Synopsis
The hero of Carl Reiner's nutty and wonderful novel, Nat Noland, is hard at work on his fifth book, his own version of Genesis, concentrating on the relationship between Cain and Abel. While investigating their relationship, he starts to investigate his relationship with himself. His doting wife, Glennie, gets worried when she hears him having a loud, heated discussion while he's alone in the basement. Because he is unaware that he is talking to himself -- in two distinct voices -- she encourages him to seek the help of the famous Viennese psychiatrist Dr. Frucht.
After a few sessions, Dr. Frucht elicits descriptions of Nat's recurring childhood dreams and the fact that he never knew his biological parents. In the lobby, when Nat bumps into the lovely Dr. Gertrude Trampleasure, an empathologist, she tells him how much he resembles her old teenage sweetheart, Buddy Keebler: "You two could be twins!" With the assistance of a private eye, Nat embarks on a quest to search for this "twin" and his unknown past, while continuing to work on his biblical novel, NNNNN.
Publishers Weekly
Reiner is up to his usual witty tricks with his character Nat Noland, a California writer, deep into his fifth novel, an account of Genesis focusing on Cain and Abel. Nat's wife, Glennie, overhears his voice in conversations with himself and becomes alarmed. She contacts the Viennese psychiatrist Dr. Frucht, who wants to delve into Nat's past and investigate recurring dreams and the significance of his not knowing his birth parents. Nat also encounters Dr. Gertrude Trampleasure, who claims he looks like her childhood boyfriend Buddy Keebler. How can this be? Nat's struggle to learn about himself parallels his character's concerns. Reiner's voice assures listeners of a companionable journey-his pace is leisurely, grave when necessary, and each character comes vividly alive with subtle individual adjustments. The fun begins immediately when the first thing heard is lofty music indicating something serious to come. Reiner is extremely skilled at poking fun at Southern California creative and cultural life and the eternal quest for identity and self-verification. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 19). (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.