eantczak's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
4.75
fedsmoker's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
danuunad's review against another edition
5.0
In dit boek leren we een hoop karakters kennen, allemaal onsympathiek (op één na, die overkomt als een soort alter ego van de schrijver zelf). Ze zijn allen, zijdelings of juist als hoofdpersoon, betrokken bij een aantal vreemde gebeurtenissen in het Noorse stadje Bergen. Verbonden worden ze door het verschijnen van een nieuwe ster aan de hemel, waarvan ze zich allemaal afvragen wat hij te betekenen heeft. Een tweede leidmotief is de verschijning van zich vreemd gedragende dieren, midden in de mensenwereld.
Knausgård maakt effectief gebruik van magisch realisme om te zorgen voor een onheilspellende atmosfeer, waarin je er als lezer nooit zeker van bent wat de werkelijke toedracht is van hetgeen er plaatsvindt. Dit houdt de spanning er in en sluit goed aan op de thematiek: dit boek gaat over ongelukkige mensen, slechte huwelijken, psychische problemen, en in het bijzonder over de dood. Dit laatste thema wordt nog eens benadrukt in het essay waarmee Knausgård het boek afsluit. Dit essay verduidelijkt tevens de beweegredenen van de schrijver zelf, maar het zou zonde zijn om dit hier te bespreken voor het geval iemand dit leest zonder het boek te hebben gelezen.
Tijdens het lezen van De morgenster kreeg ik nooit het gevoel een geweldig stuk literatuur in mijn handen te hebben. Toch moet ik toegeven dat ik in tijden niet zo snel en met zo veel motivatie door 666(!) pagina's heen geschoten ben. Sterker nog, ik kreeg er zin van om zelf te gaan schrijven, iets dat ik nog nooit had meegemaakt. Een bijzonder boek dus, niet het soort dat ik normaal gesproken lees, maar het smaakt naar meer. Ik heb de volgende Knausgård al binnen.
Knausgård maakt effectief gebruik van magisch realisme om te zorgen voor een onheilspellende atmosfeer, waarin je er als lezer nooit zeker van bent wat de werkelijke toedracht is van hetgeen er plaatsvindt. Dit houdt de spanning er in en sluit goed aan op de thematiek: dit boek gaat over ongelukkige mensen, slechte huwelijken, psychische problemen, en in het bijzonder over de dood. Dit laatste thema wordt nog eens benadrukt in het essay waarmee Knausgård het boek afsluit. Dit essay verduidelijkt tevens de beweegredenen van de schrijver zelf, maar het zou zonde zijn om dit hier te bespreken voor het geval iemand dit leest zonder het boek te hebben gelezen.
Tijdens het lezen van De morgenster kreeg ik nooit het gevoel een geweldig stuk literatuur in mijn handen te hebben. Toch moet ik toegeven dat ik in tijden niet zo snel en met zo veel motivatie door 666(!) pagina's heen geschoten ben. Sterker nog, ik kreeg er zin van om zelf te gaan schrijven, iets dat ik nog nooit had meegemaakt. Een bijzonder boek dus, niet het soort dat ik normaal gesproken lees, maar het smaakt naar meer. Ik heb de volgende Knausgård al binnen.
kimmeham's review against another edition
5.0
Vintage Knausgård! En virkelig page-turner av en roman med et originalt, spennende og tankevekkende plott. Likte du «Min Kamp»-serien, er jeg helt sikker på at du kommer til å like «Morgenstjernen» også. Knausgårds fantastiske språk er kanskje enda bedre enn sist, og de ni karakterene vi følger vekselsvis gjennom romanen er komplekse og interessante.
Selv om motoren i handlingen er en lys stjerne, må det sies at dette er en mørk roman som virkelig utforsker grensene mellom liv og død, ikke bare for enkeltmennesker, men for hele planeten som helhet. At romanen er på 666 sider, en referanse som også dukker opp underveis i romanen, er bare med på å underbygge hvor mørkt dette er. At et savnet satanistband står nokså sentralt i handlingen, fungerer som en bekmørk glasur på kaken.
Det er også naturligvis et stort pluss at brorparten av handlingen foregår i Bergen, noe som nok en gang understreker hvilke arr på sjelen den byen påførte Knausgård i studietiden.
Ryktene vil ha det til at dette er første bok av en trilogi. Få det på, Knausgård, jeg vil ha mer!
Selv om motoren i handlingen er en lys stjerne, må det sies at dette er en mørk roman som virkelig utforsker grensene mellom liv og død, ikke bare for enkeltmennesker, men for hele planeten som helhet. At romanen er på 666 sider, en referanse som også dukker opp underveis i romanen, er bare med på å underbygge hvor mørkt dette er. At et savnet satanistband står nokså sentralt i handlingen, fungerer som en bekmørk glasur på kaken.
Det er også naturligvis et stort pluss at brorparten av handlingen foregår i Bergen, noe som nok en gang understreker hvilke arr på sjelen den byen påførte Knausgård i studietiden.
