Daniel Kehlmann’s 2005 novel Measuring the World achieved both critical acclaim and huge international sales. His latest novel, like Justin Cartwright’s Other People’s Money and John Lanchester’s Capital, tackles the financial crisis of 2008, yet is perhaps more ambitious than either in its merciless dissection of the whole fabric of modern society. The novel begins as Arthur Friedland, an unsuccessful writer, takes his three sons to see a stage hypnotist. Ivan and Eric are identical twins; Martin is their elder brother by a previous marriage. The hypnotist orders Arthur to “make an effort … change everything”. Arthur drives the boys home and then disappears from their lives. When we next hear of him, he has become the bestselling author of a con