Mathilda Prall
Neurotic
fiction, new
336pp
Mini is in her early 20s and drifts through life. Her body and her emotions are a riddle to her, her relationships to Philipp and Elena marked by self-doubt and feelings of inferiority. Constantly struggling with her effect on others she spends a lot of time online searching for diagnoses that fail to provide certainty. Mini’s tragic family history, her failed relationships, her anxiety – all of this takes a back seat when she posts nude pictures of herself. The response is overwhelmingly positive and she soon becomes the face of an esoteric beauty brand. Finally, Mini feels like she has found her place – and makes a grave mistake.
In her sensational debut, Mathilda Prall gives a young woman a thrillingly self-ironic voice, showing the strains of youth with great sensitivity. A very topical novel about a protagonist who, for all the glamour she attains, still cannot accept herself. A debut as laconic as the books by Ronja von Rönne and as nonchalant as those by Ilona Hartmann.
Reviews
»I devoured Mathilda Prall's debut novel in one night. The tone oscillates between sarcasm and gentle melancholy.«
Antonia Helbig, EMOTION
»Neurotic is a wonderful debut. Mathilda Prall writes sentences that always keep the balance between melancholy and light sarcasm [...].«
Stefan Härtel, Bookster HRO