Scan barcode
A review by gabrielas_goodreads
The Antarctica of Love by Sara Stridsberg
5.0
‘Everyone weeps apart from me, but something inside me has frozen. It isn’t just the tears, it is something else. A disillusionment so deep, so penetrating, the freezing point of blood, the ultimate Antarctica of love.’
I’ll start by saying that this is one of the most outstanding novels I have come across in a long time, it’s unlike anything I have ever read & I was instantly captivated by Stridsberg’s poetic prose, just such a vivid sense of place was depicted, pure emotive/raw writing – all of which has left me somewhat awestruck & now I find myself googling all her backlist titles. Truly a remarkable novel! I do just want to preface this review by saying that this will not be to everyone’s taste as it is on the darker side – however if you feel you want to give it a go, Stridsberg will take you on the most visceral journey that you will not forget for a while to come. In a nutshell it’s a chilling (quite literally) work of literary fantasy where our protagonist describes her own brutal murder & takes us on a journey depicting a life lived on the margins & those left behind in the wake of her untimely death.
Inni is a young woman of 24 years old living in Stockholm, an addict, a prostitute – working to secure that next fix. A life littered with regrets as post death she ‘visits’ those left behind & reflects on her life, the impact it had on those closest to her & the heartache she experiences with these realisations. Her story is dark & intense, as one may understand working the streets is dangerous in its own rights & Inni likens herself to Snow White as she reflects back on how she came to find herself in that particular car, with that particular man. Her reflections are chilling as its clear that she was unafraid, resigned to the fact that this was her fate & holds no desire to be saved. Stridsberg masterfully depicts the darkness that goes with a murder, how fragile our lives are & the power one person can have over a human life – add a dash of that Scandi Noir, yet without the gore – add the beauty of the environment (think lakes & forest) & how that may tie into the story to truly paint a picture for the reader.
I’m not sure I have experienced storytelling quite like this, at times it’s sentimental, at others regretful, philosophical & reflective -yet will leave you devastated for our protagonist, wishing she had been given a chance to redo it all when you realise she is a soft soul who was led astray. When the saying ‘You only have one life’ has never felt more apt. I would also like to mention that the translation was seamless & has reiterated why I have fallen head over heels for translated titles this year.
All in all, when I was reading this title I found that the loud noise of my life was silenced – its an all encompassing reading experience & after finishing I truly was speechless. I am tempted to read this one again, to see if there’s anything I can gleam from a second viewing – to absorb Stridsberg’s words all over. Needless to say this one will stay with me for a very long time, it’s a novel that changes the focus of your typical ‘murder’ novel & shines a spotlight on the life that was taken vs. the one who took it – that for me was the most beautiful aspect. One I cannot recommend enough, yet that recommendation comes with the warning of the subject matter explored – please be mindful.
Enormous thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.
I’ll start by saying that this is one of the most outstanding novels I have come across in a long time, it’s unlike anything I have ever read & I was instantly captivated by Stridsberg’s poetic prose, just such a vivid sense of place was depicted, pure emotive/raw writing – all of which has left me somewhat awestruck & now I find myself googling all her backlist titles. Truly a remarkable novel! I do just want to preface this review by saying that this will not be to everyone’s taste as it is on the darker side – however if you feel you want to give it a go, Stridsberg will take you on the most visceral journey that you will not forget for a while to come. In a nutshell it’s a chilling (quite literally) work of literary fantasy where our protagonist describes her own brutal murder & takes us on a journey depicting a life lived on the margins & those left behind in the wake of her untimely death.
Inni is a young woman of 24 years old living in Stockholm, an addict, a prostitute – working to secure that next fix. A life littered with regrets as post death she ‘visits’ those left behind & reflects on her life, the impact it had on those closest to her & the heartache she experiences with these realisations. Her story is dark & intense, as one may understand working the streets is dangerous in its own rights & Inni likens herself to Snow White as she reflects back on how she came to find herself in that particular car, with that particular man. Her reflections are chilling as its clear that she was unafraid, resigned to the fact that this was her fate & holds no desire to be saved. Stridsberg masterfully depicts the darkness that goes with a murder, how fragile our lives are & the power one person can have over a human life – add a dash of that Scandi Noir, yet without the gore – add the beauty of the environment (think lakes & forest) & how that may tie into the story to truly paint a picture for the reader.
I’m not sure I have experienced storytelling quite like this, at times it’s sentimental, at others regretful, philosophical & reflective -yet will leave you devastated for our protagonist, wishing she had been given a chance to redo it all when you realise she is a soft soul who was led astray. When the saying ‘You only have one life’ has never felt more apt. I would also like to mention that the translation was seamless & has reiterated why I have fallen head over heels for translated titles this year.
All in all, when I was reading this title I found that the loud noise of my life was silenced – its an all encompassing reading experience & after finishing I truly was speechless. I am tempted to read this one again, to see if there’s anything I can gleam from a second viewing – to absorb Stridsberg’s words all over. Needless to say this one will stay with me for a very long time, it’s a novel that changes the focus of your typical ‘murder’ novel & shines a spotlight on the life that was taken vs. the one who took it – that for me was the most beautiful aspect. One I cannot recommend enough, yet that recommendation comes with the warning of the subject matter explored – please be mindful.
Enormous thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.