Man Without Illness

A taut, disquieting novel from one of the Netherlands’ most fearless and acclaimed writers.

In Man Without Illness, Arnon Grunberg strips down the idea of Western idealism and cultural neutrality through the story of Samarendra Ambani—Sam—a successful Swiss architect who believes, with quiet conviction, that buildings can make life better. Healthy in body, precise in thought, and untouched by suffering, Sam is the “man without illness.” But when he travels to Baghdad to design an opera hous...