Winter by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Such a short summer. Now we’ve turned into fall. This book of observations by the Norwegian novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard covers ordinary things with unexpected observation. The author is waiting for the birth of his daughter. He writes to her about Q-tips and winter boots, about buses and bonfires, toothbrushes, coins and sugar. It’s like a book writing exercises. It reminds me of how children renew the world for parents, and how the writer’s job is to go deeper into some dimension of the world we share. Also, I am drawn to writers with hearts of winter.

Why compare myself to summer? We’re like day and night, like sun and moon. And if I don’t snow, who am I then? Nobody. Then I am nobody. Then that damned self-righteous summer will triumph from here to eternity. Then no one will offer any resistance to that complacent idiot.  p. 27

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