Jovana Tomin: erlend loe

Well, I haven't done monthly recommendations in a while, but I've finally managed to compile a list of things that I've enjoyed and I'm here to share it with you.

○ October TV Show: Riverdale

I guess you could call this show a teenage drama. It's set in a small town where everybody knows everybody. In the first season a murder happens in the quiet town of Riverdale and throughout the whole season they are trying to solve the mystery. It will definitely keep you on your toes. And if you think the first season is good, wait till you see the second one. Literally every single episode is an emotional roller-coaster and waiting a week for the next one is a real pain. If you used to be a fan of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, I recommend you jump on board because Cole Sprouse is one of the leading characters.

○ October Movie: Why Him

I think that if I tell you that this is a comedy and that James Franco is a part of the cast, you'll be able to conclude what kind of comedy it is. Of course it's a little bit vulgar, but if you don't mind that sense of humour, I strongly recommend watching this movie. Basically it's about a girl who, after months of hiding him, finally decides to introduce her boyfriend to her family. Let's just say he's not what they had expected and the whole introduction goes a little bit south. I don't know about you, but I was definitely laughing out loud whilst watching it and so were my friends.

○ October Book: Erlend Loe - Volvo Trucks

I've mentioned that I wanted to read this book because I loved the first part of the trilogy (Doppler) so much. Well, I've finally read it and I absolutely loved it. There's something about Loe's style of writing that I just adore. It's very simple and very different to your typical novels, but it's just so entertaining. This book in particular was hilarious, even funnier than Doppler and I couldn't help but laugh while reading it. He included a lot of his comments on the storyline, and it was absolutely hysterical. I loved that touch of adding his own comments and speaking to the reader directly. Just trust me, give this series a try.

○ October Album: Flicker

I mean, does this come as a surprise to anyone? I'm sure it doesn't. For anyone who doesn't know, this is Niall Horan's debut album and one that you should deffo listen to. I am not a music expert and I don't know how to properly describe his sound, but I can for sure say that it's amazing. He says he's been influenced by The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and loads of other people that he grew up listening to, so maybe that can give you an idea of what it sounds like. He's even got a country song with Maren Morris. The lyrics of his songs are beautiful and his voice has matured a lot and he sounds divine. It's a little bit more of a slow tempo record, although there are a few upbeat songs. My faves are Mirrors, Seeing Blind, Since We're Alone, Flicker, You and Me, and Fire Away, but it was extremely difficult narrowing it down to just half the album. I think you should give it a listen without giving in to the stereotypes because he used to be in One Direction.

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Seeing as this is one of my favourite books at the moment, written by my current favourite author, I thought it was only right to share some of my favourite quotes from it. Just a little heads up if you haven't read this book, it deals with a man who moves away from civilization and goes to live in a forest. He's not the biggest fan of people and I guess you could say he's a little bitter. He likes to have his own space and be alone (or with his pet moose). Erlend Loe's style of writing is simple and to the point. I've already talked about his writing style in the post about Gone With The Woman, so if you're interested, check it out. The book itself is very interesting, very different to anything I've read before and pretty darn funny if you ask me. If you haven't read this book, maybe this will persuade you to do so. Enjoy!

''One problem with people is that as soon as they fill a space it's them you see and not the space. Large, desolate landscapes stop being large, desolate landscapes once they have people in them. They define what the eye sees. And the human eye is almost always directed at other humans. In this way an illusion is created that humans are more important than those things on earth which are not human. It's a sick illusion.''

''We're born alone and we die alone. It's just a question of getting used to both of them.''

''Everything which is human is alien to me.''

These next few ones are going to be in my translation as I can't find them on the internet so it probably won't be a 100% what the book says (my book is in Serbian).

''Time never stops and it doesn't take a break.''

''You're here now and never again. And it's not cool being dead. Don't ever forget that.''

''Now that it's over, it's easy to say that I shouldn't have done that, but I was scared and provoked, and that's why I made a mistake. People do that often. It has happened before, and it happens again.''

''Right and wrong generally doesn't exist, I say. It depends on who you are and where you are.''

''Anyhow, people aren't the most important. I refuse to believe in that.''

''I can't guarantee that it will be fun, I say. We'll see. But not everything can be fun.''

''Maybe it is possible to save the world after all.''

So there's a little insight into the book and it hopefully gives you an idea of what you can expect. I highly recommend reading this book and then reading the following part (Volvo Trucks). They seriously made me laugh out loud whilst reading, which never happens, and kept me very entertained and interested in the story.

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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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