My Struggle (Complete Six Volume Set)
Brooklyn, New York: Archipelago Books, 2012. 8vo. Fine / Fine. Item #16259
A gorgeous set of this 2012 translation from the influential Norwegian author.
When originally published, My Struggle "unleashed a media frenzy upon its release, with journalists attempting to track down the mentioned members of his family. The series has sold half a million copies in Norway alone and has been published in 35 languages.
"Knausgård had finished two volumes when the first book was released. He had been planning to finish the six volumes within the year, preferring to work under harsh deadlines to combat his writer's block. The book's release began a media frenzy as reporters tracked down the novel's characters, which was simple because his family were the only Knausgårds in Norway. Knausgård went into hiding and shut out the media exposure to write daily. Working almost all day aside from chauffeuring his kids, he could write 20 pages in a day. The 50-page section on his first days with his wife was written in a 24-hour spurt.
"Knausgård felt that the third through fifth volumes suffered for the influence of the ongoing controversy that followed the original publication. He wrote the 550-page fifth book in eight weeks. He wanted "unsparing honesty" in the last book "to save the project", and so discarded 400 pages, delayed the book, and wrote about the fallout from the publication of the previous five volumes, including a breakdown suffered by his wife during which she was hospitalized. Knausgård described his portrayal of his wife as "the most painful thing" he has done. His wife, although hurt by portions of the series, did not ask for it to be rewritten and has publicly taken his side." - Wiki
All volumes in Fine or Near Fine condition. Square tight bindings. Clean interiors. Volume VI with a remainder mark on the bottom and a light smudge on the jacket spine, else Fine. Jackets present handsomely in archival mylar.
A beautiful complete set and scarce when offered as such.
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