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The Morning Star
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
A major new work from the author of the renowned My Struggle series, MORNING STAR is an astonishing, ambitious, and rich novel about what we don't understand, and our attempts to make sense of our world nonetheless It's a normal night in August. Literature professor Arne and artist Tove are with their children at the resort in Srlandet. Their friend, Egil, a driver by day, is staying in a cabin nearby. Kathrine, a priest, is on her way home from a seminar, the journalist Jostein is out on the town, and his wife Turid, who is an assistant nurse, has a night shift. Above them all, a huge star suddenly appears in the sky. No one, not even the astronomers, knows for sure what kind of phenomenon it is. Is there a star burning itself out? Why then has no one seen it before? Or is it a brand new star? Slowly the interest in the news subsides, and life goes on, but not quite as before, for unusual phenomena begin to occur on the fringes of human existence. Over these days in August, the characters the novel follows will each understand what is happening differently, and all face new struggles in their own lives. The Morning Star is a novel about what we do not understand, about great drama seen through the limited lens of little lives. But first and foremost, it is a novel about what happens when the dark forces in the world are set free.
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review
sarahbarnes
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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Pickpick

I have mixed feelings about this book. I found it so compelling and unsettling throughout that I was on pins and needles much of the time and couldn‘t put it down. And then, suddenly, it ended with so much left untold. I don‘t need stories to be fully resolved, but I did want more at the end of this one. Nevertheless, a pick because it was very good until the end. Thanks for putting this one on my radar @batsy !

batsy Nice review! I too wanted more, and to know and understand more. From what I understand, the next one (Wolves of Eternity) doesn't quite give answers but maybe more questions 😂 Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to it... 3mo
sarahbarnes @batsy I looked at the blurb for Wolves when I finished hoping for a sequel 😂 But yes I also still want to read it! I think he wanted to bring the theme of what we can know and what we can‘t know into all aspects of the novel, but I was still a bit frustrated by all the unfinished stories. (edited) 3mo
32 likes2 comments
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AndyCapp
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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Mehso-so

Spændende karakterer, godt fortalt, men uforløst og til tider for rablende. En enkelt kedelig passsage, jeg næsten sprang over.

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PageShifter
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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Mehso-so

I could relate to characters, I loved how they were written. It was easy to feel for them and everyone struggled with some things in their lives.

This wasn't fun & light at all. This was mysterious at some points but I waited for more all the time. I felt betrayed when this just ended and I didn't get an ending.

Plotwise this was scattered and when I thought that every storyline would been connected at some point they never were.

#SeriesLove23

TheSpineView Bummer. Great job with powering through to the end. 10mo
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 Not good when a book a book makes you feel like this. (edited) 10mo
22 likes2 comments
review
batsy
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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Pickpick

Through the first person narratives of a cast of characters, we live through two days in Norway after a strange star appears in the sky. The POV of each character feels intimate & raw, & I thought Knausgaard does a tremendous job of structuring the book so that the shit hits the fan concurrently for each person, & out there in the world, in a way that leaves the reader unmoored & disturbed. The book is long but ends far too soon. I want more!

