Scan barcode
pflichtfeld20's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
guts_'s review against another edition
4.0
I'm not great at writing reviews so I will just say that I personally found the book to be consistently engaging and touching and that I related to the author a bit too much for comfort at times. It's hard to recommend, I think if you are a more often than not weird, alienated psued you will get quite a bit out of this book but I can see many people finding the authors inner monologues banal and hyper-aware bordering on cringe.
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
4.0
"La mia lotta" di Karl Ove Knausgard è un'autobiografia-fiume in sei (!!) volumi, in corso di pubblicazione per Felterinelli nella traduzione di Margherita Podestà Heir. Ho letto questo libro perché molti booktuber lo citano entusiasti e Zadie Smith avrebbe detto che questa serie è "come il crack". In effetti, potrebbe essere uno sproloquio egocentrico, considerato il numero di pagine per cui si estende... e invece no. E' una narrazione sorprendentemente intima e coinvolgente. L'autore si sofferma sulla propria adolescenza e sul rapporto con il padre, ex insegnante che muore prematuramente per abuso di alcol. Mi ha deluso, però, il fatto che non ci sia chiarezza sull'effettiva dinamica della morte del padre (Karl Ove e il fratello vogliono parlare con il medico che ha certificato il decesso... ma noi non sappiamo com'è andata).
L'autore afferma che essere padre di due bambini piccoli è molto faticoso, e quest'onestà mi piace. Credo che continuerò la lettura, almeno con il secondo volume (che dovrebbe trattare, appunto, dell'incontro con la seconda moglie e della nascita dei figli).
L'autore afferma che essere padre di due bambini piccoli è molto faticoso, e quest'onestà mi piace. Credo che continuerò la lettura, almeno con il secondo volume (che dovrebbe trattare, appunto, dell'incontro con la seconda moglie e della nascita dei figli).
roter_koni's review against another edition
Als mein Onkel mütterlicherseits mir das Buch vorlegte, nachdem ich von Herta Müllers Schreibstil angestrengt war, sagte meine Mutter, Knausgård wäre „Männerscheiß“. Ich ignorierte die Aussage und ließ mich auf die Einschätzung meines Onkels ein, das Buch sei klasse.
Es war eine gute Entscheidung, das Buch in die Hand zu nehmen. Die Beschreibungen Knausgårds über sein fünfzehnjähriges Ich konnte ich mit einer guten, nostalgischen Distanz lesen. Das Abitur machte ich gerade und ein Rückblick auf die Jugend, bevor man nun aus dem Schutzraum Schule rausgeht, war schön. Schmunzeln musste ich viel. Ähnliche Geschichten hatte ich irgendwie auch erlebt.
Dann das „Sterben“, der Titel des Buches, nachdem der Luchterhand Literaturverlag auf die Übersetzung des Originaltitels „Min Kamp. Første bok.“ verzichtet hat. Gedanken, die Knausgård zu Familie, Familienmitgliedern und Freunden hegt, sind verständlich. Vielleicht eben auch, weil ich den Männerscheiß versteh. Ich bin eben eine Hete anscheinend.
Vielleicht werde ich mir mehr des „Min Kamp“-Zyklus zu Gemüte führen.
Es war eine gute Entscheidung, das Buch in die Hand zu nehmen. Die Beschreibungen Knausgårds über sein fünfzehnjähriges Ich konnte ich mit einer guten, nostalgischen Distanz lesen. Das Abitur machte ich gerade und ein Rückblick auf die Jugend, bevor man nun aus dem Schutzraum Schule rausgeht, war schön. Schmunzeln musste ich viel. Ähnliche Geschichten hatte ich irgendwie auch erlebt.
Dann das „Sterben“, der Titel des Buches, nachdem der Luchterhand Literaturverlag auf die Übersetzung des Originaltitels „Min Kamp. Første bok.“ verzichtet hat. Gedanken, die Knausgård zu Familie, Familienmitgliedern und Freunden hegt, sind verständlich. Vielleicht eben auch, weil ich den Männerscheiß versteh. Ich bin eben eine Hete anscheinend.
Vielleicht werde ich mir mehr des „Min Kamp“-Zyklus zu Gemüte führen.
