EUROTRASH by Christian Kracht

Translated by Daniel Bowles

Can we just take a moment to feast our eyes on the cover of this absolute riot of a novel? Whack-a-doodle Europeans doing their best impressions of a campfire marshmallow, lazing in their collapsible lounge chairs under a brutal snow-reflected sun. Glorious! And the perfect representation of Christian Kracht’s superb work of fauxtofiction (is that a thing? faux autofiction?), Eurotrash.

In what has to be one of the funniest premises I’ve lucked upon in recent times, “Christian Kracht” learns that his family’s riches stem from his grandparents’ savvy exploitation of the Nazi horrors and thus decides to dispose of the ill-gotten gains in the most selfless ways possible. One slight problem. The riches still rest in his demented mother’s bank account. Solution: take her out of her care facility and go on a spending-spree road trip together.

Eurotrash is a book of families, legacies, and the hilarious impossibility of finding truly altruistic good in the world. No matter where they go, every potential beneficiary turns out to be crap. Even throwing wads of cash down a ravine seems preferable. In turns hilarious and gorgeous - I came to love Cristian’s mum - Eurotrash is an early 2025 highlight.

Eurotrash by Christian Kracht (Tr. Daniel Bowles)
Serpent’s Tail, 2025
190 pages