batsy There's a sense that the new star is a harbinger of nothing good, but what "nothing good" means depends on who you are: beast, tree, human, or something in-between. The book ends with a philosophical essay that I think people will either love or hate (I loved it, even as I rolled my eyes at some bits & agreed with other bits) but it also feels like it's not done. I can't wait for the sequel(s). My first by him but consider me Knausgaard-pilled ? 11mo
jlhammar Sounds good! I'd also like to try his My Struggle books sometime. 11mo
Tamra Intriguing - terrific review! I‘ve haven‘t read any of his books yet. 11mo
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vivastory I have read only 1 book by him, the first volume of My Struggle, but it has one of the most agonizing, tedious depictions of grief that I have ever read. It's amazing. I read it I think 5 years ago & think about it often. I wasn't familiar with this one, definitely adding to TBR. Fantastic review! (edited) 11mo
batsy @jlhammar Me too! It seems daunting but I can't deny that I'm curious. 11mo
batsy @Tamra Thank you! It's a bit like philosophical genre fiction, a bit noir-ish and with elements I guess of what's referred to as cli-fi these days. 11mo
batsy @vivastory That sounds incredible. Death is the focus of this book and I guess the subsequent ones, and I'm super eager to see where it goes. (There's a great video from the Edinburgh Literary Festival available online where Chris Power interviews him and it's super interesting!) 11mo
batsy @vivastory This is the interview, if you're interested. No spoilers :) https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/media-gallery/item/karl-ove-knausgaard-the-familiar... 11mo
arubabookwoman big Knausgaard fan here. I've read this one and the first 5 vols of My Struggle (have the 6th waiting on the shelf). Like you I think there's going to be a sequel to this one. 11mo
BarbaraBB Another big Knausgård fan here. My Struggle is fantastic, all installments. I now really should read this one soon. Fantastic review! 11mo
BarbaraBB Thanks for the link to the interview! 11mo
sarahbarnes Oh wow, this sounds fantastic. Adding to my TBR immediately. 11mo
batsy @arubabookwoman Love hearing from his fans because I'm so interested to read more 🙂 In the interview above he does mention that there will be follow-ups to The Morning Star and I'm excited! 11mo
batsy @BarbaraBB Yes, I remember that you enjoyed it and that's part of the reason why I was keen to read it 💜 Now that I've read one of his novels it's definitely something I should attempt soon, before I get distracted by other books 😅 11mo
batsy @sarahbarnes It hits the sweet spot of litfic and genre fic while also being subtly disturbing. It kind of got under my skin. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! And it's interesting to me when writers deal with the big topics, so to speak, like religion, death, climate change, etc., by situating it within the mundane and everyday. 11mo
sarahbarnes I agree. The only one of his books I‘ve read is A Time for Everything and it did get under my skin, dealing with religion in such an interesting everyday way. And I think I saw that he has a new novel out or coming out soon - The Wolves of Eternity? 11mo
batsy @sarahbarnes Oh, cool! I was thinking of A Time for Everything as my next one after doing some "research". Hopefully I can get to it soon ?? I believe Wolves is meant to be the sequel to Morning Star ? 11mo
vivastory Thanks for the link! I have bookmarked to listen to for later 11mo
Leftcoastzen How did I miss this review! I loved the My Struggle series. 10mo
batsy @Leftcoastzen You might like this one, too! It's a bit like a philosophical Stephen King 😁 10mo
83 likes9 stack adds20 comments
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Ellohcin
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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18 likes1 stack add
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Simona
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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My #weeklyforecast is one big book (666 pages) and one long (10 hours) audiobook, and a lot of unwanted socialising …. I think that‘s enough for one week.

BarbaraBB More than enough! Good luck 😉😘 2y
Simona Thanks @BarbaraBB Have you read The Morning Star? 2y
BarbaraBB No, I‘ve “only” read My Struggle. Is it Good? 2y
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Simona Yes it is, although, I‘m ‘only‘ on page 254 …. but if you liked his mundane style in My Struggle you will like The Morning Star also … I think. 2y
Cinfhen Happy Holidays 😘Best wishes for peace & joy in the New Year 💖💖💖 2y
tpixie Pretty graphic! 2y
46 likes6 comments
review
SherryJones
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard
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I thought it would never end — and end it does, most unsatisfactorily. None of the plots begun for its many protagonists gets seen through, just abandoned as if the author got tired. The book is about the appearance of a bright new star and the events in people‘s lives that don‘t necessarily connect. It ends in a lot of hanging plots. In analog, it‘s 666 pages — coincidence? Heed the warning and avoid this self-important tome.

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SherryJones
The Morning Star | Karl Ove Knausgaard

I‘ve just gotten this book because of a gushing New Yorker review. I hope it‘s better than Book One of “My Struggle,” which I found tedious and self-indulgent contrary to the New York Times‘s breathless adoration. Needless to say, I didn‘t read books 2-6. I‘ll keep you posted on this one. The cover is beautiful :)

SherryJones I thought it would never end — and end it does, most unsatisfactorily. None of the plots begun for its many protagonists gets seen through, just abandoned as if the author got tired. The book is about the appearance of a bright new star and the events in people‘s lives that don‘t necessarily connect. It ends in a lot of hanging plots. In analog, it‘s 666 pages — coincidence? Heed the warning and avoid this self-important tome. (edited) 2y
4 likes1 comment