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Morgenstjernen #2
The Wolves of Eternity: A Novel
The transporting, standalone continuation of the acclaimed, apocalyptically-charged novel The Morning Star—the second in a bold new series.
In 1986, twenty-year-old Syvert Løyning returns from the military to his mother’s home in southern Norway. One evening, his dead father comes to him in a dream. Realizing that he doesn’t really know who his father was, Syvert begins to investigate his life and finds clues pointing to the Soviet Union. What he learns changes his past and undermines the entire notion of who he is. But when his mother becomes ill, and he must care for his little brother, Joar, on his own, he no longer has time or space for lofty speculations.
In present-day Russia, Alevtina Kotov, a biologist working at Moscow University, is traveling with her young son to the home of her stepfather, to celebrate his eightieth birthday. As a student, Alevtina was bright, curious and ambitious, asking the big questions about life and human consciousness. But as she approaches middle-age, most of that drive has gone, and she finds herself in a place she doesn’t want to be, without really understanding how she got there. Her stepfather, a musician, raised her as his own daughter, and she was never interested in learning about her biological father; when she finally starts looking into him, she learns that he died many years ago and left two sons, Joar and Syvert.
Years later, when Syvert and Alevtina meet in Moscow, two very different approaches to life emerge. And as a bright star appears in the sky, it illuminates the wonder of human existence and the mysteries that exist beyond our own worldview. Set against the political and cultural backdrop of both the 1980s and the present day, The Wolves of Eternity is an expansive and affecting book about relations—to one another, to nature, to the dead.
In 1986, twenty-year-old Syvert Løyning returns from the military to his mother’s home in southern Norway. One evening, his dead father comes to him in a dream. Realizing that he doesn’t really know who his father was, Syvert begins to investigate his life and finds clues pointing to the Soviet Union. What he learns changes his past and undermines the entire notion of who he is. But when his mother becomes ill, and he must care for his little brother, Joar, on his own, he no longer has time or space for lofty speculations.
In present-day Russia, Alevtina Kotov, a biologist working at Moscow University, is traveling with her young son to the home of her stepfather, to celebrate his eightieth birthday. As a student, Alevtina was bright, curious and ambitious, asking the big questions about life and human consciousness. But as she approaches middle-age, most of that drive has gone, and she finds herself in a place she doesn’t want to be, without really understanding how she got there. Her stepfather, a musician, raised her as his own daughter, and she was never interested in learning about her biological father; when she finally starts looking into him, she learns that he died many years ago and left two sons, Joar and Syvert.
Years later, when Syvert and Alevtina meet in Moscow, two very different approaches to life emerge. And as a bright star appears in the sky, it illuminates the wonder of human existence and the mysteries that exist beyond our own worldview. Set against the political and cultural backdrop of both the 1980s and the present day, The Wolves of Eternity is an expansive and affecting book about relations—to one another, to nature, to the dead.
800 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2021
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10790 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews
July 10, 2023
“One may tell oneself that death is part of life, and indeed I tell myself that it is so, for there is certainly a truth in it, but it is not the case that death is an inversion of life, its shadow as it were. Rather, the opposite is true. Life is an inversion of death. It is death that rules. We are all of us death’s children.”
.
“However much you feed a wolf, it always looks to the forest. We are all the wolves of the dense forest of eternity.” This quote comes from Marina Tsvetaeva in correspondence to her friend Rainer Maria Rilke, and if you add in the literary triptych of Boris Pasternak then you will have a poetic bond that heavily influences this novel. It seems strange to think at first, what might these three have to do with Karl Ove Knausguaard’s second book in his Morning Star trilogy but their work is talked about religiously, also many of the characters names stem from relatives of the three, from Pasternak’s son, Tsvetaeva’s daughter and so on. The everlasting question of death is a main thematic element in the Wolves Of Eternity which also ruminates throughout the writings of these three very cordial friends , there Is a wonderful collection of letters written between the three of them that NYRB’s has published that I highly recommend. Now you may be thinking what does this have to do with the KOK novel, stick with me, because the most intriguing spots of this book came not from the main characters but the ones lurking in the shadows
.
As mentioned this book ponders the finality of death and the briefness of life, a little known Russian man named Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov is a strange intermission with his ideas of resurrecting the dead, not just one or two people but everyone who has ever lived. His ideas in the early 20th century were ludicrous to some but Christ-like to others. He was friends with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and many other famous writers and people and to this day in Russia some explore his ideas of the postponement of death, such a seductive endeavor by KOK to explore such relations within this alternate type world he has created ( don’t worry the morning star makes an appearance towards the anticlimactic subtle end and all these themes of death are intoxicatingly related, the man is a genius)
.
If you’ve stuck with me this long let me begin to explain the novel according to my perceptions. There are really two main characters, the first being Syvert in Norway ( whose section last 400 pages and is more dull then a documentary on a man named Syvert living in Norway) The second is his half sister Alevtina who resides in Russia ( and fear not her section is filled with scientific and biological studies, death as a construct, classical music and more highly sophisticated literary and science references to make up for the first half) However, let me digress and explain what I think KOK was doing, Syvert is nineteen at the time of his tale, he is not the most educated man and he is grappling with a sick mother and a dead father who he has just found out had an affair with a woman in Russia, spawning his half sister. His narrative gives a whiney Holden Caulfield type dialogue that is quite pedestrian and bellow par for Karl to write, I was skeptical but believe now this was done on purpose, the juxtaposition of sections creates a landscape that expresses the characters capacity to understand the world
.
If you’re familiar with KOK’s long sinewy descriptions of mundane everyday occurrences then they come back with a force during Alevtina and also her friends section ( whom has the most literarily dense yet immaculate sections, its here that Karl reverts back to his My Struggle series and gives us what we all have been waiting for) The banality and lulling dialogue heavy first section sets a precedent and lowers our standards only to be thrust into oblivion when he flips the script. I feel being able to write down from your ability is a challenging assessment and a bold move to make, but KOK dumbs down for us, for his character. Now if I’m being honest majority of this novel is anticlimactic, every part ends with a “well alright that was kinda bland” but I think that’s also the allure, he leaves you with a taste in your mouth, is it sour? Sweet? We aren’t quite sure but we know we want to continue.
.
For those wondering if you need to read the Morning Star before this, the answer is Yes and NO, it is not a continuation but a novel set in the same world as the first, however the ending leaves you with a sense that book three will combine these two to form something larger in scale so I would advise you to read the morning star even if it’s after this one. If you’re still with me here I think this novel is hard to gauge because you get both ends of the literary spectrum, people who love section one might feel it hard to engage with the following, and the people who love the last 400 pages might find it very hard to get there ( that is the camp I fall into) don’t despair, if you’re a Knausgaard fan and want to experience him at his finest then push through, I promise you the second half is enough to make you salivate and research for weeks upon completion. A transcendent look into family, life, scientific discovery, and of course the age old question of death. Also the section titled “The Wolves of Eternity” is a character written departure seemingly as its a preface to a book they’re writing, but it comes back into play twofold, also this section would be a marvelous stand alone 50 page exploration into Russian insanity, highly recommended but not without caution.
.
“However much you feed a wolf, it always looks to the forest. We are all the wolves of the dense forest of eternity.” This quote comes from Marina Tsvetaeva in correspondence to her friend Rainer Maria Rilke, and if you add in the literary triptych of Boris Pasternak then you will have a poetic bond that heavily influences this novel. It seems strange to think at first, what might these three have to do with Karl Ove Knausguaard’s second book in his Morning Star trilogy but their work is talked about religiously, also many of the characters names stem from relatives of the three, from Pasternak’s son, Tsvetaeva’s daughter and so on. The everlasting question of death is a main thematic element in the Wolves Of Eternity which also ruminates throughout the writings of these three very cordial friends , there Is a wonderful collection of letters written between the three of them that NYRB’s has published that I highly recommend. Now you may be thinking what does this have to do with the KOK novel, stick with me, because the most intriguing spots of this book came not from the main characters but the ones lurking in the shadows
.
As mentioned this book ponders the finality of death and the briefness of life, a little known Russian man named Nikolai Fyodorovich Fyodorov is a strange intermission with his ideas of resurrecting the dead, not just one or two people but everyone who has ever lived. His ideas in the early 20th century were ludicrous to some but Christ-like to others. He was friends with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and many other famous writers and people and to this day in Russia some explore his ideas of the postponement of death, such a seductive endeavor by KOK to explore such relations within this alternate type world he has created ( don’t worry the morning star makes an appearance towards the anticlimactic subtle end and all these themes of death are intoxicatingly related, the man is a genius)
.
If you’ve stuck with me this long let me begin to explain the novel according to my perceptions. There are really two main characters, the first being Syvert in Norway ( whose section last 400 pages and is more dull then a documentary on a man named Syvert living in Norway) The second is his half sister Alevtina who resides in Russia ( and fear not her section is filled with scientific and biological studies, death as a construct, classical music and more highly sophisticated literary and science references to make up for the first half) However, let me digress and explain what I think KOK was doing, Syvert is nineteen at the time of his tale, he is not the most educated man and he is grappling with a sick mother and a dead father who he has just found out had an affair with a woman in Russia, spawning his half sister. His narrative gives a whiney Holden Caulfield type dialogue that is quite pedestrian and bellow par for Karl to write, I was skeptical but believe now this was done on purpose, the juxtaposition of sections creates a landscape that expresses the characters capacity to understand the world
.
If you’re familiar with KOK’s long sinewy descriptions of mundane everyday occurrences then they come back with a force during Alevtina and also her friends section ( whom has the most literarily dense yet immaculate sections, its here that Karl reverts back to his My Struggle series and gives us what we all have been waiting for) The banality and lulling dialogue heavy first section sets a precedent and lowers our standards only to be thrust into oblivion when he flips the script. I feel being able to write down from your ability is a challenging assessment and a bold move to make, but KOK dumbs down for us, for his character. Now if I’m being honest majority of this novel is anticlimactic, every part ends with a “well alright that was kinda bland” but I think that’s also the allure, he leaves you with a taste in your mouth, is it sour? Sweet? We aren’t quite sure but we know we want to continue.
.
For those wondering if you need to read the Morning Star before this, the answer is Yes and NO, it is not a continuation but a novel set in the same world as the first, however the ending leaves you with a sense that book three will combine these two to form something larger in scale so I would advise you to read the morning star even if it’s after this one. If you’re still with me here I think this novel is hard to gauge because you get both ends of the literary spectrum, people who love section one might feel it hard to engage with the following, and the people who love the last 400 pages might find it very hard to get there ( that is the camp I fall into) don’t despair, if you’re a Knausgaard fan and want to experience him at his finest then push through, I promise you the second half is enough to make you salivate and research for weeks upon completion. A transcendent look into family, life, scientific discovery, and of course the age old question of death. Also the section titled “The Wolves of Eternity” is a character written departure seemingly as its a preface to a book they’re writing, but it comes back into play twofold, also this section would be a marvelous stand alone 50 page exploration into Russian insanity, highly recommended but not without caution.
February 24, 2024
4+ - 5
Karl Ove Knausgaard has written a novel typical of many Russian novels in its length and scope. Its 789 pages may be daunting to many, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Many themes are included, themes that certainly have been explored by many writers, but Knausgaard, in my opinion, did a splendid job of addressing them in new and engaging ways.
