Nordic Book Club discussion

Better late than never! We had an excellent in-person discussion at Scandinavia House about Encircling by Carl Frode Tiller last month, so I want to make sure that there is a space to discuss it here.

1. What was your experience reading this book?

2. Encricling is divided into three sections—one for each narrator— and each section alternates between letters from the narrator to David and a first person view of the narrator's contemporary life. What did you think of the book's structure?

3. We never explicitly hear from David in this first book of the trilogy. Why do you think the author excluded David's viewpoint from the narrative?

4. Did your thoughts on how other people influence/shape an individual's feelings and worldview change after reading this book?

5. Is Carl Frode Tiller trying to tell us something about memory and identity by writing Encircling? If so, what do you think he is trying to tell us?

6. What are the main themes of the novel? How are they connected, or not? When are the themes established?

7. Encircling is a novel that attempts to capture the relationship between the past and the present. What happens to the character’s memories as time goes by?

8. Would you read the second book in the trilogy?

As always, feel free to answer any of these questions, ask your own, or just share your thoughts about the book.