katdid's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this one too! and talked about it to a number of people who’d never heard of Knausgaard. (I kept referencing something my friend Shannon said last time I visited her in New York (May 2015), which was that even though apparently everyone in the world is reading Knausgaard you never actually see anyone reading Knausgaard, like on the subway or anything.) I think the thing I like about the childhood/adolescent stuff is that there’s no philosophising like there is in the adult years; even though that is kind of the thing that sets these books apart it is also one of the things I enjoy the least about them, whereas apparently I can read about adolescent angst all day long. Knausgaard really doesn’t pull any punches in describing his teen self: he’s horny and arrogant and obnoxious but simultaneously crippled with self-doubt; and this volume is mostly about his quest to successfully penetrate a woman, any woman.
Spoiler
There is a really terrific meta bit towards the end where he’s all “eleven years later” and has published a novel based on his year in northern Norway and is contacted by two of his female former students who also feature heavily in the novel.clellman's review against another edition
4.0
first book: intense, reflective, dense, over my head, varied story with sketches from different parts of his life
second book: getting more into his writing, more detailed mundane sketches, more narrative, more understanding of karl ove's mind
third book: light and readable, very narrative (sequential anecdotes)/dialogue based, emotionally relatable, remarkably captured the mind of a child, very enjoyable
fourth book: not relatable...kind of hated him in this one, though maybe that was the point. still loved knausgaard's writing, but this one is about 19yr old him when he went to teach for a year in northern norway. a lot about his excessive drinking. a long flashback near the middle that goes back to him in gymnas. the main emotional thing in this one is his shame about his premature ejaculations, and his desire to lose his virginity. so he is self-absorbed and cocky, he constantly objectifies women (and gets erections just from looking at them), and he is calculating and overbearing in his efforts to have sex. the book ends with him (successfully) having sex with a girl at Roskilde (Danish music festival that the cisv leaders went to), including having anal sex with her while she is (possibly borderline unconsciously) leaning outside the tent to throw up. neither charming as an image (victorious Karl Ove! the champ! the man!) nor as the concluding scene, making it like a righteous moral/happy ending. classic valorization of a man seeing a woman as a sexual conquest to be proud of. that said, i still greatly enjoyed the book overall and devoured it pretty quickly. flows really nicely and you just read and read and read.
i found him somewhat detestable in that sense, though of course in other detailed written observations, relatable. i wish there were a perspective from older-Karl Ove that made it clear that he understands that 19 year old Karl ove is kind of an ass. felt distant from him.
second book: getting more into his writing, more detailed mundane sketches, more narrative, more understanding of karl ove's mind
third book: light and readable, very narrative (sequential anecdotes)/dialogue based, emotionally relatable, remarkably captured the mind of a child, very enjoyable
fourth book: not relatable...kind of hated him in this one, though maybe that was the point. still loved knausgaard's writing, but this one is about 19yr old him when he went to teach for a year in northern norway. a lot about his excessive drinking. a long flashback near the middle that goes back to him in gymnas. the main emotional thing in this one is his shame about his premature ejaculations, and his desire to lose his virginity. so he is self-absorbed and cocky, he constantly objectifies women (and gets erections just from looking at them), and he is calculating and overbearing in his efforts to have sex. the book ends with him (successfully) having sex with a girl at Roskilde (Danish music festival that the cisv leaders went to), including having anal sex with her while she is (possibly borderline unconsciously) leaning outside the tent to throw up. neither charming as an image (victorious Karl Ove! the champ! the man!) nor as the concluding scene, making it like a righteous moral/happy ending. classic valorization of a man seeing a woman as a sexual conquest to be proud of. that said, i still greatly enjoyed the book overall and devoured it pretty quickly. flows really nicely and you just read and read and read.
i found him somewhat detestable in that sense, though of course in other detailed written observations, relatable. i wish there were a perspective from older-Karl Ove that made it clear that he understands that 19 year old Karl ove is kind of an ass. felt distant from him.
jenno's review against another edition
4.0
I love Knausgaards writing. Not as good as part two, which is so far my favourite but this series is amazing!
weird_reader's review against another edition
5.0
Kiekvieną kartą paėmus K.O.Knausgard knygą žinau, kad bus gerai ir stipru. Šioji dalis neišimtis.
Kaip įdomiai jis aprašo savo gyvenimą! Ir sunkumus ir laimingas akimirkas. Pasikartosiu n-tąją kartą, kad atrodo jog skaityčiau romaną, o ne autobiografiją!
Ir viena iš temų knygoje, yra tokia iš mano artimos aplinkos... gal ir nėra smagu skaityti apie tai, bet bent kažkiek galiu užmesti akį kodėl kai kurie žmonės taip elgiasi ir kas jiems iš to.
Kas norit rimto skaitinio, siūlau tikrai, pagriebti bet kurią K.O.Knausgard knygą, arba visas. Manau, nenusivilsit.
Kaip įdomiai jis aprašo savo gyvenimą! Ir sunkumus ir laimingas akimirkas. Pasikartosiu n-tąją kartą, kad atrodo jog skaityčiau romaną, o ne autobiografiją!
Ir viena iš temų knygoje, yra tokia iš mano artimos aplinkos... gal ir nėra smagu skaityti apie tai, bet bent kažkiek galiu užmesti akį kodėl kai kurie žmonės taip elgiasi ir kas jiems iš to.
Kas norit rimto skaitinio, siūlau tikrai, pagriebti bet kurią K.O.Knausgard knygą, arba visas. Manau, nenusivilsit.
turbomandoll's review
4.0
Premature Ejaculation : The Novel. Probably the weakest of the series so far, but then Karl Ove is going through his obnoxious, alcoholic teenage years so he's not the easiest of companions.
epicpinkfluffyunicorn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
would describe it as a dark, amorphous ball that encompassed many things well. i liked it
apollonium's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0