Perfection -- Vincenzo Latronico

Perfection is an odd and fascinating book. I have not read Things: A Story of the Sixties by Georges Perec, which it is based on, but in reading of a description of that novel, it is obvious that Latronico followed the structure of the earlier work. Perfection describes the lives of  Anna and Tom, new arrivals in Berlin. There is no  dialog in Perfection, but we are given an in-depth look at the couple's world through the lens of their things, their space, and their work. While I can't say I really cared about Anna and Tom, I was intrigued by them and their surroundings. Taking place in the twenty-tens, Berlin comes clearly into view, as does the hollowness of their dilettante existence. Is it lucky to have the means to work on your own and live a self-contained life, or is it really an empty way to be? This book is on the shortlist for the International Booker and I can understand why..Latronico makes you think.