My Struggle: Book Six

At long last, the translation of volume 6 of Karl Ove Knausgaard's masterpiece My Struggle has arrived. I feel so lucky to have read it in advance as I have been waiting anxiously since reading volume 5 last year.

I love this entire work! In this volume, Knausgaard deals with the fall-out from the upcoming publication of his work, especially from his uncle who is enraged. Knausgaard is dealing with issues that confront many, if not most, writers: how to write honestly, how to create art, out of the material of one's personal life in a way that does not violate the privacy of others and dealing with the reactions of those whose lives are used in some way when the author must proceed in order to create art.

In this volume, Knausgaard also continues to recount scrupulously the details of his every day life with his wife and children. The focus is heavily on his children and his struggle to be a better father than his own. As usual, Knausgaard judges himself harshly, often obsessing on his failures. But that may be a necessary part of being a parent, especially when your trying to be a good one. Without learning from failures, how do you become better? Nevertheless, as usual, Knausgaard is extremely self-critical. However, his relationship with his children, his portrait of them in their innocence, their individuality is touchingly produced.

Knausgaard has his usual digressions into other areas. Here he often goes into detailed explorations of writers as well as an extremely long description of Hitler's youth, specifically his adolescence. While interesting at first, I became weary and annoyed during this section which felt endless. I am not interested in an exploration of Hitler's more positive aspects. I almost gave up read this work because of this section. However, I found his other digressions much more engaging, especially his exploration of the difficult poetry of Paul Celan and the story of Cain and Abel. Knausgaard has a fascinating mind and it was interesting to see how it works in relation to other writers. My reaction to his portrait of Hitler may be personal only to me and since it is well-written might well be of interest to others.

As always, Knausgaard is a compelling writer. This book inspired me to read more of his works, including Autumn and Spring. I wish I could read him in the original but the translation is powerful. It's difficult to assess Knausgaard style since I can only read him in translation but i find his writing, the thinking and the manner of portraying it, his more abstract discussions alternating with his focus on the minutiae of daily life, gripping. For me, it's as much a page-turner as any best seller and much more rewarding. Reading Knausgaard is like enjoying any remarkable work of art, any positive, powerful experience. Not only is the actual experience wonderful, it remains with you after it is over, reverberating inside you, as alive as a memory as it was during the immediate pleasure.

I love how the work continues to reverberate inside me, how I continue to think about it long after i have finished the last page. This has been true of all the volumes in My Struggle.. I loved this work and am sad that I am finished reading it, at least for the first time. It has all been a powerful experience for me. I look forward to reading more of Knausgaard's other works.

Thank you Karl Ove Knausgaard, NetGalley, as well as the publisher, Archipelago for making this book available to me. It was a wonderful and powerful experience that I will long remember and for which I am grateful to have had.

Reading through the 6 volumes of Knausgaard's "My Struggle" has been a highlight for me for the past few years. Reading an intimate portrait of somebody's life not only provides a window into their experience, but opens insights into your own personal life. In Book Six, Knausgaard brings us up to date as possible, detailing events surrounding the publication of the first volume and his surrounding home lie. A long read, but a rewarding one.