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Nothing
by Janne Teller
Pierre Anthon gets up on the first day of school and announces that life has no meaning, so he isn't wasting his time pretending there is. He climbs up a plum tree and refuses to come down, pelting his fellow classmates with sarcasm and plums. His classmates are disturbed when they realize they have no idea what their lives DO mean, and so decide that they must prove Pierre Anthon wrong. I found the premise of this book intriguing, a chance for teens to delve deep into philosophical questions about what life is for. I was disappointed.
They decide each must give up what means most to them, which begins with immature and ridiculous suggestions that made the characters seem more like four year olds than fourteen year olds. (Give up your earrings or comics, then he'll come down...) Soon they figure out that everyone is trying to hold back, so they take turns choosing what someone ELSE must give up. This turns into an escalating free-for-all in which each character deals with their loss by making life more hellish for the next person. The sacrifices go from pets and memorabilia to digging up corpses, raping each other, killing animals, and sawing off body parts. All of which is, of course, for nothing.
I could tell without looking as I read the first chapter that this book was a translation, and in my opinion, a clunky one. I think those interested in philosophy and the meaning of life might be interested in the premise of this book, but then end seems to imply that thinking about your purpose is too dangerous a thing to touch. I'm not sure who to market this book to.
"Meaning...none of you has taught us any. So now we've found it ourselves." (154)
They decide each must give up what means most to them, which begins with immature and ridiculous suggestions that made the characters seem more like four year olds than fourteen year olds. (Give up your earrings or comics, then he'll come down...) Soon they figure out that everyone is trying to hold back, so they take turns choosing what someone ELSE must give up. This turns into an escalating free-for-all in which each character deals with their loss by making life more hellish for the next person. The sacrifices go from pets and memorabilia to digging up corpses, raping each other, killing animals, and sawing off body parts. All of which is, of course, for nothing.
I could tell without looking as I read the first chapter that this book was a translation, and in my opinion, a clunky one. I think those interested in philosophy and the meaning of life might be interested in the premise of this book, but then end seems to imply that thinking about your purpose is too dangerous a thing to touch. I'm not sure who to market this book to.
"Meaning...none of you has taught us any. So now we've found it ourselves." (154)