Corpus Britney
Few debut novels become such an instant cult sensation upon publication as ‘Corpus Britney’. The book appears to begin as a crime story: Bella Goth, a B-movie horror film actress and Britney Spears lookalike, has vanished without trace. Paranormal detective Malayney Melkzuur is called in to find her. The search takes her through the 19th century, the virtual world of The Sims, witch hunts and much, much more.
As a reader, you willingly let yourself be swept away by a narrative that keeps on expanding as it interweaves different stories. De Groen explores the dark side of capitalism, from social exploitation and environmental damage to mental wellbeing in a world where the online and offline converge. Within this context, Britney Spears emerges as the ‘Corpus Christi’: a pop icon completely derailed by the music industry.
But ‘Corpus Britney’ is more than a one-dimensional Marxist indictment. Its nostalgic fascination with kitsch, glamour and pop makes the book as spellbinding as it is incisive. Science fiction, historical fiction and crime fiction merge in a rich, maximalist novel that constantly surprises the reader and immerses them in new worlds. It’s unlikely you’ve ever empathised with a talking sheep or a thistle before. This is a unique book that rightly achieved instant cult status.
So much swagger, so much passion, and such stylistic brilliance too – it’s quite unprecedented. By the end, you’re simply left speechless.****De Standaard
De Groen lives up to all expectations with her lyrical sentences, her deadpan humour and her nods to David Lynch.***** – Knack
A dizzying and endlessly fascinating debut novel ***** – NRC
Witty, clever and utterly captivating: a pop-poetry masterpiece - De Lage Landen
The book has caused quite a stir in the literary world, and quite rightly so. – DWB
The first book I’ve read that translates the digital age and its way of reading into form – De Reactor
One of the most idiosyncratic, politically conscious and intellectually challenging authors in contemporary Dutch-language literature – rekto:verso