Connections and life and death are delved into on many levels. The first section of The Wolves of Eternity*, a novel in itself, is about Syvert, an eighteen-year-old returning home after fulfilling his Norwegian military service in the 1980s. His father is dead. His mother is seriously ill and needs help providing for a younger brother. Syvert has no job and no sense of where his life is going. Although not a great thinker (not many are at 18), he does what he can to help out. With time on his hands, he searches through his father’s belongings and finds letters written in Cyrillic. Snippets of his father’s secret life in Russia are revealed when they are translated. A mystery is beginning to unfurl as the book now turns to the story of Alvetina,
Three decades later in Putin’s Russia a scientist named Alvetina is giving lectures to young students. She is adrift in her life and in her beliefs. She pursues an interest in the life of trees and their symbiotic fungal networks but is unable to develop a doctoral thesis. This could be viewed as a lengthy digression, but it reveals much about Alvetina. It is also a topic I have some knowledge about and find very intriguing. Her mysterious friend is researching the beliefs of Nikolai Fyodorov. An influence on Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, he believed that the dead can be revived. Life eternal is possible. This lengthy section also might be viewed as a digression but, again, I found it of great interest, especially when considering today’s research into Cryonics, science investigating what was once solely the belief of the church.
When Syvert and Alvetina meet in Moscow, the major themes are again evident. There is a connection among people, among all living things. Weather and celestial phenomena are occurring throughout the world. I strongly suspect Knausgaard is no isolationist.
Many consider Knausgaard to be the finest Norwegian writer since Henrik Ibsen. I’m not really qualified to judge that. I can definitely say his writing is superb and the characters so very authentic. When I read a novel of this length and wish it were even longer, I know it has had a powerful impact, one that will affect me for a long time.
* The title was taken from a poem by the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva. “However much you feed a wolf, it always looks to the forest. We are all wolves of the dense forest of Eternity.”
Karl Ove Knausgaard has written a novel typical of many Russian novels in its length and scope. Its 789 pages may be daunting to many, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Many themes are included, themes that certainly have been explored by many writers, but Knausgaard, in my opinion, did a splendid job of addressing them in new and engaging ways.
Connections and life and death are delved into on many levels. The first section of The Wolves of Eternity*, a novel in itself, is about Syvert, an eighteen-year-old returning home after fulfilling his Norwegian military service in the 1980s. His father is dead. His mother is seriously ill and needs help providing for a younger brother. Syvert has no job and no sense of where his life is going. Although not a great thinker (not many are at 18), he does what he can to help out. With time on his hands, he searches through his father’s belongings and finds letters written in Cyrillic. Snippets of his father’s secret life in Russia are revealed when they are translated. A mystery is beginning to unfurl as the book now turns to the story of Alvetina,
Three decades later in Putin’s Russia a scientist named Alvetina is giving lectures to young students. She is adrift in her life and in her beliefs. She pursues an interest in the life of trees and their symbiotic fungal networks but is unable to develop a doctoral thesis. This could be viewed as a lengthy digression, but it reveals much about Alvetina. It is also a topic I have some knowledge about and find very intriguing. Her mysterious friend is researching the beliefs of Nikolai Fyodorov. An influence on Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, he believed that the dead can be revived. Life eternal is possible. This lengthy section also might be viewed as a digression but, again, I found it of great interest, especially when considering today’s research into Cryonics, science investigating what was once solely the belief of the church.
When Syvert and Alvetina meet in Moscow, the major themes are again evident. There is a connection among people, among all living things. Weather and celestial phenomena are occurring throughout the world. I strongly suspect Knausgaard is no isolationist.
Many consider Knausgaard to be the finest Norwegian writer since Henrik Ibsen. I’m not really qualified to judge that. I can definitely say his writing is superb and the characters so very authentic. When I read a novel of this length and wish it were even longer, I know it has had a powerful impact, one that will affect me for a long time.
* The title was taken from a poem by the Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva. “However much you feed a wolf, it always looks to the forest. We are all wolves of the dense forest of Eternity.”
December 15, 2024
”Hur vi än föder vargen – sneglar den alltid åt skogen. Vi är alla vargar från Evighetens snårskog”
Precis som i den fristående föregångaren Morgonstjärnan är Vargarna från evighetens skog indelad i personkapitel. Inledningsvis är det 1986 och de helt nya karaktärerna binds samman genom att de alla mer eller mindre sysslar med döden. Det är främst två personer som står i centrum; den irriterande Syvert som på påminner mig om den unge Knausgård (fotboll, fylla, flickor, musik, onani, oklara framtidsplaner, lurad av journalist, saknar självinsikt, flyter ovanpå). Jag har läsningen av Min kamp lite för nära i tid för att roas av Syvert även om jag också kan se att han är en fantastiskt välgjord karaktär. Jag tycker att det blir tjatigt. Han får därtill jobb på begravningsbyrå och då liknar diegesen filmen Avsked som jag såg precis nyligen. Syvert har en – vad det verkar – autistisk bror och om Syvert representerar Knausgårds lättsammare sida står Joar för den intellektuella.
Romanens andra halva är till stor del förlagd i Ryssland 2016 och här lär vi känna Alevtina, bokens andra huvudperson. Hon är från socialgrupp ett, akademiker och det gläder mig att Knausgård här för första gången – så vitt jag vet – lägger krut på en kvinnlig karaktär som är både mamma, beläst, sexuell och seriös. När Syverts västerländska naiva lättsamhet möter det ryska allvaret uppstår magi. Tyvärr innehåller den andra delen ett väl långt essäliknande avsnitt om dödlighetsteori, mykorrhiza med mera som knuffar ur mig ur fiktionen.
Med tanke på vad som händer i Ukraina nu är det intressant att Knausgård bara vid något enstaka tillfälle berör desinformation och dupering. Tvärtom framstår ryssarna här som det klokare folket som undvikit att fastna i vad Knausgård troligen betecknar som postmodernismens fälla. ”Språket om världen är inte världen.”
Det är Alevtinas vän Vasja som bär frågeställningen likt en fackla, vidare från Egil Stray i Morgonstjärnan in i evighetens skog; Vad tror du på? I Morgonstjärnan tog Knausgård itu med återuppståndelsen och det gudomliga (idealism), nu är det vetenskapen som står i centrum och hur den tar sig an odödligheten (materialism).
Så vem är vargarna och varför kommer de från evighetens skog? Mina tankar går till den dualistiska traditionen som bygger på dikotomin kropp och själ. Om vargarna är metafor för människa/kropp (människan är människans varg) och skogen för medvetande/själ så belyser titeln människans intresse av evigt liv. Jag tänker på människans svårighet att vara i nuet, längtan bort från där vi är, in i framtiden och helst kanske in i evigheten. Knausgård tycks intressera sig stort för det metafysiska men vill inte att vi ska ignorera den materialistiska verkligheten som innebär att människan är biologi hur mkt vi än önskar att vi inte vore det. Jag tror författaren önskar ett vitalt samtal om ontologi och att vi ska sluta blunda för döden eftersom vi alla står i kontakt med den. Evigt liv skulle dock ta bort innebörden av livet, (vilket Martin Hägglund skrivit om i Vårt enda liv.) Jag tror att Knausgård vill få läsaren att irritera sig på den glättiga Syvert som till varje pris undviker att ge uttryck för ”negativitet”.
”Utan tankarna skulle vi ha varit ett med allt.
Men då skulle vi inte ha varit vi. Då skulle vi inte ha undrat över någonting, inte ställt en enda fråga.
Vad var värst, att vara totalt ignorant men i världen, eller att undra över allt och vara utanför den?”
Vargarna från evighetens skog är nästan 800 sidor lång, mångbottnad, oerhört väl berättad och informativ med intressanta inslag av exceptionella saker jag aldrig tidigare hört talas om, exempelvis danspesten i Strasbourg och Fjodorovs projekt. Stilen är lika detaljerad och vardagsrealistisk som vanligt. Händelsefattig kan man tycka men på samma gång just som livet är: en räcka banaliteter. Han gestaltar väl och suggererar fram en hotfull apokalyptisk stämning utan att släppa taget om realismen. Knausgård gör världen ny för läsaren att upptäcka. Jag fastnar extra mycket för på vilket sätt han skildrar hur en förälder inte syns - och inte ska synas – förrän den saknas. En bra förälder ska vara osynligt närvarande och tagen för given. Det handlar på olika sätt om att få en andra chans. Romanen är andra ronden i brottningsmatchen mellan liv och död, öst och väst, dröm och verklighet, djup och yta, religion och vetenskap, modernism och postmodernism, närvaro och frånvaro, kropp och själ, nuet och evigheten. Jag tar tacksamt emot som vore det ett råd, vad jag tolkar som Knausgårds andliga längtan och försök att dämpa existentiell ångest: sök fakta genom att läsa läsa läsa, undvika slentrian genom att göra sig ny för världen genom skrivandet.
”Plötsligt såg jag henne som hon var. Inte som ”mamma” utan som en kvinna mellan fyrtio och femtio. Ansiktet, rynkorna runt munnen och i pannan, mungiporna som hade börjat peka nedåt. Kroppen, ryggen som kutade lite, de långa och smala fingrarna som fortfarande höll om glaset.” (Proust-inspirerat citat.)
Trots makalöst intressanta teman kanske att en icke-knausgårdian kommer att tappa intresset? Det är en gedigen föreläsning han genomför och det är först på de sista hundrafemtio sidorna som lunken övergår i galopp. När jag slår igen boken finner jag mig dock hängande på klippan, ivrigt väntande på del tre.
”For life, it’s very, very bad to be sensitive, but for a writer, it’s very good”.
4,5 stjärnor
Precis som i den fristående föregångaren Morgonstjärnan är Vargarna från evighetens skog indelad i personkapitel. Inledningsvis är det 1986 och de helt nya karaktärerna binds samman genom att de alla mer eller mindre sysslar med döden. Det är främst två personer som står i centrum; den irriterande Syvert som på påminner mig om den unge Knausgård (fotboll, fylla, flickor, musik, onani, oklara framtidsplaner, lurad av journalist, saknar självinsikt, flyter ovanpå). Jag har läsningen av Min kamp lite för nära i tid för att roas av Syvert även om jag också kan se att han är en fantastiskt välgjord karaktär. Jag tycker att det blir tjatigt. Han får därtill jobb på begravningsbyrå och då liknar diegesen filmen Avsked som jag såg precis nyligen. Syvert har en – vad det verkar – autistisk bror och om Syvert representerar Knausgårds lättsammare sida står Joar för den intellektuella.
Romanens andra halva är till stor del förlagd i Ryssland 2016 och här lär vi känna Alevtina, bokens andra huvudperson. Hon är från socialgrupp ett, akademiker och det gläder mig att Knausgård här för första gången – så vitt jag vet – lägger krut på en kvinnlig karaktär som är både mamma, beläst, sexuell och seriös. När Syverts västerländska naiva lättsamhet möter det ryska allvaret uppstår magi. Tyvärr innehåller den andra delen ett väl långt essäliknande avsnitt om dödlighetsteori, mykorrhiza med mera som knuffar ur mig ur fiktionen.
Med tanke på vad som händer i Ukraina nu är det intressant att Knausgård bara vid något enstaka tillfälle berör desinformation och dupering. Tvärtom framstår ryssarna här som det klokare folket som undvikit att fastna i vad Knausgård troligen betecknar som postmodernismens fälla. ”Språket om världen är inte världen.”
