Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
The stakes are wildly high in Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky's fantastic and blackly comic philosophical fables, which abound in nested narratives and wild paradoxes. This new collection of eleven mind-bending and spellbinding tales includes some of Krzhizhanovsky's most dazzling conceits: a provincial journalist who moves to Moscow finds his existence consumed by the autobiography of his room's previous occupant; the fingers of a celebrated pianist's right hand run away to spend a night alone on the city streets; a man's lifelong quest to bite his own elbow inspires both a hugely popular circus act and a new refutation of Kant. Ordinary reality cracks open before our eyes in the pages of Autobiography of a Corpse, and the extraordinary spills out.
Is Autobiography of a Corpse appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This surreal, philosophical collection explores existential themes through darkly comic fables featuring body horror elements (animated fingers, corpses). The intellectual complexity and absurdist storytelling make it better suited for mature readers who appreciate philosophical fiction.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death and body horror.
Who'll love this
Teens who love mind-bending stories that challenge reality and make them think deeply about existence will find these strange tales fascinating.