Alex-Li Tandem sells autographs. His business is to hunt for names on paper, collect them, sell them, and occasionally fake them -- all to give the people what they want: a little piece of Fame. But what does Alex want? Only the return of his father, the end of religion, something for his headache, three different girls, infinite grace, and the rare autograph of forties movie actress Kitty Alexander. With fries.

The Autograph Man is a deeply funny existential tour around the hollow trappings of modernity: celebrity, cinema, and the ugly triumph of symbol over experience. It offers further proof that Zadie Smith is one of the most staggeringly talented writers of her generation.

"A preternaturally gifted... writer [with] a voice that's street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time."
   THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Savvy, witty and exuberant."
   NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

"Smith is... a master of style whose prose is playful yet unaffected, mongrel yet cohesive, profound yet funny, vernacular yet lyrical."
   LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Smith is young and smart, and... she proves to be an amazingly gifted writer."
   WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD

"Smith writes sharp dialogue for every age and race -- and she's funny as hell."
   NEWSWEEK

"[Zadie Smith] possesses a more than ordinary share of talent."
   USA TODAY