Det är Alevtinas vän Vasja som bär frågeställningen likt en fackla, vidare från Egil Stray i Morgonstjärnan in i evighetens skog; Vad tror du på? I Morgonstjärnan tog Knausgård itu med återuppståndelsen och det gudomliga (idealism), nu är det vetenskapen som står i centrum och hur den tar sig an odödligheten (materialism).
Så vem är vargarna och varför kommer de från evighetens skog? Mina tankar går till den dualistiska traditionen som bygger på dikotomin kropp och själ. Om vargarna är metafor för människa/kropp (människan är människans varg) och skogen för medvetande/själ så belyser titeln människans intresse av evigt liv. Jag tänker på människans svårighet att vara i nuet, längtan bort från där vi är, in i framtiden och helst kanske in i evigheten. Knausgård tycks intressera sig stort för det metafysiska men vill inte att vi ska ignorera den materialistiska verkligheten som innebär att människan är biologi hur mkt vi än önskar att vi inte vore det. Jag tror författaren önskar ett vitalt samtal om ontologi och att vi ska sluta blunda för döden eftersom vi alla står i kontakt med den. Evigt liv skulle dock ta bort innebörden av livet, (vilket Martin Hägglund skrivit om i Vårt enda liv.) Jag tror att Knausgård vill få läsaren att irritera sig på den glättiga Syvert som till varje pris undviker att ge uttryck för ”negativitet”.
”Utan tankarna skulle vi ha varit ett med allt.
Men då skulle vi inte ha varit vi. Då skulle vi inte ha undrat över någonting, inte ställt en enda fråga.
Vad var värst, att vara totalt ignorant men i världen, eller att undra över allt och vara utanför den?”
Vargarna från evighetens skog är nästan 800 sidor lång, mångbottnad, oerhört väl berättad och informativ med intressanta inslag av exceptionella saker jag aldrig tidigare hört talas om, exempelvis danspesten i Strasbourg och Fjodorovs projekt. Stilen är lika detaljerad och vardagsrealistisk som vanligt. Händelsefattig kan man tycka men på samma gång just som livet är: en räcka banaliteter. Han gestaltar väl och suggererar fram en hotfull apokalyptisk stämning utan att släppa taget om realismen. Knausgård gör världen ny för läsaren att upptäcka. Jag fastnar extra mycket för på vilket sätt han skildrar hur en förälder inte syns - och inte ska synas – förrän den saknas. En bra förälder ska vara osynligt närvarande och tagen för given. Det handlar på olika sätt om att få en andra chans. Romanen är andra ronden i brottningsmatchen mellan liv och död, öst och väst, dröm och verklighet, djup och yta, religion och vetenskap, modernism och postmodernism, närvaro och frånvaro, kropp och själ, nuet och evigheten. Jag tar tacksamt emot som vore det ett råd, vad jag tolkar som Knausgårds andliga längtan och försök att dämpa existentiell ångest: sök fakta genom att läsa läsa läsa, undvika slentrian genom att göra sig ny för världen genom skrivandet.
”Plötsligt såg jag henne som hon var. Inte som ”mamma” utan som en kvinna mellan fyrtio och femtio. Ansiktet, rynkorna runt munnen och i pannan, mungiporna som hade börjat peka nedåt. Kroppen, ryggen som kutade lite, de långa och smala fingrarna som fortfarande höll om glaset.” (Proust-inspirerat citat.)
Trots makalöst intressanta teman kanske att en icke-knausgårdian kommer att tappa intresset? Det är en gedigen föreläsning han genomför och det är först på de sista hundrafemtio sidorna som lunken övergår i galopp. När jag slår igen boken finner jag mig dock hängande på klippan, ivrigt väntande på del tre.
”For life, it’s very, very bad to be sensitive, but for a writer, it’s very good”.
4,5 stjärnor
November 2, 2025
In “The Wolves of Eternity,” Knausgård has created a monument to his admiration for 19th-century Russian authors. With Tolstoyan breadth and Dostoevskian depth, he depicts—alongside other minor scenes—excerpts from the lives of two main characters: the Norwegian Syvert, primarily during the Chernobyl disaster, and the Russian Alevtina in the present day.
The book deals with illness, soccer, falling in love, funeral homes, the forest, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and Rilke. Some parts read like essays, some are exciting, and some—as is so often the case with Knausgård—are marked by the trivialities of everyday life, although even then you feel that there is another level resonating, that something lurks between the lines that is as intangible as death.
And just as it gradually becomes clear that we all carry death within us, the initially disparate plot lines come together, bridging time and uniting the remnants of a family. On the one hand, Knausgård succeeds in evoking powerful emotions: we suffer with the characters and would like nothing more than to take them into our hearts. On the other hand, hundreds of pages later, he relativizes this suffering in a subordinate clause, and we realize how fleeting our feelings are, how much they lose their contours through the filter of time. This is probably his greatest achievement: giving us hope that the forest of eternity stands in contrast to all our finite lives and that their glow—however brief—is as significant as the infinite blackness of the undergrowth.
At the end, there is a star in the sky again, and we remember that this book is a continuation of another—something that is forgotten over long stretches of the novel.
The book deals with illness, soccer, falling in love, funeral homes, the forest, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and Rilke. Some parts read like essays, some are exciting, and some—as is so often the case with Knausgård—are marked by the trivialities of everyday life, although even then you feel that there is another level resonating, that something lurks between the lines that is as intangible as death.
And just as it gradually becomes clear that we all carry death within us, the initially disparate plot lines come together, bridging time and uniting the remnants of a family. On the one hand, Knausgård succeeds in evoking powerful emotions: we suffer with the characters and would like nothing more than to take them into our hearts. On the other hand, hundreds of pages later, he relativizes this suffering in a subordinate clause, and we realize how fleeting our feelings are, how much they lose their contours through the filter of time. This is probably his greatest achievement: giving us hope that the forest of eternity stands in contrast to all our finite lives and that their glow—however brief—is as significant as the infinite blackness of the undergrowth.
At the end, there is a star in the sky again, and we remember that this book is a continuation of another—something that is forgotten over long stretches of the novel.
June 15, 2025
Having greatly enjoyed and loved the characters in the first installment of The Morning Star, I immediately started the second installment. I couldn't wait to continue their story! Well, I would have to wait for that! The Wolves of Eternity introduces an entire new cast of characters. At first, I was disappointed, but it didn't take long for me to get over that disappoint. I absolutely LOVED the new characters. Again, I bought the kindle and Audible version. The first character is Syvert at age 19. My favorite character narrated by my favorite narrator, Edoardo Ballerini!
The first section is a type of coming of age story for Syvert exploring his relationship with his family and mates. The main concept explored in The Wolves of Eternity is death. There was also the sub-concept of dreams as portents. I found both interesting and fascinating. Russia can be considered a character in this installment. Chernobyl and the radiation is examined. The Russian language and the translation of it. The setting shifts to Russia after the first section about Syvert. There is great examination of Russian literature and philosophy and the well known people associated with both. This is when I was grateful to be listening, as I might have struggled to get through these longer sections if I was only reading.
In keeping with the concept of death, the author analyzes and explores the concept of resurrection. The juxtaposition of the views of science and religion, of spiritual and bodily resurrection. There are other characters introduced and some are interconnected. The concept of trees/forest being interconnected with the ability to communicate was very interesting. I love discovering where the title comes into play and is explained in the narrative. I love reading about big ideas, picking them about and exploring them.
The Wolves of Eternity really delivered as a way to add to the experience of The Morning Star. Again, I was so taken by and invested in the story, I immediately bought and began book three.
The first section is a type of coming of age story for Syvert exploring his relationship with his family and mates. The main concept explored in The Wolves of Eternity is death. There was also the sub-concept of dreams as portents. I found both interesting and fascinating. Russia can be considered a character in this installment. Chernobyl and the radiation is examined. The Russian language and the translation of it. The setting shifts to Russia after the first section about Syvert. There is great examination of Russian literature and philosophy and the well known people associated with both. This is when I was grateful to be listening, as I might have struggled to get through these longer sections if I was only reading.
In keeping with the concept of death, the author analyzes and explores the concept of resurrection. The juxtaposition of the views of science and religion, of spiritual and bodily resurrection. There are other characters introduced and some are interconnected. The concept of trees/forest being interconnected with the ability to communicate was very interesting. I love discovering where the title comes into play and is explained in the narrative. I love reading about big ideas, picking them about and exploring them.
The Wolves of Eternity really delivered as a way to add to the experience of The Morning Star. Again, I was so taken by and invested in the story, I immediately bought and began book three.
November 16, 2023
This is a sequel to 2020's The Morning Star, right? I must have asked myself that at least a dozen times during the first several hundred pages of "The Wolves of Eternity," because it's not at all apparent.
At 666 pages, "The Morning Star" was stuffed full of characters. "The Wolves of Eternity," at 800 pages, is really only concerned with two, neither of whom was featured in the previous book. It's not until more than 700 pages in — 700! — that the same star appears in the sky, equally befuddling the characters of this second book. Up until that point, though, "The Wolves of Eternity" feels like it exists in an entirely separate universe from that first one.
I'm sorry to say, that's not a good thing.
This is the eighth work of fiction I've read by Karl Ove Knausgård, who, following the second entry in his "My Struggle" series, quickly became one of my favorite authors. I loved all six books in that series, and I loved the first entry in this one, the aforementioned "Morning Star."
But this?
This book feels as soggy as that one felt crisp. Insipid and light whereas that book felt meaningful and weighty. The first book is a thriller of the best sort, a Dostoevsky-like work full of moral dilemmas and gothic horror. This one feels meandering and pointless. An incredibly taxing number of words to no real purpose.
If this had been the first book in the series, it would have been my last. Only because the first one was so good will I carry on and read the third part when it's released, but I'll do so warily, much less inclined to forgive than I was going into this one.
I mentioned that while "The Morning Star" contained a whole plethora of characters, this one contains only two.
Or maybe 2 1/2.
There's a barely formed writer character who suddenly begins to be featured toward the end. We're even treated to one of her essays, although "treated" would be the wrong word. It's a bore.
Otherwise, "The Wolves of Eternity" rotates entirely around two characters. We spend the first 450 or pages with Syvert in Norway, and 250 or so with Alevtina in Russia before flipping back to Syvert and then back again. It takes a good long while — i.e. 600+ pages — before we learn how these characters are connected but it doesn't really matter because neither one is particularly likable.
Knausgård's writing around Syvert is better, which makes this part of the book slightly more readable (not that that's saying much) but Syvert still comes off as something of a charmless oaf.
Alevtina, meanwhile, is even more unlikable. Prone to making rash emotional decisions, she's one of the more frustrating characters I've come across. I didn't like her part of the story at all, despite its arguably more interesting setting, and I was very eager to leave her behind.
Another real axe I have to grind here concerns Martin Aitken's translation. It's terrible. Like, distractingly bad.
For whatever reason, Aitken translates the entire book into what feels like British cockney. Why would a book set in Norway and Russia and consisting entirely of Norwegian and Russian characters have those characters — particularly Syvert — speaking like they're from East London? It doesn't make sense and it is never less than enraging.
A book by a major literary star that feels like it was translated specifically for those who like their English in cockney? Why?
The awful translation undoubtedly colored my view of the book, as I couldn't help but view Syvert as a lost character from Burgess' "Clockwork Orange." How did this milquetoast Alex DeLarge find himself in a Knausgård novel?
