A Hologram for the King

I heard a short interview with Dave Eggers on NPR a month ago and put his new novel A Hologram for the King on hold. I was intrigued because he talked about the novel dealing with Schwinn bicycles and how the move to produce parts and labors in China is what killed the company. The Schwinn storyline was minor, simply back story to why this man was where he was. The reader meets businessman Alan when he is in Saudi Arabia, trying to sell a hologram to the king. A lot is riding on this sale, including his home, which is facing foreclosure, and his daughter's college tuition. But the story is about more than just this sale as the trip allows Alan to reflect on his life. It's one of those character-driven literary novels that's thin on plot, the kind I love, but that I realize doesn't have wide appeal. For this reason I can't recommend it, but I did enjoy the quietness of the prose and storyline. I cared about Alan's plight and loved the overarching theme of globalization.