This is a book about the people and institutions that influence our daily life. What is eating them? What do they achieve at the end of the day? Bureaucracy is the model that supports them to rise to the top and stay there. Waterland is a fictional country, which is good because people all over the world will recognize leaders who pretend to revitalize society but only do well for themselves. The writer also highlights the hype of our modern times. The hunt for happiness, the fitness craze, sexual fixations, eating disorders, obsession with animals, extraordinary interest in sports, homophobia, and the desperate search for role models. He also exposes in a subtle way the human failings. In this fairy tale of modern times, the heroes and villains are not kings, knights, witches, or wizards but politicians, psychotherapists, beautiful people, and business tycoons. If you like plots with several layers, drenched in dry humour, you will have a good time. We ought to be grateful for his description of the not-so-brave new world. The hilarious happenings in this book will make you understand the weaknesses of the Western world. This book is a fine spoof, except that this is today's reality and not a prediction of the future.