I'm not sure I made it clear earlier, but I am a massive Knausgård fan. Truly. But this, for me, is a serious misfire. Perhaps, when the series is laid to rest, this second entry will be redeemed by dint of what comes after, but such redemption would be a miraculous turnaround — tantamount to the appearance of a huge new star in the sky.
For now, though, I have to condemn this book not for being such a letdown, but simply for being such a massively dull book on its own.
Bloated.
Tired.
Rudderless.
A waterlogged corpse of a book.
At 666 pages, "The Morning Star" was stuffed full of characters. "The Wolves of Eternity," at 800 pages, is really only concerned with two, neither of whom was featured in the previous book. It's not until more than 700 pages in — 700! — that the same star appears in the sky, equally befuddling the characters of this second book. Up until that point, though, "The Wolves of Eternity" feels like it exists in an entirely separate universe from that first one.
I'm sorry to say, that's not a good thing.
This is the eighth work of fiction I've read by Karl Ove Knausgård, who, following the second entry in his "My Struggle" series, quickly became one of my favorite authors. I loved all six books in that series, and I loved the first entry in this one, the aforementioned "Morning Star."
But this?
This book feels as soggy as that one felt crisp. Insipid and light whereas that book felt meaningful and weighty. The first book is a thriller of the best sort, a Dostoevsky-like work full of moral dilemmas and gothic horror. This one feels meandering and pointless. An incredibly taxing number of words to no real purpose.
If this had been the first book in the series, it would have been my last. Only because the first one was so good will I carry on and read the third part when it's released, but I'll do so warily, much less inclined to forgive than I was going into this one.
I mentioned that while "The Morning Star" contained a whole plethora of characters, this one contains only two.
Or maybe 2 1/2.
There's a barely formed writer character who suddenly begins to be featured toward the end. We're even treated to one of her essays, although "treated" would be the wrong word. It's a bore.
Otherwise, "The Wolves of Eternity" rotates entirely around two characters. We spend the first 450 or pages with Syvert in Norway, and 250 or so with Alevtina in Russia before flipping back to Syvert and then back again. It takes a good long while — i.e. 600+ pages — before we learn how these characters are connected but it doesn't really matter because neither one is particularly likable.
Knausgård's writing around Syvert is better, which makes this part of the book slightly more readable (not that that's saying much) but Syvert still comes off as something of a charmless oaf.
Alevtina, meanwhile, is even more unlikable. Prone to making rash emotional decisions, she's one of the more frustrating characters I've come across. I didn't like her part of the story at all, despite its arguably more interesting setting, and I was very eager to leave her behind.
Another real axe I have to grind here concerns Martin Aitken's translation. It's terrible. Like, distractingly bad.
For whatever reason, Aitken translates the entire book into what feels like British cockney. Why would a book set in Norway and Russia and consisting entirely of Norwegian and Russian characters have those characters — particularly Syvert — speaking like they're from East London? It doesn't make sense and it is never less than enraging.
A book by a major literary star that feels like it was translated specifically for those who like their English in cockney? Why?
The awful translation undoubtedly colored my view of the book, as I couldn't help but view Syvert as a lost character from Burgess' "Clockwork Orange." How did this milquetoast Alex DeLarge find himself in a Knausgård novel?
I'm not sure I made it clear earlier, but I am a massive Knausgård fan. Truly. But this, for me, is a serious misfire. Perhaps, when the series is laid to rest, this second entry will be redeemed by dint of what comes after, but such redemption would be a miraculous turnaround — tantamount to the appearance of a huge new star in the sky.
For now, though, I have to condemn this book not for being such a letdown, but simply for being such a massively dull book on its own.
Bloated.
Tired.
Rudderless.
A waterlogged corpse of a book.
Read
February 7, 2025Nie wiem, jak Karl Ove to robi, ale ma niezwykły talent do opisywania zwykłego życia w angażujący, nieco magiczny nawet sposób. Mógłby mi napisać instrukcję obsługi pralki na kolejne 900 stron, a ja i tak czytałbym z wielkim zaangażowaniem, zachwycony każdą stroną.
"Wielki z lasu wieczności" to kontynuacja "Gwiazdy porannej", która wzeszła na niebie i zaczęła wywoływać w ludziach niepokój, przynosząc na planetę szereg anomalii. Nadal nie znamy konsekwencji pojawienia się gwiazdy ani tego, skąd się wzięła, ale czuję, że trzeci tom serii udzieli nam kilku odpowiedzi, jako że bohaterowie przedstawieni w pierwszym i drugim tomie mają się tam spotkać, a ich losy bardziej widocznie połączyć.
Ta historia to egzystencjalna podróż, poszukiwanie sensu w tym, co nas otacza, jak i również w przeszłości. Syvert odkrywa tajemnice swojego ojca, opisuje nam swoją relację z bratem i matką, a później Alewtina wysuwa się na pierwszy plan i wzbogaca całą opowieść o swoje przeżycia jako młoda matka i aspirująca biolożka. W tym wszystkim znajduje się miejsce dla Wasylisy i jej opowieści o pewnym znanym rosyjskim filozofie, Nikołaju Fiodorowie, którego poglądy dziwnym trafem łączyły się w mojej głowie z E. Muskiem i nie zdziwiłbym się, gdyby ten jakoś się nim inspirował w swoich poczynaniach i marzeniach o podbiciu Marsa.
Knausgård między wierszami komentuje stan świata, ludzkiej świadomości (może i zbiorowej), zagłębia się w portrety psychologiczne jednostek, które teoretycznie nie mają ze sobą nic wspólnego. Wije sieć połączeń, wplata tam naukę, religię, rozważania natury duchowej, a ja nie mógłbym być bardziej urzeczony. Jest to po prostu piękne i genialne. Bardzo satysfakcjonująca lektura, pomimo gabarytów. To była rozkosz być w tym świecie, już chcę do niego powrócić.
"Wielki z lasu wieczności" to kontynuacja "Gwiazdy porannej", która wzeszła na niebie i zaczęła wywoływać w ludziach niepokój, przynosząc na planetę szereg anomalii. Nadal nie znamy konsekwencji pojawienia się gwiazdy ani tego, skąd się wzięła, ale czuję, że trzeci tom serii udzieli nam kilku odpowiedzi, jako że bohaterowie przedstawieni w pierwszym i drugim tomie mają się tam spotkać, a ich losy bardziej widocznie połączyć.
Ta historia to egzystencjalna podróż, poszukiwanie sensu w tym, co nas otacza, jak i również w przeszłości. Syvert odkrywa tajemnice swojego ojca, opisuje nam swoją relację z bratem i matką, a później Alewtina wysuwa się na pierwszy plan i wzbogaca całą opowieść o swoje przeżycia jako młoda matka i aspirująca biolożka. W tym wszystkim znajduje się miejsce dla Wasylisy i jej opowieści o pewnym znanym rosyjskim filozofie, Nikołaju Fiodorowie, którego poglądy dziwnym trafem łączyły się w mojej głowie z E. Muskiem i nie zdziwiłbym się, gdyby ten jakoś się nim inspirował w swoich poczynaniach i marzeniach o podbiciu Marsa.
Knausgård między wierszami komentuje stan świata, ludzkiej świadomości (może i zbiorowej), zagłębia się w portrety psychologiczne jednostek, które teoretycznie nie mają ze sobą nic wspólnego. Wije sieć połączeń, wplata tam naukę, religię, rozważania natury duchowej, a ja nie mógłbym być bardziej urzeczony. Jest to po prostu piękne i genialne. Bardzo satysfakcjonująca lektura, pomimo gabarytów. To była rozkosz być w tym świecie, już chcę do niego powrócić.
December 13, 2024
Als Knausgård-liefhebber van het eerste uur, ten tijde van 'Mijn strijd' - toen het net als met deze cyclus telkens ongeduldig wachten was op de volgende vertaling - was ik er als de kippen bij om het vervolg op De morgenster te lezen, die verrassend knappe en duistere heropstanding van de romanschrijver in Karl Ove, die na eerdergenoemde cyclus had laten vallen nooit meer fictie te willen schrijven; enkel nog essays. Een tijdje heeft hij zich daaraan gehouden, maar gelukkig is hij daarop teruggekomen, al blijf ik nu, na dit lijvige deel toch een beetje op mijn honger zitten.
'De wolven van de eeuwigheid' is tevens de titel van een essay dat naar het einde van deze roman toe door Knausgård binnengesmokkeld wordt. Een beproefde techniek die hij ook al toepaste in Vrouw en De morgenster. Voor je daarin terechtkomt, heb je als lezer al twee onvoltooide romans van samen ruim 600 pagina's achter de kiezen en vervolgens krijgen die hun beslag in de kortere eindhoofdstukken. Pas daarin vindt dit deel twee ook aansluiting bij de onheilspellende gebeurtenissen uit deel 1. Met als gevolg dat je na 800 pagina's snakt naar het vervolg.
Knausgård verdeelt lezers en critici in kampen van fans en tegenstanders. Je zou kunnen zeggen dat hij zich omwille van zijn schrijversroem veel kan permitteren, maar dat geldt voor alle grote schrijvers. De twee levensfragmenten - dat van de negentienjarige Noorse Syvert (die heel wat Karl Ove-trekjes vertoont) en dat van de Russische biologe Alevtina - die hij hier met elkaar verbindt, zijn op Knausgårdiaanse wijze uitgeschreven: elke handeling, elke gedachte, elk gesprek wordt minutieus en bij momenten bruusk alternerend weergegeven. Je kan dat, zoals een criticus in DeStandaard, afdoen als een langdradige eeuwigheid, of je kan je eraan overleveren en al lezende als het ware samenvallen met deze open en eerlijk geschetste personages, precies zoals hij dat met zichzelf deed in de 'Mijn strijd'-cyclus.
Op dat vlak is de invloed van Karl Ove's docent en leermeester Jon Fosse duidelijk aanwezig. Toen ik 'Mijn strijd' las, had ik Fosse nog niet gelezen en was ik dus niet vertrouwd met zijn bezwerende, 'insneeuwende' stijl vol details, symboliek en herhalingen. Knausgård heeft er dan wel zijn eigen ding mee gedaan, toegankelijker en met grotere helderheid, maar schatplichtig blijft hij wat mij betreft wel. In een interview haalt hij ook de grote Russische auteurs aan als studie- en inspiratiebron en dan denk ik meteen aan wat Oek de Jong in Wat alleen de roman kan zeggen schrijft over zijn bewondering voor Tolstoj als 'de grote meester van het tegenwoordig stellen van de realiteit - nooit eerder kwam de fysieke werkelijkheid zo dichtbij.' Dat laatste benoemt precies het effect dat zowel Karl Ove Knausgård als Oek De Jong weten te bereiken bij hun lezers (uit het fan-kamp welteverstaan).
De wolven van de eeuwigheid voelde voor mij uiteindelijk eerder als een overgangsdeel in de Morgenster-cyclus. Een deel dat pas zijn plek in het geheel zal prijsgeven als ik alles achter de kiezen heb. En dat zijn nog minstens drie kloeke vervolgdelen. Ik zal ze sowieso lezen, want er schemert een voorbode van iets groots en duisters door tussen de regels, ook al was op dat vlak het eerste boek een stuk spannender. Benieuwd waar Karl Ove zijn lezers in wil meesleuren ... 3,5*
'De wolven van de eeuwigheid' is tevens de titel van een essay dat naar het einde van deze roman toe door Knausgård binnengesmokkeld wordt. Een beproefde techniek die hij ook al toepaste in Vrouw en De morgenster. Voor je daarin terechtkomt, heb je als lezer al twee onvoltooide romans van samen ruim 600 pagina's achter de kiezen en vervolgens krijgen die hun beslag in de kortere eindhoofdstukken. Pas daarin vindt dit deel twee ook aansluiting bij de onheilspellende gebeurtenissen uit deel 1. Met als gevolg dat je na 800 pagina's snakt naar het vervolg.
