Nothing

"Nothing matters. I have known that for a long time. So nothing is worth doing. I just realized that."

Nothing, by Janne Teller, is a Danish novel that’s told in a way that those Nords do best: creepy, stark, and haunting. The descriptions and dialogue are straight-to-the-point, and the author never deviates from this rule. Sometimes one sentence is more powerful than ten.

The novel centers around Gerda, an intelligent Danish teen, and her friends. These adolescents try to find meaning in their lives after another peer, Pierre Anthon, climbs into a tree, and proclaims (in a true nihilist fashion) that there is no meaning to life.  Of course, Gerda’s journey to find meaning isn’t whimsical or light-hearted; rather, it is dark and demonstrates the savage nature of the human psyche. Somewhere, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Jack would approve of Gerda and co.'s actions.

I feel that this book is more appropriate for adults than for teenagers. The content might be hard to understand without a philosophical context. Brush up on  your Nietzsche before reading!

This book offers insight into an end of innocence that every adult feels in their life. Read it, and remember when you lost your childhood bliss too.

5/5

Information:

Hardcover, 227 pages

Published February 9th 2010 by Atheneum

A Storm of Swords

As some background, I should say that I loved “A Game of Thrones” and literally tore through said book. I read the novel in a day, and I don’t think I ate, slept, or spoke during those 24 hours of reading. Needless to say, I was excited to read “A Clash of Kings”, but I found the book to be depressingly disappointing. I struggled to complete it, as I found the plot boringly diluted and the characters to be self-absorbed prigs. It reminded me of how television shows often set up for a really great episode by having a weaker episode featured the week prior, and “A Clash of Kings” certainly was the weaker. When the time came to read the third in the “Song of Fire and Ice” series, I was slightly apprehensive about reading “A Storm of Swords”, and worried that I might be losing interest in the series. Thankfully, my expectations were met and exceeded by this novel.

“A Storm of Swords” is a wonderfully action-packed book that is infused with lust, conflict, religion, and political intrigue. Martin’s characters continue to struggle with their morality and the choices that they have made in the past. Jaime Lannister, the kingslayer, is an example of this, as he begins to examine the role he played in murdering the  Targaryen king. Events in this book cause Jaime Lannister to shift his perspective, and thus become a fascinating character. Betrayal also runs strong throughout. Perhaps the most shocking act of betrayal involves Lord Frey and the tragic Stark family. I remember being shocked and horrified by how those events played out. Murder is everywhere, apparently, and none of Martin’s characters are sacred.

After having finished, “A Storm of Swords” last night, I eagerly began “A Feast for Crows”. Let’s hope the fourth is just as good as the third.

5/5

Information: 

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) George R.R. Martin Bantam (2003), Mass Market Paperback, 1216 pages