Liam Roberts

Reading reviews of A Man in Love, the second instalment in Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard's highly acclaimed My Struggle series, I've seen a number of reviewers grappling with why this series has become such a global phenomenon. In Norway, one book has been sold for every nine adults in the country. Since international translations have proliferated, the books have been welcomed with open arms and glowing reviews in every territory they have entered. This is a remarkable feat for a series that is more than 3,600 pages long and meticulously describes the life of a forty-year-old Norwegian writer. The first book, entitled A Death in the Family, describes the teenager years of the series' protagonist, Karl Ove. It is a book of firsts: first love, first experiences with alcohol, first bands, first intimate experience of death. A Man in Love whizzes forward a decade or two and opens with Karl Ove trying to deal with his recent separation from ex-wife Tonje. He has packed his bags and decided to start his life afresh in Sweden, where he meets and falls in love with a writer named Linda. On a writer's retreat, Karl Ove opts to get hopelessly drunk and admits his feelings to Linda in an emotional outburst, only to be knocked back by Linda who actually fancies Karl's friend. In response, Karl Ove returns to his cabin, continues drinking and decides to self-mutilate, slashing his face to ribbons with shards of broken glass.

Read my full review here: http://wp.me/p6dHAE-cw

Set across three time periods, the book explores the power of art to effect and change the course of people's lives throughout the ages. The novel is written in stylish prose and has been well researched by the author who provides rich, detailed portrayals of the art of forgery and 17th century Dutch life. I would recommend this if you enjoyed Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, Tracy Chevalier's The Girl with a Peal Earring, and/or historical fiction.

Read my full review and let me know your thoughts here: http://wp.me/p6dHAE-bg

A gripping psychological thriller written with bewitching literary gusto.

An overwritten novel reclaimed by its exceptional attention to detail that offers an absorbing and touching tale from both sides of the trenches.

A laugh-out-loud comedy and heartbreaking tragedy wrapped up in one, The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko is told in a deeply original narrative voice in assured prose. I struggle to imagine how Stambach achieved writing this, his debut (!), in his spare time while teaching. An excellent first novel from a very talented writer indeed.

Read my full review: https://t.co/7EGfioFdxe