Knausgård verdeelt lezers en critici in kampen van fans en tegenstanders. Je zou kunnen zeggen dat hij zich omwille van zijn schrijversroem veel kan permitteren, maar dat geldt voor alle grote schrijvers. De twee levensfragmenten - dat van de negentienjarige Noorse Syvert (die heel wat Karl Ove-trekjes vertoont) en dat van de Russische biologe Alevtina - die hij hier met elkaar verbindt, zijn op Knausgårdiaanse wijze uitgeschreven: elke handeling, elke gedachte, elk gesprek wordt minutieus en bij momenten bruusk alternerend weergegeven. Je kan dat, zoals een criticus in DeStandaard, afdoen als een langdradige eeuwigheid, of je kan je eraan overleveren en al lezende als het ware samenvallen met deze open en eerlijk geschetste personages, precies zoals hij dat met zichzelf deed in de 'Mijn strijd'-cyclus.
Op dat vlak is de invloed van Karl Ove's docent en leermeester Jon Fosse duidelijk aanwezig. Toen ik 'Mijn strijd' las, had ik Fosse nog niet gelezen en was ik dus niet vertrouwd met zijn bezwerende, 'insneeuwende' stijl vol details, symboliek en herhalingen. Knausgård heeft er dan wel zijn eigen ding mee gedaan, toegankelijker en met grotere helderheid, maar schatplichtig blijft hij wat mij betreft wel. In een interview haalt hij ook de grote Russische auteurs aan als studie- en inspiratiebron en dan denk ik meteen aan wat Oek de Jong in Wat alleen de roman kan zeggen schrijft over zijn bewondering voor Tolstoj als 'de grote meester van het tegenwoordig stellen van de realiteit - nooit eerder kwam de fysieke werkelijkheid zo dichtbij.' Dat laatste benoemt precies het effect dat zowel Karl Ove Knausgård als Oek De Jong weten te bereiken bij hun lezers (uit het fan-kamp welteverstaan).
De wolven van de eeuwigheid voelde voor mij uiteindelijk eerder als een overgangsdeel in de Morgenster-cyclus. Een deel dat pas zijn plek in het geheel zal prijsgeven als ik alles achter de kiezen heb. En dat zijn nog minstens drie kloeke vervolgdelen. Ik zal ze sowieso lezen, want er schemert een voorbode van iets groots en duisters door tussen de regels, ook al was op dat vlak het eerste boek een stuk spannender. Benieuwd waar Karl Ove zijn lezers in wil meesleuren ... 3,5*
July 20, 2024
Jeeeeeeeez, Knausgaard, you can have all of me.
There’s a feeling of anxiety and dread coursing throughout this novel. A feeling of dissatisfaction. Every character seems to be uneasy in their own skin.
I’ve been sitting here wondering: could I possibly love this more than the first book (THE MORNING STAR), something I didn’t think was at all possible. But you know what? I think I do, I think I do.
Because of reading that first book, I kept waiting for the star to arrive. But that waiting is precisely what gave the book that extra scoop of malaise. You start to realize that there is something much more sinister at work here, something a lot more dangerous.
The first half of the book reminded me of MY STRUGGLE where we follow one young man’s day-to-day movements in painstaking detail (I promise it will all be worth it). The second half leaves behind the insular narrative and expands into something almost mythical, laying down the foundation for what is shaping up to be a horrifying and complex epic than initially expected.
There’s also a lot more thought-provoking set pieces in place, in comparison to THE MORNING STAR. Like a scene where a character takes shrooms in the forest, and which I believe may be the best thing I’ve read all year.
You may need to do some work in order to get a handle on why all the pieces matter. Who am I kidding? You’ll definitely need to do some work. 800 pages is daunting, but I started to realize this page length felt necessary. It’s exhilarating to know that this big book is probably just a tiny piece of an intricate whole. I literally said, “holy shit” when it clicked what the start of the book was referring to. Yes, trying to work out all the puzzle pieces is part of the fun.
(Now there’s a lengthy essay in the book that I could’ve probably done without. This is also happened in THE MORNING STAR, but let’s not dwell on that, shall we?)
I have an early copy of THE THIRD REALM (the next book in this series), which is officially being published in October. Better believe I’m getting to it right away. I expected one thing from THE WOLVES OF ETERNITY, and got something much different, but far richer. I need to know how Knausgaard will find a new way to spin my head all around again.
There’s a feeling of anxiety and dread coursing throughout this novel. A feeling of dissatisfaction. Every character seems to be uneasy in their own skin.
I’ve been sitting here wondering: could I possibly love this more than the first book (THE MORNING STAR), something I didn’t think was at all possible. But you know what? I think I do, I think I do.
Because of reading that first book, I kept waiting for the star to arrive. But that waiting is precisely what gave the book that extra scoop of malaise. You start to realize that there is something much more sinister at work here, something a lot more dangerous.
The first half of the book reminded me of MY STRUGGLE where we follow one young man’s day-to-day movements in painstaking detail (I promise it will all be worth it). The second half leaves behind the insular narrative and expands into something almost mythical, laying down the foundation for what is shaping up to be a horrifying and complex epic than initially expected.
There’s also a lot more thought-provoking set pieces in place, in comparison to THE MORNING STAR. Like a scene where a character takes shrooms in the forest, and which I believe may be the best thing I’ve read all year.
You may need to do some work in order to get a handle on why all the pieces matter. Who am I kidding? You’ll definitely need to do some work. 800 pages is daunting, but I started to realize this page length felt necessary. It’s exhilarating to know that this big book is probably just a tiny piece of an intricate whole. I literally said, “holy shit” when it clicked what the start of the book was referring to. Yes, trying to work out all the puzzle pieces is part of the fun.
(Now there’s a lengthy essay in the book that I could’ve probably done without. This is also happened in THE MORNING STAR, but let’s not dwell on that, shall we?)
I have an early copy of THE THIRD REALM (the next book in this series), which is officially being published in October. Better believe I’m getting to it right away. I expected one thing from THE WOLVES OF ETERNITY, and got something much different, but far richer. I need to know how Knausgaard will find a new way to spin my head all around again.
August 14, 2022
Dette var et episk verk på nesten 900 sider. Knausgård er en av desse sjeldne forfatterene som kan skrive om kva som helst og likevel flytte leseren fra en kald kvardag til ei annan virkelighet. Knausgårds bruk av språk gjer lesinga til en fryd. Som alltid skriv han om død og liv på en måte som får deg til å tenke og undre. Boka har lange, filosofiske partier som nesten gjer deg svimmel. Når han i tillegg krydrer tankerekkene med overnaturlige elementer og interessante karakterer, blir den overordna følelsen å befinne seg i ny verd en helst ikkje vil forlate.
Read
November 18, 2024Great expectations sometimes work against you, Pip. So it was with this beast, #2 of 3 in KOK's opus to a new star shining above the world. Trouble is, the first novel was pretty good, and part of its pretty goodness was predicated on a modicum of suspense -- namely, the idea that something might go wrong in the world sooner rather than later (like, say, in a Hitchcock movie vs. a modern-day slasher movie).
This book? None of that. Instead we are pitched into first a Norwegian family drama and then a Russian one. In a neat piece of KOK handiwork, the two families are connected by an international affair that bore results (often referred to as "children").
OK. All's well and good and KOK is more than up for this type thing as he was in his meandering "My Struggle" books where he himself was the morning (afternoon and evening) star. Wordy as hell, but as navel gazing goes, rather good. Still, a bit of disappointment dragged it down more and more as the hundreds and hundreds of pages elapsed. It's only near p. 800 (!) that KOK decides to offer readers a strange development that might hook them (but not me) to Book #3.
On the bright side, I finished a long book, which I won't do if it's THAT bad. On the dark side, I should know better than to give an author this long to prove himself when he's clearly having fun doing whatever the hell he wants.
This book? None of that. Instead we are pitched into first a Norwegian family drama and then a Russian one. In a neat piece of KOK handiwork, the two families are connected by an international affair that bore results (often referred to as "children").
OK. All's well and good and KOK is more than up for this type thing as he was in his meandering "My Struggle" books where he himself was the morning (afternoon and evening) star. Wordy as hell, but as navel gazing goes, rather good. Still, a bit of disappointment dragged it down more and more as the hundreds and hundreds of pages elapsed. It's only near p. 800 (!) that KOK decides to offer readers a strange development that might hook them (but not me) to Book #3.
On the bright side, I finished a long book, which I won't do if it's THAT bad. On the dark side, I should know better than to give an author this long to prove himself when he's clearly having fun doing whatever the hell he wants.
April 1, 2022
Oppfølgeren skuffer lenge. Litt for lenge. Om lag 400 sider med intetsigende hverdagsliv i starten kunne lett blitt kuttet ned til 100. Men den slutter godt; det er først på slutten av boka vi er tilbake til den febrilsk hete sommerdagen fra Morgenstjernen. Alt i alt føles boken som en lang og litt unødvendig transportetappe frem til neste bok. Enda flere karakterer kastes inn i miksen. Noen karakterer blir så grundig beskrevet at dersom du hadde møtt vedkommende på gata hadde du nikket til dem av gammel vane før du kommer på at du ikke kjenner dem og at de bare er en karakter i en litt for lang bok du leste en gang. Andre får en så knapp introduksjon at du bare kan huske dem om du har notert underveis (hvem faen er Helge?), selv om boka legger opp til at de er viktige for fremtidig handling. Jeg gleder meg til neste bok, men ettersom Knausgård har uttalt at det som i utgangspunktet skulle være en trilogi nå skal bli til fem bøker, så er jeg litt redd for at flere av bøkene vil få samme transportetappepreg, og at det ikke er før i femte og siste bok at vi får svar på de spørsmålene som dette apokalyptiske universet åpner.
December 9, 2025
Longing requires distance – longing for another place, another state, another person, another set of things we know – and if there’s one thing that drives us, individually and collectively, it’s longing.
Again, our friend Knausgård has commendable faith in his readers: may they be legion. This second volume departs almost entirely from the foundation established in the preceding. We aren’t in 2020 something as a freakish new star appears in the August sky.
No. We have shifted instead to 1986 with an Everyman protagonist, exceptional in his indifference and misunderstanding. Some could say an Augie March for the fjord set. He has finished his national service and ponders his next moves when he happens upon some letters—in Russian. Along the way we observe his passion for cooking and cleaning. His precarious love for his family drives the narrative as the reader searches for links to the first book. This continues for about 400 pages whereas in the first volume each POV was afforded 10-30 pages.
This discovery of the mysterious Cyrillic letters links us to the next set of perspectives: all of which occur in Russia and manage to link Soviet Cosmism with a digression on verticality in Shostakovich and a blissful interpretation of variation and natural selection.
I considered beginning the next volume but as the one after isn’t released until January I’m left aground, barring a swift trip to the UK.
Again, our friend Knausgård has commendable faith in his readers: may they be legion. This second volume departs almost entirely from the foundation established in the preceding. We aren’t in 2020 something as a freakish new star appears in the August sky.
