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My Struggle: Book Four (2010)

by Karl Ove Knausgård

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: My Struggle (4)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
8043027,215 (4.08)38
At eighteen years old, Karl Ove moves to a tiny fisherman's village in the far north of the arctic circle to work as a school teacher. No interest in the job itself, his intention is to save up enough money to travel while finding the space and time to start his writing career. Initially everything looks fine. He writes his first few short stories, finds himself accepted by the hospitable locals, and receives flattering attention from several beautiful local girls. But as the darkness of the long arctic nights start to consume the landscape, Karl Ove's life takes a darker turn. His writing repeats itself, his drinking escalates to some disturbing blackouts, his attempts at losing his virginity end in humiliation and shame, and to his distress, he also develops romantic feelings towards one of his students. Along the way, there are flashbacks to his high school years and the roots of his current problems. Ever present is the long shadow cast by his father, whose own sharply increasing alcohol consumption serves as an ominous backdrop to the author's lifestyle.… (more)
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» See also 38 mentions

English (17)  German (4)  Dutch (2)  Catalan (1)  Spanish (1)  Swedish (1)  All (1)  Norwegian (Bokmål) (1)  Norwegian (1)  All languages (29)
Showing 1-5 of 17 (next | show all)
Norwegian woods wilt fast ( )
  postsign | Dec 28, 2023 |
this man is an all-out mess and I can't stop reading. the last scene?? finally!!!!! rock and roll. ( )
  RachelGMB | Dec 27, 2023 |
Having read the first three of Karl Ove Knausgaard's "My Struggle" novels I was expecting something just as dark and foreboding. But surprisingly, this one had a much lighter, at times downright humorous tone. But as the name implies Karl Ove did have to struggle with some of the same old issues. Most notably, dealing with the repercussions of his childhood abuse at the hand of his father, his own battle with teenage alcoholism, and adjusting to a new job as a teacher. But hear's where the humor comes in. Because the biggest struggle 18 year old Karl Ove has to face is being attracted to his 13 year old students. And while he has to refrain from becoming involved with his students, being a new face in a very small, and close knit, northern Norway town makes him very popular with all the ladies so his number one quest is to loose his virginity And while Karl Ove has no problem getting these girls into bed, he struggles time and time again with the same problem. As soon has things are about to be consummated, he blows his load, now this shouldn't be funny but some how it is because I know at some point Karl Ove will come through. So on page 646, the second to last page, good ole Karl Ove finally "comes" through, in fact he "comes" through repeatedly ! ( )
  kevinkevbo | Jul 14, 2023 |
I kept a very close eye on myself as I read this, and worked out why I keep reading: it's just readable. KOK writes ideal airplane literature for those of us who think we're too good for airplane literature. You don't have to keep track of anything, the pages turn, not because you have to keep going, but because it's all so digestible that there's no reason to stop turning them. He captures exactly what it's like to be an 18 year old boy (unpleasant), and throws in a few slightly intellectual paragraphs to salve your conscience while you're otherwise reading about booze and fucking.

I recently read somewhere this definition of literature as opposed to non-literary language: in literature, sentences always mean at least two things (it's a common one, I know; I think I read it in Sartre). That is not true of My Struggle, in which the words very much mean only and always what they appear to mean--again, this makes it an easy read, your brain will not be taxed at all. It's also interesting to think of KOK trying to make literature out of the non-literary, an old avant-garde approach to writing (though the old avant-gardists would, ahem, not appreciate KOK's spin on it). Is that what's going on here? Is this in any way incompatible with my "it's just airplane literature" enjoyment? I don't think so.

In any case, KOK knows this. Karl Ove discusses with his mother her brother's poetry.

"Why," asks Karl Ove, "can't he just write it as it is, straight?"
"Some do," she said. "But there are things you can't say straight."
"Such as?"

Her answer is, roughly, Heidegger's concept of Sorge, which isn't entirely convincing as an answer, but does make me really like his mother.

Later, he describes his teenage nostalgia for childhood, "when the trees were trees, not 'trees', cars not 'cars', when Dad was Dad, not 'Dad.'"

So, despite myself, I managed to intellectualize this non-intellectual book. It reflects on its own non-intellectuality, it's own lack of irony, in such a way that the reader can indulge in the boy as unliterary, unintelligent, unironical--while also being aware that this is just nostalgia. The impressive thing about book four is how it is successful as nostalgic pablum, while inserting *just* enough of the ironic acid to keep my brain engaged.

If only there'd been less stuff about the Tyrannical Family. I just do not care to hear about people's struggles with their family members. We all have them. They are not interesting. KOK as a teenager refusing to beat off might not be interesting to others, I admit. ( )
  stillatim | Oct 23, 2020 |
Premature Ejaculation : The Novel. Probably the weakest of the series so far, but then Karl Ove is going through his obnoxious, alcoholic teenage years so he's not the easiest of companions. ( )
  arewenotben | Jul 31, 2020 |
Showing 1-5 of 17 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Knausgård, Karl Oveprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Bartlett, DonTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Huttunen, KatriinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Molenaar, MarianneTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Langsomt kom de to koffertene mine glidende på rullebåndet gjennom ankomsthallen.
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Jeg forstilte meg alltid litt overfor Tor Einar, det gjorde jeg ikke overfor Nils Erik, og jeg likte ikke meg selv når jeg forstilte meg, når det fantes en avstand mellom den jeg var og det jeg sa, en slags forsinkelse som ga rom for beregningen, det at jeg heller sa det han ville høre enn det jeg selv ville si eller snakke om.
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At eighteen years old, Karl Ove moves to a tiny fisherman's village in the far north of the arctic circle to work as a school teacher. No interest in the job itself, his intention is to save up enough money to travel while finding the space and time to start his writing career. Initially everything looks fine. He writes his first few short stories, finds himself accepted by the hospitable locals, and receives flattering attention from several beautiful local girls. But as the darkness of the long arctic nights start to consume the landscape, Karl Ove's life takes a darker turn. His writing repeats itself, his drinking escalates to some disturbing blackouts, his attempts at losing his virginity end in humiliation and shame, and to his distress, he also develops romantic feelings towards one of his students. Along the way, there are flashbacks to his high school years and the roots of his current problems. Ever present is the long shadow cast by his father, whose own sharply increasing alcohol consumption serves as an ominous backdrop to the author's lifestyle.

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