Who is Rich? by Matthew Klam

Who is Rich?

Matthew Klam

Rich is our eponymous narrator and a typical narcissist - charming, manipulative, impulsive and self-serving, but also wittily introspective. The novel combines two staples of modern fiction – a midlife crisis with the usual adulterous relationship, and a literary alter ego to extract useable material from real-life experiences, friends and family. The title also refers to the philosophical question of what we should most value in life.

Extract
I needed to find someone at this conference, someone who wouldn't harm a married man, or hated being married, or couldn't bear to be alone for three or four days. I didn't have any big strategy here, I liked to flirt. I needed to stay alert every second for a potential alliance in this war against morbidity and death. Were there rules or prohibitions? Some of my colleagues preyed upon the young, their own students, the low-hanging fruit, which struck me as a real character flaw.
Parallels
  • Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
  • Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Borrow this book
Explicit sexual Content

Our suggestions if you enjoyed Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan

Capital

John Lanchester

Ordinary Thunderstorms

William Boyd

Outline

Rachel Cusk

Yellow Dog

Martin Amis

Saturday

Ian McEwan

In Our Mad and Furious City

Guy Gunaratne

The Liar's Dictionary

Eley Williams

Hot Stew

Fiona Mozley

Who is Rich?

Matthew Klam

The Bee Sting

Paul Murray