In the Distance

In the Distance is a heartbreaking story about someone who is incredibly alone in a foreign country. The protagonist, Håkan, is treated badly yet has a relentless optimism that he's going to find the person he's looking for. So much brutal stuff happens in the story, and Håkan cannot reconcile the things he's done in the past, no matter how necessary, brave, or heroic they were. He's a lovable giant surrounded by tragedy.

The book feels like a sprint, rarely pausing in the moment or giving the reader time to process what's just happened. Hernan Diaz achieves this while never using 20 words when 10 will do, without losing the musical, visceral feel of the writing. It felt like reading a Cormac McCarthy novel for the first time.