"An overeducated, underemployed man struggles to complete his novel and get his life together over the course of one scorching hot Swedish summer in this clever and provocative novel... Convinced of his own moral and intellectual superiority, the nameless protagonist of this exuberant novel is also paralyzed by self-consciousness. Yet, inspired by Stephen King's On Writing, he decides to dedicate four hours a day to working on his own novel over the course of one summer. He must also balance his creative goals with a part-time government job and looking after his girlfriend's possibly brain-damaged Pomeranian. Too bad he's uninspired by his job, almost kills the dog, and realizes his novel is slowly morphing into misguided fan fiction about French writer and provocateur Michel Houellebecq. Even when he's alone, he can't help but pontificate, making over-the-top cases for and against all manner of culture war flash points, referencing everyone from Spike Lee to Grumpy Cat. He obsesses over identity politics and veers into dangerous territory as he and his androgynous girlfriend engage in sexual role-play. He's an emblem of all the follies of our age -- happily unaware that in his refusal to be ordinary, he's become a walking cliché of misguided manhood." -- Jacket flap.