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rmaxwell33's review against another edition
5.0
Reading books like this is more or less why I read. My concept of God is certainly entwined with reading fiction — and reading this was much like a meditation. Slow and simple, capturing that something in art that is best explained through experiencing it.
caldwba0's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
reggiewoods's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Asle is an aging painter, widower, and recovering alcoholic. The story takes place in over a few days before Christmas, told through Asle’s stream-of-consciousness as he contemplates the meaning of his life and recalls his past. The narration flows seamlessly from thoughts of love and purpose to addiction and religion. Fosse manages to tell some beautiful stories through Asle’s thoughts without making them feel artificial (great job on the translation by Damion Searls). This is a tale that is low on action and heavy on contemplation and character development. I won’t soon forget Asle or his doppelganger Asle, and what I felt as he imagined what could have been. It’s a very somber novel and will appeal mostly to readers into philosophy (specifically from the Nordic regions) and modernism/postmodernism. I think it was absolutely brilliant, but I don’t think it is for everyone.
frasersimons's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There’s a case for reading them with time apart and a case for reading them at once. The reiteration of events do feel stilted because they feel like a recap that stands out, rather than the influx of memories that are relived, probably as a trauma response. They feel apart from it for the only reason of signalling to the reader that they should remember them, because it’s about to be expounded on.
It also, I think, mostly denies a lot of catharsis, despite learning quite a bit. Some things are never explained, though they’re dwelled on constantly. And I suppose just with the writing style there’s a heavy bit of solipsism that begs a few questions. Mostly, the strength is in the unique style of delivery and the melding of conveying philosophical underpinnings and characterization. There’s a lot of form meeting function that telegraph so much about the character. The reader knows so much more about them than they do themselves, which rings very true, to me. How well can you know yourself without input from other people? How much can you make out and what do you construe in your own little locked room? What are your own paths trampled down in the wilderness of your mind, unconsciously taking you through the same way, time after time again?
It also, I think, mostly denies a lot of catharsis, despite learning quite a bit. Some things are never explained, though they’re dwelled on constantly. And I suppose just with the writing style there’s a heavy bit of solipsism that begs a few questions. Mostly, the strength is in the unique style of delivery and the melding of conveying philosophical underpinnings and characterization. There’s a lot of form meeting function that telegraph so much about the character. The reader knows so much more about them than they do themselves, which rings very true, to me. How well can you know yourself without input from other people? How much can you make out and what do you construe in your own little locked room? What are your own paths trampled down in the wilderness of your mind, unconsciously taking you through the same way, time after time again?
clapton_pond's review against another edition
5.0
I will miss absolutely everything about this novel.
A transformative reading experience, I feel like I know understand more of myself now.
A transformative reading experience, I feel like I know understand more of myself now.
jderek's review
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“… with the writing I like to read, what matters isn’t what it literally says about this or that, it’s something else, something that silently speaks in and behind the lines and sentences…”
Read this very slowly through December and January, and it was one of the more unique reading experiences I’ve had. Written without any periods, a widowed artist narrates a few days of his life leading up to Christmas. As he’s processing the events of the day, he’s also examining his past and ruminating about faith and art.
There’s an obvious connection with Knausgaard here, but where Knausgaard is psychological and essayistic, Fosse writes with a poetic simplicity. I was worried this was going to be a demanding or maybe tiresome read, but somehow Fosse manages to make this accessible and compelling. There were times I blew threw 50 pages in a sitting, and stretches were I hardly touched the book throughout the week– something about the cyclical style and cadence made this book easy to pick up and put down wherever I was in the narrative.
Perhaps the most perfect portrayal of a person’s interior life that I’ve ever read? Weaves meditations on the daily-mundane, memories from the past, musings about art, and spiritual wonderings into one beautiful sentence. I’ll probably think about this book forever.
Read this very slowly through December and January, and it was one of the more unique reading experiences I’ve had. Written without any periods, a widowed artist narrates a few days of his life leading up to Christmas. As he’s processing the events of the day, he’s also examining his past and ruminating about faith and art.
There’s an obvious connection with Knausgaard here, but where Knausgaard is psychological and essayistic, Fosse writes with a poetic simplicity. I was worried this was going to be a demanding or maybe tiresome read, but somehow Fosse manages to make this accessible and compelling. There were times I blew threw 50 pages in a sitting, and stretches were I hardly touched the book throughout the week– something about the cyclical style and cadence made this book easy to pick up and put down wherever I was in the narrative.
Perhaps the most perfect portrayal of a person’s interior life that I’ve ever read? Weaves meditations on the daily-mundane, memories from the past, musings about art, and spiritual wonderings into one beautiful sentence. I’ll probably think about this book forever.
julziez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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