Erlend Loe: Gone With the Woman (Tatt av kvinnen)
If you were around at the time I first mentioned this book, you'll be able to tell how long it took me to read it. That has nothing to do with the book itself, though, but with my incredible lack of concentration. However, I finally managed to put an end to the process of reading it in February and I'm here to share my thoughts. This won't be a particularly long post, but I thought it deserved a mention considering I'm not really doing monthly recommendations this month as I don't have any.
The story revolves around a man's relationship with a woman called Marianne. They are in complete contrast to one another as the nameless man is very quiet and lethargic, while Marianne is very chatty and dominant over him. She gradually moves into his apartment and completely takes over his life with her ability to always get what she wants, while he never really states his opinion on things. He just seems completely indifferent to everything 95% of the time. It's funny because he has all these thoughts and plans to say so many things, but never really goes through with it. I love how he also makes a conscious decision to fall in love with her as if that's something you can choose. Their whole relationship is very interesting to read because it's so messed up, or at least I thought so.
The author's style of writing is what intrigued me most because it is so, so simple. He doesn't even use direct speech, but only reported, which I found very interesting. He describes a lot of trivial actions and I think it's exactly that simplicity that makes the reader kind of relate to it but also makes the book very easy to read (unless you're me and need months to finish reading a single book). I also loved how phlegmatic and passive the main character is especially when we can clearly see that his inner monologue is opposed to his actions.
All in all, it's pretty different to any book I've read so far and I would recommend it if you're looking for an interesting, quick read.
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