Summary
Arnon Grunberg: Amsterdam Blues
Arnon, a young man kicked out of school, refuses to fit into a world that he feels has nothing to offer him. While his father sinks into an alcoholic stupor, and his mother – a concentration camp survivor – remains trapped in her own outbursts of rage, Arnon finds refuge in Amsterdam's bars and brothels, seeking intimacy where money can buy it. In this world of love as a commodity, this cynical outsider is actually searching for the only remaining form of honest relationship: one that is paid for in cash, without the risk of emotional disappointment. *Amsterdam Blues* goes beyond the mere chronology of growing up and growing up into a deeper analysis of youthful nihilism in a world that lost its moral compass long ago. Uncompromisingly honest and imbued with dark humor that sometimes turns into unexpected tenderness, this is a story that reminds us that accepting the absurdity of life hides an unusual, cruel and unrestrained freedom.
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