Prague by Arthur Phillips: Lost Generation X

Prague is the story of five Americans who arrive in Hungary in 1990, just as communism has collapsed in that country. These five are all young (in their mid- to late-twenties) and all are looking for different things in life: Scott's a carefree health nut who refuses to make friends or learn the native language, since he believes that making connections brings only stress and pain; John is Scott's younger brother who has followed him to Hungary in an attempt to reconcile their troubled past and develop a meaningful relationship; Emily, an all-American Midwestern from Nebraska who is hiding a pretty big secret within her wholesome demeanor; Charles, a budding capitalist and businessman who knows that there's fortunes to made in the newly free marketplace; and Mark, a gay historian who's both fascinated and tortured by the history behind everything, place, and person he comes across. The only thing these five share is their ironic worldviews, their desire to be part of something important, to live an eventful life, and (though none of them ever admit it) to have a sense of purpose. I'll spoil it for you right now and reveal that none of these characters ever attains anything that could be called meaningful, but that's not the point of the book - the point is to find out why they can't, don't, or won't find meaning.
These characters would be fascinating enough to follow, but the author spices up this book even more by occasionally detailing the history of locations the characters come across; for example, John starts living in an apartment complex that used to be the lavish house of a young nobleman who in 1850, shortly after his marriage, lost his stipend to his older brother because their father could afford to support one of them. So the younger brother starts plotting how, in that very house, he will kill his brother and earn the fortune that is rightly his. You would think that diversions into history like this would be an unnecessary distraction, but you'd be wrong and stupid. These historical short stories contribute a lot of the heart and meaning to the plot by reminding you that there's more to the world than the self-absorbed Gen-X'ers insist on.
I loved this book. It's rare that a book comes along that so perfectly describes not only the environment it's set in but also the time and mood. In other words, this is a picture perfect example of how to do atmosphere and do it right. Reading this book made me feel like I was walking down the cobbled streets of Budapest, taking in all the sights and smells the city had to offer. The last book I remember that transported me so effectively was 'The Sun Also Rises', a book that many reviewers compare to this one, and the comparison goes beyond the ability to establish atmosphere. Like that book it deals with affluent, young Americans going to a foreign country to experience the exotic and the unknown. Like that book it perfectly sums up the era it's set in and the characters it deals with. And like that book, it's sad and occasionally frustrating that the main characters never find any true meaning in their actions because they're too concerned with keeping cool a demeanor and drenching everything in irony. You may walk away from 'Prague' feeling like nothing was learned or gained by the characters, but you'll be extremely entertained the whole time. And hey, as an added bonus, you'll learn a little about Hungary's past.
So all in all, this book is great and I really want to have sex with it. I mean, two thumbs up.