Simon is an archetypal product of our secular and acquisitive times, striving for wealth and success in a bid to procure self-knowledge and forge the kind of selfless connection he seems incapable of sustaining.In this highly reflective and ponderous tale, we chart Simon's solitary orbit through a labyrinthine web of associations as he attempts to override his dubious genetic inheritance, define his filial obligations and rationalise his complicated and jealous love for his sister, the artistic and avant-garde Rose.Through his faltering and confused characters, Kattan explores the age-old quandary of whether a man and woman can live together in harmony, and indeed, whether they should even try...