A hauntingly sharp, splendid read. Keep an eye on this author.

What a surprising and strange novel. I was expecting less, but this was interesting. It seemed part fantasy, part romance, part memoir. The narrative style made it hard to tell what was real and who was who until the very end- I guessed most of it but was still charmed by the odd style.
In some parts, the suspense was almost too much for the audio book, although contrived (as is much of the narrative).

Not as interesting or deep as "Look at Me".

The Keep – cousins prisoners eastern_Europe
Claustrophobic paranoia, intentionally mediocre writing and a transparent gimmick dominate this novel centered on estranged cousins who reunite in Eastern Europe. Danny, a 36-year-old New York hipster who wears brown lipstick (and whose body can detect Wi-Fi availability), accepts his wealthy cousin Howard's invitation to come to Eastern Europe and help fix up the castle Howard plans on turning into a luxury Luddite hotel (check your cell at the door). In doing so, Danny can't help recalling the childhood prank he played on a young Howie that left the awkward adolescent nearly dead—or so writes Ray, the druggie inmate who's penning this novel-within-a-novel for his prison writing workshop.

Subsequent chapters alternate between Danny's fantastical castle travails (it's home to a caustic baroness bent on preserving her family seat) and Ray's prison drama. There are funny asides and trappings (particularly digital technology) along the way, and the sendup of castle narratives generates some chuckles. But the connection between the two narratives, which Egan reveals in intentionally tawdry fashion, feels telegraphed from the first chapter, making for a frustrating read.