The Revelations of Dr Modesto is such an obscure book that it doesn’t even have its own page on Wikipedia. Its author doesn’t have a page either. A shame, as the book is an absolute gem. It’s about the success that comes from conformity, emancipation by becoming the epitome of average. Like Candide, the book explores its central idea through an exaggerated story. We see the value (or emptiness) of the corporate lifestyle in all its glory (or shame). Sublimely surreal throughout. Delicious.
I picked it up in Oxfam Books at the weekend because I liked its cover. The man it shows wears a suit, a tie, and a fedora. His face is painted like an unhappy clown. Like china, his face cracks, and behind the cracks are the mean-spirited faces of tiny suited men. His eyes are bloodshot. It’s like a portrait of the book.
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