). The text makes a point to remain attentive, slow and held back when portraying this fast, unsteady world - a conservative narrative approach that intentionally contrasts with the topic. Merkel also doesn't aggressively judge, which could of course be counted as a plus.
But then again, there are comparable books that far better capture the spirit of the New Economy in the 90's/early 2000's, novels that are faster and more provocative: Beigbeder's 99 francs, Houellebecq's Extension du domaine de la lutte, and of course American Psycho (Merkel even includes a nod to the infamous business card scene).
Then again, maybe all the issues addressed here have become so normalized for my generation, we are so well-aware of the world of projects and freelancing and so disillusioned by the self-declared creative economy that we just don't feel like there's anything to see here. And with social media and the rise of influencers, many content creators have gained more agency, threatening what used to be called New Economy and now looks pretty old.
Displaying 1 of 1 review