EPT
Norwegian Author - Karl Ove Knausgård
The Economist writes about Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård, who recently published a very detailed, exhaustive, comprehensive account of his life. He describes daily events in a scathingly unabridged way.
Mr Knausgaard is the author of one of the most idiosyncratic literary works of recent years: a six-volume, 3,500-page autobiography called “My Struggle”, after Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”. It starts with a portrait of his father’s alcohol-soaked death, ends with a meditation on Hitler and takes the author through the cycle of his life. Mr Knausgaard is now 45.
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One in ten Norwegians have read some of the book, and companies have introduced “Knausgaard-free days” in order to keep people’s minds on work. It has also turned him into something of a pariah, not just because he called the book “My Struggle”, but also because he lays bare the lives of everyone around him. His father’s side of the family refuse to speak to him. Ordinary Norwegians regard him with horror as well as fascination.
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One in ten Norwegians have read some of the book, and companies have introduced “Knausgaard-free days” in order to keep people’s minds on work. It has also turned him into something of a pariah, not just because he called the book “My Struggle”, but also because he lays bare the lives of everyone around him. His father’s side of the family refuse to speak to him. Ordinary Norwegians regard him with horror as well as fascination.
Keep reading.
I haven't read Knausgård, but Wikipedia tells us, "In a radio-interview with his estranged ex-wife, who plays a central part in several of the Min Kamp-books, Knausgård admits that he sometimes feels that he has made a "Faustian bargain"—by sacrificing his relationship with parts of his family and friends he has achieved enormous success." This book was brought to my attention by a couple of people recommending it to me. In fact, I've had a couple of internet friends tell me that this is a book worth reading. It's certainly widely-read so there must be SOMETHING to it
Since it's so popular, I'm thinking about it, but a 3,500 page book really isn't in the cards for me in the next few months. I'm also vaguely disturbed by what I've heard about the content of the book, that he lays so bare everything about his private life. It intrigues me, though, also. There's a certain lack of intimacy in my life, or maybe in modern life in general, and maybe I'd really enjoy drinking so deeply from someone else's experiences. I feel drawn to it because I don't know if I'd ever be able to understand or experience a stranger's life so fully other than by reading his book. I wonder if the English translation is any good.
Has anyone else read Knausgård's book? What did you think of it? If you didn't read it, why not?
H/T: Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution for the link.
And it´s 6 books, so you dont have to ready 3500 pages through one massive book 
I have not read it though.
