The Mezzanine

Nicholson Baker's novels are short, playful flights of fancy. At first glance they may seem unsubstantial (why on earth is he spending so much time talking about shoelaces?!) but they are full of delight in the intricate oddities of modern life. You emerge from Mezzanine (or A Box of Matches, or Room Temperature) loving the world a little more, and that is no small thing.