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
In an era where cynicism, satire, and irony reign, Knausgaard's honesty, and genuineness is refreshing. His sincerity should be celebrated rather than mocked or scorned. He doesn't sidestep the struggles we face surrounding death, suffering, and the apparent meaninglessness of existence, but he helps us understand them better by doing that which Karl Ove does best: opening to us his feeling mind and sensitive heart. He invites us into his world, and the people who occupy it, and in doing so, crosses boundaries of privacy and intimacy which some will consider far too inappropriate given that most of his "characters" are still alive. I praise him for his bravery to tell his story so unabashedly, and to publish it (all 6 volumes) despite the impact it may have on his relationships. In his forties, this man has a lot of life to live--hopefully--and by publishing these 6 volumes, he positions himself in a very difficult place. We can finish the book, coming away inspired to reflect further upon our own family dynamics and how those have shaped us. He finishes this series and then has to face every friend, and family member, owning up to every word and feeling, every observation, every evaluation and judgement he as made of them. This books exemplifies why vulnerability and authenticity are at the heart of courage. These are the virtues that will drive humanity's cultural progress forward more than any others. We should shout, "Show me who you are, and nothing less."
Karl Ove admits his own shortcomings. He puts his judgments and family resentments on the page, only to confess his own guilt for the harshness of his feelings. Then he fights to hold back tears--so many of the book's events are joined by regretting sobs he wishes he could better control, or more accurately, conceal.
The book no doubt has a controversial title, but don't be dissuaded by it. At no point does this book feel like the whining, complaining, or ranting of a man trying to "endure existence." He has not lived an especially difficult life, but one many can relate to: struggles to develop talents one is expected to have (according to middle class society), competition with a seemingly more successful older brother, doubting one's ability to love another human being, hating and wanting to be recognized by one's father, having plenty of societal advantages but wrestling to make a satisfying outcome from them, and most importantly, coming to terms with his father's death.
It is accurate to describe his book as Proustian, and impressively so. Still, I would love to have heard more reflection from him. He spends so much time describing these events in his life, but doesn't spend enough time interpreting their significance. Furthermore, I would have loved to see where his personal experiences extend to his views on human nature, philosophy, politics, and cultural values in general. We have heard his commentary on his family, now what about on the human family?
I conclude with one of the quotes that resonated the most with me, a tertiary theme in the book: his aspirations and relationships to writing. "I have always had a great need for solitude. I require hug swathes of loneliness and when I do not have it, which has been the case for the last five years, my frustration can sometimes become almost panicked, or aggressive. And when what has kept me going for the whole of my adult life, the ambition to write something exceptional one day, is threatened in this way my one thought, which gnaws at me like a rat, is that I have to escape."
I look forward to spending more time with Karl Ove in his remaining volumes.
Karl Ove admits his own shortcomings. He puts his judgments and family resentments on the page, only to confess his own guilt for the harshness of his feelings. Then he fights to hold back tears--so many of the book's events are joined by regretting sobs he wishes he could better control, or more accurately, conceal.
The book no doubt has a controversial title, but don't be dissuaded by it. At no point does this book feel like the whining, complaining, or ranting of a man trying to "endure existence." He has not lived an especially difficult life, but one many can relate to: struggles to develop talents one is expected to have (according to middle class society), competition with a seemingly more successful older brother, doubting one's ability to love another human being, hating and wanting to be recognized by one's father, having plenty of societal advantages but wrestling to make a satisfying outcome from them, and most importantly, coming to terms with his father's death.
It is accurate to describe his book as Proustian, and impressively so. Still, I would love to have heard more reflection from him. He spends so much time describing these events in his life, but doesn't spend enough time interpreting their significance. Furthermore, I would have loved to see where his personal experiences extend to his views on human nature, philosophy, politics, and cultural values in general. We have heard his commentary on his family, now what about on the human family?
I conclude with one of the quotes that resonated the most with me, a tertiary theme in the book: his aspirations and relationships to writing. "I have always had a great need for solitude. I require hug swathes of loneliness and when I do not have it, which has been the case for the last five years, my frustration can sometimes become almost panicked, or aggressive. And when what has kept me going for the whole of my adult life, the ambition to write something exceptional one day, is threatened in this way my one thought, which gnaws at me like a rat, is that I have to escape."
I look forward to spending more time with Karl Ove in his remaining volumes.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
2.0
Nick Hornby couldn’t give this book enough praise in his Believer article 5 or 6 years ago. It’s supposed to be an autobiographical work featuring the author as the main character in a novelistic style. It’s supposed to be phenomenally captivating. I found it marginal. Mostly just straight realism with very little plotting. Unless you find everyday life super engaging I imagine you’d probably find this book a little slow. There was one interesting event about 30 pages from the end of the book but it didn’t redeem the rest of the book and it wasn’t resolved either. At the very least, I don’t have any interest delving into the other three or four books in this massive series.