The Man

The unnamed narrator of the novel is a German academic and philosopher who had a strong reputation in the past but who has faded from relevance and is now despondent about the purpose of his work and his life. He defines his worldview at the start of the novel as one of “futility and scorn” (3). He is so convinced that he has nothing left of meaning to contribute that he struggles to believe the invitation from the literary foundation in Extremadura is really meant for him, despite frequent reassurances that there has been no mistake.

The man is a paradoxical figure whose voice dominates the text. Simultaneously, he denies the importance of what he says. He presents himself as detached, nihilistic, and incapable of finding meaning in anything. Early in the novel, he insists that language is “wholly corrupt” (19) and that he has nothing worth expressing. He...