No. We have shifted instead to 1986 with an Everyman protagonist, exceptional in his indifference and misunderstanding. Some could say an Augie March for the fjord set. He has finished his national service and ponders his next moves when he happens upon some letters—in Russian. Along the way we observe his passion for cooking and cleaning. His precarious love for his family drives the narrative as the reader searches for links to the first book. This continues for about 400 pages whereas in the first volume each POV was afforded 10-30 pages.
This discovery of the mysterious Cyrillic letters links us to the next set of perspectives: all of which occur in Russia and manage to link Soviet Cosmism with a digression on verticality in Shostakovich and a blissful interpretation of variation and natural selection.
I considered beginning the next volume but as the one after isn’t released until January I’m left aground, barring a swift trip to the UK.
June 18, 2025
3.5* I remember as soon as a load of crabs were seen scurrying across the road in The Morning Star I was hooked. I get that this works as a prequel, and that the mysterious star, and all the strange happenings that gripped and intrigued me from the first book in this trilogy didn't enter The Wolves of Eternity until towards the end, but it dragged on for so long during modern day Russia that features in the second half of the novel, it made its 800 pages seem like more than 1000. I loved the first half set in Norway, 1986, focusing on two brothers and their sick mother, and the discovery of family secrets that set things in motion later on, and I didn't really want to leave them, as I became so invested in their day to day lives; from love interests, football and friends, work – the older brother and lead character, Syvert, eventually taking on a position at an undertakers - and the general stuff most families do when at home; cooking, watching TV etc. This all sounds rather boring but I found it anything but. As noted by others there is again an issue in the first parts of the novel with the translation that is heavy on British slang in dialogue and thoughts, which was just so bizarre and had me laughing out load on a few occasions; it could quite easily have been England not Norway if you took away the names. Once it switched to Russia it became far more of a Russian novel; deeper, more thoughtful, delving into history and philosophy, existence, time. The focus here being Alevtina, a biologist who I felt was cold, too moody and withdrawn, and just not very likeable, and for about 300 pages or so it was struggling to hold my interest; her family struggles or life at work just didn't grab me that much; but I perked up again towards the end, as this strange glow in the sky appears out of nowhere, and things start to feel that bit more eerie. Possible dead bodies suddenly knocking from on the inside of frozen chambers? Noises coming from the loft? A squirrel, perhaps? Too loud, surely? Good to hear then that The Third Realm is closer to the first book, so I eagerly await the paperback version to come out in the UK as I don't like reading hardbacks. As for his 'My Struggle' books that everyone seems to rave about, I just can't see myself reading them, as I'm not interested in Knausgård's life so much, more his fiction.
June 13, 2022
mere mere bravo!
May 25, 2024
Das großartige Prequel zu Morgenstern ist eines meiner Lieblingsbücher 2023, auch wenn es nicht ganz an Morgenstern heranreicht, 5 Sterne allemal, weil Morgenstern überirdisch ist; freue mich schon sehr auf das Finale der Trilogie (Das dritte Königreich).
Inhaltlich behandelt der Roman das Thema aller Themen, den Tod und was wohl wäre, wenn es den Tod nicht mehr gäbe. Bzw. dürfte diese Frage im dritten Teil „beantwortet“ werden. In den ersten beiden Teilen wird zumindest der Boden dafür bereitet. Bis dahin kann man sich schon alles mögliche ausmalen und darauf vertrauen, dass vermutlich alles anders kommt als erwartet, denn Knausgard, so mikroskopisch präzise er die einfachsten Vorgänge schildert, so unerwartet entwickelt er seine Figuren und Geschichten.
Magisch, phantastisch, philosophisch, inmitten der wunderlichen und wunderbar beschriebenen Banalität des Alltags.
Inhaltlich behandelt der Roman das Thema aller Themen, den Tod und was wohl wäre, wenn es den Tod nicht mehr gäbe. Bzw. dürfte diese Frage im dritten Teil „beantwortet“ werden. In den ersten beiden Teilen wird zumindest der Boden dafür bereitet. Bis dahin kann man sich schon alles mögliche ausmalen und darauf vertrauen, dass vermutlich alles anders kommt als erwartet, denn Knausgard, so mikroskopisch präzise er die einfachsten Vorgänge schildert, so unerwartet entwickelt er seine Figuren und Geschichten.
Magisch, phantastisch, philosophisch, inmitten der wunderlichen und wunderbar beschriebenen Banalität des Alltags.
July 29, 2024
Knausgård is a masterful writer, no doubt about that. But I need to admit that I got slightly disappointed with this 2nd part of 'The morning star' tetralogy. We get to know two main characters Syvert Løyning and Alevtina Kotov who turn out to be siblings connected through their father. There are some beautiful depictions of day-to-day realities of both characters, their struggles, endeavors, and their road to self-discovery and the discovery of each other. Nonetheless, I am not convinced that the content justifies the 800-pages size of the novel. The puzzling and mysterious new star appears on the sky only at the end of the novel and this seems to be one of the few things connecting this book with its predecessor. I am still curious about this series but after the 2nd part I am honestly very clueless what to expect next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2023
Originally I gave up after 200 pages, gave it 2 stars, cursed Knausgård for being so boring and moved on. That was a mistake. A massive one. Something told me to pick it up again and I’m glad I did.
I should have learned not to distrust him by now, this was absolutely brilliant and I was glad to see how the first and second book connects. Truly cannot wait for the next 3 in the series.
Knausgårdian metaphysical and theological speculations as always, but now in a matured literary style which is a pleasure to read.
I should have learned not to distrust him by now, this was absolutely brilliant and I was glad to see how the first and second book connects. Truly cannot wait for the next 3 in the series.
Knausgårdian metaphysical and theological speculations as always, but now in a matured literary style which is a pleasure to read.
January 21, 2025
Tokom čitanja možemo da se zapitamo da li je zaista neophodno da tkanje priče teče toliko sporo, ali i mnogo pre kraja postane jasno da je to jedini način da razumemo Knausgorove teme i namere i da pojmimo metafizičko. Kukala sam na Siverta, ali onda sam uhvatila sebe kako mi stvarno nedostaje kada smo prešli na perspektivu Alevtine, njegove sestre po ocu. Nije bilo šanse da se ne vežem za Siverta kada Knausgor secira njegovu svakodnevicu i čitalac ga prati u tako jednostavnim aktivnostima – dok igra fudbal, ide sa bratom na bazen, razgovara sa porodicom za vreme jela, priprema večeru, ide u nabavku... Sivert na taj način postaje naš drugar i mi istražujemo njegove unutrašnje konflikte, ali i šire kontemplacije o povezanosti univerzuma. Sporim ritmom Knausgor nam ostavlja prostora za promišljanje i prepoznavanje vlastitih osećanja.
“However much you feed a wolf, it always
looks to the forest.
We are all wolves of the dense forest of
Eternity.”
Stihovi Marine Cvetajeve provejavaju delom, ukorenjeni pre svega u naslovu romana. Motiv vukova nas podseća na ono divlje i neukrotivo u životu, kako u prirodi, tako i u ljudima. Bez obzira na to kako nas oblikuju (moderan) svet i društveni konstrukti, postoji deo nas koji je povezan sa večnošću i sa nečim dubljim. Iako smo vezani za vreme koje neumoljivo teče, mi jesmo deo večnosti, kroz naše nasleđe, prirodu, tokove univerzuma.
Dostojevski je još jedan važan uzor, kao „najveći hrišćanski pisac“, a Knausgorovi likovi ovde konkretno čitaju „Zločin i kaznu“ što je povezano sa njihovim egzistencijalnim dilemama.
Ne bih mogla da poredim ovaj roman sa „Jutarnjom zvezdom“ jer mi je nekako drugačiji pristup autora, pre svega likovima. „Vukovi“ su mi intimniji, fokusirani na manje ljudi i čak mi je više filozofsko delo. Događaji „Vukova“ prethode radnji „Jutarnje zvezde“ (početna tačka su nam osamdesete), a spojnica je svakako i vajb koji je povezan sa prirodom. I opet kažem, ako se ikada ovaj tekst bude adaptirao za potrebe nekog filma ili serije, meni su ljudi koji su radili „Dark“ pravi za to.
“However much you feed a wolf, it always
looks to the forest.
We are all wolves of the dense forest of
Eternity.”
Stihovi Marine Cvetajeve provejavaju delom, ukorenjeni pre svega u naslovu romana. Motiv vukova nas podseća na ono divlje i neukrotivo u životu, kako u prirodi, tako i u ljudima. Bez obzira na to kako nas oblikuju (moderan) svet i društveni konstrukti, postoji deo nas koji je povezan sa večnošću i sa nečim dubljim. Iako smo vezani za vreme koje neumoljivo teče, mi jesmo deo večnosti, kroz naše nasleđe, prirodu, tokove univerzuma.
Dostojevski je još jedan važan uzor, kao „najveći hrišćanski pisac“, a Knausgorovi likovi ovde konkretno čitaju „Zločin i kaznu“ što je povezano sa njihovim egzistencijalnim dilemama.
Ne bih mogla da poredim ovaj roman sa „Jutarnjom zvezdom“ jer mi je nekako drugačiji pristup autora, pre svega likovima. „Vukovi“ su mi intimniji, fokusirani na manje ljudi i čak mi je više filozofsko delo. Događaji „Vukova“ prethode radnji „Jutarnje zvezde“ (početna tačka su nam osamdesete), a spojnica je svakako i vajb koji je povezan sa prirodom. I opet kažem, ako se ikada ovaj tekst bude adaptirao za potrebe nekog filma ili serije, meni su ljudi koji su radili „Dark“ pravi za to.
January 12, 2026
Je l' i vi volite januar jer možete pod dekicom gotovo cijeli dan čitati dok napolju pada snijeg? O fenomenu Knausgor su mnogi pisali prije mene, tako da se neću ponavljati. Vrlo harizmatičan Norvežanin koji piše toliko zavodljivo da sam za dva dana pročitala oko 330 stranica (od ukupno skoro 900). Kao kad bindžujem seriju! Takva je ovo knjiga, za koju jedva čekaš slobodno vrijeme da nastaviš sa čitanjem. Smišljam način na koji bih je mogla ovoliko tešku staviti na traku u teretani i čitati dok hodam uzbrdo brzinom od pet kilometara na sat. Šalim se, nije do knjige, do mene je, još uvijek razmišljam o svakom pokretu nogu dok hodam i nisam ni blizu potrebne kondicije (samo želim da izrazim svoje divljenje jednoj djevojci/ženi koja to redovno uspijeva).
Nego, imam jednu veliku zamjerku izdavaču: pa kako ste u ukupno četiri rečenice sižea na kraju knjige koja, ponavljam, ima 900 stranica, mogli napisati takav spojler? Kako, pobogu? Nakon trećine pročitanog sadržaja (i koji mi đavo uopšte bi) pročitam predstavljanje na koricama i potpuno se razočaram jer je neko/urednik?! odlučio otkriti više nego što je potrebno. Pa, zašto? Što jednom napisa neki čitalac na osvrt Hamletovih tragedija: znamo da će u tragediji svi međusobno zakrviti i poubijati se do kraja, ali jer moraš napisati baš na koricama ko će se s kim obračunati?!
Likovi su tako dobro portretirani, ali Sivert me je osvojio! Odličan! Jedan od omiljenih mi književnih likova.
