Starred review from April 14, 2014
The third installment of Knausgaard’s six-part autobiographical novel takes a deeper look at the author’s childhood. Set in the 1970s and ’80s on the vividly described island of Tromoya in southern Norway, volume three is more conventionally structured than the previous two. (The first book focused largely on the death of Karl Ove’s father, and the second followed the courtship of Karl Ove’s second wife, Linda.) Here, the adult narrator (“the forty-year-old creature who is sitting in Malmo writing this”) makes fewer appearances than in the first two installments, as he recounts his formative years. The sensitive young Karl Ove takes journeys with his neighborhood friends through the forest on the island, exploring the landscapes with curiosity and indulging his appetite for adventure and troublemaking. Progressing through early years at school, he plays soccer, chases crushes, develops interests in books and rock music, and seeks the guidance of his compassionate older brother, Yngve. Always looming over his actions, though, is Karl Ove’s domineering schoolteacher father, who scolds him and twists his ear over trivial mistakes. As the brothers grow older, the father begins to lose his grip over them, and the narrator sets the stage for rifts to come. This book is more concerned with conveying the experiences of childhood and the anxieties of school boys than with sustained plot, and some passages verge on being reportorial. The ever-present threat of Karl Ove’s father provides an engrossing source of tension, however, and Knausgaard skillfully recreates the point of view of a child. This segment of a genre-defying and unusual novel will leave readers hungry for the following installments, and serves as a fine entry point into the series.
February 23, 2015
Part four of Knausgaardâs sprawling autobiographical novel gives a clear picture of narrator Karl Oveâs late teenage years and his transition from the reckless abandon of youth to the responsibilities and demands of adulthood. The book centers on the year he spends teaching childrenâsome not much younger than he isâin a provincial town in northern Norway. Though his primary aim is to earn money to finance his writing career, he learns a bit about the quirks of smalltown living, making a few friends and enemies along the way. A large chunk of the book is devoted to the year or so leading up to Karl Oveâs decision to take the job, as he begrudgingly finishes high school. These sections give readers a clearer understanding of Karl Oveâs life after his parentsâ divorce, and of his fatherâs downward spiral into alcoholism that ultimately led to his death (as described in book one). Meanwhile, Karl Ove drinks heavily, experiments with drugs, and gets into a bit of trouble. But he also matures and develops his own artistic sensibilities. The internal battle between his carnal urges and his ambitions and morals is an ongoing theme. Unapologetically crude, this entry is the funniest and least self-conscious in the series to date; thereâs a humorous momentum propelling the narrative as Karl Ove attempts to lose his virginity. Unfortunately, the casual breeziness of the prose can make it hard to keep track of Karl Oveâs countless love interests and acquaintances, as many are only briefly mentioned. The book is strongest when Karl Ove is figuring out who he is as a writer, and when he begins to take his craft seriously, hinting at the success that will come in the authorâs own life.
Starred review from February 8, 2016
The penultimate entry in Knausgaard’s autobiographical series centers on the trials and tribulations of a competitive young writer, as the protagonist, Karl Ove, adjusts to the various responsibilities and expectations of adult life in the city. Told chronologically, the book spans the 14 years the narrator spends living in Bergen, Norway, beginning with his enrollment at an exclusive writing academy, and leading up to the publication of his debut novel. Kept company by his older brother, Yngve, and a rich, memorable cast of supporting characters, Karl Ove leads the life of a self-conscious and hardworking yet feckless young man with lofty literary and romantic aspirations. He takes his craft and the direction of his life seriously but frequently finds his noble, long-term goals pitted against his lower, more immediate urges. Issues with alcohol that surfaced in book four define a good chunk of these pages, as they produce lasting outcomes that affect his relationships. The narrative, like the protagonist, strikes an impressive balance between the interior and exterior, as well as the cerebral and emotional; snappy and amusing episodes coexist alongside weighty, meditative, and essayistic passages on art and literature. The text could have benefited by some additional shaping—especially those portions that fall into a flat, reportorial pace. But the slow-burn buildup and protracted story arcs more than compensate. Those who have come this far in the series will not be disappointed by book five; it is a pleasure to witness the gradual emergence of a dedicated artist over the course of a decade.
Starred review from July 9, 2018
The final book of Knausgaard's six-volume masterpiece goes maximalist and metatextual, examining the impact that the autobiographical series has had on the author's life and the lives of those around him. The book is split into three large sections, each of which is subdivided into several digressions. The first section is set just before My Struggle: Book One is slated to come out. Knausgaard suffers from anxiety after his uncle sends a litigious email arguing that the novel's assertions of his brother's alcoholism are false. Like Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman, the focus on the banalâshelling shrimp, choosing an ATM pin code, taking his three children to day careâtakes on strange significance and ramps up the tension as readers sense the storm brewing in the background. The second section, a ranging, 400-page interpolated passage on Hitler's Mein Kampf, explores questions of "we" and "I" in Nazi Germany. This section boasts intriguing parallels to the overall work, but, with its extended dives into subjects like the poetry of Paul Celan and the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, doesn't always move briskly. The third section is an extraordinary coda, as Knausgaard depicts the release of books two through four and his wife Linda's bout with bipolar disorder. Her deep depression, then her mania, are disturbingly vivid and wonderfully written. This section also closes threads about Knausgaard's father and the nature of sudden literary fame. Friends that readers haven't seen in thousands of pages return, and the effect is valedictory and moving. As Knausgaard keeps a journal of his last days writing his book while caring for his family and trying to sell a home, the rationale for his project comes into brilliant focus. This volume is a thrilling conclusion to Knausgaard's epic series.