Accordingtohiscontract,theoldmanhasfivemonthstositonhisbenchandreminisceabouthischildhood,butallthatcomesoutarecuriousstories--aboutleprousdominos,amorousconcretetowers,chastecallgirls,andmore.Inotherwords:theoldmantwaddlesonandon.Avirtuosonovelthatrevealswhatlanguagecandowhenitservesnopurposebutitsownproliferation,SwissprovocateurUrsAlleman’s“TheOldManandtheBench“isacomedyofmangledverbosity.