Nego, imam jednu veliku zamjerku izdavaču: pa kako ste u ukupno četiri rečenice sižea na kraju knjige koja, ponavljam, ima 900 stranica, mogli napisati takav spojler? Kako, pobogu? Nakon trećine pročitanog sadržaja (i koji mi đavo uopšte bi) pročitam predstavljanje na koricama i potpuno se razočaram jer je neko/urednik?! odlučio otkriti više nego što je potrebno. Pa, zašto? Što jednom napisa neki čitalac na osvrt Hamletovih tragedija: znamo da će u tragediji svi međusobno zakrviti i poubijati se do kraja, ali jer moraš napisati baš na koricama ko će se s kim obračunati?!
Likovi su tako dobro portretirani, ali Sivert me je osvojio! Odličan! Jedan od omiljenih mi književnih likova.
May 13, 2024
This was my second tango with Karl Ove Knausgaard and the second novel in Morgenstjernen trilogy. Unfortunately, The Wolves of Eternity was a bit of a letdown. This is a doorstopper of a novel with almost 800 pages of text and I found it meandering and kind of tedious. Unlike the first book in the trilogy where we're introduced to a bunch of different characters, this novel only deals with two. We spend the first 400 pages with just one character and it's mostly recounting of daily actions of that character. Do we really need to know every single thing that character does? According to Knausgaaard, we do. I thought that this section of the novel could have benefited with some help from an editor and it should have been shorter. Luckily, the novel definitely picks up in the second half, so if the reader manages to get past the first 400 pages, their patience should get rewarded.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was the decision to give this novel's ENTIRE plot away in the synopsis section of this book. Literally, everything that happens in this book is neatly summarized there, so if you happen to read that section like I did, you are left with no surprises in this story. So, what is this book about? The main themes of the novel are death, life, loss, family secrets and coming of age. One of the most interesting questions posed by Knausgaard (and it's a question I wrestled with myself prior to reading this novel) is the question of what happens to the knowledge we accumulate in our life after our death. Is there a point in reading different books, collecting and memorizing information if it's all going to be gone when we die? Knausgaard asks these questions, but doesn't offer any answers which is something I appreciated about this book. Another theme of death and potential immortality is something that the author is interested in as well and he dedicates an entire section to that topic.
I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy translated works of fiction and literary fiction. If you prefer leisurely paced novels, you will most likely enjoy The Wolves of Eternity. If you haven't read the first book in the trilogy, I think it's definitely better to start there. If you have read the first book in the trilogy and enjoyed it then it might be a good idea to continue this story. Like I mentioned earlier, the book can be meandering, tedious and bloated (especially the first half), so be ready for that. Overall, I liked parts of this book but did not care for others. I will be checking out the third book in this trilogy, which comes out this autumn.
Another thing that annoyed me about this book was the decision to give this novel's ENTIRE plot away in the synopsis section of this book. Literally, everything that happens in this book is neatly summarized there, so if you happen to read that section like I did, you are left with no surprises in this story. So, what is this book about? The main themes of the novel are death, life, loss, family secrets and coming of age. One of the most interesting questions posed by Knausgaard (and it's a question I wrestled with myself prior to reading this novel) is the question of what happens to the knowledge we accumulate in our life after our death. Is there a point in reading different books, collecting and memorizing information if it's all going to be gone when we die? Knausgaard asks these questions, but doesn't offer any answers which is something I appreciated about this book. Another theme of death and potential immortality is something that the author is interested in as well and he dedicates an entire section to that topic.
I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy translated works of fiction and literary fiction. If you prefer leisurely paced novels, you will most likely enjoy The Wolves of Eternity. If you haven't read the first book in the trilogy, I think it's definitely better to start there. If you have read the first book in the trilogy and enjoyed it then it might be a good idea to continue this story. Like I mentioned earlier, the book can be meandering, tedious and bloated (especially the first half), so be ready for that. Overall, I liked parts of this book but did not care for others. I will be checking out the third book in this trilogy, which comes out this autumn.
July 26, 2023
Är fortsatt imponerad av Knausgård! Del två är svår att jämföra med Morgonstjärnan eftersom de skiljer sig så pass mycket åt, men språket och stämningen är densamma. Även denna är detaljerad och varje liten handling och städning är noggrant beskriven, utan att det blir tråkigt!
Till skillnad från Morgonstjärnan är den dock fokuserad på några få livsöden. Den ångestbefriade Syvert i Norge och den mycket svårare Alvetina i Ryssland, vars liv till slut vävs ihop på slutet.
Meeen så måste jag tyvärr klaga lite också. Jag tyckte essän skriven av Alvetinas kompis var fruktansvärt tråkig och allt snack om evolution, biosemantik mm. Jag vill bara ha en bra historia och inte massa sånt som stoppar upp berättelsen.
Ser fram emot sista delen nu!
Till skillnad från Morgonstjärnan är den dock fokuserad på några få livsöden. Den ångestbefriade Syvert i Norge och den mycket svårare Alvetina i Ryssland, vars liv till slut vävs ihop på slutet.
Meeen så måste jag tyvärr klaga lite också. Jag tyckte essän skriven av Alvetinas kompis var fruktansvärt tråkig och allt snack om evolution, biosemantik mm. Jag vill bara ha en bra historia och inte massa sånt som stoppar upp berättelsen.
Ser fram emot sista delen nu!
March 17, 2025
Volt ennek a regénynek bármi köze az előzőhöz? Kevéssé.
A sorozat-címadó csillag csak a könyv 90%-ánál került elő? Igen.
Van bármi fogalmunk arról, hogy mi történik, miután elolvastunk kb. 1500 oldalt? Nincs.
Érdekel továbbra is, hogy mit fog ebből a norvég ajtótámaszok mestere kihozni? Igen. Jobban, mint eddig.
A sorozat-címadó csillag csak a könyv 90%-ánál került elő? Igen.
Van bármi fogalmunk arról, hogy mi történik, miután elolvastunk kb. 1500 oldalt? Nincs.
Érdekel továbbra is, hogy mit fog ebből a norvég ajtótámaszok mestere kihozni? Igen. Jobban, mint eddig.
January 8, 2022
Med stor spenning og forventning gikk jeg inn i ARK-butikken på Trondheim Torg en fredag i slutten av oktober. Hele uken hadde jeg sett frem til dette, å kunne gå inn i en bokhandel og kjøpe Knausgård sin nye bok. Det høres kanskje ikke så spesielt ut, men det er ikke ofte man har slike opplevelser innenfor litteraturens verden, til det er det alltid altfor mange bøker som burde blitt lest for lenge siden. De sitrende følelsene ga meg en glede i seg selv, og nå i etterkant er det denne hendelsen, de forventningsfulle skrittene bort til nyhetshyllen i ARK-butikken, som vil være mitt beste minne knyttet til denne boken. Til selve lesingen er det knyttet langt mindre gledesfulle minner.
Det er en lang bok Knausgård har utgitt. Altfor lang. Bare ett år etter den nesten 700-sider lange Morgenstjerne kommer en bok på nesten 800-sider. Imponerende, kan man fort tenke, men det er det overhodet ikke. For selv om Ulvene fra evighetens skog er lang, er den på ingen måte omfattende.
I løpet av første 400-sidene skjer det nærmest ingenting. Vi følger den 19-år gamle Syvert gjennom noen ørkesløse uker i en Sørlandsby på slutten av 80-tallet. Han er nettopp kommet hjem fra militærtjeneste, og bruker dagene til å spille fotball, loke rundt på eiendommen, lage middag, henge med venner, gå på byen. Et helt vanlig ungdomsliv, fylt av helt vanlige ungdomstanker. Banalt og uinteressant, slik det skal være. Men hvorfor skrive om det i over 400-sider? Hvorfor utbrodere i hver minste detalj hva denne vanlige, altså selvsentrerte og korttenkte, ungdommen foretar seg i løpet av en dag? Den ekstreme hverdagsrealismen vi kjenner så godt fra Knausgårds tidligere verk, med sin langsomme dveling omkring ubetydelige gjøremål og suggererende nyanserikdom i skildringen av hverdagslige hendelser, er tatt i en mer banal og uinteressant retning i denne boken. Der vi tidligere har kjent oss igjen i Karl Oves opplevelser og følelser, blitt overrasket av hans tanker og refleksjoner, latt oss imponere av den språklige rikdommen og de skarpe beskrivelsene, er det stort sett bare kjedsommelig selvfølgeligheter formidlet gjennom en livløs prosa som kommer ut av den 19-år gamle Syvert. Det er så banalt og omfattende på samme tid at det nærmer seg det parodiske, hvis det ikke allerede har tippet over.
Rundt s. 420 kommer det heldigvis et vendepunkt. Plutselig befinner vi oss i Russland, i hodet til en småkriminell lastebilsjåfør. Hoppet i rom og tid er så voldsomt at man nesten blir litt lammet, hva skjedde egentlig nå? Men nå kommer endelig de 400 sidene med livløs prosa til sin rette, for her, inne i hodet til en erfaren lastebilsjåfør ute på en forblåst og hvitkledd russisk motorvei, fortsetter Knausgård i nøyaktig samme stil og tone. Dette skaper en uventet nærhet til et menneske som i utgangspunktet er så langt borte fra meg og mitt. Litteraturens magiske potensial blir med andre ord virkelig realisert. Endelig lever teksten, lettelsen og gleden er enorm og følger meg utover kvelden.
Den nesten delen av boken utspiller seg i Russland, vekslende mellom ulike karakterer og stemmer, men hovedsakelig befinner vi oss i hodet til en middelaldrende biologiprofessor i Moskva. Hennes refleksjoner og menneskemøter åpner opp boken, slipper inn lys fra både evolusjonsteorien og den russiske kulturhistorien. Mange spennende tanker og situasjoner, formidlet gjennom en karakter jeg har langt mer sympati og forståelse for - til tross for at hun befinner seg i en helt annen verden enn min egen.
I det siste partiet møtes disse to karakterene, i et kokvarmt Moskva preget av den samme feberaktige tåken som preget miljøet i Morgenstjernen. Vi er med andre ord tilbake i den realistiske, mystiske og spennende apokalypse verdenen vi forlot i forrige bok. La oss håpe Knausgård starter her neste gang.
Det er en lang bok Knausgård har utgitt. Altfor lang. Bare ett år etter den nesten 700-sider lange Morgenstjerne kommer en bok på nesten 800-sider. Imponerende, kan man fort tenke, men det er det overhodet ikke. For selv om Ulvene fra evighetens skog er lang, er den på ingen måte omfattende.
I løpet av første 400-sidene skjer det nærmest ingenting. Vi følger den 19-år gamle Syvert gjennom noen ørkesløse uker i en Sørlandsby på slutten av 80-tallet. Han er nettopp kommet hjem fra militærtjeneste, og bruker dagene til å spille fotball, loke rundt på eiendommen, lage middag, henge med venner, gå på byen. Et helt vanlig ungdomsliv, fylt av helt vanlige ungdomstanker. Banalt og uinteressant, slik det skal være. Men hvorfor skrive om det i over 400-sider? Hvorfor utbrodere i hver minste detalj hva denne vanlige, altså selvsentrerte og korttenkte, ungdommen foretar seg i løpet av en dag? Den ekstreme hverdagsrealismen vi kjenner så godt fra Knausgårds tidligere verk, med sin langsomme dveling omkring ubetydelige gjøremål og suggererende nyanserikdom i skildringen av hverdagslige hendelser, er tatt i en mer banal og uinteressant retning i denne boken. Der vi tidligere har kjent oss igjen i Karl Oves opplevelser og følelser, blitt overrasket av hans tanker og refleksjoner, latt oss imponere av den språklige rikdommen og de skarpe beskrivelsene, er det stort sett bare kjedsommelig selvfølgeligheter formidlet gjennom en livløs prosa som kommer ut av den 19-år gamle Syvert. Det er så banalt og omfattende på samme tid at det nærmer seg det parodiske, hvis det ikke allerede har tippet over.
