In his startling, witty, and inexhaustibly inventive novel, bestselling author Nicholson Baker uses a one-story escalator ride as the occasion for a dazzling reappraisal of everyday objects and rituals. From the humble milk carton to the act of tying one’s shoes, The Mezzanine at once defamiliarizes the familiar world and endows it with loopy and euphoric poetry. At first glance, The Mezzanine appears to be a book about nothing. In reality, it is a brilliant celebration of things, simultaneously demonstrating the value of reflection and the importance of everyday human experiences.

“Captures the spirit of American corporate life and invests it with a passion and sympathy that is entirely unexpected.” — The Seattle Times

“A constant delight . . . among the year’s best.” — The Boston Globe

“Baker writes with appealing charm . . . [He] clowns and shows off . . . rambles and pounces hard; he says acute things, extravagant things, terribly funny things.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review