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Mary Ellen Gembolis asked this question about My Struggle, Book 1:
Has anyone out there read the whole series? I just finished Book 1 and found it a little naval-gazing, too self-absorbed. Does it get any better? Mary Ellen
Jay "Jakie" Mary Ellen! I am 100% with you on your opinion. I would not consider myself an literati by any means, but I do love to read and I cannot understand wh…moreMary Ellen! I am 100% with you on your opinion. I would not consider myself an literati by any means, but I do love to read and I cannot understand why the literary community is making such a fuss over this author. I have just finished Book 1 and despite my disappointment with it will read Book 2.

Recognizing a good "read" and great literature are, of course, two different thought processes. Knausgaard is no Proust for sure and any resemblance is only in the quantity of texts. I found moments of brilliance and insight, but long passages of absolutely boring, tedious narrative. For a young man given so much independence in his life, Karl Ove seems very, very naive and lacking in self-confidence.

I would like to hear from others reading this author's work to instruct me as to what I may be missing or how to delve deeper into what he may be trying to illustrate with this work. Maybe a Knausgaard group here in GoodReads? If Book 2 doesn't get any better, I'm tossing it into my pile of overrated contemporary authors. (For a very similar autobiographical type narrative, except with excellent, impassioned writing and characters look into Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels.)(less)
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My Struggle, Book 1
by Karl Ove Knausgård
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