Rundt s. 420 kommer det heldigvis et vendepunkt. Plutselig befinner vi oss i Russland, i hodet til en småkriminell lastebilsjåfør. Hoppet i rom og tid er så voldsomt at man nesten blir litt lammet, hva skjedde egentlig nå? Men nå kommer endelig de 400 sidene med livløs prosa til sin rette, for her, inne i hodet til en erfaren lastebilsjåfør ute på en forblåst og hvitkledd russisk motorvei, fortsetter Knausgård i nøyaktig samme stil og tone. Dette skaper en uventet nærhet til et menneske som i utgangspunktet er så langt borte fra meg og mitt. Litteraturens magiske potensial blir med andre ord virkelig realisert. Endelig lever teksten, lettelsen og gleden er enorm og følger meg utover kvelden.
Den nesten delen av boken utspiller seg i Russland, vekslende mellom ulike karakterer og stemmer, men hovedsakelig befinner vi oss i hodet til en middelaldrende biologiprofessor i Moskva. Hennes refleksjoner og menneskemøter åpner opp boken, slipper inn lys fra både evolusjonsteorien og den russiske kulturhistorien. Mange spennende tanker og situasjoner, formidlet gjennom en karakter jeg har langt mer sympati og forståelse for - til tross for at hun befinner seg i en helt annen verden enn min egen.
I det siste partiet møtes disse to karakterene, i et kokvarmt Moskva preget av den samme feberaktige tåken som preget miljøet i Morgenstjernen. Vi er med andre ord tilbake i den realistiske, mystiske og spennende apokalypse verdenen vi forlot i forrige bok. La oss håpe Knausgård starter her neste gang.
October 3, 2023
There was something sloppy about the first few hundred pages. Some clumsiness, inconsistencies that didn't seem intentional. It was weird, it almost felt like a bad impersonation of Karl Ove Knausgård.
My initial theory was that maybe this was Knausgård struggling because of the inner "dullness" of Syvert, struggling to become interested in this particular character's world. But maybe he wasn't struggling, considering the fact that he spent such a significant portion of the book inside Syvert's teenage head.
But then... the book got so profoundly good that after reading the whole thing, I have to give it five stars.
This is great, unusual literature, as Knausgård's books tend to be.
I think that - in terms of something important that I can't fully articulate yet - Knausgård and Elena Ferrante are probably the world's best living novelists. When I read their books, I often get this strange, nonsensical feeling that this is the point and purpose of my consciousness... that somehow, my consciousness was "created" so that it could experience something as grand and lucid as this. This moment of taking an honest look at humanity and really seeing it, and understanding that we're all the same and that there's something sacred about all this seemingly mundane crap that we have to live through before we die.
All I can say is thank you, you wonderful bastards.
My initial theory was that maybe this was Knausgård struggling because of the inner "dullness" of Syvert, struggling to become interested in this particular character's world. But maybe he wasn't struggling, considering the fact that he spent such a significant portion of the book inside Syvert's teenage head.
But then... the book got so profoundly good that after reading the whole thing, I have to give it five stars.
This is great, unusual literature, as Knausgård's books tend to be.
I think that - in terms of something important that I can't fully articulate yet - Knausgård and Elena Ferrante are probably the world's best living novelists. When I read their books, I often get this strange, nonsensical feeling that this is the point and purpose of my consciousness... that somehow, my consciousness was "created" so that it could experience something as grand and lucid as this. This moment of taking an honest look at humanity and really seeing it, and understanding that we're all the same and that there's something sacred about all this seemingly mundane crap that we have to live through before we die.
All I can say is thank you, you wonderful bastards.
January 12, 2022
Omg, jeg trenger mer! <3
September 20, 2023
This Knausgaard really has something going with this trilogy. Don’t give up on this. Slow at first but you have trust that Karl Ove will always find a way to make each book worth the ride.
May 12, 2025
Band zwei der Morgenstern-Serie.
Während Band 1 ein Mosaik aus vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven ist, konzentriert sich Band 2 im wesentlichen auf zwei Figuren: Syvert Löyning, der im Jahr 1986 nach seiner Zeit beim Militär unsicher ist, was er mit seinem Leben anfangen soll und aus Verlegenheit anfängt, bei einem Bestatter zu jobben. Seine Mutter erfährt von ihrer Krebserkrankung und sein Vater ist vor Jahren bei einem Verkehrsunfall ums Leben gekommen. Dann findet Syvert durch Zufall in dessen Hinterlassenschaft Briefe auf Russisch. Er lässt sie übersetzen und erfährt auf diese Weise heraus, dass sein Vater vor seinem Tod eine Beziehung zu einer Russin hatte.
Die zweite Hauptfigur ist eine Russin namens Alevtina oder Asja. Sie lebt als Biologin und Ärztin in Russland.
Im Lauf des Romans verbinden sich die beiden Geschichten - es wird deutlich, dass die Alevtina im Roman die Tochter der Frau ist, mit der Syverts Vater eine Beziehung hatte - und die Halbschwester Syverts. Am Ende kommt es zu einer interessanten Begegnung der beiden.
Erst gegen Ende wird dann auch klar, wie die Romanhandlung sich mit der des ersten Bandes der Serie verbindet.
Das Buch ist episch breit angelegt, wie immer bei Knausgard folgt man den Figuren durch ihren Alltag, die Handlung wird immer wieder erweitert durch Reflexionen zu Grundfragen des Lebens, es gibt längere Ausflüge in die Naturwissenschaft, in Philosophie und Religion. Die Frage von Tod und Leben und der Verbindung allen Lebens sowie seiner Ursprünge wird thematisiert.
Gegen Ende deutet sich an, was zu einem Hauptthema von Band 3 werden wird: Das Aufgehen des neuen Sterns lässt die Menschen nicht mehr sterben.
Ich bin gespannt und freue mich auf den nächsten Band.
Während Band 1 ein Mosaik aus vielen verschiedenen Perspektiven ist, konzentriert sich Band 2 im wesentlichen auf zwei Figuren: Syvert Löyning, der im Jahr 1986 nach seiner Zeit beim Militär unsicher ist, was er mit seinem Leben anfangen soll und aus Verlegenheit anfängt, bei einem Bestatter zu jobben. Seine Mutter erfährt von ihrer Krebserkrankung und sein Vater ist vor Jahren bei einem Verkehrsunfall ums Leben gekommen. Dann findet Syvert durch Zufall in dessen Hinterlassenschaft Briefe auf Russisch. Er lässt sie übersetzen und erfährt auf diese Weise heraus, dass sein Vater vor seinem Tod eine Beziehung zu einer Russin hatte.
Die zweite Hauptfigur ist eine Russin namens Alevtina oder Asja. Sie lebt als Biologin und Ärztin in Russland.
Im Lauf des Romans verbinden sich die beiden Geschichten - es wird deutlich, dass die Alevtina im Roman die Tochter der Frau ist, mit der Syverts Vater eine Beziehung hatte - und die Halbschwester Syverts. Am Ende kommt es zu einer interessanten Begegnung der beiden.
Erst gegen Ende wird dann auch klar, wie die Romanhandlung sich mit der des ersten Bandes der Serie verbindet.
Das Buch ist episch breit angelegt, wie immer bei Knausgard folgt man den Figuren durch ihren Alltag, die Handlung wird immer wieder erweitert durch Reflexionen zu Grundfragen des Lebens, es gibt längere Ausflüge in die Naturwissenschaft, in Philosophie und Religion. Die Frage von Tod und Leben und der Verbindung allen Lebens sowie seiner Ursprünge wird thematisiert.
Gegen Ende deutet sich an, was zu einem Hauptthema von Band 3 werden wird: Das Aufgehen des neuen Sterns lässt die Menschen nicht mehr sterben.
Ich bin gespannt und freue mich auf den nächsten Band.
December 9, 2025
4 stars but slightly less of a 4 stars than the 4 stars i gave to the morning star
December 12, 2023
I was of two minds about this one for quite a while after reading it - had wanted something more in line with the controlled chaos of The Morning Star and found myself a bit disappointed to spend the first 400 pages of this book closely inhabiting the mind of a mostly happy and normal nineteen-year-old named Syvert. It was almost like if My Struggle had been written by... I don't know, just some guy. Any guy. But there was also something kind of lovely happening in those pages. In the minutiae of his daily routines - his unselfish acts of caring and cooking for his mother and brother, his awkward attempts to woo a romantic interest, his attentive and sincere reading of Dostoevsky - I began to feel I was observing Syvert in a slow and barely conscious act of becoming. In spite of myself, I came to love him. But I still couldn't convince myself those movements were necessary to the larger project of the book, let alone the novel cycle it's a part of. Then, a few days ago, I came across a post from Brandon Taylor's Substack entitled "necessary scenes," in which he convincingly argues that nothing in a piece of art is unnecessary: "What goes into a work is selected and by virtue of its selection becomes necessary to the work." Hey look, he even discusses Knausgaard:
"Knausgaard’s great gift is the clarity with which he sees the details of life and the way he is able to render them in language so that we feel as though we are experiencing them first hand. And in doing so, he imbues those details with a lot of tone and atmosphere and subtext, so that you really do feel like you are skimming along the waters of a consciousness, without it feeling forced or worked. It’s a kind of directness that is rare and exceedingly difficult to do. He tricks you into having better thoughts than you otherwise would have imagined yourself capable of having."
Reading that passage, I remembered how much I had come to understand and admire Syvert in the first half of the book, how that admiration had come about from mostly mundane detail. I remembered how protective I felt of him in a later scene when another character reads him, not inaccurately, but certainly uncharitably. I remembered how moved I was by his final scene. I won't argue those later scenes wouldn't have worked without the 400 pages of minutiae. But they would certainly have worked differently. I still don't have a particularly solid idea of how these characters or these moments integrate with the cycle's larger concerns - neither with the plot nor the philosophical inquiry into mortality - but what's here worked for me and is working on me.
"Knausgaard’s great gift is the clarity with which he sees the details of life and the way he is able to render them in language so that we feel as though we are experiencing them first hand. And in doing so, he imbues those details with a lot of tone and atmosphere and subtext, so that you really do feel like you are skimming along the waters of a consciousness, without it feeling forced or worked. It’s a kind of directness that is rare and exceedingly difficult to do. He tricks you into having better thoughts than you otherwise would have imagined yourself capable of having."
Reading that passage, I remembered how much I had come to understand and admire Syvert in the first half of the book, how that admiration had come about from mostly mundane detail. I remembered how protective I felt of him in a later scene when another character reads him, not inaccurately, but certainly uncharitably. I remembered how moved I was by his final scene. I won't argue those later scenes wouldn't have worked without the 400 pages of minutiae. But they would certainly have worked differently. I still don't have a particularly solid idea of how these characters or these moments integrate with the cycle's larger concerns - neither with the plot nor the philosophical inquiry into mortality - but what's here worked for me and is working on me.
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