Carl Frode Tiller

Encircling is the first book in a trilogy from the Norwegian writer Carl Frode Tiller. The novel opens after David has lost his memory in an accident and places an ad asking friends and family to provide him with written accounts of his past. Three people step forward to do so: Jon, his closest friend, Silje, a teenage girlfriend, and Arvid, his estranged stepfather. Each presents a slightly different narrative of David’s youth and teenage years.

While the three provide numerous details of show more David’s history, their accounts are more about their own troubled pasts. Jon’s account reveals his sexual attraction to David and the loss he experienced when their relationship fell apart. Silje focuses on her own troubled marriage and the fond memories she has of the days spent with David in youth’s rebellion when life’s trajectory had yet to be locked in place. Arvid, a former clergyman, recounts his marriage with David’s mother and what led to his loss of faith.

This novel is about the fragility of memory, how different perspectives change the interpretation of David’s life. It is a story that does not try to stitch a unifying composite of David himself, leaving the reader to sort through the jumbled facts to draw their own conclusions. For this reason, the book might easily be placed in the mystery section of a bookstore, but these three written portraits are ultimately a psychological investigation that shows no matter how close we are to another person, their portrayal is colored by the other’s desires and anxieties. show less

Encircling is the first book of a trilogy by Carl Frode Tiller. I picked it up at the library and didn't like it at first, but I kept reading, and the plot lines within families and friends grabbed a hold on me. The back cover compares Tiller to Karl Ove Knausgård. Well they're both Norwegian. I read all 5 of Knausgaard's books. I liked them. Not a knock on Karl Ove, but Encircling has much more dramatic punch with tension bouncing around among characters with many surprises. The book show more requires the readers attention with Norwegian name, and sorting out who's who. That may be my fault 'cause I was a little lazy at the beginning. show less

Dette var bortkastet lesing. Boka fenget meg ikke i det hele tatt. Ble skuffet for å bære ærlig.

Dette var bortkastet lesing. Boka fenget meg ikke i det hele tatt. Ble skuffet for å bære ærlig.