Knausgaard: Horror and Delight

May 29, 2014 | 1 book mentioned

The third volume of Karl Ove Knausgaard‘s My Struggle was released on Tuesday. In a recent review for The Daily BeastTed Gioia argues that “we read [My Struggle] with horror and delight, because the protagonist—who is Karl Ove Knausgaard himself—is determined to reveal every embarrassing and shameful detail of his past life. Imagine a literary novel with grand Proustian ambitions, but combined with the ethos of those creepy Jackass-type reality shows in which contestants get a dose of renown by making fools of themselves. That’s the spirit of My Struggle.” For a second opinion, be sure to check out our own review of the novel’s earlier installments.

is a staff writer for The Millions. She lives in New York and every so often writes things at kaulielewis.wordpress.com.