Reading My Struggle 1 for me was like meeting a person in a cafe (it happend I found the book there:)) that I want to hear and share thoughts on our “ordinary” lives that go beyond annoyance with plumbing and cholesterol. I need intuitive and introspective people and have less and less patients for empty small talk. Disappointingly aging is cruel and so many people loose interest in other people’s struggle when it’s not just an entertaining gossip. Why? I don’t know. Is it hard to process who we are or is it hard to face ourselves backwards? I don’t know, but I am so happy that I have another five books to read from Karl Ove.
Americans love success (who doesn’t?!), but they know very well that success alone does not mean happiness. They read every word about stars that died lonely of alcohol and drugs. But, they do believe in struggle to make it better. What they avoid is introspection; it makes them feel sad and confused. They keep that for a limited hour with a therapist. It’s in a national character. If you are too sad turn to Jesus and he’ll take care of it. Muslims are similar with the extra veil regarding family “secrets.” In Europe, people of Knausgaard generation were reading lots of literature, poetry, philosophy … After WW2, people were expected to broaden their thinking and schools encouraged debates. Answers were in questions and more questions. And happiness became important, but the road to it was not as easily defined as in America.
![(Vidéo) [ENG] Karl Ove Knausgaard - Entretien avec Charlie Rose](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
