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This is a beautiful victory lap, despite there remaining 1150 pages in the final volume. Fan service everywhere � all the characters you know and have loved, all the crying noises, all the somewhat interesting musings on the most mundane objects in life� all back. Discussions of literature and philosophy were mostly a joy to read. Very cool to read this one after Fosse’s Nobel win! And of course, a tiny cameo from some sheep and some ears.

Karl Ove’s love life is interesting to hear about, because it’s so intimately linked to his view of himself. This is a view that is filled with hatred (some of the most intensely visceral sections of the book come from his self harm and suicidal ideation). He is not asking for our concern and he is not crying for help by laying his soul bare as he does. I truly don’t believe that’s his intention. The simple action of telling it as it was. But it still does hurt to read, and it is astounding to see someone able to capture a hue of what his life must have been like without judging it through a current lens.

We’re almost there.