This is another novel which was suggested by a tutor from my Masters course. Again, it features an aspiring author. Viktor wants to write novels, but instead ends up writing obituaries for the local newspaper. The strange thing about it is, the obituaries are for people who haven't died yet. When the subjects of his writing start to die under mysterious circumstances, Viktor becomes aware that a criminal organisation is using his obituaries as a hit list.
Throughout the book, Viktor interacts with a number of other people including a young girl who comes to live with him after her father disappears, and her maid who he has a sexual relationship with. However, the only character apart from himself that he ever seems to care about is the titular penguin. Viktor adopted Misha the penguin from a zoo that went bust (this is based on a true story) and throughout the book, Misha mirrors the mood of his owner. Much comedy is derived from Viktor's avatar, with his dodgy heart and mood swings, and the humour is essential to the novel. This is definitely a book I plan to reread. My only negative comment would be that the English translation leaves a little to be desired.
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