Ryktene vil ha det til at dette er første bok av en trilogi. Få det på, Knausgård, jeg vil ha mer!
gummyfrog47's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nabilahs's review against another edition
5.0
The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard is an unsettling and rewarding story where all the characters are interrelated in many ways. Not for leisure reading, this novel demands diligent reading, especially for the philosophy of life and death. Certain scenes are kind of spooky too. My thoughts when I read The Morning Star were like what the hell happened?
I genuinely enjoy the book despite being introduced with many characters, among of them; Arne, Egil, Turid, Iselin, Jostein are the ones who give impact to me or in other words; key characters.
The life cycle of life and death are brilliantly executed from the start till the end where Knausgaard of course tells the philosophy of life first and then death.
The Star is still here. I will remember the story.
I genuinely enjoy the book despite being introduced with many characters, among of them; Arne, Egil, Turid, Iselin, Jostein are the ones who give impact to me or in other words; key characters.
The life cycle of life and death are brilliantly executed from the start till the end where Knausgaard of course tells the philosophy of life first and then death.
The Star is still here. I will remember the story.
besidemyshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zobiwanvicai's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. Enthralling for the first 450-500 pages but then I'm not sure I fully understand what happened next. Very visceral at times.
paeandbooks's review against another edition
Imagine HP Lovecraft, Stephen King and Mike Flanagan sits down and writes a piece together, and you'll get this. Hell, even the title sparks a lengthy and very interesting discussions, with heavy symbolism implied in every characters and living things.A supernova or the birth of a new star appear to be the two best hypotheses, but the prevailing attitude seems to be, "Who knows?" Everyone observes the star, though in some cases only after it has been pointed out to them.
Told from characters POV, each chapters are separated by the voices; 9 characters going about their day on one August 2023. The story spans on 2 days, which each days (and pages) are hinting the impedible doom. Relying on vague acquaintances between characters, it really keep the mystery and curiosity afloat.
Knausgaard presents the mood in an impressive yet carefree manner, making the whole thing unnerving.Animals particularly, will catch you off guard—whether it's a badger that finds its way inside a building, a swarm of crabs scuttling across the woodland, or even a ladybird invasion. They blended perfectly; between the nonchalant and unsignificant crisis, and a great deal that is simply unsettling, with people constantly seeing or hearing things, for example, -- sounds or visions in the dark night, especially, many of which are hard or impossible to explain.
It's hard for me not to prodding into something more than "just the star". Egil (probably the most sus character) sums it up perfectly:
The star was obviously a sign.
But of what ?
It would become apparent soon enough ?
But where, and to whom ?
Also, life perspective:
"We haven't talked about the new star," I said. "It's a bit weird."
"Maybe," he said. "But you've got other things to think about."
As much as I love digging into symbolism presented by Knausgaard, this book is pointing, rather glaringly is death, and the dead that often literally haunt them. Many people in this place claim to have seen the dead, and this mystery is one that many of them have considered. There are numerous examples of pet and human deaths along the route, as well as other cases where it appears that death has been reversed in some way.
Another looming theme is on how people reacting on one event. Some are too pre-occupied to notice, some took it as a sign from the above, and some just chalked it up to logic and science. The most interesting part? We could be making all of these assumptions, different takes at a time given the situation we're in.
p/s: Damn the ending; by ending I'm pointing to Jostein's final paragraph.
Told from characters POV, each chapters are separated by the voices; 9 characters going about their day on one August 2023. The story spans on 2 days, which each days (and pages) are hinting the impedible doom. Relying on vague acquaintances between characters, it really keep the mystery and curiosity afloat.
Knausgaard presents the mood in an impressive yet carefree manner, making the whole thing unnerving.Animals particularly, will catch you off guard—whether it's a badger that finds its way inside a building, a swarm of crabs scuttling across the woodland, or even a ladybird invasion. They blended perfectly; between the nonchalant and unsignificant crisis, and a great deal that is simply unsettling, with people constantly seeing or hearing things, for example, -- sounds or visions in the dark night, especially, many of which are hard or impossible to explain.
It's hard for me not to prodding into something more than "just the star". Egil (probably the most sus character) sums it up perfectly:
The star was obviously a sign.
But of what ?
It would become apparent soon enough ?
But where, and to whom ?
Also, life perspective:
"We haven't talked about the new star," I said. "It's a bit weird."
"Maybe," he said. "But you've got other things to think about."
As much as I love digging into symbolism presented by Knausgaard, this book is pointing, rather glaringly is death, and the dead that often literally haunt them. Many people in this place claim to have seen the dead, and this mystery is one that many of them have considered. There are numerous examples of pet and human deaths along the route, as well as other cases where it appears that death has been reversed in some way.
Another looming theme is on how people reacting on one event. Some are too pre-occupied to notice, some took it as a sign from the above, and some just chalked it up to logic and science. The most interesting part? We could be making all of these assumptions, different takes at a time given the situation we're in.
p/s: Damn the ending; by ending I'm pointing to Jostein's final paragraph.